July 4, 2019

It's the Era of That's Not Funny.

I've been saying it with my tag since November 17, 2017, but here's Drudge, noticing that John Waters has noticed it:



The Waters link goes to a June 28th piece in Vulture, which I blogged on June 28th, here. I've already quoted the relevant stuff. Asked if Trump makes him laugh, Waters said:
Never. But neither do most of the Democrat character candidates running now either. And you could argue it’s not a funny time, which is true.... There are 40 [Democrats] that are going to divide it all up. You know, the gay one I like. I’d vote for any of them, even though it would be really hard for me to vote for Elizabeth Warren who has never once said a funny thing in her entire life....
But what's this other story?! "MAD Magazine to Cease Publication." I click through to the article at comicbook.com and it begins with an update: "Details have emerged regarding the future of MAD magazine following the end of original content later this year." There's a link, and I click through to another comicbook.com piece:
MAD magazine will not be completely closing down, as previously reported -- although most of its new content will cease, and availability for the iconic humor magazine will be reduced... Rather than closing up shop, the plan at present is to continue publishing issues that will feature reprinted classic MAD pieces, wrapped with new covers art....

The venerable humor magazine, which launched in 1952 at EC Comics, relaunched in 2018.... The 2017 reorganization and subsequent 2018 reboot both struggled with finding an identity for MAD in an increasingly satire-saturated world.
So maybe it's not the Era of That's Not Funny. Maybe it's the Era of Too Much Funny.  We're told "MAD struggled to find an elusive niche," and it "doubled down on lampooning the Trump administration." But that didn't work! Too much competition, and you lose all the pro-Trump readers. But you can't do pro-Trump humor. You alienate the anti-Trump readers, and Trump himself does the pro-Trump humor so well that you have to compete with him. By the way, are conservative humor publications ever good? For example, The Babylon Bee? Always bad.

216 comments:

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Paco Wové said...

"subsequent 2018 reboot"

So, it was already dead.

Narr said...

Name a few more conservative humor publications, please!

Narr
Just got here

Paco Wové said...

BTW, when did John Waters become so nightmarishly creepy-looking?

LYNNDH said...

I commented to my wife last night that all the Dem candidates seem so very serious, not having fun. Dour looking. Not a Happy Warrior among them.

rhhardin said...

I hope they reprint The Planet with 26 Sexes. A growing crowd going from bar to bar trying to pick up all 26 for a one night stand. The trouble is the mu. Mu's are so standoffish.

chuck said...

I thought Mad Magazine peaked in the fifties, just as the National Lampoon peaked in the 70's. Seems humor rarely lasts much more than a half dozen years before the original talent moves on and the inspiration passes into history. SNL has been dead and stinking up the place forever.

chuck said...

> The Planet with 26 Sexes

One of my favorites, National Lampoon.

Big Mike said...

For example,The Babylon Bee? Always bad.

There are other opinions about The Babylon Bee.

Jersey Fled said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jersey Fled said...

What, me worry?

Ken B said...

Babylon Bee is often funny, such as AOC on The Price Is Right.

Paco Wové said...

"Seems humor rarely lasts much more than a half dozen years before the original talent moves on and the inspiration passes into history"

I vaguely remember seeing an interview with John Cleese where he makes a similar point, though I think he may have put the cut-off much sooner. It was why he left Monty Python after three years – he thought they were spent.

Fernandinande said...

Waters was pretty funny as Pete Peters in Seed of Chucky.

Lucid-Ideas said...

Once again, as I've said before, he's partly to blame for being one of the generation that opened "pandoras box". You don't even have to watch Pink Flamingos (don't) to get the understanding that him and others helped push the pendulum too far the other way.

If it's "not funny" it's not funny because those that have come after him and of his ilk and taken inspiration from the lifestyles he espouses have decided - as they do through history - to one-up the new status quo.

The online "dark enlightenment" movement has said much the same thing. Tolerance in their definition became 'tolerance for everything'. Sometime when you push the abyss, it pushes back.

tim maguire said...

The Babylon Bee is probably as funny as The Onion. As for your general question about conservative humor magazines, I would toss that right back after removing the word "conservative."

Political magazines of all stripes are little more than superficial cheap-shot collections.

Big Mike said...

In its heyday Mad made fun of non-political things. The folks who lampooned gangster movies and 1950s horror flicks would have had a field day with “Avengers: Endgame.”

Get woke; go broke.

bleh said...

Comedy magazines and shows almost all lean liberal. It’s always been that way, mostly because the best and funniest writers and performers are young. That said, the best of the lot tend to eschew partisan politics on the sound idea that they do comedy, which is supposed to be more universal in appeal or prosaic, as opposed to politics, which is often tribal and preachy.

And yes the Babylon Bee is garbage.

Conservatives meme way better than liberals.

Birches said...

I feel like I'm not smart enough to get what you're doing with the italics in this post. Oh well.

JAORE said...

Political humor,all the time, is a bore. Slice it thinner by being ALWAYS lefty (e.g. every frikin' late night show) it is doubling boring.

Too bad. The left, for many years has been a target rich environment.

Amexpat said...

US Humorists tend to lean left. P.J O'Rourke righted things up a bit.

Ann Althouse said...

Those of you who want to counter my extreme position on conservative humor, please link to an example of the very best conservative humor you've seen in the last few years.

What's the best thing ever in Babylon Bee? I see Instapundit linking to it all the time, and it's never good.

bagoh20 said...

Waters is a poor example of funny. Trying to shock for laughs wasn't even original back in his day, and he didn't even do it particularly well.

Ann Althouse said...

I looked up the AOC on Price Is Right thing. It's: "Ocasio-Cortez Appears On 'The Price Is Right,' Guesses Everything Is Free."

Come on. Just dumb.

Ann Althouse said...

"Waters is a poor example of funny. Trying to shock for laughs wasn't even original back in his day, and he didn't even do it particularly well."

Watch "Serial Mom."

Narr said...

Mark Steyn is funny.

Narr
And a natty dresser

tcrosse said...

Muggeridge's Law:
"We live in an age in which it is no longer possible to be funny. There is nothing you can imagine, no matter how ludicrous, that will not promptly be enacted before your very eyes, probably by someone well known."

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Breaking:

Antifa Shatters Mirror In Attempt To Punch Nazi

PORTLAND, OR - A member of Antifa, Dustin Day, injured himself over the weekend while attempting to punch a nazi he spotted.

“So I had my mask on and was ready to fight any nazis that came to Portland -- because I guess the city is full of them -- and then I saw one,” explained Day. “You could tell from just one look at the guy that he was a crazed sociopath looking for any excuse to get violent.” That’s when Day said he ran up and attempted to punch the nazi, but instead his fist hit some sort of “invisible shield.” He then screamed, “Advanced nazi technology!” and ran away.

Ice Nine said...

>>Ann Althouse said...
Those of you who want to counter my extreme position on conservative humor, please link to an example of the very best conservative humor you've seen in the last few years.
What's the best thing ever in Babylon Bee? I see Instapundit linking to it all the time, and it's never good.<<

It should be obvious, but that has everything to do with your left wing political viewpoint and little to do with the quality of the humor. Want proof? Make your challenge a matching challenge. Anyone who offers you a conservative humor piece that he thinks funny gets a liberal humor piece that you think is funny. I've got good money that says neither one of you will be laughing at the other's offering.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

America and Americans are prospering under president Trump's leadership. That is why Democrat party members are reacting with such intense displeasure. Not even the ayatollahs of Iran hate America like Democrat party members hate America.

Anonymous said...

All Hail Clown Emperor!

Anonymous said...

Happy Independence Day.
If you can keep it.

Lewis Wetzel said...

How crazy do you have to be to believe that being anti-Trump is anti-establishment?
Hillary, and the whole "Russian collusion" gang is the establishment.

Mr. D said...

Perhaps the Babylon Bee isn't funny -- your mileage may vary. But Snopes fact-checking it is hilarious.

traditionalguy said...

Most Ridicule has been declared illegal by the PC vigilantes. The best bet is wit as it was once practiced by Bob Hope and now by DJT.

In that regard, see Son of Paleface on YouTube. Hope can still make wit that no on can resist laughing at.

Bay Area Guy said...

Absolutely loved Mad Magazine. Grew up on it, laughed out loud reading it, Spy v Spy, sang all the song parodies. Great, great magazine.

Of course, at age 13 or 14, National Lampoon showed up with jokes, politics and naked boobies, so......

Nobody knows who John Waters is, and nobody cares what he thinks..

loudogblog said...

As I remarked before, I grew up on Mad magazine. I have the CD rom set from the 90s on my desk right now. Back during the heyday of Mad magazine, you couldn't go to the internet or TV for instant humor and parody. Now you can. Also, like you keep saying, we're in an era of "that's not funny." People are becoming more sensitive to things that are perceived as "politically incorrect" and the concept of "making fun" of things is making more and more people uncomfortable as the years go by. Just look at how many stories actually make the news based on people doing something that they thought would be funny, but really offended people. I think that you're right about conservative sites having trouble with humor. Putting the politics before the humor is not a good way to do it. (BTW, I think that Iowahawk has funny moments.)

bagoh20 said...

" please link to an example of the very best conservative humor you've seen in the last few years."

Bill Burr is the funniest comedian of the last decade, and he comes from a mostly conservative point of view. In fact most of the best comedians who have matured are now coming from a conservative point of view, becuase once they get successful they realize a lot of the leftist humor is based in lies, and it gets embarrassing to stick with that. Of course some stay with it like a warm blanket.

Mr. Forward said...

“Name a few more conservative humor publications, please!”

The Washington Post and the New York Times are a laff riot these days.

William said...

The Mad Magazine of my youth made fun of advertising, movies, and Tuesday Weld. They didn't bother much about politics, and, when they did, the humor wasn't especially nasty. I like to think that they would be more inclined to make fun of the Trump haters than of Trump, but that's probably more wish than reality......Humorists are far more inclined to find the ridiculous in right wing excesses than those of the left. Roger Ailes is far more likely to be mocked than Les Moonves or even Harvey Weinstein....If you want to read shrewd and witty takedowns of people on the left, the comments sections here provides some satisfaction.

Sam L. said...

" By the way, are conservative humor publications ever good? For example,The Babylon Bee? Always bad. " Humor-impaired Ann? Who woulda thunkit!

Big Mike said...

@Althouse, regarding conservative humor, it helps to start with a good sense of the absurd. There is very little about 21st century liberalism that isn't absurd.

Michael said...

Just like the recent conversation about slapstick. Humor has it's time. MAX style of cynical satire died out in the 70s. Poking fun at the establishment no longer packed a rebellious punch as everyone had become cynical by 1980

bagoh20 said...

If you need comedy to be smart and make you feel superior, you're not doing it right.

tcrosse said...

Spy Magazine was pretty funny while it lasted. They gave Donald Trump the epithet "short-fingered vulgarian".

Mark said...

Not a magazine. And more libertarian than conservative (certainly not liberal or progressive), and more biting than ha-ha funny, but there is South Park.

William said...

You can easily draw a banker or Wall St fat cat with a few strokes. What's the cartoon image of a commissar? There have been far more Robespierres and Lenins than Hitlers. I blame humorists for making fun of the wrong people....I'd like to see a funny bit about that child raping, Nicaraguan dictator and his many (former) supporters here in the USA. That would be funny.

Yancey Ward said...

It is almost impossible to do parody attacking the Left these days- that is why The Babylon Bee seems so crude in comparison to, let's say, what The Onion was at one time. Reality is killing satire.

JackWayne said...

“What's the best thing ever in Babylon Bee? I see Instapundit linking to it all the time, and it's never good.”

Now do SNL.

William said...

Lil Abner was funny, but then Al Capp started making fun of liberals and that was the end. He also, as I remember, molested some college girls, but it was the making fun of liberals that did him in....There must be some SNL writer or comedian somewhere who thinks Maxine Waters or Mayor Pete are kind of funny, but there is humor that dare not speak its wit.

Mary Beth said...

I like the Bee. I don't read it daily, but whenever I do look, I usually see something that amuses me. It also seems to me that they have a short reaction time between when something makes news and when they have a piece on it.

Ann Althouse said...

I loved Mad Magazine from the moment I discovered it for myself, some time around 1960. I had a subscription to it in those days.

I vividly remember what one of my friends said to me when I tried to interest her in this thing I thought was so great: "That's for boys."

As if... ooh, cooties.

bagoh20 said...

The Babylon Bee is actually a christian satire site, which is different than conservative, and naturally a harder thing to like for some.

Darrell said...

Ann Althouse is the arbiter of what's funny. And good movies--like My Dinner With Andre.

Fernandinande said...

Mystery as object plunges from sky before speeding off at breakneck speed over Colorado
"UFO 'spotted' reaching incredible speeds in sky"

A streak of light caused by a moving camera is funny when people pretend that it's an aircraft.

bagoh20 said...

I've heard of the Babylon Bee, and what has been thrown in front of me wasn't particularly funny to me, but I never went to the site.

I laugh all day at politics and the culture from a very libertarian/conservative point of view. I can't really identify who's putting out all these laughs, but somebody is cracking me
up all day long every day.

BUMBLE BEE said...

As Yancy said, all you have to do is look at Babs, Reiner (the Nadler beard), Bette and their ilk! Mad can't compete. Alyssa Milano, her daddy's porn queen about #METOO. It's all too hilarious. Apparently we just can't stop lynching Smollett!

Drago said...

bagoh20: "The Babylon Bee is actually a christian satire site, which is different than conservative, and naturally a harder thing to like for some."

Correct.

And, contra Althouse, it is always funny.

They are not afraid to skewer anyone, right/left/Christian/non-Christian. They just do it fro a point of view that some won't get.

For instance, just from today:

"Imperial AT-ATs Begin Arriving In Capital For Military Parade"

snip: "WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ahead of Trump's planned July 4 military parade, several dozen Imperial walkers began to arrive in Washington throughout the week.

{Picture of Star Wars AT-AT's moving through Washington DC}

The AT-ATs were dropped off by U.S. Space Force Star Destroyers just outside the city and then slowly marched toward the capital (rather than being dropped right next to their target, for some reason). Military bands solemnly played the Imperial March in honor of their arrival. Trump was seen at the White House, pointing excitedly at the looming all-terrain armored transports through an Oval Office window.

"Wow, look at those guys!" he said while gleefully clapping his hands. "Do you think President Xi has any of those? I bet he doesn't. Ha! Guy is probably sooooo jealous right now. And North Korea only has those little chicken walkers! This is definitely the best military parade on the planet!"

He quickly added that he "loves democracy" however.

Some light Antifa resistance attempted to milkshake the walkers but were crushed."

Makes light of democrat concerns of an Imperial Presidency, makes light of Trump, makes light of antifa. All in just a few paragraphs.

But, yeah, its not Alec Baldwin screaming in an orange wig so it's Officially Not Amusing At All And Very Very Bad.



Freeman Hunt said...

"Conservatives meme way better than liberals."

Truth. Conservatives own memeing.

Drago said...

Here's one that's a little inside baseball but pokes direct fun at the Church hierarchy for those churches where there is debate as to whether or not women should lead as Pastors:

"Church Installs Trapdoor That Activates If Woman Approaches Pulpit"

SUN VALLEY, CA—Elders at Gracious Grace Christian Church confirmed Wednesday they've installed a trapdoor that activates if a woman approaches the pulpit.

The trapdoor is connected to an advanced estrogen detector. As soon as the detection system senses an elevated level of estrogen, whether from a woman or an effeminate progressive preacher, the trapdoor activates, sending the woman plummeting hundreds of feet down into a padded holding cell for reeducation.

Last Sunday, a woman was invited to give the announcements. She was supposed to use the music stand but approached the pulpit instead.

"Hannah, no!" screamed her husband, but it was too late.

"Hey guys, I just want to share what's on my heart regarding the upcoming church pic---ahhhhhh!!!!" she screamed as she fell to her doom.

eaching pastor John J. Johnson shrugged when asked about the incident. "Honestly, Hannah knew the dangers when she volunteered to give announcements. We need to utilize discernment in our approach to church hierarchy. If a woman tells you that the potluck is next Sunday, how can you know that it's really happening?"

Remember, the Babylon Bee is a conservative Christian satire site, but they aren't afraid to call out anything.

But again, not Alec Baldwin so no humor can possibly be present.

Swede said...

John Waters looks like a corpse.

And MAD Magazine?

I didn't even know it was still around.

Buggy Whip factory closes. News at 11.

Freeman Hunt said...

If you go to church, the Babylon Bee can be quite funny. That's not the funniest, just a recent one I noticed. Its satire of the evangelical scene is often good.

Leland said...

I laughed quite a bit reading Kurt Schlichter's book "Militant Normals", but I think the humor works for those that never thought "Idiocracy" should be banned.

wild chicken said...

Just a TV show but Greg Gutfeld's program is damn funny. The Comedy Store nobodies on his panel come up with good timely gags. Kat Timpf has that Titania McGrath look going for her.

It was such a relief to see such obvious comedy material put to good use.

Btw Mad Mag is what piqued my interest in politics to begin with.

Darkisland said...

When Bill Gaines still owned and ran Mad it did not carry advertising, other than for some Mad Magazine stuff.

His philosophy was that Mad was written to amuse one person, him. If there were others with his same warped sense of humor, Great! he'd be happy to share.

No advertisers means no need to worry about offending anyone.

It went downhill when he sold it and they started accepting adverter's money and advertisers instructions about what they could and could not do.

John Henry

wild chicken said...

These stiffs are dreadfully serious aren't they. Bet they're fun at parties.

Or is it just a big act?

Birkel said...

Althouse believes it's not funny when her particular oxen are gored.

And she just cannot quite understand humor.

Darkisland said...

Blogger Darrell said...

Ann Althouse is the arbiter of what's funny. And good movies--like My Dinner With Andre.

Don't forget to buy your My Dinner with Andre action figures via the portal!

John Henry

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Titania McGrath, the super SJW created by British comedian Andrew Doyle, is funny.

https://twitter.com/TitaniaMcGrath

It was funny to see a clip of Doyle being interviewed on Sky TV by a humorless leftist journalist who was clearly trying to get Doyle to slip up and say something like "rape is funny." Doyle avoided taking the bait.

Doyle said of Titania, she's a 4th wave feminist, she comes from a wealthy family and lives in Kensington on daddy's money, and she's appointed herself spokeswoman for all oppressed minorities. The interviewer looks at him blankly. The interviewer's entire social circle is undoubtedly full of people like Titania and it never once occurred to him that they're funny.

Roughcoat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Birches said...

If you don't go to church, you won't get The Babylon Bee. It's quite hilarious if you do.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

Don't forget to buy your My Dinner with Andre action figures via the portal!

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

The Week in Pictures is usually good for a few laughs. Even the commentators get in on the act.

Roughcoat said...

Tom Lehrer was the first political humorist I became aware of. He was really more of a cultural humorist, but a lot (if not most) of his cultural humor was politically-oriented. He was actually funny. Very funny.

Colin Quinn, on his wonderful but short-lived show "Tough Crowd," was assertive and outspoken in his conservatism. I saw him perform on stage, after his show was canceled, and although he was still conservative in comparison to most of the comedy establishment he was by then beginning to drift to the left. Since then he has, IMO, gone well left of center ... although I'm sure he would categorize himself as libertarian. A pity.

Mark Steyn is very funny, and incisive to boot, but I wouldn't categorize him as a comedian.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

Mark Steyn is the funniest We are all going to die very soon guy that I know.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Titania's Twitter soulmate is Jarvis Dupont:

"I use my white male privilege as a raft, to transport minorities from the Cave of Oppression to the Island of Equal Prosperity. Pagan. Occasional nudist."


@JarvisDupont

People who say fascism isn't a problem and Antifa were too heavy-handed with Andy Ngo, seem to conveniently forget about that time a Trump-loving college boy smirked at a Native American guy in full view of the Native American guy's PR team.

Roughcoat said...

Althouse is funny after a fashion, but laugh-out-loud funny? Nicht.

She strikes me as "commissar funny."

Fernandinande said...

If you don't go to church, you won't get The Babylon Bee.

I don't go to church and I'm *pretty sure* I "get" this one:

New Instagram Filter Makes It Look Like You're On A Missions Trip In A Third-World Country

and maybe even this one

Christian Rushes To Get HIV Test After Brief Eye Contact With Gay Person

"The man Jamison made eye contact with turned out to be 34-year-old Joey Villa, who told reporters he was in fact not gay, just a little metro."

Roughcoat said...

I get some good chuckles from Babylon Bee. I understand why Althouse doesn't like it. It's not "commissar funny."

chuck said...

> I laughed quite a bit reading Kurt Schlichter's book "Militant Normals",

Wildfire (Kelly Turnbull Book 3) was pretty funny. But I doubt Ann would find it so.

Fernandinande said...

Modern-Day Good Samaritan Sees Injured Man On Side Of Road, Angrily Tweets About Republicans

tcrosse said...

My own taste in Art, Music, Literature, and Humor does not align with Althouse's. De Gustibus, and all that.

Rory said...

Most of what I see from Babylon Bee is funny. Is the Laszlo person who posts here conservative? He/she is certainly funnier than anyone in the national media today.

Roughcoat said...

Is the Laszlo person who posts here conservative?

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck ...

Michael K said...

Wildfire (Kelly Turnbull Book 3) was pretty funny. But I doubt Ann would find it so.

I liked "Indian Country" better. The funniest is "The Peoples Republic," which he wrote when he assumed Hillary would win. He lives on LA's West Side and has the Valley Girl syntax down pat.

Bay Area Guy said...

My Dinner with Andre - not funny.

James K said...

...struggled with finding an identity for MAD in an increasingly satire-saturated world.

The world isn't saturated with satire. Satire is practically dead, because the actual behavior of the left and NeverTrump/LLR "conservatives" cannot be parodied.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

From the Babylon Bee,

"Jordan Peterson Debuts as Controversial Judge on 'America's Got Talent."

"Peterson's brash and uncompromising style caused even Simon Cowell to shift in his chair as the outspoken judge responded to one contestant, "this is pure neo-Marxism!" He said this while gnawing on a giant, barely-cooked cow rib.

One of Peterson's most controversial moments came when he told an eight-year-old contestant his performance was "absolutely appalling," and that he needed to "grow the hell up and get his life in order." The boy's mother came on stage and snapped back at Peterson, saying he was being "a mean white man."

Joel Osteen appears to be a favorite target at BB:

HOUSTON, TX—During his annual morning devotions Thursday, prosperity gospel preacher Joel Osteen was excited to learn he can gain the whole world for the low, low price of just his soul."

So a conservative Christian humor site is not afraid to mock their own, whereas I see no liberals having a field day with Maxine Waters or AOC.

My guess is Althouse saw the category "Christian Living" on the Bee's home page and immediately decided they couldn't be funny, because Christians can't possibly be witty and edgy.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

My favorite Bee:

Holy Spirit Empowers Man To Make It Through Christian Movie

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Another one from the Bee:

Resurrected Che Guevara Announces 2020 Run, Democrats Quickly Criticize As 'Too Moderate'

lane ranger said...

What Ice Nine said.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

"I see Instapundit linking to it all the time, and it's never good."

I will concede that not everything Reynolds links to is good. He has been known to link to your retarded opinions on occasion.

Fernandinande said...

Ocasio-Cortez Claims Border Patrol Agents Turned Her Into A Newt

That's Not Funny:
8-Year-Old 'Mini AOC' Has to Delete Parody Accounts After Doxxing, Death Threats Against Her Family

James K said...

8-Year-Old 'Mini AOC' Has to Delete Parody Accounts

I admit I found that parody funny, but not sure it was a good idea to put an 8-year-old out there on the internet like that. But again, any video of AOC speaking is better than a parody.

Darrell said...

Great news for the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is “quitting” the Party. No Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his seat. A total loser!

---Donald J Trump

Proof that Trump never met Chuck.

Automatic_Wing said...

Perhaps Althouse can enlighten us as to which liberal comedians or comedy writers she finds funny. Is she rolling in laughter as she watches Colbert? Slapping her knee for Trevor Noah's monologue? Let's hope she's not a Samantha Bee fan. Are we talking about boomer relics like George Carlin? Or maybe aging bobby soxer Mo Dowd?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Fen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
YoungHegelian said...

We do seem to be in a humor desert in general now, & I blame the liberals, who pretty much own the industry & have declared far too many aspects of human existence no longer fit fodder for humor. That we got through eight years of Obama, a veritable treasure trove of raw humor ore, & the comic world did almost nothing with it, is indicative of how far we've sunk (remember the gasps when Joan Rivers said that Michelle was a tranny?).

So Prof Althouse doesn't like the Bee? Quelle Surprise! Althouse was never the kind of girl who laugh at a joke that had had the word "Ariminian" in the punch line.

As a mackerel snapper, I'm happy to read the Protestant Bee, but I really wish the Catholic equivalent The Eye of the Tiber was better. I mean, c'mon! Is there a richer source of humor than the frills & pomposity & just plain weirdness of Catholic culture? Add in the overlap between Catholic & Catholic ethnic humor (Italians, Poles, Irish), and, I mean, you have enough material to make Jewish comics jealous. Guys! Guys! Surgete et Venite! We proud followers of the Whore of Babylon can do so much better than this!

Fernandinande said...

"Jordan Peterson Debuts as Controversial Judge on 'America's Got Talent."

"...judge Howie Mandell contradicted the professor claiming it was one of the best performances on the show. "I don't think there's a shred of clinical evidence to support that," Peterson replied."

I LOL'd at that because it sounds like something I'd say: "That performance was just a meaningless anecdote!"

Fen said...

Those of you who want to counter my extreme position on conservative humor, please link to an example of the very best conservative humor you've seen in the last few years.

What's the best thing ever in Babylon Bee? I see Instapundit linking to it all the time, and it's never good.


That's circular logic. Consider: "please link to a SCOTUS decision you find intelligent. I see Althouse discussing them all the time, and they are always stupid."

Otherwise... like you I grew up enjoying Mad Magazine. But then Cracked ruined it for me. Cracked was more toilet humor and grossed me out, but after being exposed to it, I couldn't help but see similarities in Mad Magazine that made it look just as cheap to me.

Reminds me of the experience I had with whip cream as a kid. I loved lemon ice box pie with whip cream. Then we had a whip cream pie fight for my 6th birthday and I caught one with my mouth wide open, made me gag and then throw up. Never could eat lemon ice box pie again, even sans whip cream. Weird.


"MAD struggled to find an elusive niche," and it "doubled down on lampooning the Trump administration."

They sound like Caleb Howe after Red State fired him. He was angry and thought it was so unfair that they let most their Never Trumpers go. We got into a spat about it, but I tried to enlighten him anyway: "Offtopic Caleb, but how many back up punters do you think the Cowboys will keep after training camp? I don't know either, but I'm sure it's not 24!"

The elusive niche Mad could have found was lampooning the descent into madness the Left took after Trump upset Hillary. But they were cowards. Do you have any idea how big a demand there is from people like me who have totally abandoned all late night comedy because we are tired of being mocked as Deplorable racist hillbillies? Imagine if I called you a fat useless whore every day for 10 years...would it have an effect on you, would you still tune in?

Without even looking, I'm betting Mad Magazine when full Social Justice Retard. Good riddance. Go Woke, go broke.

walter said...

"I’d vote for any of them, even though it would be really hard for me to vote for Elizabeth Warren who has never once said a funny thing in her entire life."

Oh..her beer moment was pretty funny.

Fen said...

not sure it was a good idea to put an 8-year-old out there on the internet like that.

And women should not go out in public in short skirts. They are just begging to be raped.

Ice Nine said...

Althouse went to see Kathy Griffin and thought Griffin was funny. That fact will help you interpret her comments above.

Maillard Reactionary said...

Well, Professor, if you think the Babylon Bee is always bad, that's proof enough for me that it's good.

I do think it's pretty funny, because it's silly and not mean-spirited. So I didn't really need your disapproval to like it, since I've been aware of it for months thanks to Instapundit and never gone away feeling worse after reading it.

But as I often say, women have no sense of humor. Especially liberal women.

Tommy Duncan said...

When I was growing up the leading comedians of the time were like family to most Americans. People like Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, George Burns and Jack Benny were familiar faces who had established identities that provided a base for their humor. George Burns smoked a cigar, Jack Benny had his violin, Lucy had her red hair and Bob Hope had his famous nose and his asides to the camera.

Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and the other early SNL players established the same family relationship with their viewers. Johnny Carson was also family.

There was a comfortable charm to their humor. Bing Crosby's cameo appearances in Bob Hope's movies were priceless. John Belushi's raised eyebrow was familiar and perfectly delivered. George Burns was an brilliant straight man to Gracie Allen's ditzy comic persona. Delivery and timing were everything: Witness Carol Burnett working with Tim Conway, Harvey Korman and Vicki Lawrence.

Much of what passes for humor today lacks charm and familiarity. However, Greg Gutfeld's show is a turn back toward the familiar, self depreciating humor of the past. Greg and his regular guests (Tyrus and Kat) have established their comic persona and play well off each other.

Shock comedy is dead. We've been shocked to death. Hate comedy was never funny. One sided political comedy was the mother of "that's not funny". Finally, as mentioned above, the events of every day life today are beyond parody. AOC and the migrant toilet drinking water is comedy central. How do you beat Marianne Williamson on stage in the Democrat debate? How do you parody Hillary's "I ain't no ways tarred"?

Fernandinande said...

Local Mom Claims Vaccines Caused Her Son's Calvinism

Guildofcannonballs said...

This is all the fault of the Coen Brother's The Big Lebowski.

Over and over the fella says "no funny stuff" and he means it.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/ee598be2-7f34-4dc4-8f8a-d0c30c25884f

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/ed647f5e-27b6-435d-ac4a-56aad6113e8d

Rabel said...

"For example,The Babylon Bee? Always bad."

How odd.

Guildofcannonballs said...

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/32d5b270-4632-40b4-80df-64c33eea385c

"no funny stuff"

"Alright, alright I got uh..."

"no funny stuff"

effinayright said...

Althouse: "What's the best thing ever in Babylon Bee? I see Instapundit linking to it all the time, and it's never good."
***********

I'd say "de gustibus....." applies here.

Did you ever find Scott Adams funny?

Gk1 said...

So Waters is bummed with live in unfunny times? I bet dollars to donuts Waters is privately appalled at how political correctness has sucked the joy out of life. You hear Bill Maher and other liberal comedians and writers complain as well. Well bucko, you and your side owns the popular culture now, so tough toe nails. You have made it safe to call half the country fascist but now realize you can wind up on that pile by using unwords and espousing a non approved opinion. Yeah it's an unfunny age but not for the reason Water thinks.

effinayright said...

My bet is that Althouse thinks Chelsea Handler and Kathy Griffin are a laff riot.

Achilles said...

Is the Laszlo person who posts here conservative?

I get a Classic Liberal vibe from him.

But we all see ourselves in genius.

Achilles said...

Fernandistein said...
Ocasio-Cortez Claims Border Patrol Agents Turned Her Into A Newt

That's Not Funny:
8-Year-Old 'Mini AOC' Has to Delete Parody Accounts After Doxxing, Death Threats Against Her Family



Ann doesn't believe that is funny.

You can't make fun of women unless they are conservative.

Achilles said...

James K said...
8-Year-Old 'Mini AOC' Has to Delete Parody Accounts

I admit I found that parody funny, but not sure it was a good idea to put an 8-year-old out there on the internet like that. But again, any video of AOC speaking is better than a parody.

What. The. Fuck.

Why is it not a good idea?

Because the leftists are a bunch of fascist thugs?

So you are going to cower and hide?

Jim at said...

I read MAD Magazine religiously back in the mid- to late-70s.

Then I grew up.

Narr said...

Is Laszlo conservative? Who cares? He's funny, and that's even better.

Narr
Like Key & Peale

Freeman Hunt said...

This compelled me to go scroll The Bee. I love the Bee. You won't like any humor thing if you focus on the duds. Plenty of winners over there.

Fen said...

Just to show how not funny the left has become, consider all the fun they could have had with Trump's parade.

I would have rented out a section of stands and dressed all my people in black leather with red arm bands like the New Empire in Star Wars. With a soviet-style portrait of Trump's profile. And when he came by we would have all given sieg heil salutes.

They could have done a good parody of this instead of throwing another temper tantrum



James K said...

Why is it not a good idea?


8-year-old as a political prop? YMMV, but most people, myself included, think kids should not have their faces out on the internet, just for safety's sake, and also not be used for political statements. We ridicule leftist parents for having their 8-year-olds parrot anti-gun or environmentalist BS. I'm not sure why it's any better to have them parroting ideas that we like.

donald said...

He was creepy looking in August of 2001 when I sidled up next to him at a bathroom urinal at the Atlanta Airport.

And short, really, really short.

On the plus size when I said “fancy meeting you here”, he laughed convulsively. So I got that going for
Me.

Mark said...

If you want humor, if you want to feel good in life, you need to get far away from today's politics and ideological warfare. Unfortunately both have saturated not only civic affairs, but news media, entertainment, academia, social media and practically everything else.

Paco Wové said...

I find that the Babylon Bee pieces that Instapundit links to tend to be heavy-handed and not particularly funny, but I think that says more about the tastes of Instapundit's co-bloggers than it does about the Bee.

Blatantly "political" humor is rarely funny, because it relies too much on assumptions of shared groupthink. Genuinely comic behavior and situations are widespread across the political spectrum; it's unfortunate that in-group loyalties prevent people who are supposed to be in the professional funny business from seeing that.

chuck said...

> Did you ever find Scott Adams funny?

Back in the 90's and early aughts, these days Dilbert is formulaic, like Beetle Bailey, and Dilbert himself has developed a nasty streak. My impression is that Adams' interests have moved on.

Bloom County was good for a few years, Calvin and Hobbes retired when the time came. The Marx brothers barely made it to the 40's. That said, My Dinner with Andre is an immortal punch line.

Michael McNeil said...

I think the official Donald Trump web site is funny — for instance, its “404” page that comes up when one inputs a nonexistent url address. It says “You're looking for something that doesn't exist…” followed by a picture of Hillary Clinton as President of the United States!

What do you think, Althouse? Is that funny?

Howard said...

Name a funny conservative. You people just pist libtards not serving enough funny stuff. Make your own by boot straps. Or keep crying like a baby you people like that.

Howard said...

Oh, and make your own Twitter.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

I miss "The Far Side."

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

Sean Spicier

...and this from the BEE

https://babylonbee.com/news/sports-illustrated-unveils-first-ever-baptist-swimsuit-model-in-floor-length-denim-skirt

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Why so pissy on the Fourth of July, Howard?

Have a beer and some barbecue, sit back in a lounge chair, and relax, man.

Drago said...

Keep trying Howard. Someone is bound to notice you soon enough...(though I can't guarantee it)

Howard said...

Hi Wednesday! How's it going? I have a cruel sense of humor and have a great laugh when I make these posts. What can I say. We are all crapped out after the morning forced March, then swimming and diving at the lake. You have a great Fourth of July, sister.

James K said...

Iowahawk is pretty funny, but he rejects the conservative label. I suppose he's more of a cranky libertarian.

For example, his response to this NYT editorial:
New York Times Opinion

@nytopinion
The myth of America as the greatest nation on earth is at best outdated and at worst, wildly inaccurate. If you look at data, the U.S. is really just O.K.

David Burge

@iowahawkblog
Jul 2

Well sure, if you're going to judge a whole country by its newspapers

Michael McNeil said...

I just named one, Howard: Donald J. Trump. In addition to the hillary-ous example I named, the way that Trump consistently twists progressives into brain-blown knots is quite delightful.

I was just reading a piece by Mark Steyn about a Trump rally he attended way back in 2016. Steyn notes how funny the event constantly was — but I was also struck by his observing the profound difference between ordinary politicians' rallies vis-a-vis Trump's. As Steyn writes: [quoting…]

I did check out the action backstage, and I'll say this: It was unlike any other candidate event I've been to. By comparison with, say, presidential campaigns such as Lamar Alexander's or Orrin Hatch's, Trump is very lightly staffed, and entirely unmanaged. Twenty minutes before the event, backstage is usually a whirl of activity with minions pretending to look busy and frantically tippy-tapping away on their phones over some vital matter or other. Deputy speechwriters and assistant campaign managers bustle about saying things like, “Mike's seen the Egyptian Prime Minister's response to the Secretary of State, so we're working on a sentence to add to the nuclear-proliferation section.” There's none of that around Trump. He's meandering around back there shooting the breeze, posing for pics, totally relaxed - and so are his press secretary and campaign manager, too. If you've seen any of those inside-the-campaign movies, from Robert Redford in The Candidate to George Clooney in Ides of March, it looks all wrong: There's far too few people, and there's none of the fake busyness.

[/unquote]

Interesting, no?

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

"As a mackerel snapper, I'm happy to read the Protestant Bee, but I really wish the Catholic equivalent The Eye of the Tiber was better. I mean, c'mon! Is there a richer source of humor than the frills & pomposity & just plain weirdness of Catholic culture?"

Agreed.

As far as the Greg Gutfeld Show goes, it's kind of hit or miss. Gutfeld tries too hard to be weird, and Kat's morose millennial sitting at home with her cat shtick kind of wore out its' welcome with me. But I enjoy Tyrus because I can never predict what his take on things is going to be and many of the guests are very funny.
It's a worthy effort.

Howard said...

Michael: Okay, you got Trump, Tim Allen and Dennis Miller. Hardly a significant percentage of the industry

narciso said...

yes burge's a scientist, just like jubal harshaw in texas, is an linguist and academic, with a deeply weird sensibility, jim treacher, who is a little prickly has a great sense of the absurd,

hstad said...

"..... You know, the gay one I like.....?" I'm surprised a Gay Man supporting another Gay Man - LOL! Such silliness when we approach the political season.

Jack Klompus said...

Bought my first MAD at age 8 in 1978. It featured the Bond takeoff The Spy Who Glubbed Me and a parody of the punk movement showcasing the band Johnny Turd and the Commodes, a takeoff on the Sex Pistols. I read some of the lyrics to my parents The look on their faces was my intro to subversion. Now I guess I'd have to change my "gender for a similar effect.

Guildofcannonballs said...


Some, German-heritage more so maybe than unGerman others, want a big strong funny Seinfeld to rub in the faces of all the unfunny German non-Seinfelds.

To really make them pay, which is the basis of law and of course all Justices, Judges, or just lawyers. Um, teachers and other influencers too. Hence the self-imposed forever regreted limitations.

I see nothing wrong with this encouragement of Germanness, especially in WI, a state known for their German genes.


Old Camera Guy said...

As someone said, de gustibus. The more political "Bee" pieces are not bad, just obvious. Like most everything on SNL. Unless "obvious" humor is your idea of "bad" humor. Anyway, none of it is mean-spirited.

This made me laugh out loud:

https://babylonbee.com/news/calvinist-dog-corrects-owner-no-one-good-boy

"Do not call me a good boy - I'm a depraved wretch."

But maybe it's because I once dated a girl from a Dutch Reformed background, and met her killjoy father...

Jim at said...

Oh, and make your own Twitter.

We did. It was called Gab. But you assholes shut that down, too.

narciso said...

mark steyn has a p g Wodehouse sensibility, which makes him the best fill in host on the rush Limbaugh show, a Canadian with pronounced british sensibilities, of course satire has long since gone zombie, take cracked magazine, which was mostly against the tea party in its sensibilities,

narciso said...

on the international arena, the material is plenty consider Lagarde who went from the imf to the European central bank, despite a conviction for fraud, or the new eu chief, frau leyden, who imitated 'the new british army' from python days, as german defense chief,

Drago said...

Howard: "Michael: Okay, you got Trump, Tim Allen and Dennis Miller. Hardly a significant percentage of the industry"

Ah, but you forget.

Apparently, according to the lefties earthbound messiah obama, we have an economic magic wand as well!

narciso said...

maybe a French publication noted,


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/christine-lagarde-convicted-imf-head-found-guilty-of-negligence-in-fraud-trial-a7484586.html

then again coke addicted hunter biden, who got a sweet heart deal, with the Ukraine, who bought into Chinese aerospace with whitey bulger's nephew, who took with his brother's widow while siring a child from another woman, and marrying a third,

Guildofcannonballs said...

"Michael: Okay, you got Trump, Tim Allen and Dennis Miller. Hardly a significant percentage of the industry"

Sig' 'nough for your ideology to murder them though, wimp. Fucking coward.

You must be a coward if you don't James Hodgkinson your foes. Ha ha what a little bitch he doesn't even gun down Rethugs!!!

Silly Calabrese said...

The Babylon Bee is excellent. I assume that it is decreed as being unfunny because it very successfully whacks, slices and dices the Liberal sacred cows.

Rusty said...


"Is the Laszlo person who posts here conservative?"
Well. He's not from earth. So.

Humor. Althouse. Involves the juxtaposition of realities, monkeys and random guys getting punched in the nuts. Coincidentally it is also the stuff of nightmares.

traditionalguy said...

MAD was only pointing out how funny the world affairs that we were being told to believe in actually were. The fool could tell the truth to the king.

When Khruschev was promising to bury us, MAD said that his USSR had pledged eternal Soviet friendship in exchange for the eastern half of the United States. That was a succinct way to tell the truth.

Guildofcannonballs said...

Christians ought remember: God loves all.

If we love Chuck Schumer, we can begin to understand way beyond any other reasons why he hates us so much and wants everything we fought for replaced.

Love can solve any problem, given or not unlimited* bountiful aspirations.

*Those unborn had love that wasn't to give, and life's to improve via that very exact same love, and the Devil will always hate us explaining that.

*Imagine Althouse explaining Scalia's Devil not to her joshing friends in her mind but to Scalia.

rcocean said...

Babylon Bee. Are you aware that twitter/Facebook have made it clear to BB that if they get too sharp in their satire they will be banned? They've been warned several time against "Hate". As a result, they've toned it down. Some good jabs lately:

-To Show Respect For Sri Lanka Victims, Democrats Vow Not To Mention Their Religion At All

- BURBANK, CA—Disney's CEO, Bob Iger, has come out swinging against Georgia's restrictive abortion laws. He says that he may need to move filming locations out of state to avoid immoral, perverted, depraved people like Georgians. Instead, he says all film projects planned for Georgia will be moved back to Hollywood.

rcocean said...

Coulter is probably is the most funny political commentator but she's too sharp for most. Another problem crippling conservative humor is many center-right people just don't want to fight or be too "nasty" toward the Left. Needless to say, the Left thinks just the opposite.

rcocean said...

The liberal/Left is also full of morons who will laugh at anything

Jon stewart raises eyebrow: hahahahahhaha
Trump is a poopy head: hahahahaha

Michael K said...

Name a funny conservative. You people just pist libtards not serving enough funny stuff. Make your own by boot straps. Or keep crying like a baby you people like that.

Poor Howard. Name a funny leftist ?

narciso said...

well in the progressive ranks, the mediocre court gesters like maher (who does commit occasion crime think on sectarian issues) but otherwise is a denebian slime devil, or the braintrust that is the view with whoopi and joy (much like the three witches instead of an eye, they share a brain) the afore mentioned jon stewart and his retinue of minions like bee, oliver ad co,

Lydia said...

For my fellow mackerel snappers -- try @Top Catholic. Not big laughs, but often makes me smile. Sample: "I don’t know who this ‘Trent’ is that the trads keep talking about but he sounds like a sour-faced Christian who is probably no fun at parties. He’s also probably that guy at mass who won’t even hold your hand during the Our Father."

Guildofcannonballs said...


I don't remember the doc, but there was adoc, where chuck Shucmer walked ar0und seemingly to say all the time "have more kids" "breed" "make some more" or something.

Kinda made me like him. Can you believe that? A doc wth Chuch Chcumer where I thought "Hey I kinda like that guy telling all the young people to 'have kids, go on now make som3 ch1ldr3n. pr sum dting.

Guildofcannonballs said...

I could make:

$1.6B US if my Toby got to Judge Judy.

$540,000,000 Toby Operah.

-$8040 Althouse, Toby.

$1-$1 Guild: Always the same, always something newly perfect for the blessing(s) time begot.

We all know God is the blessing.

M Jordan said...

The problem is that “conservative” humor is wrong from the get-go. If you’re “conservative humor” you’re propaganda. Same for “liberal humor.” Liberals have been more successful because they own entertainment so they just do humor, not “liberal humor.”

Conservatives need to just do humor. Stop worrying about propagandizing.

M Jordan said...

Ricky Gervais does the best conseryhumor, though he would be loath to admit it.

rhhardin said...

Antichrist (seducing, plays improv jazz piano and sings) I want to touch your booty
All night long
I want to touch your booty
And stick my dick in you, girl
Stick my, stick my dick in your
Stick my dick in your
Stick my dick in your, yeah, booty
Stick my dick in your booty

(Anna Kendrick, deadpan pretending) That was so good.

Rapture Palooza (2013)

Birkel said...

Also funny conservative leaners:
Molly Shannon
Dennis Leary
David Spade
Bill Murray

There are more than a few.
Many are scared to lose their Hollywood cred.

Howard said...

Gervais is anti-PC liberal. Funny liberals? The 98.5% of the top 100 most successful in the entire comedy industry. Ron Swanson is liberal too. FYI

Birkel said...

People who might be called apt-right these days for their heterodox views:
HINT: How many black comedians made gay jokes in the 1980s and earlier?
ANSWER: All of them.

Guildofcannonballs said...

There are times, conceivable.

Marc in Eugene said...

I might argue that in general conservatives do better at irony and satire than that they do 'funny' well. That said, I smiled broadly at the last sentence of the Babylon Bee bit about Mr Trump's Independence Day parade.

Guildofcannonballs said...

Oops gues you'd figure out.

Birkel said...

I like Howard's argument.
Be Leftist or you'll be blackballed from Hollywood.
All the funny people in Hollywood are Lefty.
Therefore, non-Lefties are not funny.
QED

Howard said...

Ok Birkel, "leaner" counts half.

Howard said...

Hollywood doesn't blackball rainmakers, except in the McCarthy era backed by Trump's mentor Roy Cohn

Howard said...

Playing the victim card is not working, Birkel. No one feels ur pain

Guildofcannonballs said...

Well I just looked Barney in th eye and, omg, I didn't.

I couldn't look my own dog in his "right" but my "left" eye.

I named after Dean Barnett. A host for Hugh Hewitt with a helluva accent.

I just respected him and Andy Sullivan even after having read negative things I couldn't but help to understand folks who understand politics is war by war means, especially rhetoric, talk different than warriors or AOC's.

Birkel said...

Howard,
I'm not going to fuck you.
Thanks for the offer.

tcrosse said...

BTW, Howard, Drew Carey did a hitch in the USMC, and claimes to be a Libertarian. Semper Fi, dude.

Guildofcannonballs said...

It is so tough, so so tough, but the thing is, they know.

Without being in the system you can know how shit-fueled, funded, used, it all is, but you can't know exactly what words to use how so you don't matter.

And of course it will do everything but stop.

Even the great Bill Buckley saw and tried and succeeded with Reagan but look at his stature now amongst what ought be his acolytes and are instead provacatiers of the dead.

Michael K said...

Funny liberals? The 98.5% of the top 100 most successful in the entire comedy industry. Ron Swanson is liberal too. FYI

Have you seen any of them? Without canned laughter and picked audiences, they would be flat,.

tcrosse said...

Well, guys like Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld have become too conservative to play college gigs, which suggests that the landscape is shifting beneath their feet.

John henry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John henry said...

Bullshit, Howard

Who in Hollywood got blackballed during the McCarthy era? 

What did Roy Cohn have to do with it? 

You are as ignorant as you are full of shit. 

John Henry

narciso said...

Red channels was a private endeavor, sadly the courts forced them to dissolve the contracts

Michael K said...

Howard thinks Saturday Night Live is still funny,

alanc709 said...

Howard still thinks Stalin was funny.

The Vault Dweller said...

Oh I disagree about the Babylong Bee. I think it has some good pieces. Though I think they sometimes fall into the trap of trying to zing lefties first and be funny second. I'm reminded of when that hullabaloo regarding the Virginia Governor saying something that sounded like it could be in favor of infanticide. There were tons of pieces referencing that. But it was too much and too heavy handed.

Honestly some of the best stuff from the Babylon Bee is when they take aim at elements in the Christian community. The pieces actually show a knowledge of the Christian community and seem to aim at improvement rather than just being petty and mean-spirited which is what most of the stuff from the Left regarding Christianity comes off as.

Guildofcannonballs said...


'if the army and the navy,
ever look on Heaven's streets,

They will find those streets are guarded,

By UNITED STATES MARINES.

Ken B said...

As the one who mentioned the AOC Price is Right I appreciate Althouse checking it out. Different strokes and all that, but Althouse seems to me to have a crabbed sense of humor. Take Ethel Merman slipping in front of Spencer Tracy. It’s a clear case of cosmic justice on a royal pain,but Althouse ideologized it, should we laugh at a *woman* being hurt? I dunno. Should we laugh at Daffy getting his beak blown off? After all Daffy is black.
I guess I wouldn’t remark on it if it weren’t for the Mad Magazine stuff: “oh that AOC stuf was dumb, not like Mad Magazine!”

David Duffy said...

The humor that matters is the ability to make a young lady laugh. After that, making your wife laugh when she is down is far more important than your taste in media comedy.

Rush used to funny the first five years or so.

Howard said...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_blacklist

Roy Cohn, Log Cabin LLR
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roy Marcus Cohn (/koʊn/; February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer best known for being Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings, in 1954, for assisting with McCarthy's investigations of suspected communists, as a top political fixer, and for being Donald Trump's mentor and personal lawyer.

Born in New York City and educated at Columbia University, Cohn rose to prominence as a U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor at the espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, which concluded with the Rosenbergs' executions in 1953. As McCarthy's chief counsel, Cohn came to be closely associated with McCarthyism and its downfall. He also represented and mentored Trump during his early business career.

Cohn was disbarred by the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court for unethical conduct in 1986,[2] and died five weeks later from AIDS-related complications.

Howard said...

Drew, Jerry and Chris all libertarians, which is the opposite of conservative.

The Vault Dweller said...

Speaking of the Babylon Bee, I thought this piece was kinda funny as well. Pokes fun without being excessively mean.

https://babylonbee.com/news/ocasio-cortez-claims-border-patrol-turned-her-into-a-newt

narciso said...

The blacklist occurred on the west coast 10 stalinists who slavishly followed koba when he embraced herr adolph, even before that dalton Trumbo probably made thr anti war moment explode

Saint Croix said...

Babylon Bee is funny as shit!

Groot in Hot Water

Saint Croix said...

New Missionary Dating App Will Pair You With a Hot Unbeliever to Convert

Saint Croix said...

Jordan Peterson Debuts as Controversial Judge on "America's Got Talent"

Darkisland said...

Great Howard

And this has what to do with Hollywood and the blacklist?

The Hollywood blacklist and the famous Hollywood 10 happened because of the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) while Senator McCarthy was still just learning to find the men's room in 1948.

The Hollywood 10 were found in contempt of the House and some went to jail. But even HUAC did not try to get them blacklisted.

The blacklist was the work of Billy Wilkerson and his Hollywood Reporter magazine. His son, not too long ago, apologized on behalf of his late father and the magazine.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/blacklist-billy-wilkersons-son-apologizes-391977

Nothing at all to do with Senator McCarthy or Roy Cohn and predated the so-called "McCarthy Era" by 2-3 years.

And what is it you find objectionable about Senator McCarthy and Cohn anyway? They were investigating high level govt employees with top level security clearances who were suspected (and have since been confirmed) to have been giving Russians top secret information.

(Perhaps you have some names of people McCarthy investigated who did not turn out to be passing info to the Russians? Hmmm?)

Surely you would agree that this kind of oversight is a legitimate function of the Senate, wouldn't you?

Probably not since you just seem to be making shit up as you go along. Roy Cohn and the Hollywood blacklist indeed. It is to laugh.

John Henry

Guildofcannonballs said...

Scenes streets whatever: Fucking United States Marine Corps!

Here in Denver these folks sure like them some 4th of July. I don't wonder why.

Guildofcannonballs said...

83-17. My city.

Darkisland said...

Blogger narciso said...

The blacklist occurred on the west coast 10 stalinists who slavishly followed koba when he embraced herr adolph, even before that dalton Trumbo probably made thr anti war moment explode

Yes, the Hollywood 10 could be described as slavish Stalinists, at least at one time. Some had changes of heart by 1948. Some didn't.

But this is America. Private citizens, such as the Hollywood 10 are allowed to hold any political opinions they like, however odious. HUAC was a blot on America. They had no right to call anyone in to ask about political opinions. Yet they continued to do it for 30 years.

And, because this is America, media, like the Hollywood Reporter, is allowed to criticize those opinions.

And, because this is America, Hollywood studios are allowed to blacklist people whose politics they disagree with. Or were, anyway. They might not be permitted to do it today.

That doesn't make it right. But it also doesn't make it have anything do do with McCarthy, Cohn, HUAC or any other government agency.

Guildofcannonballs said...

QQQ, Quality Quandered Quotient, Chip aka Lem's Levity wins in a landslide.

Who let girls compete with boys in the first place?

"You don't know me but you don't like me" - Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens

narciso said...

Of course they do, if you speak against the reigning cultural regime you suffer financially like the corporate media is doing with twittee YouTube gab parler et al, mind you they let terrorists and anarchist have free reign

Guildofcannonballs said...

McCratley Turdass aint gonna be excluded this 4th.

ANd glory.

Tear, eye, TJ.

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