# Conservatives: Where's the funny? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 6, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526 "2011-06-06T18:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/181 "2011-06-09T21:30:12Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > And his brilliant mockery of Chelsea Clinton’s looks when she was a high school student. A gentleman and a scholar, for sure! Yeah, I must say that it was beyond the pale. Calling her the “White House dog” because of her parents and their ideology was definitely a disgrace. It’s not as if she did anything herself to enter the public scene. ISTR that he received his comeuppance on a late night talk show. He repeated the slur against the high-school aged Chelsea to the host. Jay Leno, maybe? He then had it pointed out to him that he can say that because \<\\> or words to that effect. Rush, who was quite super-sized at the time, was caught off-guard and flustered. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/182 "2011-06-09T21:35:19Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I assume it does; as for context, I dunno. I got it from his IMDb page. I’m saying it is silly to argue it isn’t a joke - topical-type partisan political humour aimed at a person often looks unfunny to ‘the other side’, as simply an attack. The ‘humour’ only comes out if you share the assumptions. > > Here’s another, same source, obviously Conservative but not aimed at an individual like Moore: The second example I can accept as a joke, and not just because it made me smile. There are bad jokes that I don’t find funny, but they are still jokes, and I have a bit of trouble seeing even the _attempt_ at humor with the Michael Moore example. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/183 "2011-06-09T21:37:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do you really think that came out as a clever quip? Got a chuckle out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/184 "2011-06-09T21:38:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The second example I can accept as a joke, and not just because it made me smile. There are bad jokes that I don’t find funny, but they are still jokes, and I have a bit of trouble seeing even the _attempt_ at humor with the Michael Moore example. Well, as I said, partisan political humour aimed at a specific individual often doesn’t seem funny. The “humour” frequently comes from having one’s assumptions reconfirmed in an ironical manner - if you don’t share those assumptions, it just looks like a straight attack. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/185 "2011-06-09T21:44:29Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Got a chuckle out of me. Was it a fine example of conservative humor? Was it on the level of humor you would expect from conservative humorists you follow? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/186 "2011-06-09T21:49:15Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Well, as I said, partisan political humour aimed at a specific individual often doesn’t seem funny. The “humour” frequently comes from having one’s assumptions reconfirmed in an ironical manner - if you don’t share those assumptions, it just looks like a straight attack. I guess I can see the irony in the statement, and if were part of series of like-mined statements I can see where it can be seen as humorous. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/187 "2011-06-09T21:59:07Z")
> [@Trans Fat Og](#): > > Yeah, I must say that it was beyond the pale. Calling her the “White House dog” because of her parents and their ideology was definitely a disgrace. It’s not as if she did anything herself to enter the public scene. > > ISTR that he received his comeuppance on a late night talk show. He repeated the slur against the high-school aged Chelsea to the host. Jay Leno, maybe? He then had it pointed out to him that he can say that because \<\\> or words to that effect. Rush, who was quite super-sized at the time, was caught off-guard and flustered. It was on Letterman, and Rush had said that a picture of Hilary in a recent magazine article made her look “like a hood ornament on (some vintage car)”. To which Letterman replied, “Well, you can say that because you’re the best looking thing ever to come along”. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/188 "2011-06-09T22:22:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Let me guide y’all along by the nose, o.k.? > “Rush Limbaugh is a conservative comedian that broadcasts nationally every weekday. Something he said recently that I found to be funny was…(fill in the black or provide cite)” The following episodes were written by two self-described libertarians, and would be very funny to most conservatives > **[The Death Camp of Tolerance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_Camp_of_Tolerance)** > > "The Death Camp of Tolerance" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 93rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 20, 2002. > In the episode, Mr. Garrison tries to get fired from his new job as the fourth grade teacher at South Park Elementary by being overtly and explicitly homosexual in front of the students, so he can sue the school and get twenty-five million d... > **[Rainforest Shmainforest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest_Schmainforest)** > > "Rainforest Shmainforest" is the third season premiere of Comedy Central's animated series South Park. It originally aired on April 7, 1999, and is the 32nd episode overall. This episode features Jennifer Aniston providing the voice for Miss Stevens. The episode criticizes the American Movement to Save the Rain Forest and mocks Costa Rica. The episode's title includes a shm-reduplication. > This episode was written by series co-creators Trey Parker & Matt Stone and co-directed by Parker with Er... > **[Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartman%27s_Silly_Hate_Crime_2000)** > > "Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 50th episode of the series overall. It is the 1st episode in production order of Season 4. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 12, 2000, and is the second of a four-episode run of titles ending in "2000". The episode contains a general commentary against hate crime legislation. > The episode was written by series co-creator Trey P... You may now commence explaining why they don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/189 "2011-06-09T22:43:23Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > You might as well be insisting upon examples of conservative sitcoms. Today’s political climate entertainment-wise won’t tolerate conservative comedians, so one is forced to search nooks and crannies to try to come up with some. And since nook and cranny conservative humor isn’t easily come by, you are left with frustration over the fact that no is coming up with whatever it is that you are for whatever reason insisting upon in terms of conservative humor. There was a kind of conservative sitcom. I didn’t watch “Family Ties” much, but the Michael J. Fox character was certainly a conservative, and wasn’t written as a buffoon. Yes, there were jokes at his expense, but no more than for his liberal parents. His character was well-written, and it worked. And your statement that conservative comedians wouldn’t be tolerated is utter bullshit. If they got an audience, they’d be tolerated just fine. Entertainment is a business. However the conservative version of the Daily Show on a network with a built-in audience bombed big time. That is not the entertainment climate, that is bad writing. PJs early books were funny, conservative, and clever.But he did not think that saying “liberals want to raise your taxes and take away your guns” constituted a joke. Look, when Wiener screwed up, both Jon Stewart and Colbert jumped on him. Please give me an example of a conservative humorist jumping on the very funny screw-ups by Republicans. A conservative comedian has to be a comedian first and a conservative second - same for liberal comedian. If conservative comedians walk away from good jokes and subjects in order to be politically correct, it is no wonder they suck. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/190 "2011-06-09T22:54:05Z")
Here is the “joke” “Michael Moore simultaneously represents everything I detest in a human being and everything I feel obligated to defend in an American. Quite simply, it is that stupid moron’s right to be that utterly, completely wrong.” Here it is written in the actual form of a joke: “You know, you think that I’m a conservative, but I’m actually a liberal. I defend the right of Michael Moore to be a stupid moron and utterly, completely wrong.” Or, the second sentence might be “I won’t discriminate against Michael Moore despite him being …” Not a good joke, but a bit closer to being a joke. If you could find something Michael Moore said that could be considered supporting discrimination against conservatives, the joke would be a lot better, especially if you made the selfless lack of discrimination parallel. You don’t get a spate of jokes about a conservative hating gays. You get a spate of jokes when a conservative who hates gays propositions some guy in a bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/191 "2011-06-09T23:04:46Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Well, as I said, partisan political humour aimed at a specific individual often doesn’t seem funny. The “humour” frequently comes from having one’s assumptions reconfirmed in an ironical manner - if you don’t share those assumptions, it just looks like a straight attack. I don’t understand where this ‘debate’ continues to come from. Czarcasm and I agree we won’t probably think conservative humor is funny, in fact, that is exactly what we are asking for; humor that conservatives find funny at the expense of liberals. We are both asking conservatives what _they_ find funny. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/192 "2011-06-09T23:53:02Z")
> [@furt](#): > > The following episodes were written by two self-described libertarians, and would be very funny to most conservatives > > [The Death Camp of Tolerance - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_Camp_of_Tolerance) > > [Rainforest Shmainforest - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest_Schmainforest) > > [Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartman%27s_Silly_Hate_Crime_2000) > > You may now commence explaining why they don’t count. Why wouldn’t they count? Those are very funny episodes in my opinion. As I have stated over and over again however, it doesn’t matter one damn bit if _I_ find them humorous. _All_ I ever asked for were examples of conservative comedy that _conservatives_ find humorous. So sorry to disappoint you, but…thank you for the examples. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/193 "2011-06-10T00:34:30Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > There was a kind of conservative sitcom. I didn’t watch “Family Ties” much, but the Michael J. Fox character was certainly a conservative, and wasn’t written as a buffoon. Yes, there were jokes at his expense, but no more than for his liberal parents. His character was well-written, and it worked. > > And your statement that conservative comedians wouldn’t be tolerated is utter bullshit. If they got an audience, they’d be tolerated just fine. Wrong on both counts. [Check out this article from Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/02/us-hollywood-idUSTRE7517JQ20110602) outlining Hollywood TV exec’s determined bias and activism against conservatives. Snippet ensues: > [@](#): > > “…Family Ties” creator Gary David Goldberg explaining how he tried to make Republican character Alex Keaton the bad guy but that actor Michael J. Fox was too darn lovable. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/194 "2011-06-10T00:44:36Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Norm’s material isn’t really political, though. This is true, but I’ve heard that he does that on purpose. He doesn’t want to be a “political comedian”. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/195 "2011-06-10T00:49:03Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Wrong on both counts. > > [Check out this article from Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/02/us-hollywood-idUSTRE7517JQ20110602) outlining Hollywood TV exec’s determined bias and activism against conservatives. Snippet ensues: I don’t see how the story behind the character’s creation is relevant. At most that shows the bias of a single person. The bias of the industry is reflected in what character was actually produced–and that character was not portrayed in a negative light. There are much better examples you could probably adduce here. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/196 "2011-06-10T01:18:14Z")
Did you read the linked article? It virtually proves that what I’ve been saying about how conservative entertainers have virtually been shut out by Hollywood and the television industry, and how television producers have worked to influence society toward their liberal views through their programs. Liberals have been outraged for decades over the anti-communist blacklisting that went on in the forties and fifties, and yet it pales in comparison with the anti-conservative bias and blacklisting that has been going on in Hollywood ever since. So where did the outrage go? Is blacklisting evil, as the left has been telling us indignantly and angrily for over sixty years, or just the blacklisting of liberals? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/197 "2011-06-10T01:23:41Z")
Please tell me ‘conspiracy theory’ is not the excuse you’re giving for being unable to pinpoint conservative’s sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/198 "2011-06-10T01:39:15Z")
Actually, that’s a pretty good one. Unless he means it. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/199 "2011-06-10T03:52:52Z")
You might want to watch a few clips from ‘Red Eye’. [Doug Stanhope on Red Eye](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojsS45rfwiA) [Red Eye - Gregalogue and Discussion](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1glqR6sgxlA) [Red Eye on Teabagging](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr02kshCZgA&feature=related) [Jim Norton on Letterman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-85nBlJQte4) [Dennis Miller on Harry Reid](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmGO_bTgIf4&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526/200 "2011-06-10T05:02:36Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > You might want to watch a few clips from ‘Red Eye’. Good call. I haven’t seen much of Red Eye, but the few clips I have seen have been amusing. The general attitude seems to be “fuck it, it’s 3 AM, who cares what we do?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-wheres-the-funny/584526.md?page=11)