Althouse: "As Chris Rock recently found out, there's a fine line between comedy and offense..."

December 4, 2014

"As Chris Rock recently found out, there's a fine line between comedy and offense..."

"... and Palin cuts it close."

54 comments:

Kyzer SoSay said...: I thought it was hilarious. Liked it a lot, and I actually shared that image myself a few days ago (not sure if it was before or after Palin did though).; 12/4/14, 8:35 AM
gerry said...: Can you buy pre-knotted shorts?; 12/4/14, 8:35 AM
SGT Ted said...: The quotes in the article are merely the same old civility bullshit we get from the left.; 12/4/14, 8:36 AM
Ron said...: The more the left keeps up their smearing of Palin, the more I like her.; 12/4/14, 8:37 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: "...there's a fine line between comedy and offense..."

If someone somewhere is NOT offended than it wasn't comedy.

I am Laslo.; 12/4/14, 8:38 AM
chickelit said...: There used to be a bright line between protestors and looters. If you can't mock looters, the looters win.; 12/4/14, 8:42 AM
Xmas said...: That was some fine pinpoint bubble popping right there.

If the political leanings of Obama and Palin were reversed, this would have the headline, "Sarah Palin Utterly Demolishes Obama with this One GIF"on every lefty website.; 12/4/14, 8:42 AM
rhhardin said...: Online looting would make protest available to shut-ins.; 12/4/14, 8:43 AM
tim maguire said...: It is pretty funny. So of course they played the race card.

And Wonkette gave Palin 20 million Pinocchios because...oops, she made a boo boo of an admission, didn't she? For her criticism to make sense, Barack Obama must be an actual supporter of illegal immigration (an accusation far more damning than Palin's joke).; 12/4/14, 8:44 AM
Known Unknown said...: Comedy is honesty.; 12/4/14, 8:46 AM
tim maguire said...: Ron said...The more the left keeps up their smearing of Palin, the more I like her.

I don't have an opinion on Palin, but she has all the right enemies, doesn't she?; 12/4/14, 8:47 AM
garage mahal said...: There's a fine line between a stream of consciousness and a babbling brook to nowhere.; 12/4/14, 8:52 AM
TCR James said...: We're upset at what Sarah Palin said, eh?

That'd be the same Sarah Palin falsely accused (by people who assured us it was true) of not knowing where Russia is, of giving birth to her daughter's baby, of being involved in organized crime activities in Alaska, of being the center of a number of nefarious and weird conspiracies -- all of which approved baseless accusations.

And we are all highly indignant and offended at a *joke* made by *that* Sarah Palin, right?

Just checking.; 12/4/14, 8:55 AM
traditionalguy said...: Palin is a very successful person from working class American population. Therefore she will never be accepted by the Ivy League snob mob.

Her only way to the Presidency was as a VP with succession by death ofthe President. That is exactly what scared the Snob Mob so badly. It was all they could talk about...memory of Harry Truman's Presidency still looms large.; 12/4/14, 8:56 AM
chickelit said...: garage mahal said...
There's a fine line between a stream of consciousness and a babbling brook to nowhere.

Stop picking on Josh Marshall and David Brooks!; 12/4/14, 9:05 AM
chillblaine said...: "If someone somewhere is NOT offended than it wasn't comedy."

Laslo, I've never been offended by your comments.; 12/4/14, 9:06 AM
Henry said...: Her joke has gotten someone to compare her to Chris Rock. I think that's a win.; 12/4/14, 9:09 AM
Saint Croix said...: Chris Rock interview is here, it's pretty interesting.; 12/4/14, 9:12 AM
MadisonMan said...: It's not even something she said, it's something she found amusing, or whatever, and passed on.

Facebook is full of memes. They should rename in Memebook.

If there's any outrage over this, it's all political and therefore phony.; 12/4/14, 9:21 AM
William said...: I saw the CNN people explaining that since most of the protesters weren't actively engaged in looting and arson that it therefore followed that it was a peaceful protest. It was unfair to stereotype the protesters on the basis of the wrongful actions of a few hundred looters. Not everyone catches CNN's delicate sense of humor and satire, but they daily present clever parodies of news reporters.; 12/4/14, 9:23 AM
iowan2 said...: kenetic military action?
The Fort Hood shooting was not terrorism, rather, work place violence.
War on terror? It's now an over seas contingency operation.
Brevity is the soul of wit, and Palin nails it; 12/4/14, 9:24 AM
Shanna said...: Comedy is honesty.

Which is why SNL sucks now. They aren't willing to be honest. At least, that's one of the reasons.

That was a funny comment. Not a big deal. Actually, the worst one I saw was someone who had photoshopped a black teenager's sign to say something like 'we should be able to loot or rob without being afraid of being killed' or something. Apparently suckered one of my facebook friends because she was like 'surely this isn't real'. Nope. Not real.; 12/4/14, 9:25 AM
Anonymous said...: Palin is skewering euphemisms used by the left to pander to the groups it panders to.

It this case it also alludes to the riots in LA after the verdict in the Rodney King trial that the left wanted to refer to as "civil unrest" or a "civil disturbance".

But she makes an anti-looter comment and others take it as a racial comment. Hmmm . . what are their underlying assumptions about looters?; 12/4/14, 9:28 AM
kcom said...: Read the Chris Rock interview. The most interesting part for me was not his answers but the questions themselves. And the premises they were based on. Let's just say they came from deep, deep, deep within the bubble. It's amazing there's enough oxygen there to keep someone alive.; 12/4/14, 9:29 AM
Gahrie said...: There's a fine line between a stream of consciousness and a babbling brook to nowhere

As you demonstrate for us nearly every day...; 12/4/14, 9:35 AM
jacksonjay said...: Comedy is a one-way street. Tina Fey refused to appear on stage with Sarah Palin during Palin's SNL appearance. Here's an idea, Palin does a parody of Fey's credit card ads? Funny, except Fey will not allow Palin to mock her.; 12/4/14, 9:39 AM
Brando said...: I can't stand Palin, but her joke was a good one and perfectly within bounds. Looters and rioters deserve scorn and punishment, and our president--as chief law enforcement officer of the country--needs to make that absolutely clear. Once the civil peace is breached, we turn into a nation of the lawless, where only the best armed and most wily will survive.

Good for her for mocking his weak-willed damp response to this.; 12/4/14, 9:47 AM
Gahrie said...: Read the Chris Rock interview. The most interesting part for me was not his answers but the questions themselves. And the premises they were based on. Let's just say they came from deep, deep, deep within the bubble

I agree.

I came away thinking that Chris would be pretty cool to hang out with, except for his politics.; 12/4/14, 10:13 AM
garage mahal said...: Once again Obama proves himself to be the Incompetent Dictator that he is.; 12/4/14, 10:16 AM
machine said...: Benghazi fantasyland, Benghazi...; 12/4/14, 10:28 AM
CatherineM said...: Kcom - exactly. It's why it's a lousy interview. Questions like, "It's racist during the Obama years to say 'take our country back' right?" Of course it is Frank! Of course it wasn't when Howard Dean, Hillary or Biden said it (to name just a few democrats). Most of the interview was just, "let's both agree on these points."

I am not a fan, but remember when the Arizona shooting was blamed on her for using the target sign on her website for showing areas R's needed to focus their campaigning? Ludicrous.

Sarah Palin will never go away because it's lucrative for her and she's a convenient prop for hatred by the democrats.; 12/4/14, 10:43 AM
geokstr said...: garage mahal said...
Once again Obama proves himself to be the Incompetent Dictator that he is.

For first time ever, I can wholeheartedly agree with a comment posted by Garage. And it doesn't have a /sarc tag, and there is no other context provided by which to infer it's supposed to be funny, or even hyperbolic. Could this be an epiphany for him?

I think we should post this quote, properly attributed to him of course, on every leftwing blog he regularly infects/infests.; 12/4/14, 10:44 AM
Known Unknown said...: Comedy is a one-way street. Tina Fey refused to appear on stage with Sarah Palin during Palin's SNL appearance. Here's an idea, Palin does a parody of Fey's credit card ads? Funny, except Fey will not allow Palin to mock her.

And yet Fey admitted that Palin was very nice and decent and even offered to have Willow baby sit for Tina while she was working.; 12/4/14, 11:12 AM
Big Mike said...: Garage hates Sarah Palin. Is there any better reason to love her?

Go Sarah! I love her because of the people who hate her.; 12/4/14, 11:29 AM
Unknown said...: Geez, someone has to represent the left here. All the comments directly or indirectly support Palin's (excellent) jest. Let's see now, I have read enough lefty comments that I should be able to construct one tuit d'suite (demonstrating knowledge of a foreign language is a good start).

"Callous disrespect for the most serious pronouncements of our President coupled with a pitiful display of poor understanding of the proper construct of the English language...ugh....it's not funny! Anyone who would laugh at this feeble mischaracterization of grave pronouncements of meaningful policy...[ugh...damn!] Comparisons of desperate poor people desperately seeking to acquire ... such actions making an important statement... to actual workplace violence and improper documentation are odious and ...."

Now I know why there are no lefty comments.; 12/4/14, 11:30 AM
Anonymous said...: When did the left turn into the puritanical scolds that used to characterize the right?

One of the reasons comedy is so powerful against your ideological opponent is because it's nearly impossible to argue with. The best response to mockery is more mockery.

The left used to get that. And it was the right who used to stamp their feet and complain.

Get over it lefties. When you provide a target rich environment, you have to expect some targets will get utterly demolished.; 12/4/14, 11:38 AM
Anonymous said...: So plagiarism is ok now? That was a HUGE deal on this blog just a few weeks ago but now it is being applauded and cheered.

Obviously Althouser's morals and opinions shift with the winds.; 12/4/14, 11:45 AM
geokstr said...: madisonfella said...
"So plagiarism is ok now?"

Where is this "plagiarism"? Can you read? Did you just copy/paste this charge from a lunatic leftwing (but I repeat myself) site?

The picture Palin posted clearly shows its owner right on the bottom. That is totally proper attribution.

As usual, when the left screams loudly about alleged bad behavior on the right, it's really because they're angry we're trying to copy their tactics.; 12/4/14, 12:13 PM
Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...: "Shopping while black."; 12/4/14, 12:15 PM
Anonymous said...: madisonfella said...
So plagiarism is ok now?

What plagiarism?; 12/4/14, 12:18 PM
Brando said...: "When did the left turn into the puritanical scolds that used to characterize the right?"

Right around the time the Social Justice Warriors became the dominant voice of the Left.

It's why the word "liberal" doesn't really apply to SJWs--there's nothing "liberal" about shutting others up, punishing others for differing points of view, and sticking to dogmatic narratives even when facts run against them. It's something, but "liberal" it isn't.; 12/4/14, 12:28 PM
Anonymous said...: What plagiarism?

Exactly, you can't see it at all. More proof that the Althousers turn a blind eye when their side engages in plagiarism yet will scream, shout, whine and pout whenever the other side dares to copy from themselves.

Scott Walker did the same thing a couple weeks ago and tweeted out a Chicago Bears joke that he stole, but it was barely mentioned in the conservative-owned media and totally ignored by this conservative blog.

Typical behavior for this nest of hypocrites.; 12/4/14, 12:28 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: I thought that it was pretty hilarious. Again, she skewers the left, like almost no one else can. You constantly hear how stupid the woman is. That is wishful thinking and projection of the worst sort. Again, evidence that she was probably the smartest person running in 2008 on a major party ticket.

As with her death panels, this has the possibility of changing the debate about race and Ferguson.; 12/4/14, 12:28 PM
Anonymous said...: they're angry we're trying to copy their tactics.

You condemn the left and constantly call them vile names while putting down the tactics they use yet you look at them as a group to emulate and copy from?

Thanks for clearing that up. Explains a lot. Not just about your opinions, but about you as a person as well.; 12/4/14, 12:33 PM
Anonymous said...: she skewers the left, like almost no one else can. You constantly hear how stupid the woman is. That is wishful thinking and projection of the worst sort. Again, evidence that she was probably the smartest person running in 2008 on a major party ticket.

So you (and many others on this blog) are giving credit to Palin for that joke? Did you not see the statement from her where she made it clear those weren't her words and instead she simply copied it from somewhere else. Surely she has issued such a statement, hasn't she? Or is she perfectly willing to let the low-information crowd think it was her own brain that came up with that witty retort?; 12/4/14, 12:38 PM
Fernandinande said...: gerry said...
Can you buy pre-knotted shorts?

No, but they're FREE(!) to undocumented shoppers.; 12/4/14, 12:41 PM
Anonymous said...: madisonfella,

If you make an accusation, it's on you to show evidence for the accusation.

What's the plagiarism?; 12/4/14, 12:41 PM
kcom said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/4/14, 2:21 PM
kcom said...: When someone tells me a joke my immediate assumption is not that they have become a professional comedy writer. I assume they heard it somewhere and it was good enough to pass on.

OTOH, when a candidate comes out with a position paper it is not my immediate assumption that they heard it somewhere else and thought it was good enough to pass on. But maybe that's just me.; 12/4/14, 2:25 PM
n.n said...: A priest, a rabbi, a cleric, and a planned parenthood adviser walked into a clinic...; 12/4/14, 2:37 PM
geokstr said...: madisonfella said...
...they're angry we're trying to copy their tactics.

You condemn the left and constantly call them vile names while putting down the tactics they use yet you look at them as a group to emulate and copy from?

Thanks for clearing that up. Explains a lot. Not just about your opinions, but about you as a person as well.

Thanks a lot for demonstrating exactly why you and you ideological soulmates deserve any vile names we call you. You hypocritically claimed Palin did something bad (plagiarism), which is rampant on the left, but which she didn't even do.

You carefully avoid my context, that there was no plagiarism by any definition, and then qualified it further by saying it is only behavior you allege to be bad, but are too dishonest or stupid to know the difference.

Quoting out of context and editing to distort the intended meaning has been raised to an art form by the left.; 12/4/14, 3:20 PM
Marty Keller said...: Garage changes his/her/its handle to "Babbling Brook to Nowhere." Nice.; 12/4/14, 5:53 PM
chickelit said...: @Madisonfehler: Even if you're not Inga pretending to be a man, you've proven that you wear panties in this thread.; 12/4/14, 8:09 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: Wonkette is a humorless bitch, isn't she?; 12/5/14, 4:01 AM