The Civil War

Gillis takes his signature historical-imagination approach and applies it to the biggest event in American history: what if the Civil War happened now? With Twitter, with cable news, with guys who peaked in CrossFit enlisting for content.

The bit escalates through a series of anachronistic scenarios—live-streaming from Gettysburg, influencers switching sides for brand deals, the discourse around General Sherman's march being treated like a cancel culture debate. Each layer adds another absurd detail that feels uncomfortably plausible.

Gillis commits to the premise with the patience of a history teacher who's lost his mind. He doesn't rush to the jokes—he builds a world, populates it with recognizable modern types, and lets the comedy emerge from the collision between then and now. The audience laughs hardest at the moments that feel most true.