“Tampa News Force Live!” Solely Responsible for Cancellation of State Art Funding

The “Tampa News Force Live!” show which was presented first at the 2023 Tampa International Fringe Festival before beginning a year-long residency as a production of the Tampa Fringe, was singled out by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the primary reason for his decision to veto funding for arts programs throughout the state.

“So you have your tax dollars being given in grants to things like the Fringe Festival, which is like a sexual festival where they are doing all this stuff. I can’t sell the Fringe Festival to taxpayers, nor would I want to try to sell the Fringe Festival to taxpayers.”

– Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, exactly the kind of guy who describes any sexual activity as “stuff”

The original production which ran in Ybor City at the Fringe Theatre in May of 2023 featured buxom burlesque bombshell Katie James. While there was no sexually explicit content throughout the show’s year-long run, there was indeed “all this stuff”, so clearly the implication that the entirety of blame for this unfortunate development falls squarely on Tampa News Force.

Tampa News Force deeply regrets the negative impact this will have on the Plant City Entertainment community theatre company and other arts organizations throughout Florida.