Comments on: Conservatives Just Ain’t Funny

By: The Reality-Based Dave

The Reality-Based Dave — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:50:04 +0000

There have been a few studies showing that wingnuts have a hard time comprehending sarcasm & satire, due to their worldview.
Also, their sociopathic nature has them beating up on the helpless. Not funny.

By: Duros Hussein 62

Duros Hussein 62 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:48:03 +0000

They are better at making fun of the powerless. That might have something to do with it.

By: Jaim

Jaim — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:15:38 +0000

Comedy is about making fun of the powerful (a lot of it is, anyways). Cons worship at the altar of power. They’re pure sycophants. Thus, they tend to fail at funny. They just don’t understand the concept.

By: Quaker in a Basement

Quaker in a Basement — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:21:15 +0000

Well, I’ve been all around this whole wide world
Been down to sunny Alabam
My mama always told me, Son
Never let your deak go down

Don’t let your deak go down
Don’t let your deak go down
Don’t let your deak go down
Till your last gold dollar is gone

By: Felix Helix

Felix Helix — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:13:36 +0000

Deak with it?

By: ed

ed — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:12:41 +0000

…Except that Parker and Stone had nothing to do with the animated bit in “Bowling” and are rather upset with Moore because of it. (2nd column, about 1/3 of the way down)

Oops, my bad. Either way, the animated bit is funnier than hell (and I know funny).

By: Rheinhard

Rheinhard — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:00:39 +0000

Yes they are much more willing to make fun of social conservatives/godbots than neoconservatives. They've hit just about every major religious denomination, from Mormons to Scientologists. (Donohue went after them for some of the stuff they've done about Catholics) But I don't think they made that animated short for Bowling though.

By: SaveFarris the Plumber

SaveFarris the Plumber — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:53:22 +0000

...Except that Parker and Stone had nothing to do with the animated bit in "Bowling" and are rather upset with Moore because of it. (2nd column, about 1/3 of the way down)

By: ed

ed — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:40:19 +0000

Parker & Stone aren’t conservatives, are they? They were making fun of conservatives.

They take some good shots at both sides. If I had to label them, it would be something like, “Center-Left Ironically Detached Faux Libertarian Dudes”. Or whatever.

But they make more fun of conservative–certainly from a socially conservative aspect.

You may recall Parker in “Bowling for Columbine”. He was awesome. And they both did an animated short for the film; funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqh6Ap9ldTs&feature=related

By: Rheinhard

Rheinhard — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:38:02 +0000

Duros – they have described themselves as such, though they have also said they have a more libertarian bent.

Empirically, consider how many South Park episodes have rather viciously skewered leading Dems (Al Gore with “ManBearPig”, Hillary Clinton with the “Snuke”), but there has to date never been a directly negative portrayal of Bush, Rumsfeld, or Cheney. The episode dealing with “9/11 Truthers” really showed Bushco in a rather sympathetic light, saying that the Truthers would believe whatever nonsense they wanted and no amount of facts would stop them, so there was no reason the Administration should try to stop them.

About the only right-wing figure they’ve really socked in recent memory that I can think of is Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, and he’s just a religious whacko spokesman (this is in keeping with their “liberatarian” bent, I’d think…)

In related news, it seems Fox news punditry sees a need for a “Fairness Doctrine” for comedy!

By: SaveFarris the Plumber

SaveFarris the Plumber — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:32:10 +0000

I must admit when it comes to comedy, it’s hard to beat Joe Biden. That guy is hillarious!

“Stand up for Chuck!”

By: Duros Hussein 62

Duros Hussein 62 — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:25:43 +0000

Palin’s not a comedian? Are you sure?

I think a conservative viewpoint can be funny if done right (see Parker & Stone “Team America”, and a lot of their “South Park” episodes)

Parker & Stone aren’t conservatives, are they? They were making fun of conservatives.

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:22:10 +0000

The entire article is stupid. Especially this:

Palin, meanwhile, good-naturedly joined the “Saturday Night Live” cast this weekend to poke fun at herself. But the real Palin seemed oddly flat next to Tina Fey’s celebrated impersonation of her as a ditzy hick who resorts to cornball flirtatiousness when confronted with basic policy questions.

That’s a shock. An actress and comedian looked better doing a comedic sketch than a Governor who is not an actress or a comedian. Shocking I say.

The party in power is always the butt end of most of the jokes told on late night or made fun of on shows like SNL. That’s just the way it works.

Frankly, I fail to see how this article supports your assertion.

By: ed

ed — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:21:20 +0000

True in general (Teh Funny, like Teh Facts, has a Liberal Bias), but McCain was funnier than Obama at that white tie rich people dinner the other night (Obama’s kind of a dorky nerd in many respects). Dole was funnier than Clinton in 96.

Why do I virtually say this? Because I know funny.

By: Rheinhard

Rheinhard — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:17:43 +0000

I think a conservative viewpoint can be funny if done right (see Parker & Stone “Team America”, and a lot of their “South Park” episodes)… But so few of them know how to do it right, because they come at it from the perspective of “poor people and minorities suck! Screw them! Haw haw haw!”

But mainly, just fix the typo.