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"I had thought — I had been told — that a 'funny' thing is a thing of a goodness. It isn't. Not ever is it funny to the person it happens to. Like that sheriff without his pants. The goodness is in the laughing itself. I grok it is a bravery... and a sharing... against pain and sorrow and defeat."
- Valentine Michael Smith
(Robert Heinlein,
Stranger in a Strange Land) |
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POLITICAL HUMOR
Sure, some people think that politics is one big joke - or perhaps they focus their laughter on one particular politician or party - but still, politics can fuel many a wisecrack. It gets even funnier when the politicians themselves make the jokes - especially when they poke fun at themselves.
Love him or hate him (or anything in between), it seems Barack Obama has a sense of humor.
This year, at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, the President even out-joked professional comedians (Republicans, this is your cue to chorus, "That's because he's a clown!" Democrats, this is your cue to activate your squirt flowers.)
But look, I'm not here to shill for one party or the other - except maybe the Comedy Party, which considering some of the stuff the politicians get away with, would be a refreshing break. Imagine how the nuclear disarmament talks with the Russians would have gone if the Comedy Party were in charge:
Comedy Party President: "Mr. Medvedev, nuclear weapons aren't funny. Let's go fission!"
Medvedev: "That pun doesn't even make sense."
CPP: "I told you it wasn't funny. So what do you say, Dim? We'll disarm 3000 of our warheads if you do the same."
Medvedev: "Nyet, tovarisch... I do not think so."
CPP: "Oh, come on... we'll throw in a freighter full of whoopie cushions."
Medvedev: "Fart jokes do not translate to Russian."
CPP: "So we both have the right to arm bears?"
Medvedev: "In Soviet Russia, nukes disarm YOU."
Okay, maybe not. But we were discussing Obama's jokes.
Here's a story on it from the Guardian, a British newspaper (since all the American newspapers have a political bias, according to the political party other than the one in the bias): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/02/barack-oboma-outjokes-jay-leno
Obama began saying was busy and had hesitated over coming. "Biden talked me into it. He leaned over and he said, 'Mr President this is no ordinary dinner. This is a big (ELECTRONIC BLEEP)in' meal'."
Okay, maybe some of you don't think it's funny that the President of the United States, Commander in Chief of the US Military, Leader of the Free World, would deliberately say the F word in front of people.
Me, I think it's hilarious.
Here's a link to the actual comedy routine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYsGwLWqWI4
Which leads me to the next observation, which is that in comedy, you always need to know your audience. Would he have gotten away with that joke at a church dinner? Probably not, unless it was an exceedingly cool church. But in this context, everyone knew that he was referring to Biden's open-mike gaffe at the signing of the health care bill.
It appears that the principal function of a vice-president, these days, is to appear so unappetizing to the President's political opponents that none of them would consider taking any action that would cause the VP to become the P.
Hey, it worked for Bush, right? And it would've worked for McCain. And it worked for Clinton, and the first Bush, and Reag---- wait, it didn't work for Reagan. So much for that theory.
The laughter isn't restricted for our political overlords, though - save some for our corporate overlords, too. Why, I heard that as a Goldman Sachs executive was going through security on his way into the Capitol Building, he was asked to turn out his pockets - and when he did, five senators fell out.
Oh, wait, that's really a political joke, too. Speaking of which, you notice no one's talking about Goldman Sachs anymore? Yeah, that's because there was that oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. A particularly conveniently-timed disaster for any OTHER large corporation trying to stay out of the news right now... hmmm....
Anyway, with all the divisive political ranting going on in the US right now, we can all use some good comedy. So go out there and laugh it up - and laugh all the way to the polls in November. |
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Comedy: May 05, 2010 Issue [#3708]
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Oh, ugh, that reminds me ... freelancers have to file four times a year. 
I'll keep your advice in mind and try for a hearty laugh when I send the check to the IRS. 
