# Why Can't Conservatives Be Funny? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 11, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697 "2004-10-11T20:14:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [October 12, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/41 "2004-10-12T04:18:16Z")
I don’t know why conservatives have to be dour. The conservative point of view is fundamentally far more open than the liberal point of view. Conservatives have faith in the ability of people to look after themselves. They believe that a free market is merely the reflection of a free society - that you can’t have one without the other. My vision of a wonderful world is billions of people being free to follow their goals, trade with people who want to trade with them, keep the things they earn, and be as free from force and coercion as possible. That’s a fun world to live in. Liberals, on the other hand, are more controlling. They see the world as being one of exploiters and the exploited, winners and losers, the powerful and the weak. They don’t trust the market, and want to control it. They want to meddle in our affairs to ‘protect’ us, tax us to pay for things they think are good for us, want to tell us who we can trade with and what we can keep, which products are safe enough for us to use, which jobs are good enough for us to accept, and how much money is enough for us to earn. I’d rather live in conservative land. And the funniest friends I have are conservatives. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are conservative/libertarians. I think they know how to have a good time. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/42 "2004-10-12T05:26:05Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > The conservative point of view is fundamentally far more open than the liberal point of view. If you’re white, male, and Christian, yeah. Anyone else gets a “I’ve got mine, so screw you.” > [@Sam Stone](#): > > Liberals, on the other hand, are more controlling. Yeah, it’s dem evil liberals trying to pass a Constitutional Amendment dictating who can and cannot get married, right? :rolleyes: > [@Sam Stone](#): > > They see the world as being one of exploiters and the exploited, winners and losers, the powerful and the weak. Yeah, how dare they stand up for the weak and exploited! That’s the kind of crazy talk that gets you nailed to a cross… > [@Sam Stone](#): > > They want to meddle in our affairs to ‘protect’ us, tax us to pay for things they think are good for us, want to tell us who we can trade with and what we can keep, which products are safe enough for us to use, which jobs are good enough for us to accept, and how much money is enough for us to earn. Here, **Sam,** you’ll appreciate [this.](http://www.sorabji.com/strangle/messages/183/8574.html?WednesdayOctober620040822pm) ---
**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:** [October 12, 2004, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/43 "2004-10-12T06:34:48Z")
I can’t even begin to tell you how uninteresting that was. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/44 "2004-10-12T06:49:04Z")
Originally Posted by **KidCharlemagne** > [@](#): > > - > > Except that now it seems everyone is “thinking outside the box.” So the new “thinking outside the box,” is actually “thinking inside the box.”\* Wow. Bingo. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/45 "2004-10-12T06:53:55Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Trey Parker and Matt Stone are conservative/libertarians. Seriously? I would never have guessed. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/46 "2004-10-12T07:03:56Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > My vision of a wonderful world is billions of people being free to follow their goals, trade with people who want to trade with them, keep the things they earn, And the things they _don’t_ earn too, right? Like unearned income. 😉 Don’t want anyone getting their hands on that old money; keep it in the pockets of the billionaires. > [@](#): > > **and be as free from force and coercion as possible.** Six words: “I pledge allegiance to the flag…” It’s not the liberals wanting to hang on to _that_ bit of facism. > [@](#): > > They want to meddle in our affairs to ‘protect’ us, tax us to pay for things they think are good for us, want to tell us who we can trade with and what we can keep, which products are safe enough for us to use, which jobs are good enough for us to accept, and how much money is enough for us to earn. Yes, by all means let’s go back to the days of workplace injuries, sweatshops, cocaine in your Coca Cola, and lithium in your 7-Up. Oh, and those colored people in their place. One nation under God. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/47 "2004-10-12T07:05:42Z")
> [@Priceguy](#): > > Seriously? I would never have guessed. Trey and Matt don’t really fit a mold. Sometimes they’re conservative, but sometimes they’re quite liberal. They’re really all over the map. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/48 "2004-10-12T07:21:48Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t know why conservatives have to be dour. The conservative point of view is fundamentally far more open than the liberal point of view. Sure it is. :rolleyes: What does this post say about the sense of humor of the guy who made it? I used to really like Dennis Miller. He’s really lost it in the last few years, and it’s a shame if he’s on the shortlist of conservative comedians. Bob Dole is funnier. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/49 "2004-10-12T07:36:25Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Sure it is. :rolleyes: What does this post say about the sense of humor of the guy who made it? Quite a bit, but I won’t hold it against you. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/50 "2004-10-12T07:37:44Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Quite a bit, but I won’t hold it against you. That would work if I wasn’t obviously talking about someone else… I guess this means Dennis Miller isn’t the least funny conservative out there either. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/51 "2004-10-12T08:09:34Z")
Snark! Who goes there? ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/52 "2004-10-12T12:43:09Z")
Since we’re making sweeping generalizations, I might agree that liberals are funnier when commenting on others, but they still take **themselves** too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/53 "2004-10-12T13:44:11Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > I don’t know why conservatives have to be dour. The conservative point of view is fundamentally far more open than the liberal point of view. **Conservatives have faith in the ability of people to look after themselves.** They believe that a free market is merely the reflection of a free society - that you can’t have one without the other. My vision of a wonderful world is billions of people being free to follow their goals, trade with people who want to trade with them, keep the things they earn, and **be as free from force and coercion as possible.** That’s a fun world to live in. _(Emphasis added)_. Well, except if you want to: [ul] [li]Decide yourself who to marry[/li][li]Do whatever you want to in the privacy of your own bedroom[/li][li]Decide for yourself what to do with YOUR body[/li][/ul] Of course, I’m being a bit of a :wally. The problem is that we don’t have a convervative party – we have the Republicans. When we can get back to being Republican Party Reptiles (to quote P.J.), _then_ I’ll come back to the Republican party. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/54 "2004-10-12T17:23:08Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Conservative/Libertarian comedians: > > \*\*Dave Barry > > P.J. O’Rourke > > Drew Carey > > Dennis Miller > > Larry Miller > > Ben Stein > > Penn and Teller > > John Larroquette > > Denis Leary > > Kelsey Grammar > \*\* > > Of the political pundits that use humor, **Rob Long** and **Jonah Goldberg** can be very funny. Add to the list: Jim Downey, writer/director for SNL Christopher Buckley, my favorite writer Al Capp, cartoonist of _Li’l Abner_; he flamed out in the last 15 years or so of his life, but at his peak, he was friggin’ _brilliant._ Scott Adams ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/55 "2004-10-12T19:31:20Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Add to the list: > Jim Downey, writer/director for SNL > Christopher Buckley, my favorite writer > Al Capp, cartoonist of _Li’l Abner_; he flamed out in the last 15 years or so of his life, but at his peak, he was friggin’ _brilliant._ > Scott Adams Subtract from the list Scott Adams. I do **not** get any right-wing messages from Dilbert. If anything, it’s “Workers unite against our brainless pointy-haired exploiters!” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697/56 "2004-10-12T19:42:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Subtract from the list Scott Adams. I do **not** get any right-wing messages from Dilbert. If anything, it’s “Workers unite against our brainless pointy-haired exploiters!” Keep him on the list, he’s as pure a Free Market conservative as we get these days. Norman Soloman wrote a [book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1567511325/qid=1097610106/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2276941-7556865?v=glance&s=books) about how Scott Adams is no friend of Labor. (I wrote a review of it for **The Comics Journal**.) The point of **The Dilbert Principle** wasn’t that workers are being exploited by greedy managers, it was that companies are being dragged down by stupid, incompetent managers. All of his proposed solutions would have made Adam Smith proud. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-conservatives-be-funny/268697.md?page=2)