I’m so old, I remember when Chevy Chase mocked President Gerald Ford in the opening monologues on SNL in 1975. People loved it, and Ford later joined in on the joke.
I understand your wife's concerns. I don't see satire as making jokes about our situation. Satire does keep us sane. Sometimes, the monologue presents a perspective we haven't considered. It's okay if Trump doesn't like criticism, even is jest. It is not okay to shutdown voices by coercion. His actions are above the law. He claims his opponents are above the law with no evidence. Every day, his narcissistic ego grows.
I agree that satire is one of the best ways to handle this regime. It makes us think, but makes fools of the dangerous people who are trying to take over our entire lives.
My favorite "whisper joke," from late-Soviet Poland:
How many policemen does it take to change a light bulb? Three: One can read, another can count, and the third is there to keep an eye on the two intellectuals.
Mark! I teach Can Comedy Save Democracy? To college students and am giving a day-long course to the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco on this topic. So excited to see your take and I hope we can connect!
We are living in an age where satire is essential. The late-night hosts cut sharply with their wit, and that is when satire is at its best. I am less certain about Saturday Night Live, which with the exception of Weekend Update seems to go more for the easy laughs that do not require thought. Alec Baldwin played Trump in the first term with sharp satire, but I am not seeing that in the Trump 2.0 sketches which focus on him as bumbling rather than dangerous.
Dark comedy has always been with us in times of intense stress and political upheaval and there is a clear line of it in English literature, and no doubt in the literature written in other languages as well.
“Steve Bannon appears to Trump in a dream and says: ‘I have two bits of advice for you: Kill off all your opponents and paint the White House blue.’ Trump asks, ‘Why blue?’ Bannon responds: ‘I knew you would not object to the first one.’”
There is in-your-face kind of humor and there is satire that tries to rise above. There is a need and a space for both. I created Media Moe more for the latter. I’m just as angry as the next guy, but I also need space to breathe, to laugh, and to assert the common humanity that the other side often sadly lacks.
I think comedy comforts me in these dark times. But I think comedy alone is not enough. How do we come together to help the immigrants, consistently? How do we restore the programs he’s slashed?
maybe throwing cream pies would encourage voters to think the T* issue is more silly and stupid than vicious and dangerous. But satire? It's a great way to tell people who otherwise might refuse to listen, and give a slicing opinion about Trump & his fascist grift at the same time. Ins agencies use comedy to grab attention because o/wise, who's going to listen to an insurance agent?
I’m so old, I remember when Chevy Chase mocked President Gerald Ford in the opening monologues on SNL in 1975. People loved it, and Ford later joined in on the joke.
I understand your wife's concerns. I don't see satire as making jokes about our situation. Satire does keep us sane. Sometimes, the monologue presents a perspective we haven't considered. It's okay if Trump doesn't like criticism, even is jest. It is not okay to shutdown voices by coercion. His actions are above the law. He claims his opponents are above the law with no evidence. Every day, his narcissistic ego grows.
I agree that satire is one of the best ways to handle this regime. It makes us think, but makes fools of the dangerous people who are trying to take over our entire lives.
If we can laugh, we haven’t lost hope.
❣️🇺🇸🤭 Mark Jacob…
“The MAGA fascists have the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court. We have people power... and jokes. I still think we can win.”
https://bsky.app/profile/kenaiseasky.bsky.social/post/3lzgpcm3jjs2b
My favorite "whisper joke," from late-Soviet Poland:
How many policemen does it take to change a light bulb? Three: One can read, another can count, and the third is there to keep an eye on the two intellectuals.
Good one.
Mark! I teach Can Comedy Save Democracy? To college students and am giving a day-long course to the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco on this topic. So excited to see your take and I hope we can connect!
Keli
Www.kelidailey.com
Governor Newsom's trolling of trump has been very effective. trump hates to be mocked.
Thanks for the joke! You have to laugh to keep from screaming.
We are living in an age where satire is essential. The late-night hosts cut sharply with their wit, and that is when satire is at its best. I am less certain about Saturday Night Live, which with the exception of Weekend Update seems to go more for the easy laughs that do not require thought. Alec Baldwin played Trump in the first term with sharp satire, but I am not seeing that in the Trump 2.0 sketches which focus on him as bumbling rather than dangerous.
Dark comedy has always been with us in times of intense stress and political upheaval and there is a clear line of it in English literature, and no doubt in the literature written in other languages as well.
“Steve Bannon appears to Trump in a dream and says: ‘I have two bits of advice for you: Kill off all your opponents and paint the White House blue.’ Trump asks, ‘Why blue?’ Bannon responds: ‘I knew you would not object to the first one.’”
There is in-your-face kind of humor and there is satire that tries to rise above. There is a need and a space for both. I created Media Moe more for the latter. I’m just as angry as the next guy, but I also need space to breathe, to laugh, and to assert the common humanity that the other side often sadly lacks.
I think comedy comforts me in these dark times. But I think comedy alone is not enough. How do we come together to help the immigrants, consistently? How do we restore the programs he’s slashed?
If we can’t have something to laugh at I’m afraid the darkness will completely overwhelm us.
maybe throwing cream pies would encourage voters to think the T* issue is more silly and stupid than vicious and dangerous. But satire? It's a great way to tell people who otherwise might refuse to listen, and give a slicing opinion about Trump & his fascist grift at the same time. Ins agencies use comedy to grab attention because o/wise, who's going to listen to an insurance agent?
Also noteworthy that Bush 43 asked Putin about the Kukly cancelation. More than Rs are doing about homegrown comedy censorship today
Thom Hartmann read excerpt's from your article this morning ☕ on his show over at FStv🤓💯👍
Thanks for letting me know!