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VOX

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69. The greatest comics have always been observers who are outside of the mainstream power structure...

Mon Aug 20, 2012, 09:27 PM

Aug 2012

And they comment on social ills and inequities from the outsider's point of view. Not surprisingly, many of them happen to be something other than WASPs, and their frequent targets are the wealthy, the powerful, the privileged and of some "higher" social status:

W.C. Fields, Groucho Marx, Lenny Bruce, Godfrey Cambridge, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Jonathan Winters -- just a quick short list of outsiders who specialized in sticking it to the powerful. (I'm sure I've left off some great ones.)

Same applies to the best humorist/writers: S.J. Perelman, George S. Kaufman, Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, etc.

One would be hard-pressed to find even ONE successful conservative/rich/right-wing comic or humorist. And no, Dennis Miller isn't funny.

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Why aren't there More Conservative Comedians? [View all] cleanhippie Aug 2012 OP

Because they aren't funny, amusing, interesting. no_hypocrisy Aug 2012 #1

Jay Leno is funny because his jokes are not political Quantess Aug 2012 #14

Dennis Miller thinks that Dennis Miller is funny. So funny that he can't stop laughing at his own AnotherMcIntosh Aug 2012 #79

Ray Romano is right-wing? Ken Burch Aug 2012 #60

I remember him being merciless with Bill Clinton and the BJ -- ten years after the fact. no_hypocrisy Aug 2012 #62

Didn't know that. Still, is that necessarily right-wing? Ken Burch Aug 2012 #67

I have no knowledge of Ray Romano. Was he merciless with Clinton after Clinton signed NAFTA? AnotherMcIntosh Aug 2012 #82

Didn't say RR was RW, but conservative. no_hypocrisy Aug 2012 #98

+1 Crutchez_CuiBono Dec 2018 #101

Bingo. KPN Dec 2018 #103

well, comedy is based somewhat on cruelty, so they can get that far librechik Aug 2012 #2

Mocking the powerful = humor; mocking the weak = cruelty arcane1 Aug 2012 #6

I think you've nailed it. nt eppur_se_muova Aug 2012 #38

+1 HiPointDem Aug 2012 #43

It's part of the huge interconnection between conservatism and bullying. Ken Burch Aug 2012 #61

Because conservatives are strange, but they're not funny. NV Whino Aug 2012 #3

They're "funny-odd" not "funny-haha." nt hifiguy Aug 2012 #11

not to mention, funny smelling. ChairmanAgnostic Aug 2012 #51

If a little guy kicks a big guy, it's funny htuttle Aug 2012 #4

well put. Care Acutely Aug 2012 #5

The entertainment business as a whole is pretty liberal RZM Aug 2012 #7

I don't believe that to be true ... 1StrongBlackMan Aug 2012 #29

But conservative thought does sell RZM Aug 2012 #44

But then why are they liberal? treestar Aug 2012 #65

Don't confuse conservatism with fear and hate. Hassin Bin Sober Aug 2012 #81

Ok, but RZM Aug 2012 #83

My experience with 'conservatives' is that lower taxes = ... Hassin Bin Sober Aug 2012 #90

They "write books with good sales numbers"? They say that they have good numbers. Are you not AnotherMcIntosh Aug 2012 #87

FOX and rw crap is not funny though. Brainwashing...yes, but not funny. brush Dec 2018 #104

No sense of humor. HopeHoops Aug 2012 #8

Conservative brains work differently. immoderate Aug 2012 #19

They work? HopeHoops Aug 2012 #20

Fart control, but they miss the humor. immoderate Aug 2012 #23

"...it's inherently unfunny. It's just mean." pinboy3niner Aug 2012 #9

Conservtives don't get the basic concept underlying hifiguy Aug 2012 #10

DING DING DING! Hifiguy, you're our grand prize winner! rocktivity Aug 2012 #36

"Are you married? Do you have any money? hifiguy Aug 2012 #40

exactly riverwalker Aug 2012 #52

It's why they always had laws banning "Lese-Majeste' "(humours disrespect of monarchs) Ken Burch Aug 2012 #63

The fart joke has a long and distinguished hifiguy Aug 2012 #75

But I always thought Rush Limbaugh was a Comedian Xyzse Aug 2012 #12

Comedians make fun of ridiculous people, and most of these people are conservative these days. reformist2 Aug 2012 #13

Because Cruelty is not funny ashling Aug 2012 #15

Perhaps their humor requires a victim? MyshkinCommaPrince Aug 2012 #16

It's like a roomful of flatulent people constantly breathing each other's backwind... JHB Aug 2012 #17

because jokes against the powerful can be funny, while jokes about the powerless just aren't DisgustipatedinCA Aug 2012 #18

Bingo! Scuba Aug 2012 #25

Exhibit B: P.J O'Rourke and the shit he published Ken Burch Aug 2012 #64

I dissent. The Lampoon was always about tipping over sacred cows hifiguy Aug 2012 #76

Michael O'Donoghue truly was a genius Tom Ripley Aug 2012 #93

Nick DiPaolo is pretty funny five_horizons Aug 2012 #21

Only if you think homophobia, misogyny, and racism are funny Major Nikon Aug 2012 #57

Nick DiPaolo?! Codeine Aug 2012 #94

You need to be able to laugh at yourself to be funny. surrealAmerican Aug 2012 #22

Except for puns and slapstick..... msu2ba Aug 2012 #24

Because conservatives rely on fear and anger to get their point across. Proles Aug 2012 #26

Mort Sahl is the only funny conservative in existence; he must get very lonely Tom Ripley Aug 2012 #27

The bio on his official site is interesting deutsey Aug 2012 #47

He is a very complex individual with a lightning fast wit Tom Ripley Aug 2012 #50

Wouldn't classify Sahl as strictly conservative -- it's all fair game to him... VOX Aug 2012 #73

Mort is to the left of almost everyone MortSahlFan Dec 2018 #100

Here's a similar sentiment from DU-er Plaid Adder: rocktivity Aug 2012 #28

So true. Jennicut Aug 2012 #89

They're not funny because they can't laugh at themselves. Lone_Star_Dem Aug 2012 #30

Stupid people don't understand dry humor and sarcasm Kolesar Aug 2012 #31

much comedy involves being able to think in parallel tracks in real time. unblock Aug 2012 #32

You've made another good point there...the roots of comedy are unpredictability & surprise Ken Burch Aug 2012 #68

Becasuse they're only funny in the head lunatica Aug 2012 #33

"Republicans don't have a sense of humor-- alterfurz Aug 2012 #34

That's a good one. nt laundry_queen Aug 2012 #54

See: Mit Romney.... Hassin Bin Sober Aug 2012 #92

stupid isn't funny spanone Aug 2012 #35

Hate and fear (which largely make up the conservative "DNA") just doesn't translate into humor Proud Liberal Dem Aug 2012 #37

10-15 years ago Dennis Miller was some what funny, OverBurn Aug 2012 #39

When I first heard about his Monday Night Football gig rocktivity Aug 2012 #42

I enjoyed Miller back in the 80s and 90s RZM Aug 2012 #45

I never thought he was Major Nikon Aug 2012 #66

Way back in his early SNL days he was great. Codeine Aug 2012 #95

I watched SNL religiously back then... He wasn't that great TlalocW Aug 2012 #96

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Aug 2012 #41

There are actually a lot of them Bjorn Against Aug 2012 #46

They are only funny when they are serious? Generic Other Aug 2012 #48

But that "American Carol" was soooooo funny!!! Taverner Aug 2012 #49

Hey! ProudToBeBlueInRhody Aug 2012 #58

I actually watched this turd, and if it's funny to anyone, then I'm an Albanian aviator. ;>)) VOX Aug 2012 #70

What's that you say? Albanian Vibrator? Taverner Aug 2012 #88

Because conservatives have a hard time laughing at themsleves Homer12 Aug 2012 #53

b/c punching down is never funny, also... nashville_brook Aug 2012 #55

Great humour punches through to truths. Republicans are liars, selfish or patsies or pawns. applegrove Aug 2012 #56

There's too much rage and fear in the right-wing mindset these days to produce actual comedy Ken Burch Aug 2012 #59

The greatest comics have always been observers who are outside of the mainstream power structure... VOX Aug 2012 #69

This is the correct answer Tom Ripley Aug 2012 #74

The rise of anti-PC humor makes it unnecessary Prism Aug 2012 #71

You have to be smart to have a sense of humor n/t dflprincess Aug 2012 #72

Dennis Miller. That's why. Nt. Warren Stupidity Aug 2012 #77

You took the words out of my mouth, exactly. n/t Greybnk48 Aug 2012 #78

Because they can't sense irony. Snarkoleptic Aug 2012 #80

Good point. A great illustration of that was Dubya's statement that 9/11 was "the end of irony". Ken Burch Aug 2012 #99

Because racism, sexism, and homophobia just aren't funny. Kalidurga Aug 2012 #84

There are lots of them Telly Savalas Aug 2012 #85

Maybe Glenn Beck the drama queen, part-time comedian should run for office. Quantess Aug 2012 #97

It's hard for the punchline of a joke, to actually make a joke. lob1 Aug 2012 #86

Example from FB today treestar Aug 2012 #91

Because truly effective satire is the antidote to authoritarianism. (n/t) FreepFryer Dec 2018 #102

W made me laugh numerous times. . . Stargleamer Dec 2018 #105

Conservatives are too stupid to have a sense of humor Gothmog Dec 2018 #106