REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

"Paul Ryan Bad for Comedy"

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Sunday, August 19, 2012 04:48
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VIEWED: 1827
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Saturday, August 18, 2012 8:27 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Quote:

When will this recession end? I'm not talking about the economic challenges facing our nation. I'm talking about the severe downturn in the world of political comedy.

By picking Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney may have energized the Republican Party. But is Ryan all that exciting? He's a middle-aged, conservative white guy from the Midwest. As NBC's Jimmy Fallon aptly joked earlier this week on his late night show: "Mitt Romney is hoping to energize conservatives with his choice of Paul Ryan as running mate. That's like trying to spice up a bowl of oatmeal with more oatmeal."

Don't get me wrong -- compared with Romney, Paul Ryan is Ashton Kutcher on crack. But even Rush Limbaugh labeled Ryan as "the last Boy Scout." Translation: Reliable but boring.

Let me give you a little background about the plight of political comedy. When the nation found itself in an economic recession as President Barack Obama was taking office, comedians headed into a comedic depression. George W. Bush was comedy gold for eight years. If we knew how little material Obama would be providing us, comedians would have joined forces to repeal the 22nd Amendment to enable Bush to be president for a third term. (I know that would've been bad for the country, but we, comedians, are a particularly selfish breed -- after all, we won't even share the stage with other performers.)

Sure, there have been glimmers of a comedic recovery over the last few years. We perked up when Sarah Palin explored the possibility of running for president. Her candidacy would have been the equivalent of a comedic stimulus package.

Who can forget Rep. Anthony Weiner, who famously posted photos of himself in his underwear on Twitter? This controversy harkened back to the comedy boom bestowed upon us by Bill Clinton's sex scandal.

And recently, the Republican presidential debates offered some good stuff. Most notably, Rick Perry forgetting the name of the third government agency that he wanted to eliminate.

To his credit, Obama has supplied some material, like when he said, "The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries." Or when Obama claimed he had traveled across the nation visiting our "57 States."

I know many on the right see Obama as providing much more comedic material than comedians do. They often send me "jokes" about Obama on issues like Obamacare or the "Fast and Furious" program.

While I appreciate the sentiment, here's the cold, hard truth: Conservatives are not funny. I'm being brutally objective here. There are some funny conservative comedians and pundits, but how many can you name? I have my theories why conservatives struggle so horribly when trying to be funny, but I'll keep them to myself because I'm not a mental health professional.

In the midst of this comedy recession where we have witnessed a severe contraction in our GDL -- gross domestic laughter -- there is one potential goldmine that could use a bit more exploration. I'm speaking of vice president Joe Biden.

Just search on Google the words "Biden" and "gaffes" and watch your computer's screen fill up with page after page of "Bidenisms." A few months ago, while referring to Teddy Roosevelt's famous comment to walk softly and a carry a big stick, Biden said: "I promise you, the president has a big stick. I promise you." And now, we have another "Biden moment" when he proclaimed that Romney's policies on regulating Wall Street would put, "y' all back in chains."

Oddly enough, Biden's blunders have not defined him as a comedic figure. At least when compared to say, former Vice President Dan Quayle, who entertained us with gaffe after gaffe, from famously misspelling the word "potato" in front of a class of young students (he added an "e" at the end) to saying things like, "It's wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago."

There are upcoming events that offer some hope that we will emerge from the comedy doldrums. Donald Trump will be attending the Republican National Convention scheduled later this month and has promised a "big surprise." Perhaps he will pay homage to Romney at the convention by tipping his hair to him.

And we comedians can all dream that at the upcoming Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden will throw away his script and just ad lib his speech. (I would predict that the Secret Service has standing orders to tackle Biden if he tries that.)

Even if these events could provide temporary relief, it's unlikely that we will ever return to the political comedy golden years of Clinton and W. Bush. Like many Americans, we'll simply have to learn to make do with less.

However, I have an idea that is motivated solely in helping the country and not my career. It may end the toxic political climate that is plaguing us. What about a bipartisan presidential ticket in 2016: "Sarah Palin and Anthony Weiner"? Think of the possibilities!

Well, from what I've seen, the Republicans are doing their very best to provide fodder for at least political comedians, and doing it quite well. Ryan and Romney might BOTH be boring white bread, but the stupidity they've been showing is funny enough in itself, despite it not providing great material for stand-ups!

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 8:59 AM

KPO

Sometimes you own the libs. Sometimes, the libs own you.


Quote:

While I appreciate the sentiment, here's the cold, hard truth: Conservatives are not funny. I'm being brutally objective here. There are some funny conservative comedians and pundits, but how many can you name? I have my theories why conservatives struggle so horribly when trying to be funny, but I'll keep them to myself because I'm not a mental health professional.


Lol, who wrote this piece?

It's not personal. It's just war.

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 9:14 AM

WHOZIT


Quote:

Originally posted by kpo:
Quote:

While I appreciate the sentiment, here's the cold, hard truth: Conservatives are not funny. I'm being brutally objective here. There are some funny conservative comedians and pundits, but how many can you name? I have my theories why conservatives struggle so horribly when trying to be funny, but I'll keep them to myself because I'm not a mental health professional.


Lol, who wrote this piece?

It's not personal. It's just war.



Lib comics are a dime a dozen and most arn't funny. The Palin jokes arn't getting old, THEY'RE OLD! Their arn't any comics worth talking about since Carlin and Pryor died, todays crop are forgetable.

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 10:06 AM

FREMDFIRMA



Of course they're not funny, it's like putting a laugh track to someone being waterboarded.
What's fuckin funny about it ?

And the sick thing about it, they think it is.

-Frem

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 11:04 AM

KPO

Sometimes you own the libs. Sometimes, the libs own you.


Quote:

Lib comics are a dime a dozen and most arn't funny.

Wouldn't disagree with that. But that's a commentary on all comics, not liberal ones. I have no trouble listing funny liberals: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert - hell, even Joss Whedon.

We're all still waiting for a decent conservative answer to the Daily Show.

It's not personal. It's just war.

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 11:41 AM

HKCAVALIER


I don't think that there are no funny right-wing comedians, it's just that they're only funny to other right-wing people. I consider most right-wing comedy to be narrow, nasty and small-minded. Limbaugh is considered HI-larious to his audience. If you think jokes about women who argue for repreductive rights being sluts and black men knowing what the word "tyranny" means are funny, then Rush is the King of Comedy.

I think Rush is exactly the right-wing equivolent of the Daily Show. It's part of why I think the current right-wing sucks.

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 12:38 PM

KPO

Sometimes you own the libs. Sometimes, the libs own you.


Oh yeah, I just remembered - at one time Glen Beck was considered a 'comedian'.

It's not personal. It's just war.

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 2:41 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Lee Camp is funny if you liked Bill Hicks's and Carlin's political rants.

John Mulaney's funny if you don't.

Patton Oswalt is just funny no matter what.

The Jimmy Dore show is hilarious at skewering right-wingers. Their phone calls are fantastic.



"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero

Mitt Romney, introducing his running mate: "Join me in welcoming the next President of the United States, Paul Ryan!"

Rappy's response? "You're lying, gullible ( believing in some BS you heard on msnbc ) or hard of hearing."

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 4:57 PM

FREMDFIRMA



Nah, if you wanted real right wing comedy you'd have to hearken back to the guy who Rush stole his whole schtick from, Morton Downey Junior.
See, most comedians start to fail when they start believing THEY are funny, rather than their schtick being the funny.

Downey was so deliberately over-the-top hamtastic you couldn't take it seriously, and quite on purpose, too.
And yet somehow, we wound up with people STUPID enough, MALICIOUS enough, that they did, giving rise to puffed up scumbags like Limberger, who ain't even any good at it.

Saw me a wonderful low-budget piss-take on this kind of malice recently, directed by Bob Goldthwaite of all people.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1912398/
Quote:

why have a civilization anymore if we no longer are interested in being civilized?

Of course, the extremely dark and deliberately hypocritcal humor of it would be lost on most people, but I am pretty certain Mikey would get a kick out of it.

-Frem

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 5:31 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Yup, conservatives might be bad AT comedy, but they are a fucking gold mine FOR comedy.

This is shaping up to be the most hilarious election season since... well, since the last one, honestly.



"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero

Mitt Romney, introducing his running mate: "Join me in welcoming the next President of the United States, Paul Ryan!"

Rappy's response? "You're lying, gullible ( believing in some BS you heard on msnbc ) or hard of hearing."

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Saturday, August 18, 2012 7:19 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Glad you guys got a kick out of it; I sure did! Long confused me why hard-core conservatives always seems so angry and don't seem to have much of a sense of humor, and why there were no good right-wing comedians. Guess you can't have everything...

Author is Dean Obeidallah, CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/17/opinion/obeidallah-ryan-comedy/index.htm
l

Quote:

it's just that they're only funny to other right-wing people. I consider most right-wing comedy to be narrow, nasty and small-minded.
'bout says it for me!


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Sunday, August 19, 2012 4:48 AM

WHOZIT


When you think about it Obama is REALLY BAD for comedy, most comics won't make fun of Barry cause they don't want to be called biggots and/or taken off the Hollywood party A-List, the rest want to have sex with.

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