Lonewolf Diaries: Republicans Need to Grow a Sense of Humor
by Steven CrowderYes, you’ve read correctly. To all of you GOP types playing the “offended” card on a daily basis… Prepare to have your feelings hurt, because according to my carefully calculated research… Republicans need to shut up and laugh a little.
Never has the GOP’s lack of funnybone been on sharper display than the last 5 months. For a party that claims to “shun political correctness,” we’ve certainly done a good job of embracing it. Over the past 150 days there have been three “media-worthy” politically incorrect moments related to this administration and Republicans have managed to jump on each one of them for political gain. All to no avail. Let us examine:
Exhibit A
Barack Obama’s Special Olympics comment on Leno. – On air, President B. Hussein Obama made a self-deprecating joke in regards to his bowling abilities. He made the implication that he was so bad at bowling that his skill level resembled that of a mentally challenged athlete. Twas a surprisingly funny, off-handed moment for a generally very unfunny president.
Republicans, however, decided to act as though they were appalled by this and ran with the “you can’t make fun of retards” theme. (I’m paraphrasing here of course, but you get the picture.) I believe that somewhere in the middle, Sarah Palin and her son Trigg were tied into the whole fiasco. The media took little notice and sharp comedians like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert managed to successfully lampoon Conservatives for being humorless old bags. That’s one for you, Democrats…
Exhibit B
Wanda Sykes’ Correspondence Dinner Shtick – In an overall funny routine, Wanda Sykes made a few predictable cracks about several members of the Republican party (and surprisingly a few about the President himself) until the subject turned to Rush Limbaugh. In a tirade based on the false premise of Mr. Limbaugh “hoping that the country fails,” she openly wished for his kidneys to fail.
To be fair, it was her least funny bit of the night, but was still performed within the context of comedy. Sure enough, Republicans jumped on the dame for “wishing death upon somebody, which is inappropriate under any circumstances!”
In the words of the beautifully-mustached John Stossel – “Give me a break!” For crying out loud, she is a comedian who is known for being controversial and for her uncanny adeptness at chewing people out. That’s what she does and that’s why she was hired. We had our shot to be funny and edgy last year. Remember… We went with Rich Little. Sucks to be us.
Finally we have….
Exhibit C
Letterman with the Palin Jokes – Letterman made an off-color joke about Sarah Palin resembling a slutty flight attendant (not funny) along with an extremely “controversial” remark about one of the Palin daughters. When taken in context… The joke was worth a chuckle. Letterman was under the impression that Bristol Palin (the older daughter) had been taken to the ball game and Letterman made a joke about her getting “knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.” Let’s face facts… Bristol has a bad track record when it comes to sexual responsibility and A-Rod is a notorious mimbo. Combine the two, and you’ve got some funny material to work with. Was it in poor taste? Like 90% of Letterman’s bits, yes. Is it hypocritical for a leftist to be holding a Conservative up to a higher standard of sexual morality? Of course.
However, Republicans (and the Palin family) tried to twist this quip into a joke about Letterman wanting to rape their underage daughter, which was subsequently followed by phony outrage.
I’m sorry “fellow Republicans”… But when will we get a clue? Before Reagan, we were seen as the party that couldn’t take a joke. The Gipper fixed that one for us. Now, however, because of silly Conservatives using political correctness as a fulcrum for political gain, we find ourselves right back at square one.
One of my goals in life is to watch political correctness shrivel up and die (as it should be for any true Conservative). I can’t do that however, if Republicans insist on resuscitating it back to life every time they want to act “offended.” Do we really want to be the person at the party around which everyone has to tiptoe around for fear of offending our sensibilities? Come on… We’re not supposed to be “that guy.” Leave that kind of crap to the Sean Penn pansies of the world.
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606 Comments
Maybe you're right, Steve. Personally, I'm more offended by the fact that these three and others simply aren't that funny. Don Rickles- now he's funny.
good points, all…
One supposes that having been bashed mercilessly for any slight, both real/and or imagined for the last eight years (or 10, or 20…) the conservatives are feeling their self righteous oats. Let's just say were of two minds of this- we can see the hypocrisy and feel justified in pointing out their failings-
Also too, a joke really is a joke- and the Palin-Letterman feud is emblematic of more than just lazy writers and a bored host. Mr Gutfeld is right about lightening up, though- after all, who wants to sound like a whiney liberal
anyway?
I'm with you 100% on these Steve, I don't get offended in the slightest, now I do get a good laugh at the hypocrisy of the left-tards on all accounts, but I am disappointed with my fellow conservatives in making a mountain out of a molehill which is something I usually bash Liberals for doing.
Steve, I normally love your stuff but this time I think you went wide of the mark. IMO, this rebellion against Letteman's crassness and ungentlemanly behavior wasn't a case of 'political correctness', this was a case of an offense against a standard of decency that 'should be' common throughout the culture but has become slowly corrupted and debased over the past 2 or 3 decades. If Letteman's comments had been made about your loved ones would you hold the same opinion? Letterman crossed the line and deserves the scorn he asked for. What's really unfortunate is that many people don't recognize that.
I'm with you to a point. But if Letterman had said that about my kid….
THANK you!
I agree with all of this with the exception of the Palin daughter joke. I don't care if he says Sarah Palin dresses like a slut. I like her and what she stands for but other people can say whatever they want about her. However, just because she is a public figure does not give anyone the right to criticize or demean hers or anyone else's children, eighteen or otherwise. That's not about political correctness, it's about common decency – leave the kids out no matter what they have done. I was no fan of Bill Clinton but it broke my heart when they said anything about Chelsea. Same with the Bush twins. And I have yet to hear a negative remark about Sasha or Malia. But it seems to even conservatives like you, the Palin kids are fair game.
Here's a funny one for the libs: Jimmy Carter almost being blown up by a roadside bomb planted by Hamas terrorists while he was on his way to push for Hamas' recognition as a non-terrorist political party. I'll bet Letterman's writers could come up with an hysterical joke there. Maybe not…
Liberals have shown us that mock outrage is a very valuable tool. Why shouldn't we take advantage of it?
But I'm perfectly willing to live and let live… you convince the libs to stop, and so will I.
Steve,
Normally, I love your stuff. But you aren't perfect and neither am I, so this is one time I just can't agree. Particularly regarding the Palin-Letterman thing. Making jokes about knocking up teenage girls – no matter if they're 14 or 18 – is not only not funny, it's wrong. Period. If you were a survivor of rape, statutory or otherwise, you would understand that. While I agree we often take ourselves too seriously, this one item just can't be categorized as a "good chuckle". Keep talking, though. Most of your stuff is right on target.
I get you in theory – political correctness must go, and really one can choose to be offended or not…but Palin handled Letterman perfectly! Re-frame, hit back hard and then accept (non-)apology with grace – letting a grassroots boycott build for the defense of cleaning up culture a bit with dollars instead of trying to censor (like Fairness Doctrine, etc.). THAT is unlike the old, offended, humorless past. Look at the Letterman boycott like Tea Parties. Grassroots for Sarah now keeps 2012 in sight and maybe old school Republicans will have to re-think her. Still loving HillBuzz.org, BTW.
I think if we stay on the same course, using the three examples noted above, we will begin to make the left and the moderates see just how silly this P.C. stuff is. Desentisized, if you will?
D.L. is not funny, so not many reasons to laugh. His comments about Palin/ family were lame and his subsequent behavior cowardly. Just because someone proclaims himself a comedian doesn't mean he is one.
I'm sorry Stephen but you are sooooooo wrong about the Palin jokes. It appears you are condoning every atrocious act and suggestion made against Sarah Palin during the last election. Dipstick moved the scale to an all time low and this is months and months after THEY won. someone should send them a memo about that…
We should be pleased that Sarah scares them so badly they have to wear brown trousers but we cannot allow society to go as low as DL is in all of his life.
It had occurred to me that we should start a "Dave's Bastard Son Jokes" website but unfortunately, the left is not capable of empathy… much as they may scream the word from the bench.
In the words of St Paul, in his wonderful description of love : Love does not take offense.
Of course he is exhorting us to love as God does. I think Christians should try to live this out. It would make for much less yelling and finger pointing…
I agree. Letterman taking swipes at R’s is routine, where he completely slithered over the line was taking a shot at Palin’s daughter. It is understood that children of politicians are off limits. Letterman is just proof that any talentless hack can have his own late night show. Who can’t sit in a chair and make lame jokes with a stupid expression while giggling like drunken dolt? An ape could host that show and it would get the same ratings which says more about its audience.
This from a guy who howls at Earl Camembert jokes.
j/k ; )
Mr. Crowder needs to grow a brain.
I think that condemnation of Letterman's comments is appropriate. Conservatives could also remind the left of how outraged they were when McCain made an off-color remark about Chelsea Clinton at some point and then offered a public apology. However, I agree that demanding Letterman issue an apology or be fired is disingenuous for the party that claims to stand for free speech. In fact, it's right up there with pro-marijuana legalization lefties wanting to ban tobacco smoking and that's the last thing we need. I did like the complaints to his advertisers however-capitalism at work!
The one point I have to argue with is that Letterman mistakenly thought Bristol was the daughter at the ballgame. First of all, one would assume he had seen video/pictures of the Miss Palin who WAS at the game before he wrote his joke. It could be a girl thing but to me, Willow doesn't look legal aged so you'd think he would check his facts. So that's (presumably) stupidity on Letterman's part which I'm sure surprises no one.
Second, as Pam Meister points out on her BH article "The Imus Standard: Should Letterman Be Fired?" (Sorry, I don't know how to do links), Letterman's jokes are pre-written & screened so there was premeditation put into this "honest" mistake and other people could have fact-checked and stopped this whole debacle but didn't. That makes this less spur-of-the-moment-idiocy and more I'm-a-liberal-mouthpiece thing and therefore, worthy of criticism.
Finally, most of the outrage I've seen has been directed at Letterman for his comments regarding the Palin daughters, not Mrs. Palin herself which to me says that we are demanding respect for our leaders' children just as the Left demanded we respect the Obama girls during the election. I really have no problem with that part.
LIke most things in life, balance is important. I'm with you on the fact that political-correctness has killed some of the best jokes. But we didn't invent political-correctness, they did. So giving them hell over jokes that should have been funny is fair turnabout. Sykes and Letterman went beyond the pale, and Letterman is actually paying a little bit of a price for it because he needs middle-class people for his audience. On the other hand, Obama's remark was not vicious, it just wasn't politically-correct. I'd have given him a pass if he weren't such a stiff-necked jerk about everything. His one moment of near-humanity, and it was a politically-incorrect joke.
Steven its' not about the 'humor', people are beginning to realize its' about the DOUBLE STANDARD and standing up to the constant smears by the left. Hatred is not funny period and that is the basis for these so-called 'jokes'.
Your may have had a point if in fact both sides were getting mocked and all things were equal. No one enjoys a good razzing more than me. But with the left, they have decided that the dynamics are this – they may use the full force of the media, which they currently dominate, to attack, deride, and smear, with no boundaries. Those who disagree and attempt to turn the table are racists, homophobes and full of hate speech. It's humorous when two parties are laughing with and at each other. It's entirely different when one party is expected to just take it and isn’t given the opportunity to respond while the other dishes it out . Last week we finally decided we're not taking it anymore and I'm proud of how conservatives are finally saying "Enough!"
Last, you are completely wrong with Palin. There was no "chuckle" there. It was sick and a sign of a rotting society if that’s thought to be “funny.” It would have been just as sick if it was about anyone’s child, 14 or 18.
Steven, one thing you maybe forget is that it's all one-sided. It may be a little easier for us to stomach if he was dishing it out in equal amounts to the left; and there is more than enough material out there for him to do so. It's just so politically motivated. But yeah, in some ways we could probably stand to lighten up a little.
But I have to disagree with you on the Palin jokes as well.
What he said!
Those insults against Palin and her girls were not jokes. They were invented out of thin air on the lame excuse that Palin was in New York. Letterman has a history of belittling women. This time he attacked Sarah without John McCain to protect him. Bad move on Dave's part. A while back Sarah said he was a mama grizzly when it came to people attacking her kids. Dave wasn't paying attention, as usual. Let CBS keep him now that Sarah has accepted his lame apology. They could make more money with a real comedian, anyway, so screw them. Steve, you have lousy examples of humor to base your musings on. Lame as Dave. You want to hear a funny guy? Listen to Rush. That conservative rapper is a good one as well. So is Beck. Bush could tell a good joke on himself anytime anywhere. The best comics had that talent. Obama is a dud, too full of himself to be funny, he got his laughs on the campaign using ridicule. Your kind of guy.
Amen! Why should conservatives act as punching bags and take shots from the left without responding with some sense of anger. They aren't joking, they're attacking. I'll vote for the first conservative who has the balls to at least threaten to punch one of these "comedians" in the face the next time a lefty verbally assaults a child.
Crowder, I usually love you're commentary, but this time its way off base.
I usually agree with you, but I can't on this for a couple of reasons.
1. Special Olympics joke- mentally handicapped people don't usually wear a name tag with an R or a D beside their name. This should have been offensive to everyone, not just the R's. Dems just don't say anything cuz they think all Special Olympics folks should have been aborted.
2. The WHC dinner with Wanda. Well, historically they joke and poke fun AT the president. This was a first. We were all hoping to see some good jokes, but nothing.
3. And, finally Palin. Well, sorry, but humor about a politician's daughter is just wrong. Off limits.
How about we list all the jokes that we've just let go these last several months?
I usually agree with you, but I can't on this for a couple of reasons.
1. Special Olympics joke- mentally handicapped people don't usually wear a name tag with an R or a D beside their name. This should have been offensive to everyone, not just the R's. Dems just don't say anything cuz they think all Special Olympics folks should have been aborted.
2. The WHC dinner with Wanda. Well, historically they joke and poke fun AT the president. This was a first. We were all hoping to see some good jokes, but nothing.
3. And, finally Palin. Well, sorry, but humor about a politician's daughter is just wrong. Off limits.
How about we list all the jokes that we've just let go these last several months?
My problem is not with any of those jokes, but the fact that if say, Rush Limbaugh had made those jokes, he'd be hung up by his heels.
I'm tired of playing that game.
Lighten up, Francis? It's not the humor that offends me, Steve. I've got a great sense of humor. Spent some free time downloading some Benny Hill shows off the web this week. Laughed my balls off! It's the double standard that gets me cranky. Imus was fired for a hell of a lot less.
But I agree. Lighten up, Francis! Palin accepted the apology. We should, too. Let's not become that which we despise, as I highlighted in my recent 'Extremists' BH post.
BTW if you want a REAL laugh, here's the most violent Stooges sequence ever. I had to watch it five times to catch everything, I was laughing so hard. From 'They Stooge To Conga." Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocRd-aajW0
That's a good point, alb. I wonder how much Mr. Crowder will mock Obama's daughters in his next video. To show that he's against political correctness..
It's not PC, it's basic decency and it applies to everybody.
Wow Steven – a bit surprise because your humor does not cross the line, thus making it truly funny. You should be able to tell us if Letterman should be responsible, knowing the entertainment industry. I expect that he did exactly what he wanted, it was no misunderstanding, etc etc. I bet he he hoped that he would get a crazy response from Palin that he would then parlay into many more jokes.
I was a Letterman fan for many years, but he turned politically nasty the last 8 years or so. He was good at making funny but cutting jokes, but with any regular or non liberal guest, you could see his vitriolic look along with his funny & sarcastic tone.
I can't decide if you're serious or sarcastic.
In any case… part of me really wants payback for having to watch my mouth every moment of every day on account of my political leaning and my race. Why shouldn't everyone have to follow the same rules?
Short bus or Special Olympics joke?
Long, long time ago I learned that making fun of "retards" was absolutely not acceptable, ever. My upset at anything like that is entirely genuine, even if I bite my tongue and endure it. How does anything like that even happen as a slip? I don't have to watch myself and be *careful* that I don't *accidentally* make this sort of mistake. Do you? Was it Obama being unusually self-depreciating? Was it? What sort of community does he usually inhabit where this wasn't beaten out of him before Grade Four?
Sykes… I don't care. Mean spirited and stupid… not funny. Yawn. What else is new?
Letterman? Simple rule… the children of politicians, EVEN adult ones… off limits for politics or political humor. No "pimping" Chelsea. That he made/seemed to make the "joke" about a 14 year old just made it more glaringly obvious. Slutty stewardess references… I don't care. I even thought that very awful music video that someone talentless did with a Palin look alike was half-way funny to the extent I never quite *watched* it.
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I think you just thrive on being a contrarian.
These jokes weren't funny. I didn't particularly find them insulting, but they weren't directed at me. If you make fun of someone and you offend them, their right to free speech says they can complain. At that point the ball's in your court – and the problem with lefties is they want the ability to make fun of and demonize everyone who disagrees with them, but want to pretend they're highbrow and PC at the same time. Just like how they pretend to be 'post-racial' but are the most racist people you will ever meet.
It's their own sanctimony and smugness that hangs them.
Fire Letterman and replace him with Gene Simmons of KISS fame.
I'll agree with you, Steven, that political correctness is a bane on humor and life in general, and that conservatives are playing the "I'm offended" card way too easily, but I have to disagree about Letterman. Forget the fact that he stopped being funny sometime around Grant's administration, taking on the children of public figures who themselves don't seek the limelight is wrong and does Bad Things(tm) to public discourse. Even though Dave claims to have thought it was Bristol and not Willow at the game (to be frank, I don't believe him), making slut and whore jokes about an 18-year old new mother who's trying to do right by her child is just wrong. And I'd object if he were making jokes about the Obama kids or Biden's coke-head daughter. Our politics are rough and tumble, always have been, but children of politicos should be off-limits, unless they actively campaign for the parent. (So Meghan McCain is fair game.)
Look, I'm about as politically incorrect as you can get (I love ethnic jokes, and Rickles is my hero.) and, even though I'm a Palinista, I think the governor is a fair subject for most comics, even those as unfunny as Letterman. But sexually degrading jokes about the politicians' children? Forget it.
And the problem isn't just the jokes themselves or the fact that Dave is a bitter old jerk, but the frakking huge double-standard in play. You know that he or any other comic in the Left-Liberal echo chamber (and there are a lot of them) just wouldn't have made those jokes about liberals' children. That would be in bad taste for them. But conservatives' kids? It's all good fun.
Steve, I really enjoy your humor and insight, but this time count me as one of the people that thought Letterman stepped over the line with his sex jokes about Palin’s daughters. There are times when laughter can be the most unpleasant sound, and that was one of those times.
Sorry but there are times when one wants to hold societies feet to the fire and to force a confrontation on a serious subject and not be told to “lighten up”. Just because some of us took offense at Letterman’s comment, that for me personally lacked sophistication and wit, this doesn’t mean that conservatives need to be coached to get a sense of humor.
Bottom line: older men need to avoid “joking” about sex with young girls in their teens. Maybe Letterman should have told that joke in the men’s locker room.
I am in total agreement with you. Complaining about comedy or satire is always weak. Let the unfunny left complain about being offended. Bad jokes or comedians who have seen better days are obvious to the viewing audience. Allow the rating to dictate their success. I prefer Gutfeld's model of simply pointing out the lameness or typical hackery of the Lettermans and Mahers of the world and then moving on. I found the Palin-Letterman fued embarrsing, especially the protest outside CBS.
It is the double standard. What we declare as sin or off limits, they embrace. I don't want to hear this stuff from either side. I don't take joy in hearing filthy sexual jokes. (ok some are funny) but as a rule I go by "Trash in, Trash out" what you fill your cup with is whats going to spill out when you are bumped.
The internet generation has had access to so much crap that they accept as normal what was taboo 30 years ago. The same kind of crap was out there for sure but you had to go to a dirty bookstore to get it and risk being seen. It stopped a lot of us kids from trying to buy it. Now it is easier to get than ever.
What one generation lets slide by, the next generation embraces. Why SHOULD we let this slide by? Just because we want to be seen as nice? It's not going to happen. This world can be beautiful at times but thats getting to be more the exception instead of the rule. There is too much trash out there that we have let fly.
2 Timothy 3. But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
If that doesn't explain what is going on today, nothing does. Do we still have to love them, Yes. Do we have to accept what they offer? No.
Good points __but__ what has me and others annoyed is a little hard to identify. Who knows why we feel like we do? Not even us. One thing is emotional, one intellectual. It's hard to analyze feelings. I'm not even an R (an L) but the one-way MSM assault bugs me too.
I bet it has a lot to do with the way the ways the left and the MSM bully their victims. I for one am tired of the one-party view, tired of the one-way ridicule, tired of people who absolutely don't deserve it being mocked and pushed out the door with insults instead of engagement. Remember Dan Quayle? He was a far better speaker and debater than many recent (ahem) democrats, but they ganged up on him and made sure he wasn't a threat without even having to engage him on the issues.
And that .. substituting ridicule and PC gotchas for debate .. is what they have done wrong. Giving bullies a taste of their own medicine is OK with me. Letterman is the target now. Too bad if he didn't precisely deserve it __this one time__.
Another way to put it is: maybe we aren't that upset over the joke, per se. But it's the straw that broke the camel's back. Sure, it's just one straw. And so what if it was put on there as a joke? Haha, sure is a lot on that camel. Yuck yuck, here is one more straw.
Oops!
I think it's true that we conservatives have been somewhat lacking in humor.Since November we have been run into the ground by everyone including many of "our own".We're doomed to the wilderness and all that.The economy and the direction of our nation is scaring us and we are nearly helpless to prevent it from continuing.I think under the conditions we've been living in it is human to feel persecuted and to respond with personal anger towards the souces of this persecution.The MSM and the President himself and the Democrat party.Down that path lies danger,it is would be too easy for us to be marginalized if we take that path.We must confront the real issues,particularly the long term economic health of our nation.The facts are on our side but noone will listen if we allow them (either by their actions or our own)to marginalize us.
Steve did you stick up for Imus when he got fired? Why not?
The double standard clearly exists and it is a perfectly good debate about whether trying to point it out does us any good. Perhaps a cool, so-what, "people can say whatever they want and I really don't care" response, said over and over may be a good idea.
Also, think big picture by framing your arguments about the ideals of freedom vs. government. Not about "the people on the other side". It will always sound more inclusive and receptive to outsiders and grow the tent.
If I was Palin I would go on the Letterman show just to kick his ass.
The problem with the Palin thing was not lewd humor. Nothing wrong with that. The problem was targeting Palin's kids. It's completely inappropriate to make the children of politicians the butt of jokes. They're not running for office. Where do people get off harassing them? It's completely cruel and stupid.
well, good news! your article is a bit of a joke: "rim shot" so we're off to a good little chuckle.
seriously, we're the butt of jokes nonstop and it is time "sometimes" to push back. knowing when to do it is the dance. but, cute article.
Steven Crowder can I have sex with your 14 year old daughter? If its ok to joke about it, its ok to do it.
Steven- one other point (I've been re-thinking this). I've watched a lot of your videos, and enjoyed them very much. I can't recall your ever having made fun of a disabled person, or joked about a 14 yr old being "knocked up," or cracked a "joke" about someone contracting a life threatening illness.
You're better than that, so why let Dave slide on this?
And if you decide to start going that route, count me as one who will no longer be watching your videos.
The idea that it's acceptable to make a "Bristol is a whore" joke based on her having one child out of wedlock is absurd and quite the unfunny leap. Is every young lady who gives birth to a child susceptible to become a prositute in New York who must be shielded from Spitzer? It's also wrong to assume that a team of writers and producers would be so careless as to know they weren't talking about Bristol. And if he was talking about Bristol, why didn't he just come flat out and say it? It's because both versions is appalling. You have defended the stat rape joke of a 14 year old about as successfully as you defended Bush's North Korea policy on Red Eye.
i have to politely disagree with the magnificent mr. crowder. i hate pc-ness with a passion, but i think this is about holding the libs to the same standard they've held conservatives to for the past how ever many years and letting them see how it feels to be on the receiving end. i laughed at obama's stupidity with the special olympics joke, didn't really even pay attention to wanda sykes, but the palin stuff had to be addressed. i think the majority of us are just plain tired of the palin attacks in general, and letterman's nastiness was just too low to let go. i'm glad palin stood up for herself and her family. we need more conservatives willing to fight back.
I think what makes conservatives angry is we perceive a double standard with political correctness (and with virtually everything else involving liberals vs, conservatives.) Rush Limbaugh was forced off ESPN or Monday Night Football ( as was Jimmy the greek who wasn't even political.) Don Imus (hardly a conservative) was fired over being non-p.c. C.E.O's are forced to resign over transgressions far less than President Clinton perpetrated. So we have two ways to go. We get down and dirty and thumb our noses at the p.c. folks and give it back in kind. The other way is to merely chide the other side for giving a pass to libs when they do something non-p.c. and point out their hypocrisy in doing so. One of the reason Republicans are easily targeted is they profess to have standards of morality that liberals apparently lack. So when Republicans fall, liberals rejoice at the so-called hypocrisy.
Each administration comes in and calls for "unity" and ending the mean spirited partisan bickering. That sounds great, but who goes first? Lets take the supreme court for example. Liberals want folks to treat Sotomayor with civility during confirmation. Fair enough, but they had no such compunctions about Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden during the Roberts and Alito hearings.
You're right about PC killing some great jokes, but I also am enjoying watching the libs get beaten about the head and shoulders with their own maoist crap. I'm of two minds on this. I do have a good sense of humor and all that, but you gotta admit that a 62 year old babydaddy making jokes about knocked up teenage girls IS pretty creepy…
I have to agree that the problem is not the joke or being offended (although many people are) but it's that CBS opened this can of worms by firing Imus for an off the cuff remark. And no one is asking why Letterman isn't concerned about his contract right down due to a scripted joke that was vetted by multiple people.
CBS needs a reality check here and a formal apology to Imus if Letterman keeps his job.
(Just a note, I don't care for either of these guys…neither are funny and worth watching/listening to.)
You don't like Palin. You've made that point before. We get it.
Because you don't like her doesn't mean we conservatives should have to sit back (after sitting back for 8 years while most entertainers called Bush the HitlerantichristStalinbabyeater) and turn the other cheek yet again. When in the g.d. hell has the Left EVER turned the other cheek? Not to mention there are a lot of conservatives who would walk barefooted on broken glass just to defend Gov Palin against the Alaskan anklebiters, let alone lecherous, sad-sack comedians.
I don't agree on this one.
Bristol wasn't at the game and everyone knows it – even Lman. It was a disgusting, perverted comment – not a joke.
No one would dare say anything like that about Obama girls or even Mrs. O. (I dare you to just make fun of her overbite in one of your videos… )
Palin pushed back at a double standard – with humor, I might add – "don't insult flight attendants like that…"
Lman is the fool here, not republicans, and he reaped what he sowed.
Is it OK to make John Ensign jokes? One of the news stories I saw noted that he was a member of the "Promise Keepers" — now don't tell me you can't see the humor in that.
But seriously, can't any of these guys keep it zipped?
I'm gonna go a step further than many here and say that both Letterman AND Wanda Sykes crossed the line. Others have done a sufficient job of explaining the problems with the Letterman jokes, so I’m not even going to bother. As for Sykes, I think the context makes all the difference. She wasn’t at the Laugh Factory. She was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Calling someone a terrorist and wishing kidney failure upon them, even in jest, isn’t appropriate for that kind of setting. And the President of the United States chuckling right along with it is worse.
I agree, we shouldn’t embrace political correctness. But we also can’t confuse political correctness with upholding standards of healthy political discourse.
Go for it. Ensign's hung an "open season" sign around his neck.
Agreed. I think where I'm also having trouble here is that the three jokes Steven outlines aren't even PC related. They're "taboos" if you will, but not neccesarily PC. It's not PC-ness that keeps us from mocking the disabled, or wishing death on someone, etc., it's common decency. There's plenty of fun that can be had at the PC crowd without "going there."
Hi Stephen, aren't you glad you started this?
It is very true that Republicans are diving at opportunities to call out these "attacks". But I'm coming from the angle of "If George Bush had made a joke about "retard-bowling" he would have been strung-up. But when the almighty Barack Obama ("Leader of the Hope, Savior of the Oppressed, Defender of the Minority") Makes the joke, there is laughter abroad -at the good joke that it was- and later blames it on a Teleprompter.
I would have laughed at the joke no matter who made it. I'm just sick of all the crap.
Usually, we're pretty much on board the thought train together, but this time, I sincerely have to disagree.
1 – I wasn't pretending to be offended by the Special Olympians joke, I WAS offended. Deeply so. I recently had a family member die who was physically and mentally handicapped, and to have the President of the United States make openly public jokes at her expense, and those like her, was sickening to me.
2 – Wanda Sykes has never been funny. She's annoying. And using a public platform to viciously wish painful death and torture on a man because you disagree with his political beliefs truly shows what kind of a person she really is – and it isn't pretty.
3 – I used to adore David Letterman. Back in the early 90s, he was brilliant. Even his first show back after 9-11 was as tasteful and classy as it gets. Now, he's just bitter and unfunny. Making jokes about an adult man in his mid-30s getting a teenage girl pregnant, and not just in theory, but targeting a specific teenage girl because you don't like her mother, is inappropriate. Jokes about children having sex with adults are not funny. Period.
If Dave can find it funny if I repeatedly refer to his wife as the gold digging whore who gave birth to his bastard child, then I'll lighten up a little.
Great point. Lierals count on this double standard so they can continue to rig elections and cry racism when we fight back.
Crowder is off on this one.
Exactly.
Dave stepped in it when he accidentally made the A-Rod joke about Willow Palin. Watching Dave squirm about because he really didn't mean make a joke about sex with a fourteen year-old was really funny. That's how I roll.
I luv ya Crowder, but I disagree on this one. The "jokes" about the Palins have nothing to do with Political Correctness and a conservative lacking a sense of humor. Political Correctness is calling Christmas "Sparkle Season" and changing War on Terror to "Man-Caused Disaster." Nor does it have to do with "free speech" as one commenter commented. If it were about free speech and political correctness then I should be free to say all sorts of vile things about the Obamas and not have to suffer any consequences for it. This is all related to a lack of civility in our culture and it is thrown at us every day by people on TV and in films and other media we wish we could respect but don't anymore. We don't respect them anymore because they don't respect us. Letterman is another reason for me to stop watching TV just like Sean Penn and Will Smith are reasons for me to stop watching films. I'm tired of not being respected.
Darski is absolutely right. Palin lost the election. The entire Republican party took a bath. Dave's team won. He should be happy and gracious.
But no. Six months later, he's still ripping on Palin, still bashing Bush, still cracking lame-ass jokes about Cheney's pacemaker. It's stupid. Crass. Cruel.
It's like kicking a man when he's down, except it's not a man but a woman—with her teenage daughter thrown in for good measure! Disgraceful.
Wow. Yesterday I voted for you to replace letterman. Putting "retard" in quotation marks doesn't make it any less hateful or hurtful. I'm surprised you found the Special Olympics comment funny. So it's "self deprecating" to compare one's ability to someone in the Special Olympics? That tells me a lot. Sorry we're not as cool as you are. We're just "humorless old bags".
Before everyone corrects me – as so many love to do – I meant to say "changing Terrorism to 'Man-Caused Disaster.'"
Steve, I can only surmise that your defense of these comedians is rooted in some kind of misguided sense of nobility, perhaps a collegial sympathy for these offenders.
But the decent layperson looks at them and doesn't see that, doesn't care about the burdens and perils of your profession. He sees inhuman scum, pouring hatred onto the objects of their derision; he asks himself whether this is really comedy as he has known it or whether some dangerous lines are being crossed.
Also, I think the perception that comedians have become de facto attack dogs for the powers-that-be may also figure into the response. It adds a disturbing dimension to the issue.
That's the thing that bugged me the most about Letterman's joke! He was pointing a finger at an 18-year-old for doing the same thing he did! And then to add insult to injury, it wasn't the 18-year-old at thegame, it was the 14-year-old! What a hypocrite.
I usually totally agree with you, but can't this time – especially about the Special Olympics and the Palin jokes. Leave the kids and the people who can't take up for themselves OUT of it. If Dave couldn't see that a similar joke about HIS own son would be painful and embarrassing to the child, his mother and quite possibly, Dave – he's an idiot as well as an unfunny has-been. His writers are idiots too. That being said – that protest outside his studio that drew about 15 protesters was pathetic. Boycott his sponsors – call CBS, but organize a better protest – or cancel it.
And yet another person who doesn't seem to have actually researched what happened, but is happy to give his take on the issue. There were TWO jokes, Steven. The second (on a different night) was that Palin couldn't get Spitzer to keep his hands off the daughter. Again, the ONLY daughter there was the 14 year-old, and the only discernible connection is that Spitzer likes prostitutes. If you think that's funny (not from a shock comedian working the clubs, but a talk show host on national TV), then more power to you, but in the future could you please not "forget" the more offensive joke then lecture people on why they need a better sense of humor?
Sorry, I would be offended if any comedian uttered that joke about any child of a politician. I hated it when Limbaugh did it (and his was disgusting, but hardly rose to the level of calling a child a whore), and I hate it more when Letterman does it on a national stage. It's got nothing to do with not having a sense of humor, it's got to do with having class.
Speak for yourself there…. the first two I didn't even care about… but the Palin jokes… that went too far… Now I am not above laughing at satire… in fact, I live for it… but when you are calling someone a slut (or commenting that they look like a slut) and "joking" about having random acts of sex (regardless of intent) then that goes WAY too far in my book…
Can that really still be fairly applied when the "child" in question is an adult who is also a public figure themselves? Bristol Palin isn't just the governor's kid – she's a cable news talking head and a pro-abstinence public speaker, professionally.
Exhibit A & B, you're right about. I didn't take those so seriously. Exhibit C however, is something far different. Exhibit C was targeted at not one but TWO young girls. Exhibit C, in my mind, set women back a few paces because Bristol Palin has been mocked for months all because she had a moment of bad judgment and had a baby 10 years too early. This reminded me of the days when pregnant girls were sent away to have their baby in secret just save their parents the scorn. Are we that society again? I guess I took it personally because one of my close friends ( who was not a loose girl by any means but a virgin with her first boyfriend) had a baby when we were 16. Not only was she talked about behind her back and scrutinized by everyone we encountered with her growing belly, but once she gave birth she was verbally insulted in public by her best friends mother and was told she was no longer welcomed in their home or allowed to hang out with her friend anymore. She came to me in tears. She was embarrassed, hurt, lonely and scared of her future. I look at what my friend went through and just wonder how much WORSE Bristol Palin must feel. Subsitute a Brooklyn street with national television. High School was a nightmare for my friend and while she went on to a great college and is raising her son, those scars ran deep. I think when we become a society that doesn't protect our children but instead mocks them for their mistakes, it is only a stain on us. Letterman is the 62-year old version of the kids in my school that taunted my friend.
As many others have said, I normally like your stuff, but not this time. What bothers me most is the pattern of attacks on conservative women. The Playboy article on raping them, the attacks on folks like Jeri Thompson, the attacks on Palin during the campaign… and the continued attacks now.
I've never been a big womens-libber, because most of my adult life, I have just seen things getting better for women, and while there were still big problems like domestic violence, it seemed to be going the right way. Really for the first time in my life I would be willing to acknowledge a "new" group that needs some protection – conservative women. Most of these strong women would no doubt scoff at me claiming they need protection. But if we do not express our outrage it will never stop… having a sense of humor is what has gotten us to this point. Thinking that the Left would play by some set of rules is what has gotten us here. We need to respond, and we are.
"letting a grassroots boycott build for the defense of cleaning up culture a bit with dollars instead of trying to censor"
A drive to "clean up the culture" will ALWAYS lead to censorship of one form or another. Always has, always will. A society is either free, or it is not; and true freedom is NEVER "clean."
Just a point of correction, "Hate F*ing" is not rape, it's a term usually about having wild, uninhibited sex with someone you dislike, so there's no need for emotional attachment. Usually guys use it about ex-girlfriends, or women they know who are rude to them. It's offensive, but has nothing to do with force.
Letterman made a sad excuse for an "apology" twice. He deserved a punch in the nose for talking about a girl who's 14. Everyone knew Willow was with Sarah.
Wishing death upon Rush, while the president laughs is offensive.
Obama's special olympics "joke" was not funny. He is supposed to be the president representing our country and its best values, he is not a best friend from work. He should take his role as president seriously and not go on a late-night talk show and yucking it up. He sucks in comedy too.
These liberal comedians are pathetically anti-republican and make personal heinous attacks on those that are on the right. It's enough.
Bristol learned from her mistake of having sex underage. To compare her morals to A-Rod who perpetually cheated on his wife with a stripper and with an aging singer like Madonna is ridiculous Crowder.
We have to accept this garbage and constant PERSONAL attacks by the left? I don't think so.
Palin didn't lose the election. McCain did.
I'm not a big fan of demanding apologies from politicians, or comedians for that matter, for things they say. They generally mean exactly what they say and only come back and apologize after some sort of uproar. I think we should let them stand by their words and judge them in the future by them. I agree with you in principle, but I think the 3 examples you site are all different.
1. The Special Olympics joke was kinda cute, but I don't think it is a "politically correct" argument to say that the President of the United States shouldn't go on late night television and make a joke, while self deprecating, at retarded peoples expense. He should have apologized and did. I don't like Obama, but won't hold this against him. An offhand remark, though insensitive, "not outside the mainstream". What I did find offensive was the lack of a nightly joke for the following month at Obama's expense on Leno, Stewart, Maher and Letterman. IF GWB had done the same thing in 2002, we'd still be hearing about it on late night TV tonight. The best we'll get is probably Andrew Sullivan's latest investigation. Trying to determine whether Trigg Palen is actually retarded enough to bowl with Obama.
2. Wanda gets a total pass. Rush is a big boy and can take it. It wasn't that funny anyway or the worst thing ever said about him.
3. Making sex jokes about either a 14 or 18 year old girl, depending on the explanation you believe, is pretty much always in bad taste. I don't think Letterman should have apologized. He meant to tell a nasty joke directed at the Palins and use one of their daughters as the punch line. He isn't sorry he told the joke, he's sorry that it wasn't really funny and it pissed a bunch of people off. Again, don't demand an apology. He meant to offend the Palins and anyone who supports them, so just put that away. Any apology is fake, so why bother asking for one. If life were fair though, he'd be the butt of hundreds of jokes for the gaffe on the other late night shows and the joke itself highlighted on the network news shows. It won't, but get over it. If it's any consolation, he is getting some heat from groups like NOW. Let them demand the fake apology.
Sykes wished death on Limbaugh, Letterman called Palin and her teenaged daughter sluts, that's not comedy, those aren't jokes, they're insults. Except for what Sykes said which was a death wish.
What Letterman was trying to do was call Bristol Palin a slut when he told the A-Rod "joke". So you tell me, Steve: where's the humor there? What's so funny about some guy on TV calling an 18 year old girl a slut to amuse his audience? Where's the humor in wishing death on someone?
So, tell you what, Steve, WE'LL "get a sense of humor" when the "comedians" start telling actual jokes rather than throwing out demeaning insults in lieu of jokes.
I pretty much shrug off most of the above Dem "comedian's" crap except for two things:
Hoping someone's kidneys fail, not funny. The rest of her crap was lame but I guess some people laughed.
Targeting a girl because of her last name, not funny. The rest of the top 10 was so-so.
I agree with you on this one, but nonetheless, letterman kinda "stepped in it". For my money (and I haven't spent a cent on any of this) I thought his apology was decent. but letterman has to "walk the walk" from here on out.
He's cashed in most of the little bit a late night comic might have as far as political commentary authority. too bad for him.
Funny thing is, I haven't laughed at much of your stuff, Steve. A lot of it is in the "cute and loud" school of trying too hard.
I watched Conan last night trying to make funny in a wax dummies for sale warehouse. He was terrible. Wanda Sykes has humor that's mostly big loud mouth "I'm insulted" type stuff, not often funny. Craig Ferguson last night spent about ten minutes with a penguin puppet going on and on about gay German penguins he'd read about. Not funny. Fallon has to struggle to be funny consistently. Kimmel's pretty funny most of the time because he doesn't take himself so seriously. You and all the others I've mentioned here should get a clue; I might laugh. Most consistently funny guy ever? Bob Hope, solid Republican. Not always that nice in person, but funny. Spend some time on YouTube. Look at some Friars roasts. People are losing real humor these days and most of them are "progressives" getting progressively less funny by the day. Funny you didn't notice.
I used to spend every Monday night at the Comedy Store watching Robin and Marty and Taylor and Jim and the rest of the Comedy Store players. I was asked to be a member of the best improv group in New York. So I'm talking a little background here. Thou doth protest too much.
I love Crowder and I agree with most of this, but…
Don't you think that if Letterman was referring to Bristol, he would have said Bristol instead of daughter? It's instant name recognition and it's also a funny name, imagine saying it with Letterman's inflection Brrrrisstollll
Why can't Conservatives have a little indignation? The Liberals just won the presidency on false outrage! I mean come on.
Wow. So many good arguments have been made against Crowder's silly piece, I hardly know what to add. Except this: I really resent these assertions that my outrage over Gutterman's remarks was somehow "fake." My blood pressure was up for days over this. As I pointed out in another thread, I spent over $300 sending out letters of protest, donating to Sarah-related causes, etc.
What do you need, Crowder? A note from my doctor? There was absolutely nothing "phony" about my outrage.
Bravo BillyG, bravo.
Oh, man.
Full of sadistic goodness
"I can't recall your ever having made fun of a disabled person"
Nany Pelosi begs to differ
Actually the main reason to act offended about these leftie jokes is because it points up THEIR hypocrisy. If any conservative made a joke like any of the above there would be no END of the denunciations from the left. It's great fun (okay, it's puny little fun) to throw that right back at them, even though we hate the hypersensitivity of it all, and would not ordinarily give a rat's @zz.
Re: The Special Olympics joke told by "The One", it was offensive. He is the President of the United States who represents all Americans (even those will disabilities). But, what do you expect from someone who thinks it's all about him.
Children of Politicians should always be off limits. Gov. Palin does have a sense of humor and can laugh at herself. (She did go on SNL.)
Being mean-spirited and using vulgarity doesn't make one "funny". I think a true comedic genious is one who doesn't need to use those things in order to make people laugh.
And as for "playing the offended card", that is so insulting. That's basically calling everyone who was truly offended by letterman, liars.
It is rape if it isn't consensual. The only way that writer would be able to sleep with the women on his "list" would be by force.
The whole P.C. game is a mess. Consistency is required to play well and nobody can really win. Plus it makes life boring for the comedians. Definitely right about Letterman being lame, though.
I agree with Steve, but this "outrage" will persist until Letterman, Conan, Maher, Stewart, SNL begin giving it to the Democrats like they've given it to Republicans. If Letterman had followed his Palin joke with a bit about Obama making Biden wear a bicycle helmet and ride a short bus to the Naval Observatory, or maybe A-Rod and Biden's daughter swapping tips on drugs, no one would have cared. SNL and Letterman were downright brutal to Clinton in comparison to the kid' gloves treatment Obama has received. There's a thin line between brave comedian and court jester.
That said, I'm all for crushing political correctness, by any means necessary.
I agree with you til the Palin part. I do not think it's fair to attack anyone's kids, whatever age they may be just because they were born of a politician and mentioned a lot in the media during a campaign months ago. I would have been mad as cat dirt if someone said that about my daughter. What did she ever do to anyone? Not that I think it should be censored, but I do think that everyone had a right to be angry about that and make a fuss… what a low blow… way to make an 18 y/o girl who already realizes she made a mistake in life feel even worse because people make fun of her because of that mistake on late night TV.
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