"Intolerant Liberals" and Other Alternate Realities

Examples of anti-liberal conservative memes with little sting to actual liberals. Source: Medium

Writing this blog has taken a backseat to a lot of things lately, but part of my problem is I feel like I've been hit by some kind of reality prism, something that makes it impossible to focus on just one thing. My mind shoots in a hundred different tangents on any subject. Succinct debate on just about anything lately is impossible. There is so much askew, so much off-track, linear arguments are next to impossible to make. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on our new President for having parentheticals inside parentheticals in virtually each and every utterance? No, not going there.

Another strange meme in a world where the president
and his followers are hyper-sensitive to virtually
any criticism or slur.

But part of what I'm getting at is the absolute gaping divide between right and left. People pretend we were divided by Obama in some Machiavellian plan to destroy America. Nope. He had nothing to do with the vastly different way conservatives and liberals see the world, see each other, see virtually everything. And I know I'm biased, but I think--I'm pretty sure--the left (not the uber-left, just the left) is more securely moored to objective facts, to reality as it is. Conservatives (of most flavors) tend to see the world as a) they want it to be, b) they feel it to be or c) how they perceive it to be despite all evidence. Oh, and d) elements of all of the above.

I'm not trying to slander here, I'm talking about a group of people who look at something that happened, and either believe it to have happened differently, or even more bizarrely, have remembrance of it that is almost a complete invention. It happens with things big and small. An obvious example, is hearing and seeing Donald Trump say something completely untrue, easily disprovable, and then call him a "truth teller," a straight-shooter who "tells it like it is," and "says what I'm thinking." Further, they can look to Trump as "one of us," while seeing, say, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren as "elites."

Another common one, that starts with the non-"fact"
that liberals want to take away all guns.

I think this very strange dichotomy is responsible for why conservative humor (or rather Conservative with a capital C, politically-motivated attempts at humor) fails so badly. It starts with misconceptions about liberals, exaggerates them, and then adds a layer of meanness. The result is rarely funny because it has so little truth to it. On the other hand, conservatives themselves--who believe the misconception to start with--roar with laughter. Oddly, even if it's the ten thousandth time they've seen "Rachel MadCow." You see more evidence of this in memes, like those featured here from the excerpted article. And even more in the current short-list of alt-right insults (cuck, beta, snowflake, buttercup, safe space, etc.). It takes a perceived notion of "how liberals are," exaggerates it, and then paints every contrary opinion with the same brush.

Anyway, all of that is a convoluted way of me saying: the twain will never meet between right and left, until something unifies them enough to see the same basic thing as the same thing. So long as Trump looks like an absurd, buffoonish clown to one side, and a strong dynamic leader to the other, we're not going to understand each other. Frankly, seeing Trump the liberal way used to be fairly standard for him, even part of the way through 2016. Seeing him the conservative way is actually a fairly recent invention. Dare I say,

artificial. It's a conservative prism, I can't think of anything else to explain it.

[Excerpt]

Intolerant Liberals

. . .I have some difficult news for everyone: Progressives aren’t interested in diversity. We aren’t interested in inclusion. We aren’t interested in tolerance. The progressives I know give exactly zero shits about those things. We have no interest in everyone getting treated the same. We have no interest in giving all ideas equal airtime. We have no interest in “tolerating” all beliefs. I don’t know where this fairy tale comes from, but it’s completely disconnected from every experience I’ve had with progressive liberal folks in my lifetime. . .

Read more at: Medium

Conservative Group Attempts Humor, Leading Into First Democratic Debate

Stop trying to be funny, conservatives. This is an attempt to make the Democrats look silly, and I can't fault them for that. But with the shenanigans going on, on the right side of the political world right now? They need to do a whole lot better than this.

 

Right Wing World: Obama Doesn't Wear "Mom Jeans," Conservatives Don't Get Humor

Right Wing humor is an odd thing. No, strike that, it's practically a unicorn, because I'm not sure it exists. I should maybe say, Right Wing attempts at humor are an odd thing, a very, very odd thing. For the rest of us, humor has to have an element of truth to it. It has to grow out of something that exists, and

Not Mom Jeans

then is exaggerated to humorous effect. Conservative humor seems to start with an exaggeration or misconception, and the gets more exaggerated and more distorted in the telling and retelling of the joke. It then gets repeated endlessly, as though it's as hilarious in the 3,000th telling as it was the first time. Then, inevitably, Sarah Palin works it into her word salad.

Of course, if you're not conservative, the first telling is a head scratcher, and on the umpteenth retelling, you get so irritated about the lack of humor, you can't hold your tongue anymore. If it's your Republican Uncle Ralph, this can start a family fight. If it's on the interwebz, you might dive into the viper's pit that is NewsBusters.  

NewsBusters is a "liberal media" (hah!) watchdog site, run by Brent Bozell, he of the "put my byline on columns written by others for years at a stretch" infamy. They'll

Still not Mom Jeans.

rail about The NBC Nightly News with the same fervor as Kathy Griffin or Bill Maher, so their idea of news media is rather loose. And if you're a liberal, you'll scroll through their "outrage" headlines, and kind of wonder why any of the headlines is particularly outrageous. My response to most of them is, "yeah, so?" But their comments section is among the most poisonous on the internet. You could point out the correct spelling of the president's name and be called the stupidest, filthiest, most worthless person on the planet.  It's that kind of place.

So, I happened by one day, and caught the repetitive joke that was bugging me one too many times, and couldn't hold my tongue. The joke was about "mom jeans," a reference to a Saturday Night Live faux commercial from several years ago. "Mom Jeans" are those high-waisted pants that seemed to be on every mom in the 1980s and 90s, which made women's rear ends look longer, lower and flatter. They were characterized by a very long rise and fly, which gave seemingly acres of denim from crotch to waist on both the back and front side. It was funny because it was instantly recognizable, and for the tag line that said, "I'm not a woman anymore, I'm a mom."  [Story continues below]

None of the pictures of Obama supposedly wearing mom jeans have these features. None of them. They might look dorky.* They might be ill-fitting. But none fits the joke. In many cases, the funny looking part of the picture is the president's pose (throwing a baseball, riding a bike) or something else he's wearing (like a bike helmet). In no case does the photo match the joke. And yet, they'll insist that it does. And they'll get  vicious to anyone who points out this fact! I even started my entry into this realm by showing the picture (shown here) of the SNL original ladies in mom jeans, and picture of Willard Mitt Romney in similar pants. Because, you know, I'm a helper. Didn't work. They still fail to get the joke, still have no ability to see where they're wrong, and still treat me (even though I'm unfailingly civil, if snarky) like vermin.

Now these are mom jeans!

I don't know why I bother. The commenters at NewsBusters-like those of any conservative site that even allows non-member comments--are instantly hostile to almost any contrary comment. Hostile in a very different way from those you might see to a conservative on a left-wing site.  In Right Wing World, it seems the default response to an "interloper" is to heap on the derision and venom, in an out-of-scale, bazooka-style blast. If you enter into it with a sincere, inquisitive mindset, you'll be crushed. If you go in with the foreknowledge that they're knee-jerk assholes, it's kind of fun.

But somebody who is on their side should really explain humor to them. Because the mom jeans thing is missing the mark, but it's far from their only humor blind spot. I tell you though, if you want to see what Right Wing World--at the base--is really all about, go take a gander at NewsBusters' comments section, and see if you can suss out what they think is funny (such as calling Rachel Maddow, "Ray," "Mad Cow" and "he" or "it," EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.). Here's a link to where I had my latest kerfuffle with them. Note also that this "watchdog" site that allegedly only exists in reaction to the crassness of "liberal media" has no problem calling Maddow "surly" in their headline!

It's here: Newsbusters

*It should be pointed out that at the root of this joke--even though they're not applying it right--is that the president is feminine, girly, not a man. NewsBusters is only a hop and skip from World Net Daily, after all, where they come right out and say that the president is gay. That's why this joke delights them so much, and why they desperately want to make the evidence fit the joke. But it still doesn't.

Why Aren't Conservatives Funny?

Yuck. Image from source, The Big Slice

I've visited this topic several times, and I still don't have a perfect answer to the question, why isn't conservative "humor" funny? FOX "News" tried a humor-themed program years ago called the 1/2-hour News Hour, and it was famously dreadful. FOX's RedEye lasted longer, but even their best attempts at humor were usually equally offensive, and often times hateful. Dennis Miller jumped from moderate/liberal to conservative, and promptly became as subtle as an anvil, and deathly unfunny. And not coincidentally, his best gig these days is the same FOX "News." If you seek out conservative humor on far-right sites like FreeRepublic.com, you'd better have a tough constitution, and absolutely no ability to be offended. To say they have a mean-spirited streak would be to undersell it, and point out the very, very obvious.

The best answer from the article excerpted below is that conservative humor lacks empathy. Even scathing, balls-out humor needs to have self-deprecation, and empathy to be tolerable. Yes, there are "shock" comics throughout comedy history like Andrew Dice Clay, Don Rickles and Lisa Lampenelli. But everyone knew Rickles' act was schtick, and that Lisa really digs black guys and gay people. Clay was a different story, though clearly a character like Pee-Wee Herman or Elvira. But Clay burned out, didn't he? He had no empathy, no self deprecation. His humor was abrasive, and guilty funny, but it became old and tired quickly. Conservative humor doesn't even garner guilty funny, and it sounds old at the very beginning. But I'll boil it down beyond all of that: conservatives are mean. Mean without empathy is not funny.

[Excerpt]

Why Conservatives Aren’t Funny

Something conservatives lack when it comes to politics is humor.  Everyone takes their politics seriously, but conservatives, whether of the home-spun or Paul Ryan variety, pride themselves in being serious and straightforward.  It is this iron(y) deficiency that makes for a stolid political class and an almost completely humorless pack of pundits. . .

Read more at:  The Big Slice

The Right Wing Reaction to Marriage Equality in New York

First, let me say that I'm aware the blog has been top-heavy with Countdown with Keith Olbermann clips and stories about same-sex marriage, and sometimes a combination of the two. That's because Olbermann came back this week after a long hiatus, and because of all the expected (now delivered) action in New York on marriage equality. So, I can't promise to let up entirely just yet. Give me a couple of days to bask.

As regular readers of my blog (all twenty of you, thank you) know, when a big, politically divisive story crops up, I like to go check out FreeRepublic.com. Well, I don't like to, I just do it, because it is one of the largest internet outposts for pure id conservatism. Or what is known these days as conservatism. Anyway, I wasn't to be disappointed. This story isn't even an hour old, and look at the treasure trove of doom, gloom, hatred, homophobia, apocalyptic rage and otherwise unpleasant reactions for right-wing world.

[Excerpts]

"The idiots didn’t legalize homosexual marriage, they’re laying the groundwork to persecute those that don’t support it!"  Editor: No, in fact there was a uniquely stringent set of religious exemptions passed that is bound to the law. Meaning, if one day someone tries to remove them, they invalidate the main law.

"Welcome to HELL,New York!" Oh, eek. Yeah, I'm sure New Yorkers are quaking in fear. They've already been through hell and back.

"They just spit on Christ" Really? Where does Jesus say anything about same-sex marriage. Bueller?

"Making perversion legal - the end of a once great Republic. Obozo will finish us off once and for all." Gosh, these guys are creative. "Obozo." Genius! 

"Those so-called protections will go bye-bye at the drop of a liberal judge’s hat with the first lawsuit." Wrong. See above. But look what you're worried about: the right for religion to continue to discriminate. Doesn't sound very 'Christian' to me.

"Not to worry, Jesus is taking notes, so to speak." Ooooh. Is he makin' a list and checkin' it twice?

"I'll look for a LOT of homosexuals getting infected with HIV in their wanton celebrating tonight. They only need the mildest excuse for debauched behavior."  Yes, because Spring Break and Mardi Gras partying by straights is sooo restrained, and always done safely, and soberly.

This is a favorite cartoon at FreeRepublic. It hinges on the "slippery
slope" logical fallacy. It is easily refuted: children cannot give informed
consent, so pedophilia is out. Nobody can marry more than one person,
so there is no "equality" issue there. But gee, aren't they funny?

"Well, I always thought that if the tragic scenario occurred in which Al-Qaeda got its hands on a nuke, for me the least upsetting place for it to be set off would be in Hollywood. But, I’m really thinking right now that New York is pulling to the forefront. To repeat, burn in hell, New York!!" Nice. And these people claim to 'love' America. Apparently only parts of America.

". . .what upsets me is that the voter in NYS had no say in this matter, and from what I read, that is because unlike California, the voter cannot overturn what the legislature deems as legal. Is there no state in the union that refuses to capitulate to this devilry?" Yes, 31 of them, actually. Somehow, 31 states found the argument that it's okay to vote on other people's civil liberties. I dare say, the devilry is in that detail.
"Another nail in the coffin." You're confusing us with the Vampire Rights initiative on HBO's True Blood. Different issue.

"Memo to NY: since you’ve decided to officially become a degenerate [epithet deleted] state, don’t expect any help or sympathy from me the next time you have a 9/11. Burn in hell, New York." Another one of the America haters.
 
"All I can say to New Yorkers, is if you believe the Bible is the word of god. . ." Enough of this argument already. The United States isn't and shouldn't be ruled by the Bible or any other religion's text.
 
"It was only a matter of time until enough votes were bought." Yes, because if something passes that you don't like, it must have been illegitimate.
 
"So I suppose our only hope is that a single conservative judge will throw this out, like that rump-ranger in California did?" Unsurprisingly, this FReeper is as ill-informed on what he's talking about as most of them are. The "single judge" didn't just throw out a law. He ruled that Proposition 8 was un-Constitutional, and his arguments were virtually unassailable. Not to mention that the defense put up a pathetic case. And Judge Vaughn Walker may have been a 'rump-ranger' (see how clever they are?), but he was also a conservative judge.
 
"Kinda gives a new meaning to a “Shotgun Wedding” don’t it?" Once again, I'm stymied by conservative humor. This--I'm sure--is staggeringly funny to them, but I don't get it.
   
"With animals and children on leashes not far behind." As I noted in the caption to the cartoon, the "slippery slope" argument is a logical fallacy, something FReepers don't understand. Animals, like children cannot give informed consent.

There's lots more, and it's sure to get worse--and quickly. These quotes came from two posts there, but there are sure to be dozens. So rather than give you a link to a particular thread, if you want to read more, just go to FreeRepublic.com, and click "Homosexual Agenda" at the top of the page. Yes, their terminology is as inaccurate as their page layout is dated.

Lest We Forget: Bush and the Saudi King, K-I-S-S-I-N-G

On the conservative internet outpost FreeRepublic.com, you find all manner of ridiculous things. You'll find overt racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, hypocrisy, dumbassery, douchebaggery, you name it.  You'll also find countless examples of attempted conservative "humor." It's in quotes, because it misses the mark far more frequently than it hits it. The strange thing is, they'll repeat the same jokes and visual puns endlessly, and squeal with laughter as if it was the very first time.

A typical Free Republic "Obama is Gay"
image, from FreeRepublic.com

One of their favorite targets is President Barack Obama, with the gay running a very close second.  And if they can combine the two?  Well, then they've hit conservative humor nirvana. They especially like finding freeze-frames of the President in poses that they deem gay. Because, don't you know, a bent wrist or knee is the hallmark of all flaming queens.  See what I mean about retread humor? 

Now, imagine you're the President. You've got cameras on you all day long, every day. Don't you think you could freeze-frame anybody in just about any pose if you really tried? Sure you could. Try randomly freeze-framing Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity sometime. The results can be hilarious.  Okay, moderately amusing, but hilarious on the FReeper scale.  And we liberals do it too. How many unflattering shots of Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle and George W. Bush himself have we used on our dirty little liberal blogs?  Guilty!

Image from Wonkette

But they've never gotten a picture of President Obama holding hands with another dude, as far as I know. Or kissing a man on the lips.  I'll be happy to recant if I'm wrong. But this photo set pees all over their silly "Obama's a fairy" pictures.

If you want to really blow your mind, take a trip over to FreeRepublic's repository of Obama "humor." You'll see I'm not just pulling your leg, though the gay stuff isn't as prevalent as the WTF stuff on this particular page.

Image from Wonkette

Newsbusters Has No Sense of Humor

The people at Newsbusters.org are not known for their understanding of "dark" humor. Or humor at all. Or subtlety. Or sarcasm.  Or snark.  Stephanie Miller is a liberal talk show host, and her schtick is comedy (and if you didn't know, she's Barry Goldwater's running mate's daughter).  Comedy isn't always pretty, and yes, there are things said that can go over the line. But "bat day" at a ball park taken as a serious incitement to violence?   Loosen your girdles, and unbunchest thine panties, Newsbusters! 

[Excerpt]

Stephanie Miller Fantasizes Drunks With Baseball Bats Beating O'Reilly, Beck, Geraldo




What is it with liberals and their violent fantasies? The Journolist has given us a public radio producer imagining herself laughing with glee as Rush dies a painful death, while other members want their political enemies thrown through plate-glass windows. . .


Read more (if you can stop rolling your eyes long enough) at: Newsbusters.org

For the Bazillionth Time, Conservative "Humor" Just Isn't Funny

From Joe.My.God.:  World Net Daily's Unfunny Comedian Is Extra Super Unfunny


World Net Daily's DJ Dolce is probably the worst comedian in history. I have no idea what WND thinks they're accomplishing with this. DJ Dolce clearly shares producers with fellow WND asshat, Molotov Mitchell.

Right Wing World: A Rare Glimpse of Funny Right Wing Humor

I've lamented the sorry state of conservative "humor" in this space many times (here, for instance). Usually, the attempts are strained, confusing, mean spirited and just not funny. Here is a rare exception. I don't agree with the sentiment, but this is an almost unheard of case of a joke that comes from a right-wing bent, and pays off. Twice! Very good. Hey, credit where it's due.

Source: Free Republic

NewsBusters in a Snit Over Kathy Griffin's Sarah Palin Joke

Image from source, NewsBusters

This is further evidence in my mounting file, that some conservatives--particularly the hard-core right wingers--have no sense of humor. Is Kathy Griffin's joke tasteless? Um, hello? It's Kathy Griffin! Is it funny? Oh, it's funny.

Now, the ironic part of all of this is that here we have conservatives flinching at blow job humor. I mean c'mon. How long did it take them to tire of Monica Lewinsky jokes? Oh, they're still at it? Okay, another of my points is made.

[Excerpt]

Kathy Griffin: Sarah Palin Performed Sex Act on John McCain

Vulgarian Kathy Griffin on Friday said Sarah Palin performed a sexual act on John McCain when they first met in August 2008.

During a comedy performance in Anchorage, Alaska, Griffin made numerous attacks on Palin and her family, many filled with her usual assortment of obscenities. . .

Read more at: NewsBusters

"Radio Equalizer" Slam of Stephanie Miller is a Stretch

Image from Crooks and Liars

UPDATE 09/08/09:

I was delighted to hear the following blog post read by Stephanie Miller herself on the radio this morning! Thanks for deeming me worthy!!!

ORIGINAL POST 08/27/09:

This little clip just goes to show you how different people can hear the same thing, and come to completely different conclusions. The Stephanie Miller Show is a morning radio talk show, starring Stephanie Miller, Jim Ward and Chris LaVoie. The show is political in nature, but also revels in the supremely silly. Miller herself has referred to the format as "Senator. Fart joke. Senator." She is also the daughter of Barry Goldwater's running mate, Bill Miller (Republican). Stephanie is um. . .not a Republican.

The show takes a little getting used to, with its regular bits, celebrity voices, frivolity and sound effects. And to the untrained (or irony/humor/sarcasm-deficient) ear, a person might not pick up on every joke. For the clip below, you must know that: a) Miller has referred to Keith Olbermann as "one of my future husbands" for many years, b) Rachel Maddow is a radio host too, c) Ed Schultz is both a host and a colleague of Miller's, and d) Miller and crew hosted the MSNBC morning show for a few days after Don Imus got terminated.

Thus there is context to this clip, and the "MSNBC is the Vatican to a liberal" bit is a typical over the top throw-away line, intended to overstate things in the way a conservative might see it. How do I know this? I'm a regular listener, and this is often the case.

So to me--and any other regular listeners--the analysis of this clip on The Radio Equalizer (or Tranquilizer as I've seen it called elsewhere) is just silly. Note to Brian Maloney: Stephanie Miller does not worship at MSNBC. She doesn't really think that gay people "have the gay." And there really isn't a Senator named Squeezy McFeelpants.

[Excerpt]

OLBY-WORSHIP



Now, imagine for a moment the state-run media's reaction if a conservative were to equate the FOX News Channel studios with any major religious site or institution. The mere mention of "licking the chair" of a FOX host would bring months of ridicule. . .

Source: RadioEqualizer

Conservative Humor Revisited

First Image from source, Free Republic (click to embiggen); Second Image by Editor, Greenlee Gazette

I've taken a lot of pleasure in poking fun at the denizens of Free Republic, the fringe right-wing online outpost. At other times, it is not so much a pleasure as a jaw-dropping, flabbergasting trip to another world. But one of the things that often makes me feel a mixture of delight and utter confusion is when FReepers try to be funny.

I've acknowledged that "their side" is fairly talented at graphic arts, but is often especially challenged in the humor arena. Sure, they think it's funny, but often times the joke is either tangential to the subject, or completely nonexistent. Today, in a standard-issue thread dedicated to defending the indefensible Michelle Bachmann, I found a rare instance of a good graphic, that is also sort of amusing. It depicts a slate of attractive female Republicans, alongside a--shall we say--not so attractive roster of female Democrats.

At first blush, it's pretty funny. Of course, it relies upon the typical "before and after" type pictures favored in weight loss ads. The "pretty" lady photos are all glamor shots. The "ugly" lady ones are the worst possible photos of women who have had much more flattering pictures taken. Still, not a bad job.

It would be just as easy to compile a reverse joke, even using some of the same women. Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter for instance, have had laughably awful pictures appear. But upon further reflection, I had to wonder if beauty has anything to do with whether a political ideology is better or not. For me, brains probably say a little more about that. And here is where the humor doesn't serve as a very good argument.

Surely, many--if not most--of the women in both examples have had some ding-batty moments. And some of the women featured there are completely off of my radar (Debbie Schlussel? Andrea Dworkin?). But just as surely, Hillary Clinton, Madeline Albright are very intelligent women. Helen Thomas probably falls into that category, and it's not her fault she's old. Barbra Streisand may not impress people with her political bromides, but she's no dummy as a business woman, sustaining a multi-faceted career for over forty years. Susan Estrich has a funny voice, but also comes off as pretty smart. Janet Reno too.

By the way, another take on this might be to present the men of the two parties. Republican: Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh. Democrat: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Hal Sparks, George Stephanopolous, Matt Taibbi, Barack Obama. No contest. But you see the flaw. Easy to flip-flop that idea too.

Anyway, I started this post with the intention of making my own reverse list, and I still may do that. Maybe I'll do an update on the weekend. Just not feeling that ambitious right now. For now, just an easy one. . .

Obama "Joker" Artist Revealed

Image from source, LA Times

I've written a couple of posts about conservative humor, and their appropriation of a (formerly) anonymous artist's rendition of President Obama as the Heath Ledger version of Batman nemesis, The Joker. Usually, the image is shown without the Time magazine cover, and coupled with the word "SOCIALISM."

I've criticized the work as creepy, though well done. I didn't label it racist, though for some reason it does lend itself to that description, perhaps because of the reverse-black face, anti-Al Jolson imagery. Most of all, my problem with it was that I don't get the joke. I love humor, political humor especially, even if it is directed at my own ideology. But the key is, it's got to be funny. I posted a link last week to a treasure-trove of conservative digital "humor," which included variations of the "Obama Joker," and the key element linking them was that they weren't particularly funny. Some were very clever artistically, but where's the joke?

I'll give you an example. I got an email at work that was a picture of an unknown person in some sort of tribal dress. Obama's head was superimposed on the body, with a bone through his nose. The caption was "ObamaCare," and I get the joke--as distasteful as it is--that Obama is some sort of witch doctor. Stupid, yes, but there is a joke there. But it is muddied by the fact that the "C" in ObamaCare is a hammer and sickle. He's a communist witch doctor? Hunh? One step too far (at least).

Now we know who the artist of the Joker image is. With this revelation, charges of racism, or meanie conservatives are seemingly deflated. Except that the image has been co-opted in ways that certainly have a different agenda than the artist intended. Worst of all? Still not funny.

[Excerpt]

Obama Joker artist unmasked: A fellow Chicagoan

When cryptic posters portraying President Obama as the Joker from "Batman" began popping up around Los Angeles and other cities, the question many asked was, Who is behind the image?

Was it an ultra-conservative grassroots group or a disgruntled street artist going against the grain?

Nope, it turns out, just a 20-year-old college student from Chicago. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times

Incidentally, the artist talks about a "Bush as Vampire" image by Spencer Fairey. I could be wrong about this, but the image I'm most familiar with with that theme was actually by Alex Ross, famed painter of DC super heroes. Fairey may have done one, but I can't find it. The Ross image, however, does contain (dark) humor, and works as political commentary. That's what seems to be missing lately.

Image from Publisher's Weekly

Do You Think This Guy is Angry?

Yeah, he's angry alright. Though he's able to hit his rage pause button while the reporter chats with her cameraman. But once he gets rolling, he gets rolling. The trouble is, what is he angry about? He claims his country is being taken away, and is holding a sign against "socialism." But like the attempts at conservative humor listed below, it is a vague, unfocused message. In fact, the message is not all that different from many liberal protesters from the last several years. Giving up freedom for safety? Isn't that what the Patriot Act did?



Found at: AmericaBlog

A Lesson in Conservative "Humor"

Image from source, Free Republic

I've been having a fruitless argument with a commenter on my blog lately. Chief among my frustrations has been with the very odd sense of humor and sarcasm by this particular person. But I'm finding a certain sameness among arch conservatives when it pertains to political "humor." Mostly that it isn't really all that funny.

A lesson any humorist or cartoonist must learn is that if you have to explain the joke, it probably isn't that funny. And a simple turn of phrase or a visual pun must have some sort of relevance to its subject for the joke to work. Now, I'd never claim to be an expert at the craft. I'm sure as many of my snarky attempts at irony and sarcasm have fallen flat, as those that were successful. You can't win 'em all. But it is my aim and hope that readers at least see what I was going for, even if I didn't hit a home run (or even a foul tip).

Conservative humor, in my experience, just comes out mean. And often times raises more "huh?" than "hah!" Take for example, almost anything Dennis Miller has said since he decided to infuse his act with right-wing material. Or the FOX "News" attempt to replicate The Daily Show with the tragically lame 1/2-hour News Hour. Or virtually anything on the page linked to below.

The page I'm referencing is something of a repository for all of the graphic images made by the denizens of Free Republic, the arch-conservative web forum. As you'll see, there are a lot of talented graphic artists over there, and I'm not being facetious. The problem is, they need to be paired with humorists. And the occasional "Buckwheat"-type attempt at humor I think we can all agree, ought to be avoided.

Maybe my new antagonist can explain to me what the joke is behind depicting President Obama as The Joker. I really don't get what the gag is. Does anyone else?

Source: FreeRepublic

Conservatives Don't Know Stephen Colbert is Satire

Image from DaveAndTomas.net

Satire, like sarcasm, isn't always obvious to some people. If you have a good sense of humor, understand irony, and have a decent BS detector, you're probably a fan of satire. In my experience, many conservatives suffer from a weak sense of humor, absolutely no understanding of irony, and a BS detector that only goes off if they hear something that isn't already in their world view.

It's too much of a generalization to apply that across the board, of course. But look at examples of "conservative humor." Glenn Beck. Rush Limbaugh. Dennis Miller. An American Carol. The 1/2-Hour News Hour. Conservative humor seems to try twice as hard for half the laugh. There is often a mean-spirited undercurrent to it, not to mention an almost complete lack of subtlety. Remember those Truly Tasteless Joke Books? That would be about the level of advanced conservative humor.

Here's a litmus test for you. Ask your conservative friend/family member what they think of the movies Airplane! or The Naked Gun or Hot Shots!* If they pronounce them "stupid," instead of "hilarious," you've got yourself an irony/humor/satire-resistant conservative. Those same types of people apparently think that Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's Colbert Report is one of them! Colbert's whole shtick is to lampoon right-wing bloviators like Bill O'Reilly. But you have to be able to see that, I guess.

*The ultimate irony is that one of the men instrumental in making those movies is David Zucker, who is also behind An American Carol. Like Dennis Miller, it seems when he became an "out" conservative, his humor evaporated. Weird, right?

RNC Wanted to Use Offensive Limbaugh Joke

Photo from source, The Swamp

Rush Limbaugh is referred to as facetiously as "comedian" by Keith Olbermann, but it is true that many of his fans think he's very funny. Why is it though that so often, conservative humor has an ugly edge to it? I mean, people find Ann Coulter funny too, but I don't think any of her jokes aren't at the expense of somebody else (usually a Democrat).

Well, Limbaugh was cracking wise again, this time an imaginary discussion between Barack Obama and newly minted John McCain running-mate, Sarah Palin. It's basically an abortion joke, though it doesn't have a punchline. And the RNC found it to have "great YouTube potential," envisioning a longer conversation, painting Barack Obama as--what?--a wuss? I think that's the gist.

[Excerpt]

RNC mulls Limbaugh abortion Obama jab

Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh boosted Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's pro-life position and mocked Barack Obama on his radio show yesterday with a make-believe riff in which Obama asked Palin "When you found out your baby would be born with Down syndrome, did you consider killing it before or after the due date?"

Read more at: The Swamp

An American Carol: What Happened to David Zucker?

Photo from source, ACE Showbiz

I'm a huge fan of David Zucker, and ZAZ, the trio of producers/directors/writers he used to be a part of. Airplane!, The Naked Gun, Hot Shots!, Top Secret! and Ruthless People are among my all-time favorites. The ZAZ-style of movie making was what I would call either "smartly stupid" or "stupidly smart."

They are part of my litmus test for a person's sense of humor. If a person says, "I don't like Airplane! It isn't funny," it usually means the person isn't funny.

The closest David Zucker has gotten to that early greatness since his heyday, was Scary Movie 3. Inheriting the franchise from the Wayons Brothers, he made a sequel that was a dramatic improvement on the dreadful second installment. Scary Movie 3 was a hilarious spoof primarily of The Ring and Signs. It was boosted by its cast, but was funny throughout. It was only after seeing the extended DVD scenes that I realized the movie is sort of good by accident. It was drastically altered before it hit theaters. And it suffers from the delusion that many spoof filmmakers seem to suffer from: put Leslie Nielsen in your film, and it will be automatically hilarious.*

Now, it would seem, David Zucker is wearing his politics on his sleeve. He made a political commercial a couple of years ago--something about Madeline Allbright and basketball--and now has made a full-blown anti-liberal spoof film. And his big (pun intended) target is Michael Moore.
I like Michael Moore's movies. Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko were enjoyable movies despite their dire subjects. But the right assumes that Moore has far more power on the left than he does. Every couple of years he releases a new documentary, and that's sort of it. If he was on MSNBC with the frequency that Ann Coulter appears on FOX "News", I would understand their focus on him. But he isn't. So this seems like an odd target to me.

One thing is for sure. People can be funny whatever their politics. But when the comedy is coming from the political perspective, conservatives have a lousy track record. And from the preview clip below, I think the new movie, "An American Carol" will have a hard time selling tickets beyond the built-in FOX "News" audience.

[Excerpt]

Bill O'Reilly Serves Up More Hilarious Comedy From the Far Right




Fans of Bill O'Reilly were recently given good cause to stop throwing feces at the wall of their cages and enjoy a much-needed laugh: a preview of the new conservative comedy film, An American Carol. . .

Read more at: Comedy Central
And more at: ACE Showbiz

*EDITOR'S NOTE: I personally love Leslie Nielsen. He was terrific as Frank Drebin in Police Squad! and the Naked Gun movies, and of course as the Doctor in Airplane! He's been good in other films too. But check out his IMDB profile, and look at the list of other spoof films he's been in. You'll see what I mean.

Barack Obama: Republicans Take Pride in Being Ignorant

WOO-HOO! Now that is the kind of statement I like to hear from my presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee! Sure, it's obvious, but how often does someone as prominent as Barack Obama say it out loud?

One thing I'm sick of when it comes to politics of late, is how people--conservatives in particular--glom onto a two or three word phrase, or an object, and then beat it to death. I'm speaking of flip flops, purple fingers, purple heart band aids, and the like. Right now it is tire pressure gauges, because Obama said that correct tire pressure saves gas--which it does.

Of course there is more to Obama's energy plan than that, but by waving their gauges, and repeating "tire pressure, tire pressure!" they're going to try to make you think otherwise. Don't fall for it.

[Excerpt]



Obama Slaps Back on Tire Gauges

Speaking in Berera, Ohio, the Senator offers a strong defense of his comments about tire inflation being an effective conservation tool. Watch video above.

“They think it is funny that they are making fun of something that is actually true… It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant.”

Source: Time

SNL: Dan Aykroyd's Super Bassomatic '76!

Things are feeling a trifle too serious around here, so I feel a mood-lightner is needed. I've currently got the office TV on for noise, and a silly show called Most Outrageous Moments is on. It got me to thinking about live TV bloopers, and then (as my mind is wont to do) I meandered to Saturday Night Live, and Dan Aykroyd's Super Bass-O-Matic '76 ad.

Believe it or not, kiddies, TV commercials used to look very much like this, and the products weren't too much farther fetched either. And to tie it in with "outrageous moments," there is a moment where the blended bass almost tips over, so I guess that counts as a blooper. Enjoy.