Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Over at the Huffington Post, blogger Alf Lamont sets out to explain why the Left has a corner on the comedy market with funny men like the foul-mouthed misogynist Bill Maher, belligerent feminist Janeane Garofalo, and the clownish, but sometimes genuinely funny Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. Lamont concludes that the Left has a monopoly on comedy because—with maaaaybe the exception of Dennis Miller– conservatives aren't funny. To support his conclusion, he lays out five points which, more than anything else, reveal his utter lack of self-awareness.
1. Comedy is inherently subversive...Those who hold the power know very well just how damaging and subversive well-placed satire can be, so those in power see little good coming from mocking themselves and the institutions they preserve.
Because fact is, Republicans hold the White House and both chambers of Congress.
2. Comedy is often a coping mechanism for adverse situations...You don't have to look too far or too deep to realize that comedy speaks to unfairness and injustice. If you haven't experienced them, if there's no struggle, there's less need to find a redeeming quality to your situation by injecting humor into your life.
Everyone knows that conservatives live such charmed lives that they never struggle with adversity. Being coerced to buy products they don't want and subsidize behaviors that violate their consciences, being told whom they may or may not rent to and how much they can charge, being subjected to a government imposed drought because an irrigation system might kill some tiny fish commonly used for bait—if you think things like these are unjust or unfair, you clearly don't know the meaning of justice or fairness.
3. It is easier to sell to the 99% than the 1%...Comedy is part of entertainment, and entertainment is a business. As a numbers game, its flat out more profitable to mock the establishment when the rest of us will be buying tickets to your shows.
So conservatives continue to outnumber liberals two to one, but conservatives are the 1%. Astounding mathematical insight right there.
4. Tradition...Let's face it, the tradition of Card-Carrying, Left-leaning, Pinko comics is a great one. A kid aspiring to comedic greatness can look to Charlie Chaplin, Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Janeane Garofalo, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Marc Maron, if they care to lean left. However, the pickin's are slim on the other side of the aisle. Like it or not, the success of lefty comics makes the leftist tradition of comedy a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Ok, so he was grasping to make it an even five points. This is like saying "there are no conservative comedians because there are no conservative comedians." Clever.
5. The truth...it is undeniable that the Right seems to be in a high speed dive towards absurdity so transparently errant, that it makes for simple fodder to those looking to mock. As Rory Albanese of The Daily Show pointed out during our panel," Santorum is Anti-College! How can you not make fun of that?" For my part, I've found that the most brazen lies about human sexuality, reproductive rights, health care, the environment, energy, foreign relations, and our president's background, all seem to be emanating from a political party who is having to do cartwheels of logic in order to keep from stumbling on its own silly reasoning.
The funny thing with this last point is that I don't think he even meant it to be funny.
But there you have it. Conservatives aren't funny because they aren't funny. Best not even try (I'm looking at you, Rob Long).
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Comments:
Dec '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
I think he's just being funny . . .
Dec '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Diane,
Did you read Adam's post on the NY Times Editorial. I don't think anything is funnier than the NY Times. A laugh a minute. These wild and crazy guys want to over turn Marbury v Madison.
Wow! Now that's funny!!
Regards,
Jim
Edited on March 29, 2012 at 2:47amMay '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
In his defense, ALF was the funniest comedian on television when I used to watch television. We are talking about that Alf aren't we?
Aug '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Funny, those are the reasons we think leftists aren't funny.
Feb '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
No, this is Lamont from Sanford and Son.
Jul '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
I have visions of Soupy Sales headed to Alf Lamont's house right now with an industrial size pie and my latest article on mandatory bible study for elementary school students. But if you can't laugh at a stupid man named after a cat eating puppet and Fred Sanford's kid then you're way more conservative than me.
Jul '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Alf's claiming the right does "cartwheels of logic"? Does Alf understand this makes as much sense as "cheesewheels of logic"?
Alf should take a look at Obama's public statements about the individual mandate before and after he was president before he starts making claims that other people are inconsistent. If there's one thing about boring, uptight Republicans, they're consistent.
When they're cartwheeling about on logic 'n stuff. Jesus, let's spare everyone the "I'm with the Kool Kids" routine, Alfie.
Jul '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Spend a few minutes writing a post and both your name jokes get used first. I thought you were all supposed to be sans humor.
Jun '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Colbert and Stewart can be very funny, but how about P. J. O'Rourke, James Lileks, Andrew Ferguson, and Greg Gutfield, to name just a few? Or Drew Klaven, Rob Long, and Bill Whittle? Their humor is far more subtle and sophisticated than anything Janeane Garofalo has ever done.
On the other end of the spectrum, there is nothing more humorless than a humorless liberal: e.g., Harry Reid, Henry Waxman, Nancy Pelosi, any radical environmentalist, or "the One." Their self-absorption as they attempt to perfect the imperfectible does not allow them to see even a glimpse of the absurdity of life.
Give me the self-deprecation of a Ronald Reagan over the deadly (and I mean deadly) seriousness of Lenin, Stalin, Mao, or Hitler (did any of them ever actually laugh?).
And the pseudonymous David Kahane's (Michael Walsh's) columns at NRO are hilarious.
Edited on March 29, 2012 at 3:06amDec '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
" Comedy is inherently subversive."
???
See Cheers, Frasier, and Seinfeld.
Dec '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
There is nothing funny about being a conservative. Its kind of like Bill Whittle's video on why conservatives suck.
Too be a conservative is to cheerfully go about a life void of whimsey.
I need liberals in my life, they make it better, but never ever ever give them the checkbook.
Edited on March 29, 2012 at 3:05amMay '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
When did we collectively come to the conclusion that Janeane Garafalo is funny? I've seen her on television for almost twenty years now and she has never once made me laugh.
May '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Has this Alf fellow ever read PJ O'Rourke? Andrew Ferguson? Long? Steyn? Would he even get their humor if he did? No, no, no, no, and no.
Liberals think they're more funny for the same reason they think they're smarter: They've sequestered themselves within Liberal World and been exposed to only their own points of view and arguments and jokes and so on.
Apr '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
They are not funny because they mock the things that Alf holds dear. Being funny and being a comic are two different things. I listen to a lot of podcasts with comedians and they often remark how comedians come out of the box a little bit off. To want to stand in front of large groups of strangers and make them laugh for a sense of approval requires a damaged psyche. So simply stated lefties are more broken as people than folks on the right.
May '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
#13, winner. The tweet streams during political events, even GOP political events show what stupidity we're dealing with with this premise.
Dec '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Cmon folks! The guy is right. Have you ever listened to anything Joe Biden says? That's some funny **** right there, I'm tellin ya!
Jun '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Some of the funniest writers around -- Lileks, Long, Steyn, Labash -- are conservative.
The problem is that leftist audiences have an inordinately narrow definition/sense of humor. In their world, people are "funny" if and only if at least 75% of their shtick is focused on demonizing the right.
When the Left learns to laugh at itself, it will discover a whole new world of very funny stuff out there.
May '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Ed G.
No, this is Lamont from Sanford and Son. · 23 minutes ago
Oh, well he was a very good straight man. I used to laugh at him too.
Oct '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
I admit to being mystified that there aren't good, conservative/libertarian stand-ups and I hope they're coming, but when it comes to humor writing our roster is solid. P.J.O'rourke, Dave Barry (libertarians), David Burge/Iowahawk, not to mention P.G. Wodehouse, the finest humorist of the last century--or perhaps any-- and a non-political yet decidedly conservative man. These are just my personal favorites, there are probably others.
Aug '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Aristophanes