October 7, 2020

Liberal comedians have turned away from sarcasm, "because people will momentarily wonder if you’re not on their side," but "the right has embraced it."

"The conservative humorist who has found the most success with this technique is now the President of the United States.... In his love of insults, his penchant for hyperbole and his commitment to shtick — that knowing performance of himself that blurs the line between personality and persona — Trump is unprecedented among American presidents. The most striking feature of his rhetorical style is how much it resembles that of a nightclub comic.... Organizations like The Times and CNN have to take the president seriously. When he says something that isn’t true, they must soberly point out that it isn’t, even when the intent of the untruth is not to deceive but to achieve some rhetorical effect. As a result, news organizations unequipped to cover an ironic president get lumped in with partisans who misconstrue his irony in bad faith. Both groups are cast as humorless scolds, solidifying the loyalty of MAGA types who think of themselves as in on a joke the media does not understand. Ambiguous irony also lets the president hedge his bets. Trump is constantly saying things he doesn’t mean (Jim Acosta is 'a real beauty'), or things he kind of means but goes on to retract (his authority is 'total'), or things he didn’t mean at first but later does ('build the wall'), or things nobody thought he meant that he apparently did ('lock her up'), as well as things he seemingly did mean before he retroactively declared them sarcasm — like his televised claim that injecting bleach might stop the coronavirus. Ambiguous irony opens up space for Trump to revise the meaning of his statements later, when he knows how they have played. This miasma of ill-defined but ever-present irony makes Trump virtually impossible to mock, because that job is taken. The real Donald Trump acts as if he’s doing an impression of some normal-looking, occasionally self-aggrandizing president we don’t know about.... Trump has effectively neutralized political comedy by shifting the place where jokes happen from the soundstage to the White House."

137 comments:

Skeptical Voter said...

Is there nothing the Bad Orange Man can't ruin? If you look at the Los Angeles Times headlines each morning you'll see that they are not "sober purveyors of the truth" forced to stay objective. The Times kids however are comedians--just not very good at it. That's also true of such clowns as Don Lemon, Brian "Tater" Seltzer, Jen Rubin et al.

This morning's front page top slot Times headline is "Trump Flailing To Find Message On Covid". I'd observe that most of the is "flailing".

Michael K said...

Not a bad analysis.

JAORE said...

"Organizations like The Times and CNN have to take the president seriously. When he says something that isn’t true, they must soberly point out that it isn’t, even when the intent of the untruth is not to deceive but to achieve some rhetorical effect. "

They "have to take the President seriously"? Really? They HAVE to? If they could stand to consider context, or get a humor transplant, perhaps they would not HAVE to....

I rather think they CHOOSE to because they can add to the Trump "lies" and cast him in a bad light.

And most Trump supporters I know are aware of his speaking style. Several deplore it. But we understand it.

It ain't that hard.

TrespassersW said...

"How President Trump Ruined Political Comedy." Wrong. The comedians ruined political comedy, mostly by not being particularly funny.

mezzrow said...

When hating Krusty becomes the most important value, nothing can be allowed to be funny.

M Jordan said...

Salena Zito said it four years ago in way less words: Trump’s critics take him literally but not seriously while his supporters take him seriously but not literally .

Drago said...

Lefties/LLR-lefties are no longer funny and its all DJT's fault.

Also, lefties/LLR-lefties claim to only appear to be humorless scolds because they have to "soberly" fact-check DJT....which is why they also fact check the Babylon Bee.

Cuz Trump made them do it. It has nothing to do with them. Why, you know the lefties/LLR-lefties could never be humorless scolds all on their own. I mean, PC/Karen scolds on the left/LLR-left never existed before Trump, amiright?

It's just Trump and that damn war!!..........

wendybar said...

The so called Comediennes ruined comedy when EVERYTHING became about how bad Republicans are and how dreamy Obama was. Does Kathy Griffin ring any bells?? Hate and violence is not funny.

doctrev said...

"Organizations like The Times and CNN have to take the president seriously. When he says something that isn’t true, they must soberly point out that it isn’t, even when the intent of the untruth is not to deceive but to achieve some rhetorical effect. As a result, news organizations unequipped to cover an ironic president get lumped in with partisans who misconstrue his irony in bad faith."

Lie to people? Fair enough. But when you lie to yourself, you ALWAYS pay. And it tends to make you increasingly retarded over time.

wendybar said...

Just a reminder...I turned off most comedy when Obama was in office. They wouldn't make fun of The One. Only Sarah Palin...because you can beat up on Conservative women...but don't you dare go after a Democrat!!

Wince said...

Trump has blended "sarcasm" with observational comedy elevated to the national scene.

His "did you ever notice?" observation begins with what the media and official Washington won't say or wish to conceal.

MadTownGuy said...

"Why is the president so impervious to satire?"

Because:

1. This is the era of 'it's not funny.'

2. Get woke, go broke.

Mr. O. Possum said...

Scott Adams said a few weeks ago that Trump is the most popular stand-up comic in the history of the world. Looks like the NYT picked up on that.

rcocean said...

Organizations like The Times and CNN have to take the president seriously. When he says something that isn’t true, they must soberly point out that it isn’t

This a complete lie. CNN/wapo/NYT DELIBERATELY treat Trump's obvious humor and sarcasm as SERIOUS LITERAL statements, and then attack him for it. they didn't do that with Clinton or Obama, or George Bush for that matter. They've deceived their readers into thinking Trump ironical statement and Jokes were serious statements and tried to attack Trump for it. They've done that again and again for over 5 years.

There is no need to "fact checK" the babylon bee or Trump. If the NYT was doing what it deceptively claims to be doing, it would simply note that Trump "jokingly said Z" or "sarcastically said X". Instead, i can't think of a single time that the MSM has tagged a joke or sarcastic comment by Trump as a Joke/sarcasm and then moved on.

rcocean said...

Biden is the biggest target for comedians jabs since Fat Boy Clinton and his shrew wife. Yet, the number of jokes about Biden is almost ZERO. They're so political the won't make fun of anyone to the left of Mitt Romney. When Harris becomes POTUS she will be off-limits to satire, just like Michelle and Obama are.

Charlie said...

"like his televised claim that injecting bleach might stop the coronavirus."

He never used the words "injecting bleach". Words matter.

Lucien said...

This guy knows President Trump never said anyone should inject bleach, but he repeats the lie anyway (maybe he says "bleach" on odd numbered days and "Lysol" on even numbered days). This alienates anybody honest about the subject, which is likely not what he wants to do, so why does he do it? Is it that he is afraid the balance of the article is not Trump-hating enough, so he needs to tell a lie to bump up his street-cred?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Progressives hogtie everyone with speech codes.
the left have embraced speech crimes, and replaced individual thought for non-stop tired woke-virtue signalling lectures. The left hate you - but please feel the science and the love.

Iman said...

Democrats and their comedian/political strategists. They are not of sound mind.

rcocean said...

BTW, the liberals never laid a glove on Reagan, he was too good looking, funny, and well mannered. The attacks on Trump have been so mean, nasty, and hate-filled they haven't been funny either. What's so funny about calling Trump "Putin's Cock-holster" or a "Nazi"?

Like everything else mainstream Comedy is a left-wing institution used to attack Republicans and anyone who strays from the party-line. The last time SNL was politically funny was when it attacked George Bush.

Joe Smith said...

Comics ruined political comedy.

Along with 'journalists,' they all lined up to suck Obama's cock for eight years.

deepelemblues said...

Brevity is the soul of wit. In that spirit, Trump is a better comedian than all the inadequate hacks that dominate the genre today.

I doubt a Dangerfield or any of the other comedic titans of the past would have any trouble being funny about Trump.

mikee said...

The Times and CNN do not "have to take the president seriously." They could laugh along with the 50% of the country that has a sense of humor. That would require reporting what the President actually said, in context, without distortion or calumny added.

In fact, they rarely do take him seriously when he is being serious, instead completely ignoring what he says in favor of presenting their narrative of the moment. In the spring, with COVID raging, Trump presented hour-long daily press briefings personally with open question periods for what? 50 days or so? before noting that almost nothing he or his administration presented was being reported. To hell with the press.

RNB said...

And FDR got really, really, really upset when the Hearst newspapers made fun of his little dog, Fala.

Mary Beth said...

Political comedy was ruined when the only punchline was "Bush is dumb."

Big Mike said...

When he says something that isn’t true, they must soberly point out that it isn’t, even when the intent of the untruth is not to deceive but to achieve some rhetorical effect.

No they don’t. The rest rest of us can figure out when he’s being rhetorical. Why can’t they figure it out and say as much?

As a result, news organizations unequipped to cover an ironic president get lumped in with partisans who misconstrue his irony in bad faith. Both groups are cast as humorless scolds,

They aren’t being cast as humorless scolds. That implies someone else is doing it to them. But they have chosen to cast themselves as humorless scolds by treating every piece of puffery, every exaggeration, damned near every utterance as the biggest falsehood since the founding of the Republic. At the same time, we note, similar political exaggerations on the part of Congressional leaders and, especially, members of the press goes unremarked upon. (That includes the notion that Trump is “unprecedented.”)

solidifying the loyalty of MAGA types who think of themselves as in on a joke the media does not understand.

Which overlooks the way “MAGA types” view his policies. He cares about real people at the bottom of the economic pecking order in a way that Democrats, all caught up in their leftist economic theories, never will be able to do. However, I would be remiss if I did not note that lefties have been open about viewing working people with at least disdain, and often with raw contempt. (“Bitterly clinging to their guns and their religion.”). Having a leader who dishes it back out and doesn’t just stand there and take it, that’s just the frosting on the cake. Buttercream frosting. Extra thick.

Iman said...

At a moment when American conservatism is flirting with ideas that have been outside the realm of mainstream politics for 50 years...

What a load of bullshit.

Wince said...

"Why is the president so impervious to satire?"

Bidens is pervious to satire, but he's off-limits for the time being.

Temujin said...

The Left is not funny any longer. They used to be, or rather, of those who were funny many of them were of the Left. But the Left has ruined so much of speech, that even their own funny people are not allowed to say most things- except about Pres. Trump or conservatives. And the audience for barely funny repeated jokes about Trump or other conservatives has fallen to about 50 people who used to attend Jimmy Kimmel to clap and laugh on cue like trained seals.

The Left is deadly serious about everything. And everything is a crisis. Even your own gender has to be questioned and renamed. How can you tell jokes at a time like that?

Trump has had some GREAT one-liners since he got into politics. His line in the 2016 campaign, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” was hilarious. I broke out in laughter when I heard it. The Left/Media spent the next 3 years accusing Trump of inviting Russia to hack Hillary. The reality is, they already had. So had China, Iran, Israel, Germany, and probably any nation with any sort of tech ability. After all, her info was unsecured, in her bathroom server. Trump nailed it, as he does so often. And the humor in it was lost on everyone on the Left. The Serious, Hand-Wringing, Nothing-Is-Funny Left.

Richard Aubrey said...

rcocean

Sometime back, Ace floated SASS. That is Situatioal Autism Simulation Syndrome. Take an obvious joke, exaggeration for effect, rhetorical flourish and pretend it was meant literally. "We got'm now! Look at this! One more documented lie, not up to eighty-leven thousand."

Big Mike said...

Thank you, Drago and rcocean, for reminding us that the mainstream press “fact checks” the Babylon Bee, which is an out and out satirical website. Yet Dan Brooks doesn’t get that the news media are not being cast as humorless scolds — they are humorless scolds.

Static Ping said...

Good political comedy needs to be non-partisan, or at least open to targets across the political spectrum. Otherwise, it is just partisan attacks except with jokes or, in some cases "jokes." Jon Stewart understood this. The Bloom County comic strip by Berkeley Breathed was absolutely brilliant at this, at least until the last couple of years, such that he could needle your most sacred cow and still chuckle because it didn't seem personal. He was going to needle the other guy next week. SNL used to understand this but has forgotten.

To put it another way, comedy is hard when the audience thinks you hate them.

Bilwick said...

It may have something to do with "liberals," "progressives" and other State-shtuppers becoming caricatures of themselves. I remember when her critics accused Ayn Rand, in her fiction, of portraying them in outlandishly unfair ways; but the current crop of collectivists have made the likes of Wesley Mouch, Balph Eubanks and Kip's Ma look like models of rationality.

Phil 314 said...

Ryan Long, though he tends to be right of center is someone not afraid of making fun of anything.

Big Mike said...

And let’s not forget that when Joe Biden says something over the top it is “just Joe being Joe.” Nothing to see here. Move along.

Leland said...

It is not the President that's impervious to satire, and missing that simple fact is why you fail Mr. Brooks.

wendybar said...

I thought the Late Night comedy shows were the news for Progressives. You know....John Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel and the rest of the Progressives who go on their nightly comedy show, and call Trump and his supporters all kinds of nasty names. HILARIOUS!!! NOT.

Big Mike said...

The comedians ruined political comedy, mostly by not being particularly funny.

The campus snowflakes ruined the comedians by taking umbrage at anything and everything. You can ask Chris Rock. Or Jerry Seinfeld.

bagoh20 said...

It's not accurate to claim that the anti-Trump media is forced to attack Trump's statements out of some journalistic standard. They love getting the chance to pretend that his sarcasm is a serious position. Nothing stops them from pointing out that it's sarcastic, but they choose not to do that, or they are just to dumb and TDS afflicted to see it. Either way, it is definitely not due to any principles they may hold. Simple test: what if Biden or Obama did the same thing?

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Roy Jacobsen said...

"How President Trump Ruined Political Comedy." Wrong. The comedians ruined political comedy, mostly by not being particularly funny.

The Left ruined political comedy when they began running around adopting positions that were more ridiculous than anything any comedian could dream up.

Bob Boyd said...

Oh my goodness gracious! Journalism is powerless in the face of this unprecedented new threat, Presidential sarcasm!

What complete horse shit.
The journos aren't acting in good faith. They push the narrative no matter what.

bleh said...

Because liberals aren't funny anymore. They've become the ones who scold and lecture. Only their scoldings are about things like the environment and ahistorical race theories.

Night Owl said...

The complaint from the left that Trump ruins everything is so tiresome that I can't make it through the whole qoute before I lose interest.

They have zero self awareness or they'd realize it's their irrational and immature hatred of Trump, and anyone else who dares to disagree with them, that is ruining everything.

bagoh20 said...

I re-watched highlights of Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes last time. That is probably the most in-your-face, courageous, and funny performance in the history of comedy. It wasn't simply foul language or saying things people don't say on TV. He was absolutely brutal, on target with real criticisms, and fearless. He kept saying: "I don't care. I just don't care". Meaning he didn't care if they liked what he was saying or not, and he was doing it to the most powerful people in his own industry. A room full of icons, and false idols used to having their asses kissed. I probably don't agree with him on most political issues, but I have to respect the man.

gadfly said...

Everyone is missing the point that about malignant narcissists like DJT.

When Donald infers that he is merely making a joke, he really means he is disguising his abusive behavior as his concept of humor. He likes calling people names, putting them down, and then claiming they’re the one who lack the sense of humor to appreciate his depraved wit. Making others feel defective strategically allows all psychopathic sickies like Trump to say and do whatever they wish with a smile and a derisive laugh thrown into the mix. No apologies considered or given.

Worse than Donald's actions related to his mental condition are his supporters who would instruct sane people that we do not understand that he is only "kidding."

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

At a moment when American conservatism is flirting with ideas that have been outside the realm of mainstream politics for 50 years...

The left never stop pushing their lies.


Anyway - We are to ignore Antifa Nazi brown-shirts with Molotov cocktails, rioting and destroying property each night in leftwing cities and how these Antifa are inspired and sanctioned by left wing democrats at the very top... sanctioned by Maxine waters and Nancy Pelosi.

but please - don't let anyone tell you the left have moved to far left they are playing footsie with brownshirts.

Night Owl said...

For the record, Trump didn't ruin political comedy. It died when comedians decided to become unapologetic shills for the DNC.

And today's dem voter is so frighteningly humorless that comedians dare not say anything that might set off the leftist cancel culture to go after them. Hence their fear of sarcasm.

gilbar said...

like his televised claim that injecting bleach might stop the coronavirus.

a TELEVISED CLAIM? should be EASY to link to then
Someone? Anyone? Link please

Craig said...

Trump once did an impression of a stodgy "normal President" at one of his rallies. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Sebastian said...

How the President ruined political comedy?

This assumes that comedy wasn't ruined before. And of course, for progs, humor, like anything else, is a tool--to advance the Narrative and achieve power. Which is not and cannot be funny. Trump only highlighted the grim reality of modern, puritanical progressivism.

tim maguire said...

It's kind of funny when you see how hard some people try to grapple with Trumpism and all they succeed in doing is showing how bad they are at it. Almost every example in this excerpt is wrong.

Organizations like The Times and CNN have to take the president seriously.

I am again reminded of the very astute observation made in 2016 that Trump's fans take him seriously but not literally, while his opponents take him literally but not seriously.

Darkisland said...

Charlie,

I don't remember him saying injecting bleach either. I always thought the accusation was that he asked us to drink bleach.

I see nothing wrong with that. Like most Americans I've been drinking bleach daily almost all my life.

It keeps us remarkably healthy as a society.

NB: I drink very, very, VERY, dilute bleach daily. Probably a liter or more most days.

John Henry

Nonapod said...

Overall I think this is a pretty fair analysis of the state of Trump's style and humor and the media's response to it.

One quibble I have is with this:

Trump has effectively neutralized political comedy by shifting the place where jokes happen from the soundstage to the White House

Sort of but not exactly. It's not Trump alone who has done this, it's Trump in conjuction with the media that have created this state of affairs. The real root of the problem is that the media is no longer objective at all. Obviously they've always been somewhat leftward biased, but before the Trump era they at least maintained some basic pretense of objectivity. But with Trump, they've clearly picked a side as has been demonstrated every day for the past 4 years. Over and over again they've chosen to ignore stories that may benefit Trump and make the Democrats look bad while focusing and over emphasizing any story that potentially make Trump look bad.

In in short, Trump wouldn't have been able to do what he's been able to do without the media behaving they way they have. The media has become fully derranged not simply because of Trump, but because of their own delusional arrogance and unwillingness to even attempt to be fair minded and objective in their reporting.

Robert Roy said...

"Injecting bleach" is the new "I can see Russia from my house". Never happened.

hombre said...

I don’t read the NYT, but the Althouse excerpt, while too generous to the mediaswine (they aren’t confused, they are evil), presents an interesting perspective.

It may seem like a non sequitur, but Trump’s humor makes me wonder if he is actually worried about the outcome of the election. I suspect the family would be relieved if he lost. The election is, after all, a referendum on the stupidity of American voters. Who wants to preside over nincompoops?

Of course, if the Democrats steal it through fraud, a distinct possibility, it is difficult to predict his reaction. It is interesting how the Dems always come down on the side of facilitating voting fraud, e.g., voter ID, vote by mail, driver’s license registration, ballot harvesting. One can only wonder how long the American people will tolerate being skinned by this party of grifters, cheaters and seditionists - not to mention assholes.

YoungHegelian said...

Why is this president impervious to satire?

Because satire that is based on a profound loathing of the subject being satirized can rarely be funny for long. The bile & venom shows through & spoils the humor. Satire is best when there is at least a touch of affection for the object of satire.

Todd said...

Static Ping said...

To put it another way, comedy is hard when the audience thinks you hate them.

10/7/20, 10:17 AM


I would say: Comedy is hard when half the audience KNOWS you hate them.

stevew said...

If you appear to be a humorless scold you are, most likely, a humorless scold. And the joke's on you as a result.

As Sgt. Hulka says, "Lighten up Francis".

PubliusFlavius said...

The comedy extends into all realms though, 'new drudge' is linking CCP head shrinkers today....

...if anything the 'press' has gone so far of the rails of reality since DJT was elected that people truly don't believe anyone anymore.

Sam L. said...

"Liberals" are just NOT funny." Got no sensayuma.

Martin said...

On the whole he is right, except he draws a distinction between partisan opponents of Trump and media who just "don't get the joke." They are ALL partisan opponents of Trump and whether or not they "get the joke" is irrelevant to what they say and do.

I'm Not Sure said...

"his televised claim that injecting bleach might stop the coronavirus"

JFC- are these people certified imbiciles or just determined liars? Trump never made that claim. Here's Trump's quote, reported by the Washington Post:

"I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute,” Trump said during Thursday’s coronavirus press briefing. “And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets inside the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that."

"And is there a way we can do something like that..." "Something like X", which is not X but is similar to it in its results. Seems pretty clear to me, unless you're insisting on misunderstanding what he said. And (rhetorical question) why would anyone do that?

bagoh20 said...

Being on the left must be exhausting and depressing. The constantly changing rules, name calling, attacks, cancelling, being forced to defend everything from pedophilia, to arson, to murder, or at the least to ignore it. You never know who your friends are, or who will burn your house down or destroy your career if you accidentally speak your mind on the wrong day. People on the right seem to be irritated and disgusted with the left, but when I see them, especially in a group they are full of camaraderie, openness and joy. It's contagious. Maybe that's why lefties love the masks. The Trump supporters I see don't even seem to mind if you don't like Trump, as long as you just respect that they do.

Yancey Ward said...

I just fucking love this part of Brooks' essay:

"As a result, news organizations unequipped to cover an ironic president get lumped in with partisans who misconstrue his irony in bad faith."

Sure, Pal, there is a real distinction between news organizations and the partisans. How do you like dem apples! 🙄

Yancey Ward said...

And how does this not get a "That's not funny!" tag?

Amexpat said...

Some good points in the piece. There's another factor in play - the symbiotic relationship between Trump and the liberal press. The NYT was in serious financial trouble before Trump. Now they're in much better shape. And how would CNN fill their airtime if there were no Trump?

From a liberal press prospective, the best way to handle Trump would be to give him minimal coverage. He's a narcissist who is energized by adversity. Ignoring him might take the air out of his balloon.

madAsHell said...

Here's a Trump tweet.....

Wear your mask in the “beauty” parlor, Nancy!

Help me find the sarcasm here!! I'm stumped.

Matt Sablan said...

"And let’s not forget that when Joe Biden says something over the top it is “just Joe being Joe.” Nothing to see here. Move along."

-- Pretty standard, right? Someone on the right has a "maccaca" moment, and that's all Republicans will be asked about and asked to condemn for months. Biden takes it upon himself to authenticate the blackness of others, and ... pretty much ignored.

PM said...

The addition of that laugh track a couple weeks ago revealed Don Rickles Trump.
He's crude, he's rude, but if you like funny, he's the dude.

roesch/voltaire said...

Sharp comedians like James Corden are still doing it well see his video "Maybe I'm Immune to Paul McCarthy tune

Matt Sablan said...

"Because satire that is based on a profound loathing of the subject being satirized can rarely be funny for long."

-- It's true. It's why things like Police Squad and Airplane! are incredibly funny. Because the targets being satirized are actually something the authors at least found charming or enjoyed on some level. Good satire either pierces in an absurd and intelligent way, like A Modest Proposal or parts of Gulliver's Travels, where there's some underlying meaning, or is done in a way that's clearly making fun with not of, like the old Hot Shots or Major League movies.

Satire that is just mean is often just... insulting people. It's why a lot of modern "satire" falls flat. It isn't "satire" to just rant about how terribad X is.

PHenry said...

The sense of humor of the lefty press was exposed as lost when they claimed Trump's sarcastic joke that maybe Russia could help the press find Hillary's missing emails was evidence of collusion.
From that point on, they were known to be obsessed with 'gotcha' rather than honestly reporting who, what, where, when and why.

chickelit said...

Remind me which side had a rodeo clown put out of a job? That right there was a direct assault on comedy.

Anonymous said...

Donald Trump ruined political comedy, as political comedians understand that term, because he chooses not to roll over and play dead when outrageous statements are made about him. That is something political comedians just can't stand. Trump's way isn't genteel like Reagan's but it's a damn sight better than both Bushes, McCain and Romney's ways.

Joe Smith said...

"...allows all psychopathic sickies like Trump to say and do whatever they wish with a smile and a derisive laugh thrown into the mix. No apologies considered or given."

'If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.'

'If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.'

This is fun...

Tyrone Slothrop said...

The assertion that NYT and CNN "have to" cover Trump seriously even when he's kidding is the funniest thing I've read in weeks. What humorless twits they are.

Joe Smith said...

"I probably don't agree with him on most political issues, but I have to respect the man."

It helps to be an honest liberal.

It helps even more to be an honest liberal with $100M+ in the bank.

And I agree...it was epic : )

n.n said...

Liberalism (i.e. divergence) is a dark sarcasm infilled with brown matter. That said, diversity breeds adversity. #PrinciplesMatter #BabyLivesMatter

n.n said...

Biden is still stuck on Obamacares. As if the choice is between insurance and nothing. Such a "burden" h/t Obama. Trump has taken positive steps to knock down that straw clown. The issue is affordable and available.

Mikey NTH said...

Perhaps comedians should try something other than screaming rage? But if they tried something with more subtlety and nuance they might get cancelled.

I guess they will have to wait for another Republican president who is not a master showman, marketer, and entertainer.

Lance said...

Liberal comedians have turned away from sarcasm? Has this author ever heard of Jon Stewart? Or Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Fallon, or any of the multiple clones?

Paul Snively said...

The media's tone-deaf self-serving literalism just makes the experience of listening to them resemble being lectured by someone with a severe case of Asperger's Syndrome: it's so profoundly off-base as to be literally excruciating.

Jupiter said...

"When he says something that isn’t true, they must soberly point out that it isn’t, even when the intent of the untruth is not to deceive but to achieve some rhetorical effect."

That's not the only option. They could just take a tip from White House Correspondent Nina Burleigh, and give him a blowjob to thank him for making America great again. Maybe NYT hasn't issued Brooks' Presidential kneepads yet?

n.n said...

if anything the 'press' has gone so far of the rails of reality since DJT was elected

Since he was conceived ("announcement"); but, yeah, they have made progress over the 16 trimesters since his birth ("inauguration"). JournoLists spin yarns constructing one straw clown after another, driving diversity and adversity.

Rick said...

Yancey Ward said...
Sure, Pal, there is a real distinction between news organizations and the partisans. How do you like dem apples! 🙄


Defend the Shield.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Is it comedy that the hack press(D) ignore what is happening in leftwing Portland each night?

Larry J said...

wendybar said...

Just a reminder...I turned off most comedy when Obama was in office. They wouldn't make fun of The One. Only Sarah Palin...because you can beat up on Conservative women...but don't you dare go after a Democrat!!


Liberal political humor pretty well peaked in the age of Dan Quayle potato(e) jokes.

Drago said...

The Poor Man's LLR-lefty C**** gadfly: "Everyone is missing the point that about malignant narcissists like DJT."

What an odd and sad little person you are.

Koot Katmandu said...

Totally lost me when they to got to the bleach. Discredited everything before that. There is not person in US older that 10 that should even consider the bleach thing as a real thing.

effinayright said...

I've always wondered why we've adopted the Left's term "narrative", when it's nothing more than a synonym for the old communist "party line".

Mike Sylwester said...

I have not gone to the NYT webpage, but I doubt that this text was all just one paragraph there.

What is the advantage for this blog's readers when you make the text just one extremely long paragraph here?

Ann Althouse said...

"Scott Adams said a few weeks ago that Trump is the most popular stand-up comic in the history of the world. Looks like the NYT picked up on that."

Joe Rogan has said that too. I don't think it's a unique observation.

wildswan said...

Trump tells 20,000 jokes which media are forced to print as lies because their readers are unequipped to understand irony, jokes, satire, allusions, metaphor, simile, exaggeration, hyperbole etc. The media readers can only understand jargon and rant.

Jason said...

Trump claims, without evidence, that it takes multiple journalists to change a light bulb.

n.n said...

why we've adopted the Left's term "narrative"

The same reason we adopt their definition of diversity, racist, sexist, choice, equality, viable, faith, religion, phobia, liberal, gay, progressive, conservative, climate change, white privilege, truth to power, war, social justice, social progress, and so on and so forth. Perhaps yarn would be an illustrative alternative.

Narayanan said...

finally a pretty good description with full understanding >>>>> give that man genius award

Sebastian said...

"This miasma of ill-defined but ever-present irony makes Trump virtually impossible to mock, because that job is taken. The real Donald Trump acts as if he’s doing an impression of some normal-looking, occasionally self-aggrandizing president we don’t know about."

Now think about what progs would say if a lefty would use the same skills, assuming of course that any lefty could at all practice irony when the fate of the world hangs in the balance--instead of miasma we would have wonders of irony, instead of self-aggrandizing we would have knowing self-mockery, instead of the comic buffoon we would have the sophisticated persona.

Trump is not the first postmodern president--that would be Obama, who did his own impression of a normal-looking president, projecting a crafted, entry protean, substanceless self. But Trump is the most skilled, the most knowing, the most self-aware. Progs are catching on a little late.

n.n said...

Trump is Pro-Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Some people think that's comical, a dark sarcasm, a "burden", thus the deplorable epithet.

Joe Smith said...

"Joe Rogan has said that too. I don't think it's a unique observation."

How the hell did that get through uncensored?

gilbar said...

isn't this THE DEFINITION of White Privilege ?
i mean, assuming that Comedy is white

Leora said...

I was interested until I realized he thinks Trump was in favor of injecting bleach when he was talking about a actual experimental treatment of ultraviolet light injection. Now I won't click over.

Michael K said...

From a liberal press prospective, the best way to handle Trump would be to give him minimal coverage. He's a narcissist who is energized by adversity. Ignoring him might take the air out of his balloon.

More lefty wisdom.

hstad said...

Ann - I've pointed this out in the past but your constant discussion of everything NY Times is rather a tell that you've lost your way - cause the NY Times stopped 'informing' their readers many moons ago. Maybe because it's a habit, which you acquired as an academic, that is hard to break. I too had a similar one with the WSJ - but got rid of reading their junk - it was hard - but today the Internet makes it easy.

The degenerate NY Times doesn’t even report the crimes in the City, nor the fact that garbage is rarely collected and rats are everywhere. This is a typical headline: “Few Police Officers Who Cause Death Are Charged or Convicted.” . In NYC, habitual criminals, existing and released, are running wild, with the murder rates out of control and a plan by the Democrats to further defund the police by 50%. The reality is that NYC in in far worse shape than it was 44 years ago when I lived there.

But hell, Ann thinks an "Orange Man Bad" article is worthwhile to our culture. I love your blog, please don't get sucked into the NY Times propoganda pit. They lost their brand over 30 years ago. That's what happens to businesses that are run by nepotism vs. merit.

Anonymous said...

I voted for the one smart ass and he works for me. The other smart asses still don't know why he won. I ignore them when I can, they aren't funny.

Anonymous said...

I voted for the one smart ass and he works for me. The other smart asses still don't know why he won. I ignore them when I can, they aren't funny.

Achilles said...

gadfly said...

Everyone is missing the point that about malignant narcissists like DJT.

Democrats are just stupid people.

wendybar said...

Lance said...
Liberal comedians have turned away from sarcasm? Has this author ever heard of Jon Stewart? Or Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Fallon, or any of the multiple clones?

10/7/20, 11:48 AM

None of whom are funny since they repeat the same old tired hate Trump jokes every night. YAWN....I can watch the network news or CNN, MSNBC, or PBS if I wanted to do that. It's all the same thing.

wendybar said...

That wasn't aimed at you Lance, but at the author you were commenting to....

Francisco D said...

like his televised claim that injecting bleach might stop the coronavirus.

The Left constantly call Trump a liar with evidence mostly of opinion differences, unsubstantiated allegations (both ways) and exaggeration, However, in this demonstrably false statement, the author is deliberately and maliciously lying. It is the same with the "fine people on both sides" meme.

I saw the press briefing when Trump asked the scientist if chlorine would be injected. It was a question not a statement. It was probably an attempt at sarcastic humor, but it was in no way a "televised claim".

The Left will reinvent history to suit their purposes and call us liars for challenging their lies.

Make Orwell Fiction Again

wendybar said...

chickelit said...
Remind me which side had a rodeo clown put out of a job? That right there was a direct assault on comedy.

10/7/20, 11:35 AM


DING, DING, DING!!! We have a winner!! How true is this. How dare that Rodeo clown wear The One's mask??? He should have been hung!!!

Anonymous said...

At last, someone from NYT that gets Trump. It only took them four years.

Robert Cook said...

"Consumers of this brand of comedy are so horrified by Trump that irreverence can feel like betrayal."

The problem is that too many Americans do not perceive our elected officials with any distance...they either passionately hate or adore a given party or politician. Americans are fucking true believers and hero worshipers. We're children.

One can sensibly only (and always) perceive our elected officials with cynical skepticism: applaud them when they do something that serves the public but always assume such public service is an accident or a calculated move that they believe will benefit them. In other words, always be ready to assume the worst about them.

Ann Althouse said...

“ Liberal comedians have turned away from sarcasm? Has this author ever heard of Jon Stewart? Or Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Fallon, or any of the multiple clones?”

Most of the article is about them.

Robert Cook said...

"'Everyone is missing the point that about malignant narcissists like DJT.'

"What an odd and sad little person you are."


Why do you say that? It's the truth. Of course, many in politics are malignant narcissists, but in this particular, as he always boasts without basis about so much else, Trump is the ne plus ultra.

Jim at said...

Wait. You mean constantly screaming Hitler! Hitler! Hitler! and all his supporters are Nazis! Nazis! Nazis! isn't particularly funny?

Who knew?

5M - Eckstine said...

Brooks lies in his article. How useful can he be?

Trump was probably impeached because he told a joke and starchy Pelosi jumped to the half conclusion that he was a liar. Her lack of character.

All comedians are liars if the various forms of expressions like hyperbole are considered lies. My education is sub par but I did learn hyperbole was a literary device. And I had to read with that awareness. I had more trouble with irony.

Comedians aren't afraid of sarcasm they are afraid of their humorless woke audience that only laughs at bad Trump jokes. Comedy gulag.

Jim at said...

Liberal comedians have turned away from sarcasm? Has this author ever heard of Jon Stewart? Or Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Fallon, or any of the multiple clones?

Yeah. Because nothing says sarcasm like calling the President's daughter a feckless cunt.

Stephen St. Onge said...

Roy Jacobsen said...
"How President Trump Ruined Political Comedy." Wrong. The comedians ruined political comedy, mostly by not being particularly funny.
________________________
        Beat me to it.

        Humor is about not taking something seriously.  Trump sees a fake picture of himself giving the Medal of Honor to a dog, laughs, and retweets it, calling the dog an "AMERICAN HERO!"  That's genuinely funny.  The Left has forgotten what humor is.

wbfjrr2 said...

Is this NYT Brooks related to NYT David Brooks? I won’t check because nothing related to the NYT is worthy of effort on my part.

If they are related, the stupid and pompous genes run deep in the Brooks family.

Michael K said...

"What an odd and sad little person you are."

Why do you say that? It's the truth.


Yes, it is. You are an odd and sad little person.

gbarto said...

David Sedaris:
"On Inauguration Day, I am in Seattle. Late in the afternoon, my old friend Lyn sends me a photo of an anti-Trump sticker someone found in Japan. It’s cleverly designed: three peaks that on second glance turn out to be Trump sandwiched between two Klansmen. I want to write back and say, Ha, but instead, as a joke, I respond, “Dear Lyn, I’m sorry you’re so opposed to change, or too small-minded to move past your narrow assumptions. In the future, I’d appreciate your keeping things like this to yourself. David”

"A minute later, I send a follow-up email that says, “Just kidding.” And it bounces back, as do the next three emails I send. She’s blocked me! I realize. After thirty-eight years of friendship!

"I go to bed that night and lie awake, worried that she’s telling everyone I’m a Trump supporter. The news will spread and by morning I’ll be ruined. But it was just a joke, I say to myself in the dark room. A horrible, horrible joke."

Even leftist scolds have to be afraid of leftist scolds. That's why comedy is dead.

JackOfClubs said...

"When he says something that isn’t true, they must soberly point out that it isn’t, even when the intent of the untruth is not to deceive but to achieve some rhetorical effect. As a result, news organizations unequipped to cover an ironic president get lumped in with partisans who misconstrue his irony in bad faith."

Wishful thinking. The news media is just as partisan and in just as bad faith as the politicians. There are exceptions but we are long past the days when we could excuse the media in general for being well-meaning but unintentionally biased.

bagoh20 said...

"“I just think that COVID is God’s gift to the Left,” Jane Fonda said. "

See, the left can be funny. I mean she was being sarcastic, right?

Aussie Pundit said...

"Why is the president so impervious to satire?"

Because Trump is a comedian. He's funny. It's very hard to make fun of a comedian, especially if you don't realize that they are a comedian.

Brian McKim and/or Traci Skene said...

Phil314 speaks the truth:

"Ryan Long, though he tends to be right of center is someone not afraid of making fun of anything."

Best videos in the political humor category.

Also:

If anyone even hints that (Fill in the blank, person/incident/trend) has put an end to
(Fill in the blank)-- especially when it pertains to humor-- you can be sure that person is wrong. Really wrong.

FullMoon said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lijzoKtlzSM&feature=youtu.be

FullMoon said...

Here is another. This from 2017

JML said...

Another thing that Trump broke: Humor. Actually, that isn't true. Those scolds never had a sense of humor to being with.

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

Trump has had some GREAT one-liners since he got into politics. His line in the 2016 campaign, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” was hilarious.

Lefties take that line seriously. They believe that he's "dog-whistling" to his Russian master to release those emails. Like so many other things he says that the left takes literally. One classic is the "promise" that the Mexicans will pay for the wall. What's important is that wall is built, getting the Mexicans to pay for it is just frosting on the cake, not the cake.

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

When Donald infers that he is merely making a joke, he really means he is disguising his abusive behavior as his concept of humor. He likes calling people names, putting them down, and then claiming they’re the one who lack the sense of humor to appreciate his depraved wit. Making others feel defective strategically allows all psychopathic sickies like Trump to say and do whatever they wish with a smile and a derisive laugh thrown into the mix. No apologies considered or given.

Donald Trump calls specific people names, like Adam "Shifty" Schift. People who are political adversaries and are adults who have put themselves into the public discourse. He doesn't name call groups of people, like Hillary did with her "basket of deplorables", or Joe Biden's "you ain't black" quote. Democrats are always calling Republicans racist and sexist. In reality, Democrats are the bigots and the name callers.

boatbuilder said...

Comedy has tested positive for excessive wokeness and suckupitude since at least 2007.
Comedy died when it couldn’t say anything funny about Jim Comey hiding in the drapes.
C’mon, man!
There is no shortage of material (as Ricky Gervais-an actual comedian-showed with 5 minutes of the stuff just lying out there at the GGs).
Cowardice is the death of comedy.

boatbuilder said...

Trump’ s riff on light bulbs-very funny—talks about how you have to use those CFC fluorescent things. “I never liked them. Never. Awful. They make me look...orange.”

DavidD said...

"As a result, news organizations unequipped to cover an ironic president get lumped in with partisans who misconstrue his irony in bad faith."

It's been more than 4 years. Why are news organizations still unequipped?

mikee said...

Remember in that great movie, The Lives of Others, when a guy starts telling a joke about Honeker and suddenly realizes he's doing so across the table from a Stasi agent? The Stasi agent insists the joke be told to its conclusion. Then arrests the joke teller.

Leftists liked that.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

RC said, "The problem is that too many Americans do not perceive our elected officials with any distance...they either passionately hate or adore a given party or politician. Americans are fucking true believers and hero worshipers. We're children.

One can sensibly only (and always) perceive our elected officials with cynical skepticism: applaud them when they do something that serves the public but always assume such public service is an accident or a calculated move that they believe will benefit them. In other words, always be ready to assume the worst about them."

Just gonna quote this. This is exactly right. Don't work for these people for free. They are supposed to work for us.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

Countries with real oppression have better jokes.

Sam L. said...

Why I like Trump!!!!!