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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321 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.
[...] Comedy is aggressive. But that doesn’t mean every stand-up routine or video should turn into a slasher movie. [...]
Personally, I was much more offended at the conservative women "Hate F**k" list. Now that little piece of work was no doubt intended to be funny, but it wasn't. Instead it came very close to portraying extreme sadism and angry misogyny. I didn't find it funny, and if it had been reversed and aimed at liberal women the feeling would've been exactly the same – disgust. Disgust that not only could a man write such a vile diatribe and have it published by a major magazine, but that our society has degenerated to such a degree that something like that could be proclaimed so widely & publicly as opposed to the backrooms of men's clubs and male locker rooms where it belongs (if it even belongs there).
The far-left seems to take great joy in highly offensive sexual jokes lately purely for the shock value and the cheap laughs. They've also acquired a severe fetish for the silliest of stereotypes when commenting about anyone who is white, conservative and/or Christian.
There's a Republican hack in S.C. taking all kinds of heat this week for a "joke" comparing Michelle Obama to a gorilla on his Facebook profile. And, rightfully so; he deserves the heat and all of the backlash he's receiving for his insensitivity. But the left conveniently forgets all the "Bush/Chimp" jokes that they dished out for eight years. That's a HUGE double-standard, despite any long-time cultural stereotypes associated with blacks and apes.
The left always wants it both ways, especially when it comes to insulting and degrading their opponents.
—- Steven, your #1 & #2 I can agree with, except for the "double-standard" by the left already mentioned. But #3 goes right along with the Playboy piece, in my opinion, and is below contempt, bordering on hateful bullying – something the left can dish out in heaping piles but gets offended at in a heartbeat if the target is one of their protected groups or one of their cult of personality heroes.
I salute Steven for his courage. Right-wingers don't like to have their faults pointed out to them. It's their nature to react with hostility at any hint of mild criticism. Now is the time for Mr. Crowder to step forward and assume a role of leadership in the Republican party before this vacuum of self-destruction creates an avalanche that not even Superman will be able to dig them out from. A two-party system can only work if the lesser party has enough sense to realize when they have become irrelevant.
From Steve: "Let's face facts…Bristol has a bad track record when it comes to sexual responsibility ". Sorry to be a stickler but Whoa! Are you sure this is what you meant because in my book sexual responsibility is not aborting the baby that can result from having sex. That is what Bristol did.
I get your point Steve, but on this one there is simply no 'there' there to make fun of.
The only thing you "salute" Steven for is saying something you couldn't put into words if you tried.
You merely "agree" with him, you don't care about his courage. Because if next week he says something you despise; you'll "salute" him with an F.U. for his cowardice.
Everything else in your post was pot=kettle B.S., hyperbole, pompous self-righteousness, and blatantly obvious asinine patronizing.
I'm with you Crowder.. this is the reason why everyone apparently thinks that Republicans don't have fun. I know that we are currently in the minority, but turning everything into an issue for some sense of political gain is going a bit too far. Instead of crying victim and complaining no one is coming to your rescue… just move on because not all publicity is good publicity when it comes to politics.
I think the GOP is really over indulging in a case of "what is good for the goose is good for the gander" I guess they saw how much fun the Dems had with it over the years they just couldn't resist. Well I think they have had their fun and made the point of how stupid it is to play these games. Maybe they should just start putting together better alternatives to Obama's insanity and start acting as conservatives for a change.
Then again we should just reanimate Reagan. Bring him back Resident Evil style.
"Zombie Reagan, slash taxes and eat Kim Jong's brain."
You do no know what freedom of speech means. Idiot.
Earl Camenbert… ahhh Second City Television… How great was that show…
What upsets me is not the jokes, but the double standard that the left has for the right. If these jokes were made regarding a liberal, there would be complete uproar, and Letterman would have been fired for sure. Look at Don Imus!
The reason Republicans have a problem with these jokes is that:
THERE'S NO COMEDIAN ON THE RIGHT FOR BALANCE!
Thus the right continues to take "comedic blows" & if they respond through a few funny sources – Red Eye & its guests, Miller, Beck – these people are often called hypocrites because we all know conservatives can't be funny, and banned from the mainstream (print and tv media, comedy clubs, etc.) for their views so they aren't even heard. Even these "comedians" aren't – they're pundits. Who is a COMIC who is also "conservative" manipulating the public? Any reviews of comedy shows such as Beck's just points out how unfunny he is (NYT, Vanity Fair) & has "low humor" for making fun of people's appearance (like Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot by Al Franken?). Total double standard by the left on the humor side as well. Both sides are guilty.
We need a mainstream comedian to get our views to a younger audience and bring humor in.
This is where you come in…
Evidently you don't actually read anything that's not first edited by helpful Liberals (just trying to make sure the news doesn't upset you). 20% of Americans identify themselves as Liberal, 40% as Conservative. So the only thing making Republicans irrelevant is politicians who haven't inspired the voters. When that changes, Liberals will go back to sniping from the hedges because they've been marginalized (not to mention Obama's jaw-droppingly ignorant fiscal policy).
[...] I was there I saw Smitty had some excellent advice for Steven Crowder, a callous and unfunny hack who lectured his betters yesterday at Big Hollywood because he is OK with humor that intimidates and bullies women. Word, [...]
These days there is a fine line between so called HUMOR and tactics from Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. I don't like double standards. And tacky sex jokes/comments about children and young girls/women should be off limits.
You're such a funny guy Steve, it's hard to believe that you think Letterman is actually funny anymore. Go figure.
No tiptoeing needed here, just give me a comedian that understands humor so I can laugh. Life's too short to be small.
I completely agree Steven. The whole Letterman thing is just bizarre. Protests? Over a joke?
Personally, my thing about the Special Olympics was that a grown man who cannot take jokes about his enormous ears probably should not "throw stones" about the disabled. Didn't take it as goofing on himself but denigrating the disabled. If he was known to goof on himself, the enormous ears again, then it would have been plausible.
[...] Lonewolf Diaries: Republicans Need to Grow a Sense of Humor by Steven Crowder [...]
Steven, your post offends me greatly.
O. K. and Wanda Sykes thing – figured Rush was a grown man "in the businesses" and would handle it as such; he handled it perfectly, btw. My beef was that the comedians are there to roast the prez and not Rush. Yes, she mischaracterized what he said completely but she also lame-brained the whole thing because it is suppose to be about ribbing TOTUS.
Flight attendants should be pissed as well as Sarah, Todd, Bristol & Willow!
My problem with the Letterman 'joke' was not only the implication of statutory rape but that it came on the heels of the Playboy column on their website discussing the 'hate f*** of conservative women. This is what the left thinks of women. Not funny.
I think Rick is onto something here.
No way Steven. I love your stuff and I agree about the humorless dorks in both parties, however, Letterman tried to weasel out of a mistake he made. The the press savaged Palin and made it into something it wasn't.
We can't stand down when the press is weaponized against people.
http://www.andimright.com/?p=313
I'm with those that saw that Crowder bombed on this one.
It's not the politically correct stuff – it's the DOUBLE STANDARD.
When BOTH sides can have a laugh at each other – for example, some of Bush's screw ups during speeches – it was funny most of the time, especially when he caught himself and was so self-deprecating; or how about that pic of Obama bumping his head on the door of Marine One – that is slapstick humor and many people would laugh at that whether they voted for him or not.
But the Sykes and Letterman's jokes were just not funny and were really cold and hateful. Again, if a Republican said the same thing about a Democrat, they would be skewered, so turn about is fair play in my book.
If Imus can get raked over the coals, then so should Letterman.
Again, it's the DOUBLE STANDARD more than anything else.
Trust me, I think Conservatives know how to laugh and make jokes. It's just hard to laugh it up when you are being labeled Extremist for just disagreeing with The One (see Krugman piece).
What does this comment have to do with the issue at hand? Nothing as far as I can tell, but it's good to know you have such an impressive background and can drop names so well.
Love ya, Steve, but here you're pushing to claim the coveted "Good Sport Award" from the MSM, previously claimed by the likes of David Brooks and John McCain.
Playing the outrage card has allowed the Left to tilt the cultural playing field so far in their favor that it's no longer recognizable. The left plays cultural hardball, and we play nice. Five years ago, had anyone suggested that a stunner like Carrie Prejean could be successfully dethroned as Miss California for daring to deviate from mandated recognition of gay marriage, you'd have said they were nuts. That's what playing for keeps gets you.
It is way past time for conservatives to start pushing back; and we can thank David Letterman for giving us the opportunity by leading with his arrogant chin. Thanks again to those conservatives who refused to "shut up and laugh a little," the usual MSM response of ignore-redirect-and-wait-out-the-outrage has given way to a second Letterman apology, and a sponsor pulling out from Letterman's show.
I was a little bothered by the left's supposed understanding of teenage mothers, to turn around and spew hate at one. Aside from that, I agree with you completely on the "rape" cries. This is why true rape victims aren't taken seriously… because people will toss such a strong and serious word out just to make someone else feel like crap.
And on another note, like CBS is going to fire Letterman. Their viewer base is left-leaning. A couple advertisers might cave and pull their ads, but they're not going to risk the only viewers they have.
The rest of it wasn't even enough for me to take note. I already knew the left loves to tell us we can't, but rarely do they accept conservatives returning the favor. They don't laugh at themselves, either.
Everyone pretty much needs a sense of humor.
…then YOU go at him with both barrels, feel free to aim low. Call out for whatever neighborly help you want. But jumping up on a soapbox and proclaiming your indignant outrage over an insult on the behalf of someone else, who hasn't even asked for your support, that market was cornered by Al Sharpton. Do you consider that good company to be in?
The Governor can handle the jokes aimed at her, even the hacky "naughty librarian" stuff that every two-bit Open Mic Night dolt has wallowed in the last year. But I don't blame her for drawing the line at her kids.
A hundred years ago, Letterman would have ended up stuffed and mounted over the Palin family fireplace. I always thought Sarahcuda had a bit of Andrew Jackson in her.
Steven,
I Agreed with everything you said. I just don't understand why Governor Palin made such a big deal of this joke. Letterman made a joke about her 18 year old daughter, who did get knocked up, by the way. Anyone with a brain could figure that one out.
Steven, Steven, Steven……I dont think we are humorless at all. I think we can all appreciate good jokes that are somewhat brainy and sharp…but jokes made by POTUS about being retarded isnt. I think the problem with that one was the fact that he should have known better. Thats not something you would say on TV as a man in his position. Sykes and the rest of the left usually make tasteless and vulgar jokes. I've made my own here too. I can re-tell my Barny Frank sperm bank bail out joke.. As for Palin, jokes about her daughter's sex life is just plain wrong. The girl doesnt deserve that spotlight on her. She did nothing to deserve to be the brunt of sex jokes on TV. Palin is a valid target. Calling her slutty is pretty lame though. We do have a sense of humor, trust us, we do. A good clean smart joke from a comedian, aimed at anyone, is always welcome. Trashy 7th grade jokes are for us novices.
The problem is that a left-wing comedian is *expected* to use the equivalent of constant thermonuclear bombardment from multiple orbital platforms in every joke against the political right and have an infrastructure in place to support that level of coordinated attack.
Considering the fact that there are no self-identified conservatives that greenlight major studio movies, run entertainment TV networks, publish magazines/comics, own a chain of comedy clubs, and/or fund Internet-based online social networks… how are the four living right-wing comedians supposed to retaliate against that?
The problem isn't that we're missing a sense of humor–it's the fact that the "rich" Republicans apparently don't want to spend any money on the entertainment industy.
I appreciate this comment… I really do. It's not that I can't defend myself, and I'm sure most Conservative women would say the same thing. But it's nice that someone recognizes that being a Conservative woman is kind of tough. I live in California so I pretty much have a bullseye on my back. Needless to say, I don't initiate many conversations about politics.
That is not what really happened, but close enough for normal late-night fact checking.
What sort of joke depends on the age of the audience and how "historically aware" they are. If young and not aware, he might have to explain about this being the first time he heard of a suicide bomber vest strapped to a rabbit.
I gotta be honest, your comment kind of baffles me. I personally didn't get on a soapbox on this issue. Though I'm sure you meant you figuratively.
But, by your logic, if I hear something that offends me personally, I'm not allowed to comment on it unless it's directed at me? I mean, I wonder who you're comparing to Al Sharpton here? There has been a big kerfuffle over this, and no doubt a lot of people are simply making political hay. But still… the comment was offensive and as a woman, and a mother, I think a lot of the outrage is genuine. It is on my part. And like a lot of people have mentioned, it's not just the "joke" in question, it's the double standard.
You know what's really interesting to me? The former Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is kicked out of office for trying to extort money and it gets some play, but not a whole lot. Then, he does all kinds of bizarre stuff, including an attempt to get on a celebrity reality show. I mean, this guy is media fodder all day long. But he gets very little coverage. Sarah Palin goes to New York and she's all over the place– mostly being mocked by late-night TV hosts. The woman can't do anything without being jumped on and her kids– just by virtue of being related to her– get thrown under the bus without a second thought. I can't think of another politician that has ever been under siege by the media that way. Blagojevich is crazy and I don't even know if he has kids– that's how untouched he's been by the media, and it's all because he's a Democrat.
That is a problem with a standoff, getting one side to put down their gun first.
However after witnessing the actual damage that mock outrage eventually yields, perhaps we will be better off letting people get annoyed by their BB gun attacks while we concentrate on artillery shells for 2010. The real outrage is out there, it is growing, and we better be prepared to wield it well.
I just recalled a funny fact. Back in the '08 race, David Shuster said this about Chelsea Clitnon: "doesn't it seem like Chelsea's sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?" David was then forced to air an IMMEDIATE apology AND THEN he was suspended for a MONTH. While he was gone all of his MSNBC co-hosts apologized repeatedly on his behalf. The left and the "feminists" were fuming that one of their own could be so sexist! Because you know Hillary is royalty to the left-wing women and Chelsea is untouchable. I will remind you that Chelsea is well over the legal age but yet the media coddled her like an infant. I guess "pimping" is far more ofensive than suggesting a MUCH younger girl having sex on a baseball field. Crowder's right. I need to grow a sense of humor about the blunt hypocrisy the left pedals.
In a polite society the best censorship is self-censorship. If we do not support the lewd and vulgar comedians and do support the clean ones then the problem will take care of itself. Virtually everyone knows of Bill Cosby, last I heard he still did sold-out shows. Anyone here know what Andrew "Dice" Clay is currently doing? Does anyone even know who he is?
Sorry, Mel Brooks might have been able to get away with this sort of joke, but then he seems to be more interested in, oh, being funny than slamming people he hated.
(Even Hitler. How many times has he been lampooned in Brooks's films?!)
I agree with you Steven, but at the same time I think the conservatives need to call the lefties whenever the blatant hypocrisy is blatant. A better example would be pointing out the way left calls anti-abortionists "Women haters" but then turn around and make jokes like those about Sarah Palin. It must be attacked.
On the other hand, as with example B, just ignore it. Class & left do not -do not- go together.
Tell you what – I'll get a 'sense of humor' as soon as the liberals get one – in other words, when they can laugh at themselves. Think about your so-called 'exhibits'….only one indication of self-deprecation and quite frankly Obama's ego is too big for him to pull that off decently. It came off as awkward, and has he poked fun at himself since?
I know plenty of conservatives who are able to laugh at themselves…it's hard to laugh when someone's insulting you. There's a huge difference between joking, teasing, or poking fun at someone and flat out insulting them. Those examples are not jokes, teases or anything like that – they're just bitchy insults.
I guess we conservatives just have to shut up and take whatever the left dishes out to us, right? I am sick of this crap, I really am. Nobody in the mainstream media is making fun of the left. Furthermore, we're just throwing their PC crap right back at them.
I agree, that's why I can watch South Park – they're equal opportunity offenders. To quote the 'Cartoon Wars' episode, either all of it is okay or none of it is. This whole thing right now is one-sided, so if it's okay to mock Palin like that then it ought to be okay to mock Obama the same way, with the same amount of vitriol. Of course, that will never happen, and it's a damn shame.
I meant conservatives period. I do not recall the Palin's asking for such outrage on their behalf. It was a personal attack, we should look to the people attacked for cues rather than jumping right in and escalating. You may comment, I have not said you cannot, it is the escalation that one should be cautious of.
Let me put it this way. You are on your front lawn minding your own business when a passerby says to you "Your kid is a fat ugly bastard!" Your neighbor runs over and says "Hey man, that's just rude!" Then, they should look to you. If you are willing to let it slide, fine, and your neighbor is free to shun this insulting individual if they choose. If you tell them to keep going, that is also fine. It is your family that was attacked, it is your decision. But if your neighbor keeps going when you tell them to lay off, and if in either case they start throwing punches, there is the line and it has been crossed.
We are free to shun Letterman, and show our displeasure with our own money. We voiced our concern when it first happened, which we are free to do. But now it is time to look to the Palin's for how to proceed. If they say it is over, we respect that and shut down the verbal indignation. If they say we can do what we want, we will act as is proper in helping a neighbor defend their family and drive the offender and his supporters before us straight into Hell.
However as Reverend Al does and we despise him for it, at this point our outrage is far more for our own benefit then it is for the Palin's. It is time to proceed as the Palin's want us to, which will be showing respect for the decisions a rational family makes concerning themselves, which is not a double standard.
Steven, crikey, what's happened to you? You aren't condoning that vile, rehearsed joke of Letterman's, are you? You who poke fun at liberals for making cliche's about Republicans, you who parody Joe Biden as the Rainman and spoof Nancy Pelosi while in drag, you who went ballistic about Obama's not honoring National Day of Prayer. You've seem to understand "the line" that can't be crossed, to make fun or tease but never viciously attack, but liberals cross that line into vicious attack mode all the time. This time, it was a child of a Republican politician who was denigrated. Not teased, but humiliated in a perverted, sexist fashion.
Liberal comedians and the mainstream media bash conservatives without shame or balance, mocking Bush and conservatives for more than a decade. With Letterman, he has been crossing the line for ages. I don't think it was solely the attack last week on Sarah Palin's intelligence and appearance and the sexist jibes at Bristol that outraged me, but the accumulation, the lack of fairness or balance. If no outrage or decrying is acceptable with his vile joke about "the Palin daughter being knocked up by Alex Rodriguez," then WHEN would outrage be acceptable? If no one had spoken against him on this, silence signals acceptance for him to malign politician's children, and next week, he'd lob an even more vile comment about one of her kids or another Republican's? When would be a better time, Steve, to say 'enough already' and have it actually be listened to, to maybe slow it down? Smiling and being polite hasn't worked. Where are the jokes about Biden's daughter Ashley, the daughter who is 27 who has a cocaine/drug abuse problem and has been arrested several times? Bristol Palin was just 17 when Letterman started humiliating her about her pregnancy. I don't think Ashley should ever be a target, but neither should Bristol. Letterman has treated her hypocritically, acted like she was Hester in The Scarlet Letter. When his own girlfriend was pregnant out of wedlock with his child, would he have been OK with another comedian nightly mocking her and her "promiscuity"? Of course not, nor should he be.
Conservatives, whether there is a Republican or a Democrat POTUS or Congress majority, are still the only punching bag for Letterman and other comedians. Conservatives have many flaws and laughable points, but heck, have you read the news lately? When will there be a Democrat joke, a Biden joke, a Barney Frank joke, an Obama joke from mainstream comedians? There is no balance and the bullying was getting worse and worse against Palin and her family. You can only turn "the other cheek" so many times. The outcry from this nasty misstep may make other comedians hesitant to continue to take cheap shots and just maybe observe and joke about the Keystone Kops in action in Obama's White House. If nothing else, Letterman knows what the reaction will be if he continues to attack Bristol or any of the other Palin kids.
You're off the mark on this one.
Right-wingers don't like to have their faults pointed out to them. It's their nature to react with hostility at any hint of mild criticism.
Okay, now I will be really insulted by your daring to insinuate Number 44 is a right-winger, by nature or otherwise. Have some respect for your President!
Lol! Okay, I'll grant you that one.
Very well said.
It's that darn double standard, it's just not fair. If Letterman had also insulted Obama's daughters everything would be OK.
I agree with everything except the Letterman bit. I don't recall anyone saying Letterman wanted to rape Willow, but he was laughing about what is considered 'rape' in our culture. Statutory rape is still rape. And if he was too stupid to research his material before coming on national TV and humiliating a 14 year old (he didn't say BRISTOL, he said DAUGHTER)… well Steven you just aren't a parent yet. Once you have a teenage daughter I have a feeling your feelings on this subject will change.
[...] I would have said, “Get over yourselves.” Steven Crowder is a bit more detailed. [...]
David Letterman (among others) is concerned about people who would frame his intent (but it was just a joke, man! The Palin teens are interchangeable! They are all just snowbilly sluts!) in a way that makes him seem hateful. But hateful he is, and very biased to Left.
Letterman's always used his platform to bash Republicans and promote the Left. Remember his remarks concerning John McCain's desire to postpone his appearance on his show to return to the Senate for a vote? Letterman's pushing Obama's agenda; he's never been neutral (remember Obama's remarks on Letterman's show? Lipstick on a pig !).
But, no, we, the RACIST! opposition, can't play the ‘frame intent any way we damn well please’ game, eh, Dave? Steven? And why not?
It’s about time we started replying to these bastards in kind. Saul Alinsky would be proud, and damned if I’ll feel ashamed. We are facing a 24-7 Community Organizer who never stops campaigning. We are losing big time. They are using the Rules of Alinsky, and what should we do? Sit on our fingers and grin and bear it?
If we don’t use and play by the full set of rules our adversaries use, we’ll fail at the game. Can we afford to do that, given the stakes?
Get Letterman. Blood in the water, and all of that.
I think this sentiment has been shared in this thread, but I'll say it anywat. The issue for me isn't that conservatives need to laugh and shrug these things off. It's not about the comedy. NONE of the instances you mentioned were at all funny. Not even close. The issue to me is the double standard in letting everything a conservative says get the death penalty (Lott losing his leadership position for saying something nice about about an old friend). But if we ignore them or laugh them off as you suggest, you seem to hold out hope that at some point, the media will start to say, boy, those conservatives are cool. Look at the way they don't worry about these trivial things. The problem is, there is no chance that will happen. So we will be the pacifist that is getting rolled by anyone with stick in their hand.
Now, don't get me wrong. I harbor little hope that by pointing these things out, the left and the media (redundant) are going to say, you know, we need to stop this because it's escalating on both sides. But I think that has a 100% greater chance of happening than if we sit idly by and hope they stop with the thought police.
Offended card, two names Sharpton and Jackson
I don't think the Palin issue is phony outrage. Whether he meant Bristol is beside the point, Willow was at the game. A joke about a grown man having sex with a 14 yr old girl is a joke about rape. Bottom line. I agree everybody needs a better sense of humor but the Letterman issue has nothing to do with being PC. It is about what society accepts and what is unacceptable. Dave (and the rest of us) have learned that jokes about 14 yr old girls is unacceptable. Rape jokes are unacceptable (hear that Bernhard?). And they should be.
A few times. I recall a making-of documentary about The Producers (the Broadway show) and Mel Brooks said very often (but not all the time), the best way to defeat the other side is to mock them and make them look stupid.
And this is partly my problem with some folks here who claim they never watch TV or they never go to the movies. You're free to spend your money on whatever you want but if you don't support the good movies and good shows with good messages and talent, then all that will be left are the bad ones. I suppose HBO is a better example. I totally understand people not wanting to subscribe because of Bill Maher but then HBO turns around and airs something like Taking Chance and it gets some of HBO's highest ratings in years.
Steve, you are right. We do need to lighten up. Though I do take umbrage with the Palin thing for one reason:
Letterman said: "Her daughter got knocked up by Alex Rodriguez during the 7th inning stretch…."
Now, are we supposed to read Letterman's mind, realize he is an ignorant boob and didn't know that the 14 year-old Willow had accompanied Sarah to the game, not the 18 year-old Bristol? Or were we suppose to take him at face-value, think he had a clue about who was actually at the game, and assume he knew it was the younger daughter, but hey since it is Sarah Palin I can say whatever I want?
So you see the problem here, I hope. Had he said something like that about Obama's daughters he'd be collecting unemployment right now.
Sorry, Steve ( I like you, but)-
I'm offended.
Giving someone the right to free speech does NOT force me to accept them. Comedians and Comediennes have devolved into the lowest common denominator in a society that I am, as a grown-up, protecting.
Yeah, I'm a lone-wolf I know. Fuddy Duddy.
Here's something that may make you a little uncomfortable– you have a very self-serving position–as a comedian, yourself.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
There is a difference between freedom of speech and slander, which is what Letterman did. You can say whatever you want to, but you have to face the consequences. Sometimes, there are legal and civil consequences for what you choose to say. That's why there are libel/slander laws, and why there are Hate Speech laws.
I'm of two minds on this. Sure, the left has written the field manual on greivance politics and crying 'I'm offended" at every inane comment uttered by conservatives. I get why we'd like to use that same weapon against the liberals. The problem is, by using their tactics, we become humorless douchedrinkers like them.
Steve I normally agree with you, but these “jokes” are an example of the beating we conservatives have taken for decades, unanswered. The left never fails to pick up whatever club they can find and start flailing away, any misstep by a conservative is magnified to the point of a national scandal. Now, many of the stereotypes have taken hold with the public, we must push back and keep pushing until we get these moonbats back in their holes. This is not a laughing matter but the future of this great country, and though it may be childish and immature we must push back.
Fantastic post. I've often heard the excuse that because we live in the world, we're exposed to all the awfulness out there. And that may be true, but that doesn't mean we have to pay our own money to experience it. There's a famous rhyme that goes along with this:
"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace."
-'An Essay on Man', Alexander Pope
I'm just sick and tired of watching every single stupid thing on TV attacking republicans in general and the Palins specifically.
It's old and lame and it's all we're subjected to on a daily basis. Jon Stewart may be a sharp comedian, but he's also a coward. Same goes for every other left-wing hack out there. There is a boatload of material just sitting there from the Obama administration and none of them are touching it. Instead they go back to the same old lame attacks on Sarah Palin and her kids.
Maybe it would be funny if it were original….maybe…..
You are spot on, JGentry. Our family is ditching the tv and movies…..we are starting on Independence Day. Looking forward to game nights with the kids.
Best. BH Column. Ever! The Andrea Peysers of the world shold take notice…
Steve it's not just about the jokes. This is about visceral anger and disgust with the cultural 'elite".
That's it in a nutshell.
Just and wise words indeed and I give you a plus (+) for them. And in a "perfect" world this would be a law of common sense, however, my Jewish ancestors in pre WWII Europe thought the same. Didn't work out too well for them. Luckily for me and my sibs, my grandfather and grandmother saw what was comming and escaped before it was too late.
As a conservative, this is a hard pill to swallow but I think youre right Steven.
I'll give you the first one, but can't do it on the last two. Wishing death on someone and sex with aminor are just NOT funny in my opinion. Well written on your part though.
troll.
I agree, let it go! Not a big deal, just alienating younger people. Sure it deserved a comment that it was innapropriate but it did not deserve to be talked about for a week!
I am with you on this Steven. I found myself driving home thinking about the Letterman thing and wondering how to reconcile free speech with douche speech – aka political correctness and I can't. I get that some of you are saying turnabout is fair play, but why even accept the premise? Yes it's a double standard, yes all three of these were cruel and unfunny, but we have to let them say it and make fun of them for saying it instead of trying to be like them.
Screw PC.
Ditching it all? Even stuff you might otherwise watch? (And I say this as a fan of family game nights, too.)
In the name of humor, I propose we use the comments section to make fun of Steven Crowder's mom. After all, as long as you label it comedy anything goes. I'll start:
Steven Crowder's mom is a herpes infested whore who sucks dick for loose change. Just kidding!
Steve, care to lead us off with the first Sasha and Malia statutory rape jokes in your next post? C'mon! Grow a sense of humor.
If Letterman had stopped at the flight attendant "joke" (such as it was), then you would have a point. But his high school intern writers couldn't contain themselves. They had to seek deeper into the gutter.
Well, jackass, freedom of speech applies to the government. You know…the whole "Congress shall make no laws" thing. In this case, private citizens voting with their dollars and potentially getting someone fired…that's freedom of speech too.
Freedom of speech doesn't get you a free pass from the consequences of your speech. It just means you can't be jailed for it.
Remember when CBS stood by Don Imus after he made a politically incorrect crack about some college girls? Oh wait, they fired him for that.
Some wiseasses are more equal than others.
I think folks are starting to miss the point. The point was that the right has begun to mirror the hypersensitivity that the left has been doing for years. They are being just as dishonest about it as the liberals are when they feign outrage.
Letterman was stupid. He made a joke that he thought was about the legal aged daughter of Palin being promiscuous. It turned out that he mistook the of age daughter for the actual under aged daughter. That turned a bad joke into an unintended bad joke about statutory rape (i won't go into how statutory rape differs from rape).
Palin was 100% correct to call Letterman out on it and demand an apology. It was her right. Letterman was stupid not to quickly apologize but instead offered his typical half assery responses. The right was stupid to pretend to be outraged as the same level of the left in a similar situation. It is dishonest.
Steve's column was not funny this week, but it makes a point. Instead of aping the left in these situation we need to respond like rational human beings. Move beyond this and start providing alternatives to the insanity they are producing.
Steve,
I agree with your main point that PC should wither away and die. All of these examples are best described as Republican's attempting to hoist democrats on their own petard and having no help from the Media.
Dems always take offense and demand firings, and with the MSM megaphone it works. Without any apparatus to get the word out it doesn't.
I don't fault any republican for the natural desire to point out a double standard, but it hasn't completely worked in any specific case. Until some angry father takes matters into his own hands to demonstrate his outrage to the slick idiot comedian that jokes about underage daughters ought not be uttered, the Letterman issues will continue. That is (and I apologize for bringing up another issue) the whole point for not publicly lampooning Islamic extremists in MSM comedy, comedians are afraid (except you, and thanks for that).
Well…I'll still watch Discovery Channel and the news. Beyond that, I'm done.
Palin's best response would have been to tell Letterman she'd like to invite him on a hunting trip.
okay, maybe I"m missing it.. but shouldn't there be a sarcasm tag in there somewhere Steven… or are you REALLY thinking this way?
Exhibit a) Everyone I know on the right thought it was a very good crack by President O. It fell flat with the audience on the show… and it aggravated teh people on the "LEFT", who were screaming bloody outrage at making fun of special olympians.
Exhibiit b) Death on a person? No… Joking about death.. okay. Joking about wishing death on someone? No…
Joking about a terrorist on 9/11 (aka, referring to Rush as the 20th…)… No. We wouldn't do that to anyone on the left, right, OR center.
Exhibit c) NO… Rape is NOT a joking matter. We wouldn't have laughed about it if it were the Obama daughters,so why should we laugh about it when it was the Palin daughters? NO, no, no…
What I find wrong Steven, but there are certain lines that should NEVER be crossed., yet your post seems to say "it doesn't matter what the subject is"?
Or is it only grotesque and down-right mean spiritedness what passes for humour now? Maybe I'm getting to that "old-fashioned" midlife age, but there are certain things that aren't funny… and you picked three examples that fell in that area.
As for conservatives and a sense of humor: Look at all the Bush cracks… (other than the "Chimp" ones.)… how about Cheney and the "Hunting Party" jokes… how about Quayle and the "Potatoe" joke… Or Larry Craig and the airport restroom/homosexual jokes… or David VItter and the prostitute jokes…
Many of those have been funny and earned a laugh or two… but two of the three that you just happened to pick don't fall in the funny range, they're just mean and nasty, and as such have no purpose as being considered funny. (again, I personally thought the bowling joke was a good one…)
Don't have kids.
witty and original comeback, ddaichiro.
Your way off Stevey. I don't care if it's a Republican or a Democrat, you start making jokes about my 14 year old daughter being a whore and you will get my fist right between the eyes.
Republicans do not need to lighten up, the Democrats need to find some standards, but then again, when your Heroes all belong to the GLBT Community, WTH.
If you think Letterwoman's comments are funny you have a warped,demented sense of "humor".I wish that Todd Palin would meet DL on the street one day and you as well,we'd see how humorous that would be,I'd really think that funny.
Hey Letterman,,, I hear ya had a son born in Choteau, Montana, is that where the men are men, and the sheep are scared ?
,
I'm a liberal and I agree with Mr. Crowder.
A President Palin (God forbid) would run like a scared little schoolgirl from al Qaida if she is so bent out of shape over a joke.
Had Letterman made a funny ha ha joke about President Obama daughters being raped at NY baseball game or that President Obama wife dresses as a " slutty stewardess " CBS would have fired Letterman and you and MSM would not defend him.
Actually, its more like attending a large 4th of July party and having your drunk neighbor proclaim on the microphone that your daughter is (a) a slut, and (b) got impregnated by one of the players at the softball game. Its not just the context, its how widely it was distributed. When someone like Michael Richards gives his racist remark person to person, that's one thing. When he spouts it over a microphone to a large audience, its quite another. It should be addressed by the "community" because its a form of shunning the perp for wrongdoing, its not just a message to ostracize the speaker, but to set a boundary for what is acceptable. The punishment for such behavior needs to be demonstrated in order to be effective. Note that the Dixie Chicks suffered a similar situation and subsequently artists that wished to engage in that behavior knew what to expect for their remarks.
This is how a society works, it set mores and standards and then demonstrates the punishment for breaking those. Understand?
But it wasn't Bristol that was the the butt of those jokes. It was Willow. Willow was at the game, and its not like that information wasn't publicly available. No.. it was a cheap shot meant to hurt Palin written by bitter lefties who let their political agendas dictate their writing. I apprecaite good satire, even about those I respect and admire(like the shooting rats joke), but the moment he attacks family is the moment a line is crossed. If he would have said Bristol instead of 'Palins daughter' then that would be one thing, because Bristol has stepped into the public arena. Bristol was not at the game, however, Willow was. Willow, a 14 year old girl was the butt of that joke. And then he went back to that well the next day, equating (it could be argued) Palin's daughters (I remember it being plural, but I could be wrong) with Spitzers hooker.
Regardless of how Letterman and his writers intended, the fact remains that it was Willow that was targeted.
Wanda Sykes just isn't funny.
Yeah Steve, we should totally laugh it off when people go after the children of their political opponents. Crappy analysis.
Camanbert rules!
Not to pick nits, but the reason a lot of people have a problem with Letterman's schtick is it's brainless hackery.
He reflexively slams the entire Palin family around seven months after the election she lost, yet David Letterman can't muster a single joke about the guy currently running the show. This supposedly genius comedic talent can't even come up with a tepid big-ears crack about Obama, but a failed VP candidate and her kid shows up to a Yankee game, and out comes the gutter material.
While I'm not 100% on board with the 'Down With Dave' movement, I can understand why people are pissed off and want to nail him. At this point, he's not functioning as a comedian, he's a network television shill for the left and the Democrat party. People who protest him aren't seeing 'funny haha' Letterman, they're viewing him as just another left-wing partisan mouthpiece.
This has nothing to do with politics, but with common sense and common decency. In all three examples you cited, jokes were made of people with disabilities or of children who should be protected from ridicule, expecially sexual ridicule. This is humor? No, it's the big bully kid in middle school bullying smaller kids. That Crowder continues to defend these jokes reveals that he is the one with a very lame sense of humor — it really isn't funny to make undeserving people the butt of ridicule — it's nasty, bitter and shows an inner void where character should be. In Dave's case, he has always had low self-esteem and an obvious case of OCD, which is papered over with vanity. As the proud father of a bastard, he really has no room to pinion others.
Much as I objected to the joke itself (mainly due to the fact it was so sloppily constructed as to be amatuerish), the fact is that 18-YOS are "legal" re. M-F consent in EVERY state in the union (in Alaska it's 16!); Letterman never mentioned or directly referred to any kind of rape, which is what many neo-cons wrongly claimed he did…as to Letteroldman's mistaken belief that Bristol was at the game when it was Willow, it attribute that to the early stages of Alzheimer's…
Republicans don't need "to grow a sense of humor." The point of the outrage stems from the obvious double-standard that exists between conservatives and leftists. I laugh at Dick Cheney hunting jokes. And how could you not chuckle a bit when George W. Bush has another epic confrontation with a sentence. He even laughs at that.
You're "exhibits" are tangential at best. There was no massive outrage after A and B. Palin released a little statement on the Special Olympics crack, and no one really cared about Wanda Sykes at all.
On the other hand, the Lettermen jokes were out of control. You couldn't IMAGINE "jokes" like that told about a leftist woman or her children — and nor should you. They have no place in general discourse.
We get angry BECAUSE of the double standard. Perhaps, Steven, you should've written a piece about Hussein Obama's notorious lack of a sense of humor.
What about his reaction to the New Yorker cover? I thought that was pretty freakin' hilarious, but he was certainly angry.
I don't think most conservatives mind the bad humor per se. It's just that it comes from the self-same people who call Limbaugh a hate monger when he does similar humor, like "Barack the magic Negro" or his "feminazi" schtick.
It's not the humor that bothers me. It's the hypocrisy.
Well said, Pups…You have framed the issue perfectly.
A reasonable comment that gets (at least) FIVE negative votes? Obviously (at least) five mouth-breathers who just didn't get the point at all!
How do you know he didn't, genius?
You can lecture Republicans (or, more correctly Conservatives) about their sense of humor when comedians start targeting the Obamas for ridicule in the way all Republican presidents have been ridiculed.
Physician, heal thyself.
Where's Chris Hanson when you need him?
Macaca.
Are you serious they are masters of misdrection at conservatives peril and Littlemans remarks are mothers milk to them. This is not the first time that Steve Crowder proves his confusion. He is just another supposedely shocker not……..
Well put.
Because you "just can't figure it out," you need to read the rest of the comments, if your brain is up to it. They are running decisively against the idea of making sexual jokes about children, and about the hypocrisy of the leftwing, who make crude jokes about political opponents but cry and moan if the right jokes about one of their own. Grow up.
So KII, do you find the murder of an Army recruiter by a Muslim terrorist "offensive", not to mention the killing of a security guard by an old-fart Nazi, compared to the OPINIONS of others? NO??? Well, you need to get over yourself then!
Yes, Imus got fired, but he also got a $20 million payout for the time he was out of work (amouting to a well-paid vacation), and subsequnetly landed another job, where he's been boring ever since, so stop crying and bemoaning over his fate already!
I know one thing… I'm a Republican and I laugh at me allll the time..
"wrongly" fired, may I point out…
Spoken like a comedian. I suppose this is the part where I'm supposed to congratulate you for being "brave" enough to criticize the most popular Republican (Palin). Oops, not gonna happen.
Listen, I'm the first to laugh when a funny joke is made of a conservative as well as a liberal. I agree that Republicans can take themselves too seriously.
But the Palin daughter thing was not cool and not funny, I don't care which daughter it is. The outrage was not phony. Family is not fair game.
There are legitimate criticisms to be made of the Republican Party, and I participate in dishing those out. This is not one of them.
Congratulations on your first asinine blog post, Stephen. On behalf of offended conservative and liberal women everywhere, I fully intend to bop you on the head with my foam bat when you come to the next Houston Tea Party in July.
-a big fan.
WAY too much thought and insight than that incident deserves!
Bernhard's bit was even worse because he (not a misprint) didn't even attempt to be funny, unlike Letterworm, who just bungled it as he too often does at this point; at least Sam Bernhardtolookat properly crawled back into the hole she came from once she belched her POV!
Obama's half brother was denied entry into Britain because he's a sex offender. I'm sure Dave can come up with a joke or two about that. Right Dave?
You are demented. She is not afraid of a joke, she is strongly defending her daughter's honor.
Grassroots, Bob. As a conservative, when people band together to use their own time and money to influence something, I often don´t agree with their goals. But that is what liberty is.
"society is either free, or it is not"
Obama might call that a false choice and for once he would be right.
"True freedom is never clean."
Do you have a right to pee in your kitchen sink? Yes. Do you have a right to pee in your kitchen sink with the windows open in front of all the world? No.
Pups McCann… is that a Steely Dan reference or a John Cusack reference? I love, love, love Steely Dan.
They're too busy being "offended" to take notice, protesting (ALL 50 of them!) a week after the fact (not to mention TWO apologies, one of which was accepted), led by the hypocritical likes of John "who's he?" Ziegler; Google "John Zielger" and "New Dating Show" to find out what a stinking hypocrite HE is!
You mean the same Andrea Peyser who told someone "her stupid cat deserved to die"? Way to be classy!
The reason the left uses this as it's modus operandi is because it is EFFECTIVE. Especially when one has a sympathetic media to nod and sagely say, "Yes. How can you be so insensitive?" every time they bring something like this up on a conservative. And I totally understand why the left would wish for conservatives to be prohibited from using one of its most effective tools. They own it. And they do it better, at least it looks so, because of the sympathetic medium.
It doesn't work for conservatives because one must have a sympathetic media to make it stick. As a tool, it actually DOES belong to the left. I'm not particularly fond of us using the left's tools. That being said, there actually ARE things that the left does and says that are outrageous, and if the conservatives are to give up their right to point them out, unsympathetic press notwithstanding, we give up our right to speak. And I don't thing that is for the best.
While I think the whole Palin – Letterman joke issue was massively overblown, if Letterman had made a joke that could have been taken as offensive to the Obama kids in even the slightest way, he would be out of a job. If Letterman made a fraction of the jokes about Michelle Obama that he does about Sarah Palin, he would be out of a job. The double standard is stunning and I have a hard time being critical of those who call attention to it.
Scott, here's the difference, and let's keep this to networks at the moment as HBO is one of those exceptions (since they don't really have advertisers)…
I'm a huge fan of Numbers for instance on CBS… I'm not going to boycott an entire network because of something I want to see.. but I am going to refuse to watch that specific hour that DL is on… I refuse to watch any network news channels because of how they slant, but if the "Goode Family" is on (or the Unusuals)… I'm going to watch those, but I'm still not watching the network news…
You may comment, I have not said you cannot,
Thanks for your permission.
[kidding!]
Dude, I don't know how old you are, but I'm guessing you're too young to remember much about Ronald Reagan (you know, "The Gipper").
The man believed in common decency and courtesy – which at one time were considered to be conservative beliefs. Now we have all the whining about "political correctness" – get over yourselves already. Making fun of mentally handicapped people is the kind of thing your mother would tell you wasn't a nice thing to do – why has that changed? Are we better off if we "get a sense of humor" about "retards"?
Seriously, some conservatives need to grow up.
I was thinking the same thing. I remember when I was younger and people would say you'll understand when you're older and I'd roll my eyes… But there's no denying that it's true. Steven will understand, someday…
Steven, I think you're missing the point. This is the game the Left has been playing for years now, and it's extremely important that they learn it can cut two ways…at last.
In the first place, Letterman's second night was an in-your-face trumping of the first one – the Spitzer joke named Bristol as a prostitute. That's not only unfunny, it's vicious. Don't defend that, please, Steven, don't rationalize it, don't laugh it off.
In the second place, Letterman should be crushed, fired, made unemployable, thrown out on the street in sackcloth and ashes. Not because we're angry with him, Steven, but because we can. That's the game the Left has been playing since Alinsky codified it, and their majority status now puts them right in their own cross-hairs. Please, no sanctimonious bleatings that we are, or ought to be, above all that. Everyone ought to be, but the winners aren't. We'll stop when the two sets of rules the Left wants us all to follow become one again.
Not buyin' it, Steve. But what I would like to see is some of the GOP types (you) stop bashing the GOP. Now that would lighten things up.
And your piece about Bristol Palin having a track record of irresponsibility. Hmmm. I suggest she's fifty gazillion times more responsible than any teen whose had had an abortion. But we're not going to talk about that, are we? In fact, since we're lightening up, I'm going to suggest that the Obama girls will most likely have their own personal abortionist since daddy doesn't want them punished with an unwanted human being. Oh, and Chelsea Clinton? How many abortions do think that she's had? Amy Carter? In fact, how many women and men who stand ready to throw stones at Palin use abortion as birth control? But folks like you insist that the irresponsible one here is Palin.
Maybe responsibility is also watching what comes out of your mouth. Is that too heavy for you?
Steven Crowder is right (Gabby Johnson is right, not only was it authentic frontier jibberish . . .) and he hinges on the most important issue of the day. The first amendment, the Constitution in itself does not guarantee you or me the Right To Not Be Offended. If anything, the Constitution is an affront to any who hate liberty.
P.C. can't be a 'double standard' if we who are reasonable and funny will not use it as a currency. P.C. should carry all the weight in trade of a widget or a Wonka Bar. It should be regarded as a child's game standard like "no backsies" or "you can't triple stamp a double stamp, Lloyd."
If we're not careful to not be so careful, no one will be able to watch or quote 'Blazing Saddles' and cutting edge comedy will be "My Two Dads" re-runs.
Untwist your panties, people. It's more sexy and comfortable!
Thanks for the reply, Mark_S. I totally understand and I know it's a matter of degrees for some people. Sadly, with the proliferation of reality TV, I admit my network TV viewing is down too. (But that's a rant for another time.)
I remember the Gipper when he said on national tv "We Bomb Russia in 5 minutes" Thought that was hillarious.
It isn't a question of humor. There is an ongoing use of veiled hatred being sold as humor that is being used to try and marginalize anyone or anything that does not support the lefts position. These "jokes" are not jokes, but weapons and a line of attack against the core values of this country. We need to stop trying to be reasonible and start intelligently responding. Being the bigger person and pretending that mud slinging doesn't work will just leave us covered in mud. The trick is how to respond without sounding childish or whiners.
[...] STEVEN CROWDER: Republicans Need to Grow A Sense of Humor. [...]
Steven,
Try making those jokes about Obama's daughters and I'll grant you that Letterman's jokes were funny, OK?
But of course, you would never do it because you are a wimpish comedian that covers for other so-called washed up comedians.
In the end you're just another faux conservative that is blinded by the Obama sun, attempting to get past your Lone Wolf status here and get some more attention.
Well good. You got the attention this time, but I am most definitely going to ignore you from now on.
What other choice do I have? Get you fired?
and you would know that HOW? *wink*
I would be willing to give the Left a pass – if they had given conservatives a pass. But liberals NEVER pass up an opportunity to play the Perpetually Indignant card.
Time to pay them back in their own coin. With interest.
It's easy to have a sense of humor when you're trying to destroy all of society's institutions and can laugh at the futile efforts of those trying to not let it happen.
It's not so easy when you're the one scurrying around trying not to get hit by the flying debris when the institutions are collapsing. But at least the folks pulling them down are having a good time. Haha!
The Constitution, the rule of law, the economy, fiscal continence, the dollar, the Church, the family, private property, a strong foreign policy, and more are all falling faster than ash and lava during the Mt. Vesuvius eruption. Hah hah! That oughta knock 'em dead.
I bet Imus wishes he had gotten off for his much less creepy remark about nappy headed hos. I guess it depends on whether the people you are insulting are in a protected group or not.
Well, Steve, you're wrong on all three counts.
Two of them, Republicans weren't upset by the comments, but by the PASS Obama was getting from the Media when far lesser comments were costing Republicans their very careers (be they in politics or not). Obama, as a bona-fide Liberal, has one set of rules, and 'regular people' have another. That's why there was a bruhaha over it all, the sheer hypocrasy of how these comments are treated for no more reason than having a political ideology that matches that of the media at large.
As for Palin's kids, The fact that you're not outraged about a so-called comedian laughing about raping political opponents frankly disturbs me greatly. This level of dehumanization of Republicans, particularly ones which break the 'Democrat Narrative' is right out of Goering and Gobels, and is a deliberate follow-up using Alinsky's rules. The joke is a simple message, it's not only okay to rape conversative women, we're actually going to laugh about it, and tell the poor 'sluts' that they had it coming.
There's no way in hell I'm ever going to agree with that.
Now that would have been funny! It would have proved that God does have a sense of humor.
I only half agree. The special olympics comment was absolutely awful, and I think it needed to be brought up, to level the playing field if nothing else. Wanda Sykes? I couldn't care less what she says thinks (wait, thinks?) or does, I agree with you. And as for Letterman, while I don't care about HIS comment any more than anyone else's, I think the concept of half of the country bullying one high school girl is pretty awful. That's all it is, too, it's just bullying. The left should learn that simply making jokes based on mocking an "other" whether that is a teenage mom, a special needs child, or even someone who doesn't agree with you, is not clever or funny. The right should NOT pick up on the left oversensitivity, but if anyone on the right had done any of the three things you listed, I would not appreciate it, either.
Steve, I disagree completely. Until the rules of decency are equally applied to both sides, it is essential to fight back. The Palin-Letterman imbroglio was an unmitigated triumph. To see that gutless, sniveling turd have to apologize and grovel was priceless. To see the NOW actually defend Palin was priceless.
The Carter bombing – even Letterman's doofuses (doofi?) could make that funny – all you have to do is repeat it to anyone with some level of political awareness. Suicide bombers probably balked at the assignment…
BTW Steve, the Olberman-Sotomayor video was OUTSTANDING.
I'm not offended by any of these people. I don't expect much from them in the first place. What I am offended by is the outrage had things been said about Obama, Hillary, Michelle, Pelosi, etal … and the MSM would drum them into resigning or being fired.
Yes, a sense of humor. What is funnier than child molestation?
Oh sorry, I knew which Palin kid was at the ballgame, so the child molestation joke sounded to me like a child molestation joke… I guess I should have tried to pretend the joke was about an 18 year old girl instead of a 14 year old so it would sound funnier.
And the Eliot Spitzer joke the next night… lets compare Palin's kids to Spitzer's proclivity for prostitutes. If you can't joke that a kid is a hooker, what fun can you have?
I need another laugh… should I go download kiddie porn now? I mean since child molestation is so funny, clearly a depiction of it would only be for humorous content, right? Or am I somehow misreading how and why child molestation is funny? I wonder why the Youtube funny video section doesn't have a lot of kiddie porn, seeing as it's apparently really funny to a lot of people like Crowder here.
Oh, wait. We're pretending he meant the 18 year old… so it's only legal age hookers that are funny. Why can't I find funny videos of that? It's like Youtube doesn't get what is funny either. No death, no hookers, no child molestation… they need to get a sense of humor too. Right Crowder?
Wasn't it Saul Alinsky who urged that one must hold the enemy up to their own standards?
It has worked quite well for the Left in its attacks against the Right. Why shouldn't we tit for tat on this one? It's not an immoral tactic on its face.
Listen to any leftie ranting about Rush Limbaugh, even outside of the context of this conversation, and within 2 minutes they will bring up Rush Limbaugh making fun of Chelsea (it was actually one of the guys in his screening room, but whatever). That was, like, 20 freaking years ago, and they're still whinging about it. How about getting on their case for having no sense of humor?
Qwinn
Oh, let's also note that the Left uses this tactic of mocking the families of conservatives in order to silence us. Who wants to go into politics knowing their families will be subjected to this? Families should be off limits. Obama certainly insisted that his family is, and certainly no one has mocked his children that I know of (Michelle is different, she's injected herself into the politics and is fair game).
Qwinn
So, Freedom of Speech, and the Constitution means anyone can say whatever they want, and there should never be any repercussions, not just from the Government but from anyone anywhere ever; or else they're violating the rights of the speaker?
Go walk into your bosses office and call him/her every possible name you can imagine. Start with child rapist and necrophiliac and work your way down; then claim your First Amendment rights give you complete freedom to avoid any repercussions for that action.
You may be surprised to find that the Constitution limits the actions of the Government, and not your boss… who will most likely fire your ass for being as stupid as you seem to be. But feel free to prove me wrong on this one.
I'm sorry that you somehow believe that nobody should ever be held responsible for their actions… or that you believe that never holding anyone responsible for their actions would be a good thing. Understand that this isn't the intent, use, or meaning of the Constitution; and some people believe actions have consequences… and that they should.
This isn't about humor and lightening up. It's about the left's systematic use of political correctness to try to push conservatives and their ideas out of acceptable political discourse. If Rush calls Chelsea a dog, it's hate radio. If Dave says Bristol or Willow is a whore, we need to lighten up. I'm sure that some on the right are genuinely outraged. A lot of us, though, are just calling the left on the double standard in order to neutralize one of the tools they use to try to turn the political dialog in this country into a self-congratulatory leftist monolog.
I disagree that the Right was "pretending to be outraged" by Letterman's comments. I think most of us really were pissed.
I remember during the elections, all of Obama's demands that his family, including his wife, be excluded from criticism because they weren't the ones running for office. I don't remember a single slur, joke, or inappropriate Photoshop of Sasha or Malia from the majority Right (I'm sure some fringe loser did something) for the entire election or since then. However, from the moment their names were published, the Palin children have been massacred for their last name.
Why shouldn't we be outraged that DL was paid to make this slur? I don't think defending our children is hyper-sensitive, it's expected.
From a previous comment:
"[The outrage is] just alienating younger people."
I found that interesting… other than Steven and I, who in this thread of almost 300 comments, is under the age of 40?
The double-standard is not being P.C., it's the apparent policy "comedians" have of not telling ANY "jokes" about Barry or Weezie. ____I mean c'mon! No jokes about the irony of the first supposed black man elected President being forced to live in government housing? No jokes about Weezie looking like James Brown in drag? No parodies of the theme song from "The Jeffersons".? And if getting into the gutter is permitted, then where are the jokes about Barry's slutty, promiscuous Mom who had a man's first name and got pregnant at age 17 by a man who was 24, and had the child when she was 18? (yes, I know Stan got married to Barry's dad before Barry was born). And let's not forget to mention the fact that Barry's father was a polygamist who ultimately fathered eight children from three different wives. Talk about "trailer-trash". The Palin's are apple-pie compared to Barry's family. ____There is so much material there that is ripe for the picking. I mean, there are at least 2 or 3 "Simpsons" or "Family Guy" episodes that would write themselves.
So…
If I give the Obamas a big candle in the shape of a cross, and say, "Hey, this is a great way to light up your lawn at night!", or maybe I hang a little blow up doll that's wearing something Sasha or Malia tend to wear in a tree (essentially in effigy)… Well, can you begin to imagine how far the defense, "Can't you take a joke?", would get me? Probably be tossed in jail for threatening the first family.
I understand your point. Most of these were "roll your eyes" moments. The problem is that I'm sort of sick of just rolling my eyes. There are certain things that are off limits, and most of what you just posted as "exhibits" fall into those categories.
What would happen if Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin said, "You can't even go in to a 7/11 or Dunkin Donuts without having an Indian accent! I'm serious folks!"? But if Joe Biden does it, "Oh, it's just Joe bein' Joe!" You know, George Bush decided to never address his critics because (I would imagine) he felt it would legitimize their arguments, and it would gain nothing. He wanted to be above the partisan fighting. How far did that get him? 8 years of relentless attacks, and he's quite possibly the most hated man in America. How long are you willing to allow this sort of thing to completely DESTROY our pols? You remember John McCain going out there and chastising EVERYONE at one of his rallies or speaking on his behalf any time they even MENTIONED BO's middle name. Rev. Wright? Not PC, so no mention. Bill Ayers? Oh, well, we can't pursue that. Rezko? No, that's not good. That would be racist to mention him. See how far that sort of empathy got John McCain?
[...] kingshamus Steve Crowder, a funny and smart blogger blogger over at BigHollywood, makes an interesting point: To all of you GOP types playing the “offended” card on a daily basis… Prepare to have your [...]
Kid, here is the deal and where I think you miss the point:
You are confusing/conflating political correctness with moral behavior. Think about it.
When I need a 21 year old professional court jester to advise me on what I should find funny, or what I should be offended by, I'll be sure to give young Mr. Crowder a call.
Correct
Very well written sir.
Just because Steve Crowder has no self-respect and no class doesn't mean the rest of us are as low-class as he is.
Laugh it up, Steve.
What? This article has oodles of class.
The "right" (as though they are a monolithic block) MUST respond with outrage at all of these non-funnies – and this is why: if the left perpetually has the (apparent) moral high-ground on being offended, the right effectively concedes that it cannot be offended. That it no longer has a claim to dignity and a right to define the boundaries of decent behavior and civil discourse. It's part and parcel of the right allowing the left to diminish their PRINCIPLES by diminishing their representatives, associates and assorted behaviors.
So, I agree its tiresome, and I agree with a previous commenter that hopefully we'll get to a point of desensitization – but in the meantime, the right cannot afford to lose more ground trying to be mature and good-natured when the left refuses absolutely to behave themselves.
While I agree that Republicans need to have a better sense of humor, Democrats take a special delight when a Republican is caught doing something immoral (but they're the "values" party). So, when Obama made his quip about the Special Olympics, Republicans paid them back in kind.
MRS. GREEN: I wish your father could have read this, Phil. He'd have liked it. He'd have liked this:
''Driving away from the inn I knew all about every man or woman who'd been told the job was filled when it wasn't; every youngster who'd been turned down by a college or a summer camp. I knew the rage that pitches through you when you see your own child shaken and dazed. From that moment, I saw an unending attack by adults on kids of seven and eight and ten and twelve on adolescents trying to get a job or an education or into medical school. And I knew that they had somehow known it, too. They, those patient, stubborn men who argued and wrote and fought and came up with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They knew the tree is known by its fruit and that injustice corrupts a tree that its fruit withers and shrivels and falls at last to that dark ground of history where other great hopes have rotted and died where equality and freedom remain still the only choice for wholeness and soundness in a man or in a nation.''
This article, to me, Sums up the direction the reps need to take. You need to not be offended so easily, and take the high road if you are. This article shows that conservatives at heart have genuine concerns for themselves and the country. Wouldn't it feel good to say "Hey Letterman was out of line, but It's not gonna bring down our beliefs". You need to think like this if there's any chance of saving America.
Me!
Though I'm closer to 40 than 30.
That's not at all what I said. There are definitely repricussions in the private sector. I have a right not to watch a show, not to buy a movie ticket, not to turn on my radio – but I don't have a right to not be offended.
But when "we" get our panties in a twist and act like Muslims seeing a cartoon of Mohammed just for the sake of holding "everyone" accountable to the standards of what is "politically correct", we become a collective shreiking harpie.
I stopped watching Letterman when I graduated college and had to get up in the morning, and every time I see highlights of the show, I realize I haven't missed anything since 1990 – except that bit where Chris Elliot ate the dog food.
You have every right to boycott, protest and write letters to CBS demanding Letterman's ousting. No matter how silly I think it makes you look , it is your guaranteed right.
It makes us exceptionally unlikely to be the kind of people who would enjoy a lunch together, but I believe you would more than survive my absence from your life.
What is so funny about a teenager being raped in the middle of a game? It would not be funny if it was a grown woman much less a teenager. This is just obscene. After Johnny Carson late night entertainment has gone to the dogs.
[...] STEVEN CROWDER: Republicans Need to Grow A Sense of Humor. [...]
Part of the problem is this: when Bush was in power, the media bashing he and the Repubs seemed okay.
Now that they are out of power, folks keep piling on. Worse, they refuse to touch Obama. They have gone from speaking truth to power to being the paid organs of the state. That's what makes conservatives twitchy. The media is set to make fun of and deride anyone who disagrees with the state. Very scary.
As has been pointed out elsewhere, this was not an off the cuff joke. This was a joke conceived by a writer and then okayed (by Letterman) way before the show was ever taped. They also had the opportunity to cut those jokes out before it aired. You mean to tell me that NO ONE on the staff of his show, Letterman, or NBC had an inkling what this joke implied but most everyone else did? That defies logic. But let's assume you are correct and the Letterman and the whole staff live in a cave and had no idea. If true, they would then have been horrified minutes after the broadcast when it blew up and apologized immediately on their website and then in the opening moments of the next show. Letterman only came up with "I didn't know" story after the pressure mounted to apologize. With all that said, it makes little difference because you don't make jokes like that (especially a 62 year old man) about someone's teen kid unless you're pretty creepy inside. And I think that's what we are dealing with. There's something wrong with a guy who would do what he did.
"Do you have a right to pee in your kitchen sink with the windows open in front of all the world? No."
I might ask what the world finds so fascinating about my windows…
Thank you for the thoughtful reply. I had been hoping someone would state the reasons for their objections to my reasoning instead of simply voting me down. Understanding tends to begin with dialogue.
I am not sure I completely agree with your analogy, but I can see where you are coming from. We are seeing an entire neighborhood come over for their initial complaints about the insult, and it may take awhile for everyone to have their say.
My problem with the analogy is, what next? Shunning would be if everyone simply ignored the perpetrator, and we are seeing more than that. Everyone wants to get in their two cents about the insult, that is fine, although it is getting repetitious. However I do not want this to become a mob scene. Throw the jerk out, maybe rough him up a bit first, eh, he brought it on himself. However, we need to be careful with our own outrage. Remember the LA riots after the Rodney King verdict? Setting mores and standards as a society is proper, stepping outside of them to do so is not. I am not saying it is getting anywhere near LA riot level, just advocating caution and sticking to our own rules.
Now we have to be careful that we are not using a play from Al Sharpton's book, and claiming outrage because the entire neighborhood has been insulted. The non-joke was directed at one family, projecting it to an entire group is liberal stock and trade.
I understand your point, the size of the audience matters and this was far from delivered one-on-one. I will still stick with the point I made at the beginning, if the insulted says it is over and to lay off then by the decency and respect we expect in society we should back off. The apology has been accepted. We are free to continue to shun and comment with our wallets. But if we continue the verbal outrage without the Palin's first telling us we may do so and they want us to, is that a message we really want to send?
OK, then – let's dress up a white man in blackface and use him to mock Obama. While we are at it, let also portray the Obama girls as ghetto hookers in the business for the cash so they can get meth. Doubtless I can look forward to Crowder hectoring Democrats on their lack of a funnybone.
I am not Auntie. I stuck my neck out, I will take the hits. Besides Crowder, I actually find myself in some rather good company, although some of the rest I really do not want to be associated with. Yet as with too many Hollywood scripts, if that is who I am chained to when the escape happens, so be it.
I would give it another week or two before I am in the majority on this issue, guess it just has to run its course. Oh look, I get to be an early adopter for once!
Thank you for the discourse.
[...] Crowder says it very well All I can add to this is AMEN! H/T TigerHawk However, Republicans (and the Palin family) tried to twist this quip into a [...]
You did stick your neck out, but you were a gentleman (gentlelady?) about it. FWIW I didn't vote you down. There's nothing wrong with having an opposing position, but sometime discussions can get heated and well, there you go.
And no, you are most definitely NOT Auntie.
I see your point, however, you lack credibility because you offer no examples of democrats laughing it off in similar situations.
We're not talking about taking offense at a joke directed at us, personally. We're talking about protecting other people from aggressive forms of public humiliation. That's a form of love. Just because they might be fellow Christians doesn't mean that we can excuse this type of aggression toward them.
Because the offense was so public, Letterman deserved to have the nature of the offense pointed out, and he was given an opportunity for a public apology. Sarah Palin acted wisely in pointing out why Letterman's "jokes" were wrong and in accepting Letterman's second apology "on behalf of young women". It's appropriate to give Letterman an opportunity to repent.
Nah, I think she is overreacting to a bad joke. If she is this bent out of shape over a throwaway joke about her promiscuous daughter, how do you think she will react if, God forbid, USA is hit with a terrorist attack? Hide under her desk like a scared little schoolgirl?
Due to her overreaction and fierce feminism, IMHO she is not commander in chief material.
Way off.
Gentleman is correct, although I am not perfectly always one. I also have a decent sense of humor, which is normally well displayed in person although sometimes you have to catch me at the right time.
I will when they do.
Walid Shoebat, you are posting here now?
Try again. She has shown herself to be a strong defender of her family, with the skill of great hunter in choosing what she will shoot. She would be an excellent defender of her "extended family," as she has already shown as a mayor and a governor. Al-Quada would soon be toast.
Bottom line, people's kids should be off-limits. PERIOD. I am not sure what you don't "get" about that concept. There's NOTHING funny about someone making sexual jokes about your daughter, 14 or 18, do you not undersand that?
Letterman has a pathological hatred for Palin, which is disturbing enough but pretty common on the left, but going after her kids to get to her is beyond the pale.
As much a cretin as Letterman is, I don't think he would be all chuckles if someone said someone like that about his daughter on national television for a laugh.
Umm… I think he was being sarcastic….Crowder, that is.
Yeah we're just thin-skinned… we should be able to shrug it off just like the Dems did every time they got called filthy cowards, sluts, crooks, constitution-burners, and war-loving enemies of the people by every columnist, talking head, and comic, and in half the comic strips radio quiz shows.
Oh, wait…
…all of O's policy's are jaw-droppingly ignorant. just saying.
me too. but just a hair under.
proof that cons have a great sense of humour:
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2009/06/hail...
why isn't this on BH yet?
Right on the mark, MBrogan. Conservatives can't be silent anymore. Decades of being the whipping boy of EVERY FRIGGIN LATE NIGHT SHOW and almost every MSM "news" program takes its toll. No more smiling politely while vile people like Letterman spit in your face on a nightly basis.
And the Letterman joke was disgusting regardless of which Palin daughter he referred to. But he FINALLY made an actual apology, which Palin accepted. I did think the final apology was sincere and well said on Letterman's part.
I don't know, Steve… I'm afraid that political correctness is now a permanent part of American culture (for however much longer it lasts), and there is nothing conservatives can do about it. Given that, why should we not make use of it when it benefits us? If we don't, we're not noble; we're just chumps. In a world full of spoiled children, conservatives are sick and tired of having to be the adults all of the time.
Good for you, Steve – good for you.
That took a lot of guts.
Bottom line is that you are right. We need to grow thicker skins.
And more importantly, we need to stop being distracted from the real issue: we need to regain this country before it's too late. There has been a lot of blowing off steam with minor issues that don't solve any REAL problems. Metaphorically speaking, while we are crying our eyes out over the bad table manners of those at the political table, we are failing to notice that THEY ARE STEALING THE SILVERWARE!
[...] Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Lonewolf Diaries: Republicans Need to Grow a Sense of Humor [...]
Scenario: Since Letterman doesn't seem sensitive to the age of the females he targets, suppose he made some crude sexual reference to one of Obama's daughters. Would you now be lecturing Democrats on their lack of a sense of humor as the liberal media went into hysterical convulsions?
Scenario: Since Letterman doesn't seem sensitive to the age of the females he targets, suppose he made some crude sexual reference to one of Obama's daughters. Would you now be lecturing Democrats on their lack of a sense of humor as the liberal media went into hysterical convulsions?
That sounds like projection on your part. She hasn't really shown the intellectual capacity and the temperament that would be required to face down real threats. I think her reaction to the joke about her daughter shows that she would be too distracted with pop culture and family values issues instead of focusing on relinquishing the enemy.
Also, I think her condescension against residents of big cities like New York and Hollywood is a bit elitist and may be informed by a narrative of anti-Semitism and/or anti-multiculturalism. So I think there are several fronts on which she would not make a good leader of a melting pot society that USA is.
That is not to say she is a bad mayor or governor, but USA is a big country with lots of diversity and politically incorrect jokes. I don't think she has the intellect, thoughtfulness, curiosity and temperament that is desired in a president.
And no, I'm a different Walid. It's a pretty common (Lebanese) name.
Steven Crowder I haven't followed your blog, but from your picture you look very young, so I assume you don't have any children. Do you have a sister or a niece? If I posted their pictures and made crude jokes about them getting *&^ed at a sports game, would you think it funny? I think your opinion says more about your age and maturity than it says about your or my sense of humor.
I am. Barely.
So that's five out of around 300… which is roughly equivalent to the number of conservatives in this thread that agree with Steven's article.
On the surface, it looks like a standard generation gap problem: "Parents just don't understand" as Will Smith once said in which case th– uh, wait a minute. Does that mean if we find someone that disagrees with that statement then we have to be outrageously outraged at the obvious racism of not agreeing with an African-American?
Aw, I frickin' can't stand this politically correct crap. It's so confusin!
Way to miss the sarcasm. Next time, I will aim lower so it doesn't go over your head.
This post has been linked for the HOT5 Daily 6/18/2009, at The Unreligious Right
I think Obama's use of calling an Inspector General, who was investigating an ally of his in Sacramento, Ca. , insane and crazy is the funniest use of Soviet style tactics that I have read about since the great Stalin purge years. Hilarious!! It's especially funny that Obama was against these tactics before he was for them. This man cracks me up!! Why the next thing you know the State Controlled Media will be defending Obama on this. Ah, the SCM, you've got to love those guys!! Funny, funny, funny.
What's next? I think opening a Gulag in Iowa would be a hoot!! Just imagine the comedy at that place. Everybody there is, like a great car commercial would say, is crazeeeeee.
Exhibit B: Is nobody creeped out that instead of the Correspondence Dinner being the traditional good-natured roast of the President, that it was turned into a hatefest re Limbaugh?
Sykes did not even make the mildest poke of fun at Obama, but viciously attacked Limbaugh.
Nobody dares to even say one funny thing about him. Oh that's right, if you make fun of him you must be a racist, how could I forget after hearing that a million times during the campaign.
What's not funny is that it's not allowed. You are not allowed to make fun of "HIM".
Crack, Mwalimu, crack. Obama be pimpin' out his girls for crack–the black folks like the crack, got it?
Joey B the VP has his kiddies sucking off the bridge and tunnel crowd for meth. Crackers like meth.
Try to keep it straight, ok?
I have to differ with you on this one, Steve. Making jokes about the death of a private citizen (and the leader of ountry LAUGHING right along with such filth), and jokes about raping children are simply not things that should be let go without comment.
None of this is remotely funny.
mmm, i will stop being offended by the joke about Palin's daughter when any late night comedian tells a joke about biden's cokehead daughter.
Like, here i will write you one for free. "The other day Biden was at a Nationals baseball game. It got kind of awkward, however, during the seventh inning stretch, when his daughter tried to snort the foul line."
Most sane people say that is over the line. But if you feel it is, please state why it would be the case but a joke even about bristol wouldn't be, especially coming from Letterman who knocked up his girlfriend out of wedlock.
"She hasn't really shown the intellectual capacity and the temperament that would be required to face down real threats."
Could you cite some specific examples of this? I think you have confused the real Sarah Palin with the SNL spoof (don't worry, its a common mistake).
"I think her reaction to the joke about her daughter shows that she would be too distracted with pop culture and family values issues instead of focusing on relinquishing the enemy."
I think her reaction shows her to be a shrewd politician, capable of making her points and still maintaing the high ground. The fact that she is concerned about the state of pop culture and family values is just a plus.
"Also, I think her condescension against residents of big cities like New York and Hollywood is a bit elitist and may be informed by a narrative of anti-Semitism and/or anti-multiculturalism."
Maybe you are the one who is projecting.
[...] It would help for the right to stop whining about things creative other people do [...]
Nah, Your fingernails are getting dirty.
Move on people, the country's at stake.
Maybe it is just me, but I don't find humor in wishing people would die or making rude comments about an 18 year old getting knocked up (no I don't think he meant the 14 year old). The problem with Letterman is that he is a one trick pony. His political humor is not just humor, but his own brand of hatred directed toward the Republican party. How was Letterman being humorous and Imus was not. Both made midguided attempts at humor and Imus paid a hefty price, yet we see people trying to excuse Letterman. I just don't buy it. I would like to see us get away from political correctness, but in this case I just can't let it go. It was wrong.
[...] Republicans Need to Grow a Sense of Humor. Yes, 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. [...]
[...] Crowder makes the argument that conservatives should lighten up wqhen people like Letterman say something tasteless. One of my [...]
What's amazing is how much smarter this young man is, compared to the rest of you
Are you kidding? A guy who is peeing in his sink? The video will be mailed from office to office. You will have your 15 minutes … on FARK.
Special Olympics — Obama made himself look like a, well, retard. Karmic justice.
Rush's kidney's — Rush is a big boy with a big audience his for 15 hrs a week. He can take care of himself.
Palin as "Slut" — Hey, at least Letterman didn't call her a "c*nt", as others of his ilk have.
Palin's Daugthers — Creepy old man jokes about a FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL being raped, and calls her a whore. I weep for this country if we ever "find our sense of humor" about that one. Mortal insult, and I hope Letterman and CBS continue to bleed sponsors (I'll do my part there).
Best takeaway from the Letterman episode — Conservatives have finally drawn a line in the sand, said "e-NOUGH!", and are making the offenders pay.
I think Most Consrvatives have a great sense of humor over most Libs, which is one reason for conservative radio's high ratings. But GOOD Humor comes with taste. it is easy to bang someone over the head and call it comedy. it is much harder to use wit and intelligence and creativity. Something Letterman knows nothing about. But since he doesn't even write his own jokes, it is no wonder he didn't know which daughter was at the game. Maybe now he will put more input into his work.
You need to grow up and do a little more research. It's not that Republicans don't have a sense of humor, it is that everyone is sick and tired of the double standards. Actuality is every Republican I have ever known has a very dry sense of humor.
Next stop learn the sport of politics. Yes it is quite the sport. Stealing the other side's playbook and using it against them is par for the course.
[...] who engages in pretty edgy comedy, wants the freedom to say controversial things. So Crowder manages to excuse jokes that many sensible people find tasteless, at a [...]
I see where you are coming from, but I disagree. Every single one of these people would have paid a price if they had made fun of a Democrat/Liberal. The reaction of some Republicans to be incensed by the comments is the result of years of suffering for any "jokes" made against a member of the other party. It's not an even playing field and everyone knows it. Clearly, any defense of Letterman's remarks are not appropriate either. They were made about a minor and he should be criticized even if it was a legitimate mistake, as he claimed. What if this was your daughter?
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