The U.S. Is Losing Its Sense of Humor
It's hard to recall a time when bitterness and seriousness were so deeply rooted and laughter so restrained.
The Obama administration is destroying many things intrinsic to the United States. Much has been written about them. It has certainly diminished national pride, once substantial and a source of the incredible optimism which propelled the country to greatness.
Even France, the butt of numerous jokes in the past, seems to warrant more national pride now than the United States; it is at least making some appropriate noises. It was formerly said, “We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it.” How things do change! Fortunately, Israel and even little Honduras are showing spunk, contrary to the misguided dictates of the Obama administration.
The loss of national pride and national direction are bad enough, but we are also losing our sense of humor. They go hand in glove. It is difficult to laugh when bitterness prevails and the urge to cry is so great, and it is difficult to get out of such a mess without a sense of humor. This is, or should be, a problem for those who still think highly of President Obama, as well as for those who don’t now or never did. I can’t seem to recall any time during the past sixty or so years when bitterness and seriousness were so deeply rooted and laughter so restrained. Even the “gallows humor” which prevailed during our wars seems to have been lost. This is not surprising. At least during the first and second world wars and the Korean “conflict,” there was some sense of national unity which enabled her to prevail; well, maybe not in Korea. No matter how dire things seemed, jokes could be made about the situation; that is much more difficult when national goals are amorphous. As one (among many) columnist put it:
Since Obama took office, he has been abandoning one U.S. ally after another while seeking to curry favor with one U.S. adversary after another. At every turn, America’s allies — from Israel to Honduras, to Columbia, South Korea and Japan, to Poland and the Czech Republic — have reacted with disbelief and horror to his treachery. And at every turn, America’s adversaries — from Iran to Venezuela to North Korea and Russia — have responded with derision and contempt to his seemingly obsessive attempts to appease them.
I agree, and Honduras and Venezuela are shining examples, geographically close to the United States and closer to Panamá, where I live. It is difficult to retain a sense of humor in these circumstances; there is little to be found about which to laugh. I’m waiting for some congresscritter, a member of the vast right-wing conspiracy, to offer legislation replacing the eagle with the dodo bird as the country’s national emblem. Former President Clinton says that the same vast right-wing conspiracy which targeted him is now targeting President Obama. He said, “It’s not as strong as it was because America has changed demographically. But it’s as virulent as it was” back when Monica Lewinsky was on the president’s staff.
Even in talking with close friends of different political persuasions, political discussion is pretty much off-limits, lest anger erupt. My experience has been that religion, once taboo, can be discussed with far less anger. We fear what we hate, and we generally hate what we fear. The wicked Papists or the wicked Protestants were once the problem. Then came China and Russia. Now, it’s each other, conservative vs. leftist. White vs. black. Rich vs. poor.
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Dan Miller graduated from Yale University in 1963 and from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1966. He lives in a rural area in Panama.
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93 Comments
1. Marc Malone:This article is NOT funny in the least! Grrr.
Seriously, one cannot laugh when at knives’ length. The Civil War divided brother against brother, but they had honor to soften the worst of it. Where exists honor, anymore?
Laughter is great. It relieves built-up tension. Now, however, when the joke can get you in trouble, when it can be turned against you no matter what by those with no scruples, by the Deceivers, then what use humor? It is now only used as a tool of political oppression.
There is little fellowship; little common cause. There is only the bared fangs and the red murderous gaze. There is no longer the sense that we are all in the same boat. There is now no longer room for both of us. To the knives!
Oct 6, 2009 - 1:55 am 2. steve:When your country and constitution are being systematically destroyed before eyes by a tyrranical government only a jackass would search for his sense of humor.
Oct 6, 2009 - 2:26 am 3. vivo:The only free people are those who can joke about anything without fearing the politically correct.
Oct 6, 2009 - 3:07 am 4. Marc Malone:#3 vivo – This is correct. We are not free. The country is terribly PC. The only ones who are safe are those with the “in crowd”; the Cool Kids. The Leftists are safe. They can get away with anything, because they are the cool kids.
They are safe. For now. Until the guns come out. Pray it comes not to that, for then, the gun’ls will choke with their blood. I would be one of mixed emotions. Oh, the Humanity! And the Inhumanity!
Oct 6, 2009 - 3:40 am 5. rachel peepers:I have never read an article in the land of PJM where the author seemed to know so little about his topic. How can you write about humor when you, yourself, are funny as a crutch?
You say Barack isn’t good at self deprecating jokes. Well, let me clue you in, Obama couldn’t think up a funny line if the publication of his grades at Harvard depended on it.
Then you speak of a guy at your law office who knew a lot of jokes for every occasion. What America laughs at are people with wit. To me, people who recite jokes could be reciting apple pie recipes. They bore me.
“Mr. President, what’s your favorite song” was asked at a press conference back in 1962. Remember the answer? A person with a razor sharp sense of humor delivered it. “Oh,I’m kind of partial to Hail to the Chief”. John Kennedy had a sense of humor.
Ronald Reagan’s, ” I don’t think my opponents age should a factor in this race” was another off the top of his head line that carried the day.
One reason Obama finds it so hard to make people smile is that he’s so busy trying to remember his lies. Plus, he takes himself so pompously seriously so much of the time.
Carter had the ability to make people laugh because so often they were laughing at his all fired seriousness. “last evening, Amy, my youngest daughter, asked me a question about nuclear proliferation.” Carter meant it seriously, but it was a funny line.
We don’t need people who have the ability to remember jokes for every occasion, but it would be nice to have some people around with some wit. You referenced Jack Benny. I’ll reference Bob Hope. Both very funny guys, but not because they could remember jokes. They were born funny. Who was Woody Allen’s inspiration? It was Bob hope. Inherently funny to be around.
Huckabee, Kennedy, Reagen, Truman, Humphrey. All great great guests at a dinner party because they were/are funny people.
Hannity? Zero sense of humor. Rush, it comes out now and then. Pelosi? What do you think?
Harry Reid? A week in the same room with that guy could break any prisoner at Guantanamo.
Mr. Miller, there’s a Dennis Miller who would laugh at your headline. America’s not losing its sense of humor. It starts at the joke we have masquerading as President. McCain wasn’t much better. I don’t know why they’re so serious. Maybe their underwear’s too tight.
Oct 6, 2009 - 4:01 am 6. Nobama 2012:At the gym the other day I told a joke about the Jewish comedian that dropped dead during his act.
Just fell over dead from a heart attack.
As they tried to revive him someone in the adudience yelled:
“GIVE HIM SOME CHICKEN SOUP!”
The guy on stage with a stern look on his face yelled back.
“WE NEED A DOCTOR-
THIS MAN IS DEAD OR DYING
AND CHICKEN SOUP WILL NOT HELP HIM!”
The smart ass in the audience yelled back:
“IT CAN’T HURT!”
Anyway when I told that joke you could have smelled a pin drop-
Everyone looked around for someone else to laugh first.
Our country is in bad need of an un-political correct Will Rogers….
3. vivo:
I do concur.
Never in the course of human history has one administration needed to be laughed at as much as this administration that is now in the course of human history-
This administration is a frigging joke.
Oct 6, 2009 - 4:07 am 7. Levitation:This is not funny.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iowahawk_blog/3973837517/
Oct 6, 2009 - 4:29 am 8. Suggestion:Before whipping off with some half baked, cockeyed advice to the American people try asking an American soldier or their family how funny that they think things are these days.
Oct 6, 2009 - 4:35 am 9. brian:Political correctness, people.
If we try to make fun of Obama, (and how can you not) you’re RACIST!!!!
Being funny and the PC attitude are oil and water.
Oct 6, 2009 - 4:40 am 10. UsaBruce:Two neighbors talking over the backyard fence. 1st neighbor: “I don’t think Obamas Stimulus has worked.” 2nd neighbor: “YOU’RE A NAZI, RACIST, KNUCKLE DRAGGING HOMOPHOBE.” Haaaa! That’s a hoot isn’t it. How about the one about the black guy with the Muslim name who campaigned on fundamentally changing America, AND MEANT IT !!! Haaaaa! This stuff just cracks me up. Then there was the one about the attractive, patriotic, and God fearing Governor of Alaska – they attacked her children like a pack of starving hyenas. Haaaa, I was in stitches for a year. * I’m sorry Mr. Miller, I’m not mocking the premise of your article, I agree that it would be helpful to be able to find humor in our countrys current political climate. Unfortunately, we are in mortal combat for everything that is precious about our country and our beliefs. With a serious, vicious, enemy that gives no quarter, down to the babe in the womb. Please, someone, help me to laugh.
Oct 6, 2009 - 5:14 am 11. BackwardsBoy:The author is spot on. We’ve been browbeaten for years by the PC crowd whose only reason for living is to control us, our words, and ultimately, our thoughts.
Maybe it’s time to reject them and start treating the thought police like the jokes they are.
Oct 6, 2009 - 5:19 am 12. Kate Rafferty:Cluelessness on stilts. That’s the nicest thing I can say about this article.
And #6 don’t be so high on Will Rogers, he thought Mussolini was a great guy doing a great job.
Oct 6, 2009 - 5:37 am 13. chris in Toronto:These days, about the only thing that make me laugh, sadly, is slapstick.
Oct 6, 2009 - 5:38 am 14. Ruvy:Nobama 2012;
I read your comment to my wife. Her comment was that the joke you told was in poor taste – not anti-Jewish, and for this reason folks at your gym (who could drop dead any second from over-working themselves) looked around for the other guy to laugh. Be that as it may, yes, the sitting president in Washington is a joke. Even though I had no use for him at all, I thought that maybe a Harvard educated lawyer might have some brains. Boy, was I wrong!
Not only is he an idiot, he makes the idiot from Yale (George W. Bush) look smart!
I have another take on all of this, one born of personal experience. When I have money, my comments are filled with humor, good taste, tolerance for the foibles of human beings etc. When I’m broke, like I am now, I have tended to get very nasty on-line. Dan Miller, who knows me from another site, can vouch for just how nasty I can get. Let me extrapolate that just a bit, and extend how it might apply.
Folks in the States must be feeling very insecure if their sense of humor is disappearing. Their wealth is disappearing, their security is disappearing, the value of the dollar threatens to disapear. That is very hard on a person. All these things are far beyond any individual’s control, yet all of them affect a person very closely – like, if he has the money to go to the store to buy groceries or enough money to pay for gas, for insurance, for rent, etc. etc…. And all these changes are kind of sudden. America has been on a psychological roller coaster since September of last year. Only now is the sense of despair beginning to set in as the “beautiful words” Obama utters turn out to be nothing more than words. “Hope and change” is not what it was cracked up to be, it appears.
And it ain’t funny at all.
Oct 6, 2009 - 5:50 am 15. newscaper:The author will have more of a point when SNL and the late night talk show hosts start doing gloves-off jokes making fun of Obama at just half the level of what they did to Bush-Cheney, and even Clinton-Gore.
I would love to be in audience so I could heckle them on live TV the next time they throw out a Bush joke after all this time.
*ussies.
ANd speaking of wartime, this country is so PC that you can’t even insult or mock fun of the enemy our soldiers are fighting. WTF? We can’t make fun of the people we’re trying to kill?
Oct 6, 2009 - 6:07 am 16. Gary Ogletree:Humor is alive and well. Read the posters at the big Capitol Tea Party. Rush is good for a few laughs every day. President Wee Wee and his lefty buddies are a running joke. And James Carville thinks they play hockey in a court.
Oct 6, 2009 - 6:15 am 17. Jeannette:This is so horrifyingly tacky, it’s funny:
Oct 6, 2009 - 6:17 am 18. Cybergeezer:https://www.chiaobama.com/flare/next
So I’m racist; What? Me worry? A good belly laugh is therapeutic for me! I’ll laugh at what I think is funny, and I could not care less is someone’s feelings get hurt, because
Oct 6, 2009 - 6:37 am 19. Cybergeezer:I AM NOT IN CHARGE OF YOUR FEELINGS; YOU ARE!
PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR INSENSITIVITY WHERE THE “F” IT BELONGS!
We don’t have to be in love with everybody! If this trend keeps up, We the People are going to become nothing but taxpaying amoeba. Don’t you have a life to live?
14. Ruvy: Oct 6, 2009 – 5:50 am
Oct 6, 2009 - 6:45 am 20. AThinkingPerson:Very astute, sir.
15. newscaper: Oct 6, 2009 – 6:07 am
Are you a member of THE VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY? Congratulations
Some reasons to laugh:
* Oprah got humbled in Copenhagen alongside Michelle and BHObama. Took them all down a few glorious notches.
* Obama champion David Letterman’s deviant lifestyle (including a handy bedroom near his office) has been uncovered. No word from NOW on his misuse of female interns.
* ACORN being outed as the thieving, cheating liberal cesspool we knew they were.
* Pelosi is now getting so shrill she’s in the dog-whistle range (not to mention the handy use of crocodile tears and quivering upper lip she’s used lately).
* Obama caught handing out lab coats to “doctors” at his latest health care cheer session. Seriously.
* Hypocrite extraordinaire Michael Moore’s latest anti-Capitalist movie super-tanking at the box office.
* SNL actually taking on the Obama administration for once (even funnier was watching CNN desperately trying to “fact check” the skit to save face for Obama).
I’m sure there are more. Anyone?
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:15 am 21. deguello:We are in a pre-civil war environment,even as we wage a cold civil war here,and in other alternative media.when the left attempts to shut this media down(and they will) the we’ll see some serious lack of humor.
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:17 am 22. deguello:#17 Jeanette: Looks lie a turd with grass growing on it.Looks like the sculptor caught Obama’s essence perfectly;but wasn’t he into cocaine,and not grass?
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:19 am 23. Terry:Well, Obama would be funny on a TV show like the old series, The West Wing, maybe change the name to The Left Wing – but unfortunately, Obama is not fiction. Not funny at all, just scary.
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:20 am 24. Cybergeezer:Absolutely! Our government is trying to control our emotions, because they don’t think we are handling them RESPONSIBLY!
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:24 am 25. The U.S. Is Losing Its Sense of Humor | Secolul 21 ~ 21st Century:Isn’t that a f-in laugh?
[...] here: The U.S. Is Losing Its Sense of Humor This entry is filed under America – Blogs, Pajamas Media. You can follow any responses to this [...]
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:39 am 26. Now and Then:Hey, I got a good one for ya:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/fox-news-corrects-false-claims-about-gay-obama-education-adviser-will-hannity-do-the-same/
Now that’s funny. So, who’s gonna jump on the honesty train? Anybody? No?
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:41 am 27. Bonnie_:Anyone who quotes Bertrand Russell deserves laughter. At you, my friend, not with you.
Since the Tea Parties in April, I have been waking up every day happy and energized. We are not a socialist country. We are not going to accept the boot heel of fascism on our necks. We, Americans, are going to prevail.
If you think good humor and happiness and laughter are gone from this country, you are hanging out with liberals.
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:53 am 28. Poor Citizen:I think your right. The first eight years of the new century produced some of the biggest fiasco/s and tragedies, but some of the greatest humorous moments in american history….who could forget the names?…bush, condi rice, cheney (hunting), bush, rumsfeld, the congress, the senate, bush, palin, mccain…the list goes on and on..and it was truly tragic, but so, so funny. I still watch some of the bush slots on you tube…But now, after the election it seems to have faded a bit and maybe even become a little too serious…of course with the economy there is not much to laugh about…but who knows, give it a few more years eh?
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:56 am 29. EnemyoftheState:I hadn’t thought about it but you’re right. I’ve lost my sense of humor. It kept me sane and maybe kept me alive through Vietnam. Later, my commanders knew I was the intel briefer who always sneaked one humorous tidbit into the otherwise gloomy picture of the advancing red army coming through the Fulda Gap and washing over us on the way to the Atlantic.
Now I’m a bitter clinger: my bible and my guns. I horde ammunition and think about improvised claymores to defend my perimeter. The humor has died.
Oct 6, 2009 - 7:59 am 30. out west:So Obama finally makes it to SNL and someone feels compelled to do a “fact-check” response in his defense and it makes the msm – at least Yahoo.
Does anyone recall anyone in the msm seriously defending any other political figure from an SNL spot?
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:00 am 31. Now and Then:22. deguello:
“Looks lie a turd with grass growing on it”
Right wing scat fascination in play yet again from Of Guello. Amazing. Disturbing. Juvenile.
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:08 am 32. David S:All of you that claim you can’t tell a joke are correct. But it’s your own fault, not the government.
The US has a great sense of humour, but the right wing’s antics have moved beyond the point of being funny. Just like Palin is no longer funny – you can’t tell the same joke every week and expect people to keep up the laughter.
If any of you would try watching Jon Stewart just once, you would see that the US still has a great sense of humor. Maybe the GOP is tired of being the punchline? Apparently not, because Republicans keep doing the same thing over and over.
Insanity anyone?
Peace.
DS
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:12 am 33. Now and Then:30. out west:
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:17 am 34. Sowell Disciple:Here’s a questions, why didn’t Fox News or talk radio, both quick to jump on the story as a repudiation of Obama, fact check the segment?
Did you miss Obama’s sense of humor? He did a great self-parody in Copenhagen, regaling the IOC with his I – me – I routine, with the funny result of losing the Olympics bid. More brilliant self-prody by squeezing in a meeting with General McChrystal on Air Force One. Then he (or maybe only cronies) brilliantlly blamed it on Bush! You can’t beat this level of parody! What — he was serious?
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:18 am 35. MarkD:Yes, it died the day the PC police shoved it up the nose of a co-worker who had the gall to defend ethnic jokes in the re-education classes here at work.
The body of this guy moved on to become the corporate communications director, but the soul was gone.
No, I don’t know any jokes. I don’t hang with those people.
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:24 am 36. CanYouSeeUsNow?:We are in trouble. Things are serious and getting worse by the hour. But we are not humorless. There just isn’t much to laugh about right now. We don’t laugh because we aren’t happy. We’re pissed and buying guns and ammo at alarming rates.
I wonder what that means? Forth of July celebration I suppose.
Or could it be for a May day celebration? I hear all the fashionable scientific socialists, are celebrating that one. They’ll probably set one up on the White house lawn this next year.
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:34 am 37. Jenn:usa must out of Iraq and Afghanistan. This crime against humanity and genocide commited by usa must have an end at last. Neofascist wars from 8 years. Out of these countries. Withdrawal these troops, rebuilding thze country and humanitarian aid for Afghans and Iraqis – just these are goals.
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:55 am 38. AThinkingPerson:ussmanic governments made billions of dollars of debts especially for these wars- and uss-a has now 13 trillion of dollars of debts
Besides there are tousends of people who are detained in us-military camps in Afghanistan, Guantanamo and probably another countries, what about it? All those people must be released and get compensations from us-government.
Yes, David S., the left NEVER does any of those “antics” you mentioned. LOL!
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/06/the-white-house-department-of-white-coats/
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:58 am 39. jenn:get out of Afghanistan, get out of Iraq. Why do you do it? Is is your national feature to be global war criminals and genocide. It is NO mission-it is neofascist invasion and mindless occupation. You destroyed both these countries totally, destroyed human lives there and go to hell at last. Let it dambn this your fu.. usa together with all your you- sick, degenerate pig.
Oct 6, 2009 - 9:00 am 40. AThinkingPerson:Yes, the liberals are HILARIOUS!!
Pelosi and Reid don’t want the public to see the bills they are voting on. Why not?
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Congressional-leaders-fight-against-posting-bills-online-8340658-63557217.html
Yet more of those “antics” that David S. is just sure don’t exist in his liberal world. Guess David isn’t a fan of transparency. Imagine that.
Oct 6, 2009 - 9:02 am 41. Miked:I disagree. I laugh uproariously on a daily basis at almost anything I hear Obama say. And for major guffaws and coffee-through-the-nose humor It is hard to beat David S!
Oct 6, 2009 - 9:09 am 42. tanstaafl:We fear what we hate, and we generally hate what we fear. The wicked Papists or the wicked Protestants were once the problem. Then came China and Russia. Now, it’s each other, conservative vs. leftist. White vs. black. Rich vs. poor.
I’m definitely losing my sense of humor and too often feel like crying these days watching America in the hands of ideologically bent retards, but have not succumbed to seeing the world through the Left lens of Identity Politics, race, wealth, gender etc.
However, I’m not too fond of Muslims, even so called “peaceful” ones, who don’t declaim loudly enough against the maniacs using their religion to justify worldwide carnage & slaughter.
Oct 6, 2009 - 9:12 am 43. Jim Rockford:This is not a serious statement. #1 Mark Malone is right. We are essentially at war now in the U.S. Statists verses Conservatives. The elite, MSM-fed ignorant and parasites verses the informed producers and middle class. The Statists started this war. They aren’t interested in resolution or debate — debate to them is unconditional acceptance of their demands. Conservatives are realizing that if they don’t start fighting back and fighting the Statist way — Dirty — the nation will become a third world banana republic. Humor? Humor!?
We “Hate what we fear” is one of those nice sounding phrases that is total bologne. In this case, conservatives Hate the people that are ruining the best nation ever to inhabit the earth.
Oct 6, 2009 - 9:12 am 44. MDr:Yes, MSH (mainstream humor) has been seriously curtailed, but surely you’ve noticed new sources popping up. Blogs. YouTube. emails. I’m inundated daily with political humor; some you can tell were composed by ordinary folk, just filling the void. Most of these are anything but PC. Surely there’s some hope in that.
The MSM is becoming more marginalized everyday as alternate news outlets have arisen. Maybe, the MSH too.
Oct 6, 2009 - 9:27 am 45. Ruebacca:My brothers and sisters are eating their 401k’s, but the democrats and public employees are eating cake. Social Sceurity wont give me full benifits until I am 67, but state workers retire on ful pentions at 55.
I am not in the mood for jokes.
Oct 6, 2009 - 9:29 am 46. Jeannette:#31, Now and then,
Did you see it? Deguello is just reporting what he saw. Looks like Obama needs to take a dump but I think it’s supposed to be serious?
I’m also laughing at Jenn, the semi-literate prune.
Oct 6, 2009 - 10:46 am 47. BC:Please — when a new movie comes out now, the first thing conservatives and right wingers look for is their twisted version of “political correctness.” And any article that starts off with the line “The Obama administration is destroying many things intrinsic to the United States” is probably going to be unintentionally triggering the irony flags with it coming in after a title like “The U.S. Is Losing Its Sense of Humor”.
Warning – Parable ahead:
A Republican businessman found a magic genie’s lamp, rubbed it, and a genie appeared who said, “I will grant you 3 wishes.” After thinking about it for a minute, Republican replied, “For my 1st wish, I want a billion dollars.”
The genie replied, “As you wish,” and dollar bills started fluttering from the sky, but then became a rainstorm of paper, so much so that they covered the Republican, making it hard to breath. In a panic he cried, “Stop, stop! This is not what I meant!.
The genie replied, “As you wish,” and all the dollar bills disappeared.
The Republican, now annoyed and frustrated, said, “Oh, so that’s how it is, eh? Well, for my 3rd wish, I want to be just enough smarter to be able to have a better, happier life. Nothing more, nothing less.”
The genie replied, “As you wish,” and then disappeared. At first the Republican looked about for any more trickery, but saw nothing. He then thought maybe he was gypped, but then realized something felt different. He went home and the next morning woke up, and realized that his life had been a total waste of energy in being greedy, upscaling his lifestyle and working at things that nobody will care about when he’s gone. He became absolutely miserable at what his life had become and rubbed the genie’s lamp once more.
The genie appeared and said, “Why have you summoned me? You have used up your 3 wishes.”
The Republican businessman sorrowfully complained, “You did not fulfill my last wish — I had asked to be just enough smarter to be able to have a better, happier life, but instead you’ve made me miserable!”
The genie shook his head and said, “No, I did indeed fulfill your last wish — you cannot have a better, nicer life without the intelligence to know and understand the true state of your existing one.”
Oct 6, 2009 - 10:56 am 48. BF:VISUAL:
Franklin, Jefferson, Adams and a few others around a table offering ideas as the
U.S. constitution is being written.
LINE:
ADAMS:
I keep thinking we should include something in the constitution in case the people elect a f’ing moron.
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:01 am 49. Bob Miller:How does a resident of rural Panama get to sense our humor quotient today? Some first-hand immersion in our society would be useful to get beyond the media/blog/whatever smokescreen.
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:06 am 50. Instapundit » Blog Archive » DAN MILLER: The U.S. is Losing Its Sense of Humor….:[...] DAN MILLER: The U.S. is Losing Its Sense of Humor. [...]
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:10 am 51. EconRob:You guys are on the wrong email chain list. I get funny stuff all the time.
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:24 am 52. higgins1990:Humor is fading, but irony is at an all time high.
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:26 am 53. S.H.:Hehe: ACORN FOR THE CHILDREN
http://scamhunter.org/2009/10/acorn-for-the-children/
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:30 am 54. Texas Pete:Don’t worry, Dan. All is not lost. Remember how unfunny the late 70’s were? Gas lines, hijackings, Vietnam legacy, Idi Amin and Entebbe, hostages in Munich, hostages in Tehran, failed rescue mission, etc. etc. And yet, once we bounced the Obama-of-His-Day back to his Plains peanut farm, the skies opened up, and it seemed like morning in America. I think that’s where we are right now. We just need our post-millennial Reagan to get our sense of humor back.
BTW, that Saturday Night Live bit with Obama ticking off his accomplishments (Jack. Check. Squat. Check.) was hilarious. Funny folks, those New Yorkers.
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:33 am 55. Mary in LA:There’s a time to joke, and a time to be ready to fight:
——
Claud.: …we are high-proof melancholy, and would fain have it beaten away: Wilt thou use thy wit?
Bene.: It is in my scabbard; shall I draw it?
– Shakespeare, “Much Ado About Nothing”, act V, scene 1
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:45 am 56. Gringo:——
I know a different version of the chicken soup joke. Instead of there being a Jewish comedian who collapses on stage, there is an opera singer who collapses on stage. I found the joke funny, and get a laugh every time I tell it. Given that the joke is about the healing powers of chicken soup, it is implicitly about American Jewish folk culture. No need to make it explicit with a Jewish comedian. It’s almost as if the joke teller is saying to his audience,”You are such dolts that I need to show you that this is a Jewish-oriented joke by putting a Jewish comedian into the joke. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t know.”
@ # 3 vivo: agreed.
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:46 am 57. G:Some of you may have already read on various websites about the difference between conservatives and liberals.
“…when Monica Lewinsky was on the president’s staff.”
heh
Oct 6, 2009 - 11:59 am 58. Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate:Humor not only makes the hard times seem not so hard, it is also the best weapon against true and would-be tyrants. During WWII we understood this. Look at the Ted Giesel (AKA Dr. Seuss) political cartoons or listen to Spike Jones’ “der Fuerher’s Face”.
Not that Obama is a tyrant, but he at times seems to have an ego bordering on megalomaniacal. He probably wasn’t particularly worried about the diatribes of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, but I’ll bet he took notice of the “do nothing” parody of him on SNL.
Now that there is officially something funny about his Presidency, we’ll see if he can roll with it (like Clinton and Bush) or not (like Carter, whom he increasingly resembles).
Oct 6, 2009 - 12:01 pm 59. Parad E. Makewater:Who says humor is dead? Comments like Jenn’s always remind me how funny projection is.
Those “tousends” of people you claim are being held by the US are probably living far better than they were in what ever islamic cesspool they were living in before.
Oct 6, 2009 - 12:04 pm 60. Press fact-checks everyone but Obama » The Anchoress | A First Things Blog:[...] this grim White House, having no sense of humor, went to some friends and said, “fix [...]
Oct 6, 2009 - 12:37 pm 61. JM Hanes:Seriously, lighten up?
Oct 6, 2009 - 12:39 pm 62. digitalis:No humor?? Last November 2008 we saw the biggest joke get elected President. Now the laughs are on us.
Oct 6, 2009 - 12:50 pm 63. Dr. Kenneth Noisewater:Depends on what you find funny, I guess.
Cynical, black, gallows humor? I think we’re soaking in it!
Frankly, I find easily-offended people HILARIOUS, and I eat my friday bacon double cheeseburgers at them!
Oct 6, 2009 - 12:57 pm 64. Walt Rauch:No one noticed the writer’s own (and possibly inadvertent) humor?
“…. back when Monica Lewinsky was on the president’s staff.”
Oct 6, 2009 - 1:00 pm 65. out west:Now and Then (post 33) your comment proves the point of the article. SNL has lampooned both Clintons, both Bushes, Gore(I think)and Palin to name a few. I do not recall anyone in the MSM feeling compelled to come to the defense of any of these people. And at least with regard to Palin’s (I just don’t recall on the others)the msm had no problem running the skits without comment or fact checking. And it wasn’t needed in my opinion because SNL is a COMEDY show and I for one do not expect it to be factual.
But heaven help anyone if they try to make a joke involving Obama. That is when folks seem to misplace their sense of humor…..
Oct 6, 2009 - 1:00 pm 66. Eowyn:1. Marc Malone:
There is now no longer room for both of us. To the knives!
________________________________
Or to the personal arsenals many of us have carefully kept, against such an exigency as this. Thank GOD, and the Founding Fathers, for the 2nd Amendment. And thank ourselves for not allowing the leftist bloodsuckers to repeal it.
I think a new Civil War is coming, and I welcome it. I’d far rather live with like thinkers than parasites.
And as far as losing a sense of humor goes, not this kid! Although not a good joke-rememberer, me, here’s my fave:
A priest, a rabbi and a minister go into a bar.
The bartender sez, “What is this — a joke?”
Oct 6, 2009 - 1:09 pm 67. Keith:Anybody read that link to the Weekly Standard article on Obama wanting to limit free speech? That’s what the Canadians have been trying to do and what I always said separated Americans from all the rest. Now Obama is going to try to suppress our words and thoughts.
This guy is nuts and is incapable of understanding what the enlightenment meant. Probably most people’s brains are incapable of true objective thought. But there were enough pretty smart people out there who got it, enshrined it in laws and kept it safe . . . until now.
This is a game-changer, guys. We have to divide the country. Either that or succumb to another thousand years of the dark ages. Who’s with me?
Oct 6, 2009 - 1:24 pm 68. Trouble:No-one has mentioned P. J. O’Rourke or Mark Steyn? For shame. Humor is a long way from dead. No-one can take our senses of humor away from us, unless we lay them down voluntarily. We can hold onto, and strengthen ourselves in, the things that cannot be taken away.
BC
Oct 6, 2009 - 1:43 pm 69. SeanLA:Nice try, but the front porch was bigger than the house. Brevity is the font of wit.
I use Rule #5 ALL THE TIME these days!
Oct 6, 2009 - 1:56 pm 70. URKidding:RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)
—Gotta slap Alinsky back on them, ohhh its great to see them fume! I ridiculed of out the Olympics thing!
I have experienced this phenomenon myself.
I am conservative and have some friends who are liberal. We have always gotten along great–laughed a lot when we were together, discussed absurdities in politics, etc. Until Obama.
One of them posted a blurb on a social networking site that basically denigrated tea party-goers. Having attended a tea party myself and knowing that they knew I was not a hatemonger, etc. I posted a humorous little thing about having attended a tea party. Can’t remember now what I said but in the past they would have seen the humor and laughed with me. Instead their spouse posted a stinging retort said I should “get informed” and on and on. It was really a big surprise to me. Their sense of humor has clearly gone missing.
I later found out they’ve got what can only be described as a little shrine to Obama hanging in their kitchen. I guess if you attach hopes and dreams to a political figure and that political figure turns out to be seriously flawed, that’s bound to curb your humor.
Oct 6, 2009 - 2:19 pm 71. Koblog:I wonder what the U.S. humor quotient was in January, 1942.
Or December, 1933.
And in those days, the comedians and the movies were on America’s side….
How can I laugh when our entertainment elites — Sean Penn, Michael Moore, Danny Glover, Steven Spielberg — kiss tyrannical enemies bent on our destruction?
How can I laugh when our President has yet to meet a tyrant he doesn’t agree with, much less dislike?
How can I laugh when I learn that the President’s very own organization — ACORN — is the very definition of treachery and corruption?
Oct 6, 2009 - 3:13 pm 72. Cybergeezer:ALL IS NOT LOST; THE AUSSIES HAVE IT!
Oct 6, 2009 - 3:19 pm 73. Dan Miller:http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/06/aussies-scandalized-by-comedy-show-featuring-man-masturbating-to-photo-of-obama/
G Comment # 57 and Walt Rauch – Comment #64. Thanks for noticing. It was intentional.
Oct 6, 2009 - 3:45 pm 74. Donna V.:Hell, the people behind the Iron Curtain told pretty good jokes – grimly funny jokes, but jokes nonetheless – back in the day. Our circumstances are not nearly so dire (yet), I don’t see why we need to lose our sense of humor.
Admittedly, my sense of humor tends to be dark, but I find many things about our current sitution amusing. Being accused of a lack of patriotism by leftists, for instance, gave me quite few chuckles over the weekend. And the trolls here are a laugh; they entertain me immensely, they really do.
Oct 6, 2009 - 4:00 pm 75. Donna V.:And let’s not forget the best satirist on the Web, Iowahawk: http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/
One paragraph of good Iowahawk is worth 1000 whiny MoDo columns.
Oct 6, 2009 - 4:12 pm 76. Donna V.:72: Cybergeezer: don’t tell me the Aussies snuck a camera into jharp’s bathroom!
Oct 6, 2009 - 4:15 pm 77. Douglas Pratt:One word: Lileks. He is the anti-Keillor, our generation’s Benchley.
Oct 6, 2009 - 5:36 pm 78. apodoca:This is a top down thing so it’s no surprise. Obama has no sense of humor; he can’t stand being laughed at. Ask him about his ears and see what happens. Plus, the Democrats have for years fought to give us a thin-skinned culture: political correctness and pernicious speech codes.
The nation did not lose its sense of humor under Dubya cuz he had a notorious sense of humor and could poke fun at himself as well as at others. Obama can’t do that; he’s into blaming others for what he botches. That means that he can’t look at where he went wrong and see the humor in it; it means he can’t look at himself and laugh. Plus, he fared badly at one of those presidents as comedian things (like Bill Clinton did).
So, it seems that the Democrats thin-skinned culture has finally met the humorless thin-skinned president whose gutting of the Constitution (see what he did at the UN by supporting a resolution putting Islam above criticism) makes humor less likely.
Oct 6, 2009 - 6:01 pm 79. pst314:“the joke you told was in poor taste”
Far Side cartoon of chicken, sick in bed with big bowl of soup in its lap. Second chicken says “Quit complaining. First, chicken soup is good for the flu. Second, it’s nobody we know.”
Oct 6, 2009 - 6:35 pm 80. M. Report:Chris Muir: Day by Day
Kurt Vonnegut:
Nice, nice, very nice:
So many people, all in the same device.
Life is just a bowl of cherries,
Oct 6, 2009 - 8:16 pm 81. furious:so live, and laugh at it all
Americans (or at least those in the Community-based Reality) have a sense of humor only when it concerns Sarah Palin’s children. Haw-haw!
Speaking of which, at least Jim Treacher hasn’t lost his sense of humor:
Top Ten Reasons to Accept That Job Offer from David Letterman
10. Get to find out “Worldwide Pants” refers to his breathing
9. Whenever he has trouble performing, he can always count on Paul
8. Stupid Prostate Tricks
7. Pillow talk includes fond remembrances of working with Calvert DeForest
6. “Can Jay do this? Huh? Can Jay do this?”
5. Share in wistful late-life transition from “My girlfriend doesn’t understand me” to “My wife doesn’t understand me”
4. Will It Rise?
3. Tries to be nice about it when he passes you off to Biff Henderson
2. “Whoops, looks like Cheney isn’t the only one who shoots people in the face”
And the Number One Reason to Accept That Job Offer from David Letterman:
1. After the sex, he lets you keep the Palin wig
Oct 7, 2009 - 10:38 am 82. Scott:The only free people are those who can joke about anything without fearing the politically correct.
Who are you and what have you done with the real vivo? The idea of being PC is really the brain child of the left and it’s protected groups. You can only joke about ethic groups if you belong to that group or don’t belong to the Caucasian ethic group, especially the male component of it. Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Carlos Mencia can bash pretty much anyone but Jeff Foxworthy is only allowed to make jokes about white “rednecks”. If he dropped a joke about blacks or latinos his career would likely be over from all the bad press he would get.
Oct 7, 2009 - 11:21 am 83. Anonymous:#37
usa must out of Iraq and Afghanistan. This crime against humanity and genocide commited by usa must have an end at last. Neofascist wars from 8 years. Out of these countries. Withdrawal these troops, rebuilding thze country and humanitarian aid for Afghans and Iraqis – just these are goals.
ussmanic governments made billions of dollars of debts especially for these wars- and uss-a has now 13 trillion of dollars of debts
Besides there are tousends of people who are detained in us-military camps in Afghanistan, Guantanamo and probably another countries, what about it? All those people must be released and get compensations from us-government.
get out of Afghanistan, get out of Iraq. Why do you do it? Is is your national feature to be global war criminals and genocide. It is NO mission-it is neofascist invasion and mindless occupation. You destroyed both these countries totally, destroyed human lives there and go to hell at last. Let it dambn this your fu.. usa together with all your you- sick, degenerate pig.
Now that was truly funny! For some reason as I read this a mental image came to mind as a sort of muffled rant from someone with their head placed firmly in their rectum.
Oct 7, 2009 - 11:35 am 84. Dan Miller:Now this is funny.
Oct 7, 2009 - 12:35 pm 85. Jay Wilker:Having done months of research on the DO DO bird,their only source of food is Government bull shit and lies I think we are about to see a world record. PS how do you like Panama? Have thought about it for years. Jay Wilker
Oct 7, 2009 - 2:00 pm 86. Dan Miller:Jay Wilker — Like most places in the world, Panama has its good and its bad. We love the climate up in the mountains at about 3,000 feet AMSL, and most of the people are great. At least in our rural area, political correctness has not become the fetish it has become in the U.S.
Some who come stay and are happy; some who come aren’t and leave. The only way to figure out whether Panama would be a good place for you is to come and see. Do come during both the rainy season (due to end in a month or so) and the dry season. Some people become depressed by the daily rain (most afternoons during the rainy season) and other problems, many rooted in an unwillingness to learn enough Spanish to communicate with the non-Gringos.
Additional thoughts are here and here
Good luck!
Oct 7, 2009 - 2:36 pm 87. Dan Miller:And this is sad.
Oct 7, 2009 - 3:03 pm 88. vivo:82. Scott:
‘The only free people are those who can joke about anything without fearing the politically correct.’
“Who are you and what have you done with the real vivo? The idea of being PC is really the brain child of the left and it’s protected groups.”
Surprised? I don’t agree with politically correct thinking.
Maybe that’s why some pajammers call me racist . . . now I know it’s because I’m not PC.
Oct 8, 2009 - 4:49 am 89. Now and Then:“Any WMDs over here? Nope. How about under this desk? Nope. I know those WMDs are around here somewhere.”
Now THAT is some funny shot.
Oct 8, 2009 - 7:28 am 90. Listen up:Laughing at the truly funny is not allowed. We may offend someone. However Hollywood is allowed to be as rude as they want to especially at the expense of conservatives, whites, Christians and Southerners. Hollywood lost the ability to produce real humor when they replaced it with crude, rude and sex filled jokes and mean spirited story lines. Hollywood has not been funny in forty years.
Oct 8, 2009 - 5:54 pm 91. The Road Less Traveled:Do you get any forwards sent to your email address? Do all of your friends fear they will offend you if they send Obama jokes? There are tons of them. There are so many hilarious jokes about this administration, but that is as far as it goes, because the media stinks, Hollywood is dead or dying, and now that is funny to me, because they all reap what they sow.
Oct 8, 2009 - 9:07 pm 92. la grenouille dans la marmite:I have to ask has this presidency and the words they have used killed the music for others, because they have killed some of my favorite songs for me. By using the same words repeatedly, I can no longer listen to any songs about CHANGE. Do not play “A change Is Gonna Come” for me, because I may cry.
I have downloaded some old blues songs that I use to love on my iPod, but then once I hear those words used again, I cannot listen to it for fear I will tear up and cry.
I think his speechwriters are plagiarists for using the same words from some real talented songwriters, because all they did was set around listening to the blues and write the words.
I have the low down, dirty rotten Obama blues.
“The U.S. Is Losing Its Sense of Humor”
uh, did they ever got one ?
(Donna, forget it, otherwise I bring you a Mac Donnald made by the Monthy Python, and I can bet how smelly it will be)
Oct 9, 2009 - 5:33 am 93. America the Divided « Pond’rings:[...] There is another angle to this, as well. The loss of national pride and national direction are bad enough, but we are also losing our sense of humor. They go hand in glove. It is difficult to laugh when bitterness prevails and the urge to cry is so great, and it is difficult to get out of such a mess without a sense of humor. This is, or should be, a problem for those who still think highly of President Obama, as well as for those who don’t now or never did. I can’t seem to recall any time during the past sixty or so years when bitterness and seriousness were so deeply rooted and laughter so restrained. Even the “gallows humor” which prevailed during our wars seems to have been lost. …. I’m waiting for some congresscritter, a member of the vast right-wing conspiracy, to offer legislation replacing the eagle with the dodo bird as the country’s national emblem. -Pajamas Media [...]
Oct 12, 2009 - 6:41 am