Comedy is a feminist issue

[MaryMagdaline]

I know many of you were offended by the WHCD comedy routine.

As an aging Baby Boomer, I have to tell you that I was very proud of this young woman last night. I'll try not to make this too cliche about obstacles and barriers, but what I saw is a woman who did a Don Rickles take down on the most vicious, inhumane mob and their media toadies that the WHCD has ever seen.

I hear my nieces about her age talk about women who have no fucks to give and there it was on full display. The generation with 80k in loans is not going to go for the "gentle ribbing" and "mutual respect" the old folks in the sycophant media are calling for today.

In 20 minutes she shamed them on Bear Sterns, Flint, me,too (Fox News is here ... cover your drinks), our lying Press Secretary who burns facts and wears it as eye shadow. It goes on and on.

Here was a woman Court Jester mocking and belittling the NAZIs and their enablers, without the slightest flinch of "I'm so sorry to be mean and crude."

One of the means of controlling girls when I was growing up was the "act like a lady" admonition. Any bad behavior and we were shamed as unladylike. Talking back was unladylike. Protesting was unladylike. Showing up the boys was totally unladylike.

I thought Michelle slapped them with her unladylikeness and shamed them with human values. (Our President is a pussy, he's broke and he's lousy in bed and by the way, why TF are you people sitting here when Flint still has dirty water?)

A milestone. Question her taste, but not her heart.

Not for nothing, she was mobbed by the young attendees to the WHCD after the speech. She's one of them.

[H2O Man]

1. Recommended.

Thank you for this. I rather enjoyed the show.

[ChubbyStar]

3. I did too!

K&R

[MaryMagdaline]

6. Thank you

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[MaryMagdaline]

7. Thanks

[Squinch]

4. Well said. I loved it. And frankly, she was kind to the liars and molesters, etc.

[MaryMagdaline]

5. Much too kind to them. You are so right.

[ismnotwasm]

8. Very well said.

Thank you

[MaryMagdaline]

11. Thank you

[DonCoquixote]

9. Hell yes

and allow me to humbly add my fuel to the fire: If you want to know why trump is president,look at the people who were "offended" by this. There was a time to take a high road, but that was before the low road became a superhighway leading to the death camps and prisons where our children will be livestock.

[MaryMagdaline]

10. Absolutely true.

[CrispyQ]

12. A kick for truth!

[MaryMagdaline]

15. Thanks

[Lucky Luciano]

13. Some jokes were funny - I mean spot on. Others kinda dull.

Her voice was almost like Roseanne’s which is tough to take, but overall a perfectly good performance.

[CrispyQ]

18. I liked her joke about her voice.

Honestly, I never really thought I'd be a comedian. But I did take an aptitude test in seventh grade — and this is 100 percent true — I took an aptitude test in seventh grade, and it said in my best profession was a clown or a mime. Well, at first it said clown, and then it heard my voice and then was like, “Or maybe mime. Think about mime.”

[Lucky Luciano]

23. LOL fair enough! I only heard clips so far...not the whole thing.

That is funny especially if she nailed the delivery.

Self deprecating humor is often very good.

[CrispyQ]

32. Obama was excellent at it.

Trump's ego won't let him. I just can't believe this jerk is polling over 35%! WTF, America?

[EarnestPutz]

19. She made fun of her own voice...

...when she said that her aptitude test told her she was cut out
to be a clown, and she thought to herself "maybe a mime".

[EarnestPutz]

20. Crispy, you beat me by one minute....

.... and with a better, more complete answer. Embarrassing.

[bronxiteforever]

14. Well said and agree 100%.

[MaryMagdaline]

16. Thank you

[Nitram]

17. I was not offended. I was energized.

That's what speaking truth to power look like!

[MaryMagdaline]

26. Yes it does!

[Fresh_Start]

21. Michelle Wolf could have been a lot harder on the administration

but she told us up front...she doesn't have a political agenda

yes, she was crude at points....
but sometimes being crude makes a point

I will think of Ivanka as Diaper Genie from now on....and I think it is very apt.

[MaryMagdaline]

27. Yes and she told us up front "let's get this over with"

[backtoblue]

22. Kick and rec

[MaryMagdaline]

28. Thank you

[SunSeeker]

24. Spot on. Thank you!

[MaryMagdaline]

29. Thank you

[Yonnie3]

25. My expectations were not met.

My expectations were not met because my expectations were ridiculous.

I was expecting some great humor to lighten the dismal news about this "administration" that never stops. The evil that these people have foisted on this country aided by the media in its quest for ratings ($s) is no laughing matter. This was a lampooning of epic proportions. It is remarkable that there were any laughs, when I consider what the subjects of this roast have done.

Bravo Ms. Wolf!

[MaryMagdaline]

30. Yes indeed!

[tikka]

31. The Don Rickles analogy is spot on - wonderful OP

The WHCA needs slapping everyday. Perhaps, it is past time that this Washington social event got knocked down a few pegs. Pearl-clutching over a few sexually expressive words seems ludicrous considering what this administration is doing to this country.

[MaryMagdaline]

33. Long past time, yes, and thanks

[procon]

34. The constant parental harangue of "act like a lady" was ubiquitous back in the day.

It was stifling, belittling and humiliating to be forced into meek, submissive obscurity by a puritanical, patriarchal society. I saw myself in Michelle Wolf's effectively brazen comedy. She said the things I still struggle to say -- want to say! -- and it's taken me 70+ years to overcome that restrictive "act like a lady" censure just get to that point.

Young, outspoken women activists of today are empowered and inspired by comedians like Wolf to speak out, to stand up and shout truth to power. Give me more!

[MaryMagdaline]

35. What's really nice to see is that they're just doing it

No nerves, no guilt, just natural

[raven mad]

36. Offended, heck!

I'm still cheering!

[MaryMagdaline]

37. Cheers!

[malaise]

38. Brilliant

Rec

[MaryMagdaline]

39. Thank you

[RandomAccess]

40. Being ladylike or not

Great OP, btw.

The problem of living up to the standards of being a "lady" is that there is no one standard. It's an all-purpose set of chains that can be hauled out to punish ANY girl or woman for damn near ANYTHING.

Kinda like this:

[MaryMagdaline]

41. true!

[mythology]

42. Being an asshole when people don't have the ability to respond isn't exactly feminism

Comparing her to Don Rickles is flat out wrong. The audience was in on the joke with Rickles. They saw it as a badge to be insulted by him. On the other hand, Wolf wasn't there as part of a larger joke.

The thing about comedy is you have to actually be good at it to reach onto certain subjects. Wolf failed miserably in that regard.

If feminism is the radical notion that women are people too, I'm not all that eager to celebrate that means women can be mean spirited as well. It's not about being unladylike, guys should find a better way to be funny than to pick on people who aren't in a position to respond.

[MaryMagdaline]

43. Who are those who don't have means to respond?

Almost everyone she called out is in a position of power, on TV whenever they wish to be, on Twitter, and with the nastiest bully in the world ready to take revenge for them.

Obviously you think there were innocent people hurt by her routine. I am interested to know who you think is innocent.

I can't argue the not funny part ... that is entirely subjective. Laughter is involuntary

[uppityperson]

45. How about upcycling for a hobby?

http://www.cracked.com/blog/white-people-hobbies-that-confuse-rest-world/
Upcyclying is when you take something old and useless and *gasp* turn it into something pretty and useful

[DesertRat]

47. ...

[uppityperson]

49. I'm not on much so miss having chances to share

Eventually we'll get through Eggs Benedict too.

[Scurrilous]

48. K&R

[Ms. Toad]

50. I would have found it just as offensive

regardless of gender (race, religio, etc)

So for me - at least - it has nothing to do with acting like a lady. It has to do with discouraging progressives from emulating the cruel behavior engaged in my far too many Republicans.

[Meowmee]

51. Agree

Im proud of her, she has a lot of courage.