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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsConservatives just aren’t funny: Why the right will never have its own Stephen Colbert
Tuesday, Dec 23, 2014 01:44 PM EST
Conservatives just arent funny: Why the right will never have its own Stephen Colbert
Stewart and Colbert are passing the torch to John Oliver and Larry Wilmore. Where is the right's breakout star?
Eric Boehlert, Media Matters
After nine years at the helm of The Colbert Report, where he turned his brilliant right-wing persona into a sprawling marketing empire (see your grocerys freezer section), explained super PACs to everyday Americans, enlightened us about divinity, and added truthiness to the nations vocabulary, Stephen Colbert said his farewell to the Colbert Nation this week to become CBSs new Late Night host. (Sans persona.)
For nearly 10 years and more than 1,400 episodes, Colbert remained a constantly amusing and insightful part of our national dialogue. Fans of the show and its indomitable host (only now defeated by the real-life lure of late-night respectability) have good reason to mourn, noted The New Yorker earlier this year, while Salon recently crowned Colbert one of the most important figures in U.S. political comedy of all time.
By embracing the absurd and truly embodying it, Colbert has made politics and public policy uproariously funny, while providing much-needed bouts of sanity for devoted news junkies.
His satirical voice wont be gone completely, of course. Colberts late-night colleague Jon Stewart continues to soldier on with The Daily Show, that shows alumni John Oliver is doing fine work at HBO, while another, Larry Wilmore, readies his turn to take over Colberts late-night Comedy Central slot.
But theres no denying Colberts exit from Comedy Central marks a cultural and political milestone of sorts. The exit is disheartening not only because the genuine laughs will be missed, but because Colberts satirical work has been instrumental in spearheading progressive arguments and critiques for years.
Colberts departure also reminds us how hollow conservative comedic efforts have been, as they fail to play catch-up in the cultural war of political satire. Humor remains a rhetorical weapon that American conservatives simply cannot harness.
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http://www.salon.com/2014/12/23/conservatives_just_arent_funny_why_the_right_will_never_have_its_own_stephen_colbert_partner/
hibbing
(10,098 posts)I think the main reason that conservatives are not funny is because they try to make fun of the powerless, or less powerful. Minorities, gays, the poor and others are always their targets.
Peace
Quantess
(27,630 posts)They don't have much besides racist, sexist, or homophobic punchlines.
tblue37
(65,403 posts)NewDeal_Dem
(1,049 posts)established, etc.
just like picking on little kids isn't funny, picking on the pitiful and poor isn't funny except to those with issues.
TlalocW
(15,384 posts)And is popular for a bit - mainly because of their uniqueness, but their schtick gets old fast. You can only keep attacking the powerless until it becomes tiresome for even the most hardcore fan, or you or a group you identify with is attacked by them. I'm thinking mostly of Andrew Dice Clay who looked to be a big thing in the mid 90s and was rallied around by the conservatives of the day. I might lump Carlos Mencia in there as well just because his whole act seems to be: *racist slur* *oooh, look how edgy I am* *people need to calm down about shit like this* *racist slur* *oooh...* etc.
TlalocW
Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)most can't act either. I think you need to have some kind of connection with other people to be funny and have the ability to act.
Cha
(297,304 posts)gerogie2
(450 posts)that died in the gutter because his republican ruled State refused to expand Medicaid for the working poor? Isn't that funny?
czarjak
(11,278 posts)Greg Gutfeld?
C_U_L8R
(45,003 posts)And conservatives have been living
in such a Faux/Rush distorted world,
they just don't know funny - they
only do mean spirited sniping.