Liberal comics can be irritating

[manolo]

Folks,

On a recent foray into the worlds of Bill Maher, David Letterman and Jon Stewart I had a feeling of irritation at the level of mockery these guys employ.

Whilst I do agree with their political perspectives most of the time, the extended sessions of picking at conservatives can become counter productive. It is not easy to empathise with those we don't agree with, but for a time I imagined myself on the conservative side of the game (which it is) and could feel it.

Not sure why this happened, I think it may be because I quite like Donald Trump and he has made some good points now and then. He is particularly likeable when he has been hurt and fights back as best he can; very human. This is so different from Mr Obama's sophisticated humour in response to jibes.

It is hard to imagine the level of mud slinging (let's not forget Fox) being dialled down in the next 12 months, and maybe we should be looking for some more reflective and understanding exchanges as the election approaches?

What do you think?

Alex.

[kmich]

Since modern democracies elect representatives and no longer live in fear of monarchs, political satire has a long tradition both in the US and the UK to define a new, more egalitarian relationship between the ruler and the ruled. Actually political satire was far more personal and vicious in the early years of the American Republic. The humorists you mentioned are quite mild in comparison.

As far as our right wing goes, I do see your point. Our modern “conservatives” are so lacking of any humor, insight, or any sense of personal irony that they make far too easy a target. Not sporting somehow. Kind of like making fun of a demented person.

[Mr. Perfect]

Camille Paglia pointed out last couple of weeks that all the left has is snark. Snark itself. They have no ideas, no policies, they have a 6 year record of failure. We have record poverty, record black poverty, record debts, record low employment and we run around the world looking for 3rd world countries to surrender to. And all they can do is crack jokes about demented persons. And sneer that people living in this horror show are devoid of humor. The only humor available nowadays is gallows humor which is not my cup.

The left sells snark and snark only these days. It's all they have. They have no ideas. HRC's website is devoid of content. She has a few WWF type vagues slogans, that could mean anything to anybody.

Do liberal comics irritate? Probably the wrong word. They are mostly ignored.

[Mr. Perfect]

ethinker, I rather enjoyed your post hopefully we can explore some of your ideas.

[Mr. Perfect]

Pat Condell weighs in on left wing "comics".

PdGYA8HmcWM

[Nonc Hilaire]

Cynicism is the ugly basis of snarky humor. It's pretty easy, like puns. Wit is much rarer.

Wit is wonderful, but when a performer must have so many minutes of new, topical material every day snark and juxtapositional humor is inevitable. It's harder than writing for sitcoms. The writers must come up with a couple dozen topical jokes every day. That's a lot of pressure.

Stand-up comedians tune their act and perform it for a year. You just can't expect the same quality from Maher, Letterman and Stewart.

[noddy]

i think this comes back to a topic long hammered on the spengler forums - the jaded irrelevance of modernity, civlisational nihilism.

we have become arabs.

[Doc]

Folks,

On a recent foray into the worlds of Bill Maher, David Letterman and Jon Stewart I had a feeling of irritation at the level of mockery these guys employ.

Whilst I do agree with their political perspectives most of the time, the extended sessions of picking at conservatives can become counter productive. It is not easy to empathise with those we don't agree with, but for a time I imagined myself on the conservative side of the game (which it is) and could feel it.

Not sure why this happened, I think it may be because I quite like Donald Trump and he has made some good points now and then. He is particularly likeable when he has been hurt and fights back as best he can; very human. This is so different from Mr Obama's sophisticated humour in response to jibes.

It is hard to imagine the level of mud slinging (let's not forget Fox) being dialled down in the next 12 months, and maybe we should be looking for some more reflective and understanding exchanges as the election approaches?

What do you think?

Alex.

You mean like "You can't put lipstick on a pig"? That kind of "sophisticated humour"?

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

Well, guys like Stewart have short shelf lives. His first two years or so were brilliant on the Daily Show because when he took over Craig Kilborn's format (making fun of local stories) he simply added more talent with the occasional focus on national interests. As the media started praising him and stroking his ego as the "voice of a generation", the quality of his performance and the show started to decline. Every episode became about whatever (liberal?) issue was current at the time. Forcing every show to "be" about something with importance forced the writers and talent into a corner, and over time he couldn't paper over the weaknesses with the same strong supporting cast- those first two or three waves of "correspondents" were full of talent that could make anything out of nothing. Once it became prestigious (i.e.: safe) and a career maker to be on the Daily Show staff, the show attracted mediocrity- the type of writers/entertainers that gravitate towards safe jobs instead of ones they need to gamble on. He's been cruising on autopilot with his Mr.Smith Goes to Washington earnestness shtick for almost ten years now. It's just bad tv.

And it shouldn't go unnoticed that he is good friends with Fox News personality, Bill O'Reilly. Despite any differences in tv format or professional backgrounds, they both starred on very popular and talked about entertainment shows and both suffered the same sort of arc where the hype has diminished the personalities. I always figured they liked each other so much because they are two sides of the same coin who should serve as a warning to avoid tv talent from Long Island- and Levitttown in particular- if you expect good tv over a long period of time.

[Mr. Perfect]

I never watched Stewart, probably an hours worth of material. It was an absurd premise, that GOP foibles were unreported and his solemn duty was to objectively bring them to public attention, as if Democrat foibles didn't exist. Same thing with Olbermann. The whole foundation is cards, because they don't admit their bias. Like other people we know. Double standards. The only time he went after Democrats is when they embarrassed him, not when they were stupid or wrong.

Maher I actually watched in the late 90's, and I'm amazed he is still around. He is an ugly man, physically and personality wise, not funny, constantly throwing self righteous tantrums under the guise of objectivity. He is a bad person.

Letterman is a moron.

[Typhoon]

I never watched Stewart, probably an hours worth of material. It was an absurd premise, that GOP foibles were unreported and his solemn duty was to objectively bring them to public attention, as if Democrat foibles didn't exist. Same thing with Olbermann. The whole foundation is cards, because they don't admit their bias. Like other people we know. Double standards. The only time he went after Democrats is when they embarrassed him, not when they were stupid or wrong.

The GOP has foibles? I'm ed. ed to learn this from you.

What next? That the popes are fallible? Your opinion is not always correct?

Maher I actually watched in the late 90's, and I'm amazed he is still around. He is an ugly man, physically and personality wise, not funny, constantly throwing self righteous tantrums under the guise of objectivity. He is a bad person.

Can't the supermajority do something about this man who is clearly such a menace to decent god-fearing society?

Letterman is a moron.

Retired after only earning USD $20 million a season.

Meanwhile you're ranting on obscure forums.

Hmmm.

When I lived in the US, found the late night format boring, especially the guest interviews, which I rarely watched.
Only the opening monologues to find out who were the musical acts.

Letterman did have some great musicians on his show.

Anyways, I don't recall you once posting something humorous.
Well, intentionally, that is.

[Mr. Perfect]

The GOP has foibles? I'm ed. ed to learn this from you.

What next? That the popes are fallible? Your opinion is not always correct?

Are you coming out of the bunker a little bit.

Can't the supermajority do something about this man who is clearly such a menace to decent god-fearing society?

Yeah. Our supermajority status means he basically screams at the world and to no effect.

Retired after only earning USD $20 million a season.

Do you know how much Rush Limbow makes.

Meanwhile you're ranting on obscure forums.

Everyone needs an outlet.

Hmmm.

When I lived in the US, found the late night format boring, especially the guest interviews, which I rarely watched.
Only the opening monologues to find out who were the musical acts.

Letterman did have some great musicians on his show.

Anyways, I don't recall you once posting something humorous.
Well, intentionally, that is.

I'm the funniest guy on here.

What we've seen again is whenever leftists come under attack you dutifully rise to their defense, for what reason. Money? Do they pay you.

[Endovelico]

The problem with Jon Stewart is that there is quite a difference between being really intelligent - or funny - and trying to sound intelligent - or funny - without quite being able to... I'm sure any self-respecting liberal (in the American sense of the word) would often feel very embarrassed listening to Jon Stewart...

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

Letterman is a moron.

Retired after only earning USD $20 million a season.

Well, he was being paid 20 million- not sure it was well earned. Letterman spent the last twenty years of his career depressed that he wasn't host of the Tonight Show. He coasted on his reputation from the 80s and no one ever called him out on it. It was unprofessional and a waste of talent.

His political turn, which affected and marginalized him came about because he was in competition with Stewart &co in terms of ratings, audience pool and probably inside Viacom as well.

Stewart as a mock news anchor disrupted the Letterman format- mocking broadcast television. So CBS and Worldwide Pants encouraged the Late Show to be an up market Stewart&co. Think about how both were marketed after 2002 or so: Daily Show- young, hipster, pulse of a generation; Late Show- prestigious, sophistical, voice of an elder statesmen (real heir to Johnny Carson?)

Problem is, none of it played to any of Letterman's strengths as a showman or comedian.

[Typhoon]

Well, I was never very familiar with the minutiae of US late night TV even when I lived in the Midwest.

Less so now. Occasionally see some of these late night hosts doing something amusing and/or instructive on youtube.

To update H. L. Mencken,

Viewership is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

Capitalism in one of its purest forms.

[manolo]

I'm sure any self-respecting liberal (in the American sense of the word) would often feel very embarrassed listening to Jon Stewart...

Endo,

This comes straight back to the OP. It is the realisation that mockery can be counter productive when we approach important subjects. To his credit, Jon Stewart has made some good points in a serious tone, but this is just spoiled by all the other mockery. It is like I can't genuinely believe that he is not still laughing somehow.

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/W ... 72572.html

We can't compare the comics with a serious and heavyweight commentator such as the Rev Al Sharpton.

Alex.

[kmich]

The greatest satirist of 20th century America was hardly any "liberal" and our late night political comics, while having their own talents, have nothing close to his irreverent wit and clarity. Mencken wasn't weighed down and diluted by the need to entertain or to be "nice" or somehow "fair."

After watching our most recent political "debate," what he said is truer than ever:

[manolo]

Mencken wasn't weighed down and diluted by the need to entertain or to be "nice" or somehow "fair."

kmich,

Ain't that the truth.



Alex.

[Typhoon]

. . .
I'm the funniest guy on here.

More unintentional irony from you. Very good.

OXRi28W-ENY

What we've seen again is whenever leftists come under attack you dutifully rise to their defense, for what reason. Money? Do they pay you.

If projecting paranoia and casting conspiracy theories should, one day, become Olympic events,
then the USA and the Muddled East will dominate such events.

[Typhoon]

Mencken wasn't weighed down and diluted by the need to entertain or to be "nice" or somehow "fair."

kmich,

Ain't that the truth.



Alex.

H. L. Mencken and Stalin? Really?

Godwin's Law and the Hitler Trope | Occasionally Stalin is referenced, often by people who are aware of Godwin's Law but want to convey a similar message; in this case, this might slip into the Commie Nazis trope.

[Simple Minded]

This is the picture you get when you type Lenin into Google instead of Lennon........

[Nonc Hilaire]

This is the picture you get when you type Lenin into Google instead of Lennon........

"Imagine there's no heaven, . . ."

[Typhoon]

This is the picture you get when you type Lenin into Google instead of Lennon........

"Imagine there's no heaven, . . ."

Indeed . . .

_RfUj09pWfM

[manolo]

Folks,

You wait an hour for Stalin and three (oops four) turn up at once.

Alex.

[Nonc Hilaire]

All four could have come out together, but they were stallin'.