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:
May '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Mendel:
But it sounds like some people on this thread are challenging the notion that almost all mainstream comedians in America are liberals/left-leaning.
Can someone name some conservative comedians who regularly appear on highly visible, mainstream outlets? I can't, but I also don't watch much TV, so maybe I'm missing someone big. · 19 minutes ago
No, but that could just as easily be a function of who does the promoting in entertainment circles.
If you tell a single joke that offends liberals' sensibilities, your career can be over. And even if it's not over, it renders the rest of your jokes unfunny (ref. Guy Earle). If left leaning people don't like your jokes, for whatever reason, you cannot become a high profile comedian.
Just witness the lackluster uncomfortable laughter, groans, or boos John Stewart (or even Bill Maher) gets from his audience on the rare occasion that he delivers a solid punchline at President Obama's or some other liberal's expense.
On the other hand, conservatives tolerate all kinds of anti-conservative jokes because we are able to laugh at ourselves. I have plenty of conservative friends who watch the Daily Show.
Edited on March 29, 2012 at 4:37amMay '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
EJHill:
Of course, that's not funny because I'm a conservative. · 7 minutes ago
How many feminists does it take to change a light bulb?
The answer is "That's not funny!"
Jun '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Mendel: I find the arguments in Alf Lamont (whoever that is - Sanford and Sons? What?) not in the least bit persuasive.
But it sounds like some people on this thread are challenging the notion that almost all mainstream comedians in America are liberals/left-leaning.
Can someone name some conservative comedians who regularly appear on highly visible, mainstream outlets? I can't, but I also don't watch much TV, so maybe I'm missing someone big. · 36 minutes ago
The fact that most Americans drink Bud, Miller, and Coors doesn't make Bud, Miller, and Coors the best beers in America. That's just what's most available.
Apr '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
That is funny right there! Think about it.
Dec '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
One does not often get to use the phrase "beg the question" (correctly that is), since it is such terrible logic few are foolish enough to do it, but Alf Lamont has indeed begged the question.
He is correct, though, that subversiveness is funny. As Jonah Goldberg noted, when the Democrats are in control John Stewart, and other Lefty comedians, will either mock the Democrats or not be funny.
Edited on March 29, 2012 at 4:54amMar '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Give Me Liberty
That is funny right there! Think about it. · 1 minute ago
Hah, comedy that kills as it were?
Nov '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Mendel: . . . almost all mainstream comedians in America are liberals/left-leaning.
Can someone name some conservative comedians who regularly appear on highly visible, mainstream outlets? . . .
I was thinking of Jonathan Swift, whose political humor was supposedly cutting-edge-funny back in the day. But I don't think he did stand-up, and I don't think he was on TV much. (Did they have TV back then?) Anyway, I think he was Britsh, or maybe Irish, so I guess you're right that American conservatives just aren't funny.
Edited on March 29, 2012 at 5:04amMar '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
etoiledunord
The fact that most Americans drink Bud, Miller, and Coors doesn't make Bud, Miller, and Coors the best beers in America. That's just what's most available.
Of course, and I never said that the lack of conservative comedians in mainstream outlets proves that conservatives aren't funny.
But I don't think blaming access to markets or liberals' sensitivities is the whole story. There are enough conservatives in America to create markets even when liberals are not very interested: witness the success of talk radio and NASCAR.
There are many conservatives whom I find very humorous, but for some reason their humor doesn't translate well to mass markets, perhaps even mass markets of conservatives.
Edited on March 29, 2012 at 5:09amMay '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
What if somebody wrote a healthcare bill that forced us to insure ourselves against the financial catastrophy of buying a two dollar rubber? That would be hilarious.
Jan '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Bill Cosby?
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
For someone "subservient to the greater truth of comedy," Alf Lamont certainly takes himself pretty seriously. He actually bothered to speak to a Professor of Humor before he sat down to write his Huffington Post 'Top Five Reasons Why...' diary entry. I don't think anyone in the history of that genre has done research. Although I'm trying to picture the conversation he and the expert had. "Hey, did you notice there are no jokes in the Declaration of Independence?" "Yeah, what's up with that?" "It just points to a larger trend." "What trend?" "Part of the population has no sense of humor." "Yes. Good. Let me write this down."
May '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
If Obama is reelected, liberals won't be laughing. They will be targets of oppression along with the rest of us. As Steyn often points out, tyranny is always whimsical.
They eat their own.
Jul '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
One thing Alf had right, Denny was and is funny.
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
What about David Mamet?
May '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
What I love is that for his list of comedians, he doesn't list the funniest comedians and then observe that they are liberal, he lists the most leftist comedians and then claims that they are the only ones out there. The fact is, there are plenty of hilariously funny comedians who wouldn't be considered liberal (Norm Macdonald comes to mind). But you see the way he manipulates logic? I guess that is sort of inherently funny when one of your points is that Conservatives are just so stupid and wrong how can you not laugh at them.
May '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
One other point, that I will admit is very "generalizing" for lack of a better term. I recently flipped on a Dennis Leary stand up on netflix just thinking there would at least be a few laughs... I found it was simply not funny, and a little uncomfortable as he was a bit over the top in deliberately attempting to be controversial and offensive. So that's my point about humor - some of the funniest people I know in the world are conservative, but it tends to be a more observational and witty humor. That obviously exists on the left, but it doesn't seem to exist nearly as much. As I pointed out once to a friend, observational humor isn't quite as funny if the premise of your joke is obviously wrong. That can make for some very obnoxious political/social jokes. Yet, when MSM gives us our "common knowledge" and it simplifies conservative viewpoints as pretty stupid, then they become easy targets and that will play to the masses as long as the masses are generally uninformed. So w/ the increase of internet as information, will we start to see more conservative comedians/jokes?
May '10
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Leftist "entertainers" make no sense. I realize that socialists have no business sense, but really, who sets out to alienate half of their potential audience from the git-go?
Feb '12
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Bob Hope had 'em pegged .. That's humour.
Apr '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Roberto
Give Me Liberty
That is funny right there! Think about it. · 1 minute ago
Hah, comedy that kills as it were? · 1 hour ago
ooooh! That deserves a rimshot.
Jul '11
Re: Why Conservatives Aren't Funny
Mendel
There are many conservatives whom I find very humorous, but for some reason their humor doesn't translate well to mass markets, perhaps even mass markets of conservatives.
What's a mass market these days? How large an audience does The Daily Show have? From what I could find it's about the same as O'Reilly gets and that's not huge. It seems to me that whenever you get explicitly political you become a niche market show. Political comics look angry to the other side because they make the other side angry.