What Will Happen to Political Comedy Now?

Photo from source, New York Times

Lots has been said and written about a potential problem looming for The Daily Show, Saturday Night Live, and for late-night comics like David Letterman, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. With the goober-in-chief on his way out of Washington, and a Democrat on his way in, what will they joke about?

Add to that, the fact that Barack Obama is a black man, and you might think that political comedy is sort of painted into a corner here. I don't really see the problem, regarding the Democrat part. After all, SNL's heyday was during the Carter administration, and the show has made it through its 33 years regardless of who controlled the White House and Congress.

The black part is trickier of course. I'm personally amazed that conservative pundits didn't segue from generic hate-speech into outright racism. I was fully expecting it. Subtlety not being their strong suit, they were surprisingly subtle, substituting "Muslim," "socialist" and "celebrity" in place of more plain-spoken hatred. We knew what they meant, but they didn't have to say it.

So if the wingnuts can avoid stepping on a racist landmine, I'm betting the comedians can too. And idiocy isn't going to somehow leave politics, just because there are fewer conservatives to kick around. Don't forget, they'll be lurking around trying to cause trouble, and they love the limelight. Bright spot: Ann Coulter will be in her fifties by the time there is Republican control again! That little cocktail dress might start to look a little (more) sad!

[Excerpt]

Can We Laugh? Yes, We Can

MORE than an hour into a contentious discussion on Wednesday night at the 92nd Street Y, where panelists like the “Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead, the sitcom star Roseanne Barr and the Fox News commentator Monica Crowley had been debating the outcome of Tuesday’s election and how an Obama administration might address the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a few restless audience members began adding their voices to the fray. . .

Read more at: New York Times