We liberals have cornered the market on humor in this country and it sure helps!
The joyless sour-pusses of the right are self-caricatures easily speared by such as Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher, who have brought many youthful souls to Jesus.
Unfortunately for them, Republican "culture" these days is nigh humorless, and comedy-free.
What passes for jokes are the facetious slashings of Ann Coulter: the gassy arrogance of Rush Limbaugh, and the well-timed clichés of Brad Stine who makes Polish jokes putting liberals in place of Polacks.
There's no Republican Stewart; Colbert, or The Simpsons; no Ellen DeGeneres or David Letterman or Robin Williams, or Whoopee.
(They've got Dennis Miller, but he got grumpy when he got conservative and hasn't been funny since the '80's).
They once had P.J. O'Rourke, but they ran him and his ironic New York sensibilities off years ago when the evangelicals took over and the Bush Administration formed the Humor Commission and appointed Ron Silver to head it up.
Bill Buckley's erudite wit is lost on this crowd and he's kept himself more aloof than usual these days- another Republican casualty to the Bush Administration. Bob Dole was funny, but not ha-ha funny and besides, the Bushites treat him like he's got HIV, (which he may- what with his pharmaceutically perked-up male possibilities).
What's left of Republican humor is GOP "fun stuff" like this.
Fox News Channel leaped into the breach Sunday night with its premiere of its much-touted attempt to counter The Daily Show with The 1/2 Hour News Hour," a new weekly series. Executive producer is Joel Surnow, the guy who's responsible for Fox's hit "24."
Stewart hasn't much to worry about- the show is not quite as funny as Saturday Night Live.
The show opened with a sketch placed in 2009, and President Rush Limbaugh, played stiffly (he's got Viagra too) by the Maha Rushie himself. Vice President is Ann Coulter in a cameo who steps onto the set looking like a deer in the headlights. The two exchange snide comments about political correctness, Pelosi and global warming; they're both a little nervous, but the show seemed promising with these big names.
But it goes down hill from there. There's a terrible running joke about Ed Begley Jr. that includes a car that runs on human waste, and was too broad even after we, the audience, had just been exposed to Limbaugh's mighty posterior.
There's a laugh track. We know, we know- that's nostalgia-making for those conservative Boomers yearning for the clean old days of Laugh-in, or Love Boat, but the laughs were too loud and too long and too fake.
Then it was the requisite fake news; with reaching send-ups on political correctness, Pelosi, and global warming. There were faux ACLU commercials which, believe it or not, seemed critical of that fine organization.
In the end, we were really glad it was only a half hour. It was the kind of comedy you'd expect from Fox boss Roger Ailes, the guy who brought you Billo and Sean Hannity.
We can laugh at ourselves- and we like to laugh, but this didn't ever make us out laugh our loud, but as the Washington Post's Tom Shales says: "It isn't terrible."
We'll watch it again next week, but we're hoping if they have Ann Coulter back- that she'll either be naked or will kill something.
Perhaps they could have the Maha Rushie re-enact the bean eating scene from BLAZING SADDLES.
Posted by: Ryder | February 19, 2007 at 07:54 AM
I really appreciate hearing from someone who understands liberal media and what's at stake. Without Fox News, this country would just become another cesspool of self-hate, America-hate, postmodernism and nihilism. If you really want to go attack conservative comedy, why don't you go to ourcountry.com and leave your comments there.
Posted by: Jonathan Moore | February 19, 2007 at 08:15 AM
You are a true patriot Jonathon. Smile once in while though.
Posted by: waterboy | February 19, 2007 at 08:52 AM
You should be producing, Ryder. That's a funny idea.
I'll never watch it but was interested in how it came about and found this.
Posted by: joanie | February 19, 2007 at 08:55 AM
I really appreciate hearing from someone who understands liberal media and what's at stake.
Just for shits-n-giggles Jon, Let's all see your evidence for Paul Bunyan, uh, I mean Flat Earth. Atlantis? Nope. The Loch Ness Monster - Damn did it again. I mean "Liberal Media". There, that's the one.
We should find it disturbing that someone who doesn't give a rat's ass about Habeas Corpus, Seperation of Powers, or the 4th 5th 6th 8th Amendments would even mention "What's at stake"
*cue laugh track*
Note: I know I know, barking up the wrong tree on that one. Cons only care about the 2nd Amendment.
Posted by: mercifurious | February 19, 2007 at 09:15 AM
PS Jon,
Read 1984, and then come back and preach to us about "What's at stake"
Posted by: mercifurious | February 19, 2007 at 09:19 AM
Just one more Jon:
When the TV ratings bulldozer rolls through and this show becomes a transparent stain on the pavement, will you blame that on the "liberal media" too?
I find it amusing that cons talk such a tough talk but then have such a pathetic loser excuse when things go wrong
Posted by: mercifurious | February 19, 2007 at 09:29 AM
How does that feel? We can savage you with humor too. Liberals have finally been struck back with the ridiculousness that they belittle and mock patriots and President Bush with.
Posted by: misty | February 19, 2007 at 09:37 AM
I thought the show was kind of boring. Rush would be a great president, however Coulter is just too whacked out.
The most entertaining spots to me were the spots on the ACLU. You could probably do a whole series of numbers on them and the things they have done through the years to undermine the safety of American citizens. As long as it is humorous in nature. Done straight would be too depressing.
Posted by: chucks | February 19, 2007 at 09:43 AM
PJ O'Rourke is sorely needed for this show to be a success and then it could take off.
Posted by: KS | February 19, 2007 at 09:46 AM
Rush isn't a bad actor, he would make a great Winston Churchill. Coulter should play a slave bitch, I would love to see her submissive and half naked.
Posted by: murky | February 19, 2007 at 09:56 AM
How does that feel? We can savage you with humor too.
Misty has a point. We all felt thoroughly "savaged" by the laugh track, did we not Bla'M fam? That was truly HIGH-larious. Intentional? Perhaps not.
Liberals have finally been struck back with the ridiculousness that they belittle and mock patriots and President Bush with.
Yeah, we wouldn't want to belittle and mock such a wise, intellectually curious, and insightfull Foriegn Policy/Administration/President. Let's make a deal: No material = no mocking.
I am again honored to be lectured by someone who would NEVER mock or belittle a patriot. Well, aside from the patriots Murtha, Kerry, Cleland, and now Chuck Hagel.
Posted by: mercifurious | February 19, 2007 at 09:56 AM
How does that feel? We can savage you with humor too.
Misty has a point. We all felt thoroughly "savaged" by the laugh track, did we not Bla'M fam? That was truly HIGH-larious. Intentional? Perhaps not.
Liberals have finally been struck back with the ridiculousness that they belittle and mock patriots and President Bush with.
Yeah, we wouldn't want to belittle and mock such a wise, intellectually curious, and insightfull Foriegn Policy/Administration/President. Let's make a deal: No material = no mocking.
I am again honored to be lectured by someone who would NEVER mock or belittle a patriot. Well, aside from the patriots Murtha, Kerry, Cleland, and now Chuck Hagel.
Posted by: mercifurious | February 19, 2007 at 09:57 AM
I watched that show last night and I thought it was "Pathetic." (Michael Medved's new favorite word) I didn't laugh once. I was shocked at how they tried to copy CBC'S "This hour has 22 minutes".. the PROBLEM is that Conservatives REALLY suck at comedy.. It was confirmed last night! The reason why comedians and comedy shows on TV are funny & successful is they understand SATIRE.. And did anyone notice the reaction to there sucky jokes?? It sounded alot like a LAUGH TRACK.. it wouldn't surprise me.. It comes down to this.. Liberals and moderates are funny because they have a "Live & Let Live Mentallity" I am a guy who listens to Right wing Talk all day and the only thing I laught at is there ABSOLUTIST warped ideologies on how the world should be..
Posted by: P1SternFan | February 19, 2007 at 10:22 AM
Conservative and funny are mutually exclusive unless you are talking about "funny" hair. they can't laugh at themselves- and that's fatal.
Posted by: murky | February 19, 2007 at 10:32 AM
Having watched the 1/2 a Comedy show, I can see why when people think "Joel Surnow," they think torture.
And now I know how to tell the difference between the fake news show on FOX and the real ones. The fake one is the one with the fewest laughs.
Wow, jokes about Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, Ed Begley Jr., Cindy Sheehan. Surnow's right, I've never seen those people made fun of on the Daily Show or SNL. Still, no jokes about Bill Clinton..., doesn't anyone have the guts to tap this deep, but apparently taboo in the real media well of humor?
Listening to talk radio this morning as I clean house and apparently from the callers, it is funny because it will make liberals squirm. In other words, even the conservatives don't think it is funny, they just want desperately to take a shot at Democrats that they will support this no matter what. At last we have an explanation for Bill O'Reilly.
First rule of comedy: You can't have comedy serve ideology. You can have a bent; a lot of the best comics, from Lenny Bruce to Lewis Black are very political. But they would never put their beliefs in front of the joke. When John Kerry does something worth mocking, they do it. Apparently at Fox, they put down their political goal first, and then try to write a joke to go with it.
Second rule of comedy, you can't play favorites. Surnow has said no Bush jokes. First, how foolish is it to say that if the president says something like:
"Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?"
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
"Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die."
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."
or telling a mother that he understood
"... working hard to put food on your family."
you are not going to make a joke about it. But it also throws off your rhythm. If SNL did not do Clinton Jokes, if Stewart did not do Kerry jokes, I wouldn't watch their shows either. If I agree with all of it, it cannot be that funny.
Then there was the execution. The timing was off, everything was stilted, and the writing was slow and obvious. And was I the only one who was grossed out after hearing all of Limbaugh's and Coulter's jokes about Clinton and Cigars to hear Run offer Ann a cigar in the Oval Office? No wonder Ann looked more off her rocker than normal. Maybe they should have hired the actress that played the Ann knock off in Homecoming. Heck, maybe they should just watch Homecoming over and over to learn what good Satire looks like.
The whole thing just had the stench of death about it. No wonder FOX has only ordered two shows, and then put it in the shadow of the much funnier "Hannity's America."
But at least give FOX credit for being honest for once. Most of the time, they try to pass off their shows as being real news shows. At least this time they have the guts to admit that it is fake and one sided. Just think about what that means about the rest of their line up.
There are worse things in life than bad comedy, but almost nothing worse than comedy that is not funny. FOX will probably order a few more just to say they tried, but this show is not going to be around for long. Nothing distinguishes it from any thing else on FOX. Which is a shame, because liberal do things that are really funny. Just watch the Daily Show or Colbert and you will see what good jokes about these follies are like. Isn't it strange, just like good news, good comedy works best when you are "Fair and Balanced."
Posted by: JDB | February 19, 2007 at 11:11 AM
I saw the beginning and it was too much like the "Stephanie Miller" radio show so I turned it off.
Posted by: Steve | February 19, 2007 at 03:48 PM
Mysty , a participle you left dangling.
Posted by: sparky | February 19, 2007 at 06:26 PM
No Bush jokes? Clinton and cigars will only go so far . . . sound dead on arrival to me.
Well, I take that back . . . seems to be no end to how far the right can stretch Clinton and cigars . . .
Posted by: joanie | February 19, 2007 at 06:39 PM
The funny thing is that liberals are FUNNY, but what makes us funny may not serve the Publican cause.
What can be funnier than Hillary making nice-nice with Sharpton? Or Kucinich and Nader making plans to be President? Or Teddy Kennedy having his hair cut at Eddie Murphy's barber shop? Sadly for the Publicans, even liberals laugh at these funny things and they d not hurt us!
Trouble is none of this touches at the leadership or leading issues of Demo politics. Barak may be gangly, but he is the real thing ... a Blackman good enough to be President. Hillary may have ugly legs and trouble with her pearls, but anyone dumb enough to not see her competence is already a Publican, Al Gore is being taken seriously by too many mainstream folks to be funny anymore. Anyone find Clark funny? How about Richardson?
The current crew of Publicans, in contrast are intrinsically funny BECAUSE of their stands. How does one take googley eyes Mitch-Mitch McConnell seriously after his salacious attacks on Bill Clinton? Or Guliani? I can just see the skit with the mayor trying to explain his wives to Prince Fahd! As for Romney, how in hell (or wherever Mormons end up when they sin) can he claim his religion does not affect his morality? I wann be there when someone asks him what the date of Jesus' arrival in North Carolina was!
Gingrich? Isn't he the guy who writes novels where the South wins the Civil War?
About the only unfunny major Publican is John McCain. I have trouble understanding how he keeps a straight face!
Posted by: Stephen Schwartz | February 19, 2007 at 06:58 PM
McCain not funny? He's the Uriah Heep . . . the evil panderer who will stop at nothing to gain his evil ends.
I don't think Romney is funny . . . not like you do. He's authentic and he'll laugh at himself. He's more like a Dem than a Pub. I like him.
Posted by: joanie | February 19, 2007 at 07:25 PM
Has anyone seen the photo of Ron and Don?
Are these guys real? One looks like miniLurch.
http://seattlejew.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Stephen Schwartz | February 19, 2007 at 10:19 PM