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.
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.
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.
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!
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?
Has your wife seen John Oliver’s latest? He’s really good at conveying the ugly truth in some detail and getting us to laugh at the absurdity, with some sheer silliness thrown in. I think it’s brilliant.
Sometimes late-night comedy isn't satire. Sometimes it's ugly news that the mainstream media is too timid to address. Specifically, Trump held a campaign event in Pa. and decided to speak about the Battle of Gettysburg, even though it wasn't even close to the rally site. He went on a rant about the battle that showed his mental decline and gibberish were at an all-time low. He invented a story about Robert E. Lee telling his troops, "Never charge uphill me boys." Maybe he was confused with Pickett's Charge? I was really frustrated to see late night shows were the only source for seeing this depraved rant, which all of America should have seen or been able to read about.
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.
❣️🇺🇸🤭 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
You probably know this but networks are not licensed. Their affiliate stations are.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Thom Hartmann read excerpt's from your article this morning ☕ on his show over at FStv🤓💯👍
Also noteworthy that Bush 43 asked Putin about the Kukly cancelation. More than Rs are doing about homegrown comedy censorship today
Ya gotta be funny for both sides. Universal is a defining element of comedy
Thanks for the joke! You have to laugh to keep from screaming.
Has your wife seen John Oliver’s latest? He’s really good at conveying the ugly truth in some detail and getting us to laugh at the absurdity, with some sheer silliness thrown in. I think it’s brilliant.
Sometimes late-night comedy isn't satire. Sometimes it's ugly news that the mainstream media is too timid to address. Specifically, Trump held a campaign event in Pa. and decided to speak about the Battle of Gettysburg, even though it wasn't even close to the rally site. He went on a rant about the battle that showed his mental decline and gibberish were at an all-time low. He invented a story about Robert E. Lee telling his troops, "Never charge uphill me boys." Maybe he was confused with Pickett's Charge? I was really frustrated to see late night shows were the only source for seeing this depraved rant, which all of America should have seen or been able to read about.