There’s an old Hollywood expression: Funny is money… meaning (obviously) that comedy rules at the box office. There’s good reason for that. Those of us who have tried to write comic scripts know that it is often harder to do than a melodrama. No wonder many of the highest paid stars…. Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, etc…. are the ones who can make us laugh.
Ditto for politics. Ronald Reagan is said to have turned an election during a debate with a joke about his age. Last night John McCain scored big with his very humorous and self-deprecatory speech at the Al Smith Dinner in New York. He was a lot funnier than his opponent and, odd as this may seem, this may constitute a turning point in the campaign.
Americans, like almost all humans, like someone who can poke fun at himself. And they like someone who does it well even better. It also helps to have a kernel of truth in your jokes, for humor, as most of us know, hinges on the (usually embarrassing) revelation of uncomfortable reality. Last night McC hit home a number of times, as when he announced Joe the Plumber was taking all the high positions in his campaign, but simultaneously was able to lay a graceful wreath at the feet of Obama. Well played.
The Illinois Senator did not do that badly himself. But he did not have the twinkle in his eye that McCain did and you could see that Barack was punching a time clock. The polls are tightening now. My guess is, in these grim times, that if the Arizonan keeps telling jokes, he may have a shot.
[For those who missed the event, replayed endlessly on TV last night, videos are here and here.]
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37 Comments
1. NukemHill:Take a look at Obama’s face when McCain makes the quip about pay grade. You can tell it was a direct hit, because Obama went from genuinely laughing to campaign smile. He was pissed, but couldn’t really show it.
McCain scored huge last night. Whoever the hell was his writer for this routine needs to consult with his regular writers. Or, if it was the same group, they need to keep taking whatever drugs they’re on. It was grade-A material.
They’ve got 2 1/2 weeks to make up some serious ground in the battle ground states. If they keep writing like this, McCain’s got a legitimate shot.
Oct 17, 2008 - 9:15 am 2. Michael H.:Despite the popular image of Republicans and conservatives as being stodgy old grouches, they have a remarkable affinity for self-mockery. Democrats and especially liberals seem to be less inclined towards laughing at themselves. This may be due to the liberal tendency to tie oneself inextricably to the causes that they believe in. Thus we get Rush Limbaugh mocking himself in Family Guy’s “Blue Harvest” episode, complaining about global warming on Hoth and Lando Calrissian becoming the head of Cloud City through affirmative action. Meanwhile, the best Al Gore seems to do is repeatedly save the world and/or universe on Futurama.
This is related to a problem I had with the presidential debate skit on Saturday Night Live last night. McCain was portrayed as a crazy old man, which was pretty funny, ranting about his imaginary friend Joe the Plumber. What they missed, likely due to their reluctance to play Obama as a fool, was a good gag line. In the skit, McCain insisted that Obama apologize to Joe for calling him imaginary, which Obama then did, leaning over the desk and talking to a bit of empty air. After he sat back down, McCain should have said, “Can you really elect a man president who just apologized to an invisible three inch tall plumber who lives in a box with a unicorn named Simon?”
Oct 17, 2008 - 9:19 am 3. tim maguire:I agree that McCain did a better job. He showed better showmanship and better command of the audience and material. But they both did great and I enjoyed watching it.
Oddly, they both also did a better job of bringing up and addressing the various issues of the campaign then they’ve done anywhere else outside of the conventions, I felt better about both of them when it was over. Too bad campaigns can’t have more of this.
Oct 17, 2008 - 9:25 am 4. Jamie Irons:I thought McCain’s setting up of Obama at the very end of his speech was hilarious.
And I give Obama high marks for appreciating the joke. I felt better about both candidates after watching this.
Jamie Irons
Oct 17, 2008 - 9:36 am 5. Rose:McCain was relaxed and funny. Obama fell flat. It was his Katie Couric moment.
Oct 17, 2008 - 9:58 am 6. Webrider:Roger, comedy IS a very difficult thing to really understand. Personally, the best attempt to explain it I ever saw was in Robert A. Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land” novel of so long ago. We laugh at someone else’s discomfort, true. But the type of laugh isn’t always the same. It can be embarrassed (as most of the laughter at Obama’s seems to have been), or deep belly laughs (like Hillary was doing when McCain went into Bill’s efforts for Obama). It is cathartic, and really helps us to relate to the other person. I do think both did well, but feel McCain excelled. I also hope it helps him succeed, because Obama just frightens me for what he will mean to this country if elected, and the destruction he will do with his Marxist ideology and a super majority of congresscritter idiots to help him.
Death of our freedoms? If you don’t believe that, then you really need to look at one simple issue. Pelosi is going to enact card check to give the union thugs the ability to strongarm their way into shops by eliminating the secret vote. That ought to make everyone who cares about democracy and the freedoms we have run screaming to throw out Democrats everywhere they can and elect McCain/Palin to staunch the bleeding.
Oct 17, 2008 - 9:59 am 7. gs:My guess is, in these grim times, that if the Arizonan keeps telling jokes, he may have a shot.
Not only that. If the McCain campaign had kept telling jokes, he would now be the favorite.
Remember that a few months ago Obama was considered inevitable. Then, rather than throwing vitriol at the Lightworker, the McCain people adopted the brilliant tactic of poking fun at him.
After the Palin choice, McCain actually edged ahead on Intrade.
Unfortunately, then came the Palin debacles with Gibson and Couric. But what really deterred me from donating was McCain’s erratic behavior when the financial crisis hit. I’m wondering if the “maverick” label is intended to disguise that McCain is, and cannot stop being, a loose cannon.
****************
If humor was working, why oh why didn’t they stick with it?
sigh There are reasons why Republicans are called the Stupid Party…
Oct 17, 2008 - 10:08 am 8. Ratatosk:Well, Palin, unfortunately is a bad joke and the one joke that will keep me from voting for John come November. According to at least one survey, 1/5 of the independents asked said the same.
1/5… I wonder how much closer the polls would be if McCain hadn’t made that particular joke?
Oct 17, 2008 - 10:28 am 9. ArandomPerson:The main reason I am for McCain is because of Palin.
Without Palin on the ticket I dunno if I would have bothered to vote.
The clip is funny. Nice to see McCain do so well. I feel better about him winning just from seeing this bit.
Oct 17, 2008 - 10:37 am 10. Andrew:Roger why do you think conservatives tend to have a better sense of humor than Liberals. When Libs do try to be funny its often rather vicious.
Oct 17, 2008 - 10:47 am 11. Paul_In_Houston:Michael H said “Democrats and especially liberals seem to be less inclined towards laughing at themselves.”
I suspect narcissism and a sense of humor are probable incompatible.
Oct 17, 2008 - 10:52 am 12. Barrett:McCain did a much better job than Obama. Obama does not have a deep sense of humor and it showed. McCain was much more likeable.
McCain framed the issues here better than he did in the debates. It’s too bad he was so serious during the debates. A little humor could have gone a long way while still making the point.
You could see Obama getting more and more uncomfortable with each line. He knew he was getting hammered and could not do anything but take it. Even Hillary was laughing. Couric was not.
I still have no use for the socialist and narcissist Obama.
Oct 17, 2008 - 11:40 am 13. Paul:The reason liberals aren’t as funny is because todays “liberals” tend towards punitive liberalism, which has very strong Calvinist puritanical roots. They are scolds and embittered elitist taskmasters at heart. They are the stock from which slave masters, tyrants, and theocrats arise.
I too am a big Palin fan and believe her poor showings on the two MSM hazing interviews were a result of inexperience dealing with the liberal piranhas she was thrown to by her inept handlers, and terrible coaching by them. Her recovery at the debate showed her true gifts as a communicator and represented a shift away from her mishandling by McCain’s bunglers and a return to her natural persona. She will learn how to neutralize the quisling media’s attempt to smear her and go right over their heads directly to the people. No one on the political scene has her talents for connecting to her audience, not even the Messiah.
Oct 17, 2008 - 11:53 am 14. Bart:Nothing Sarah Palin said in heavily edited conversations with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric alarmed me anywhere close to Joe Biden’s reeling off of fantasy factoids in the VP debate. Hezbollah is in Lebanon? Who’da thunk it? This guy is supposed to be a foreign policy expert. Scary stuff.
Oct 17, 2008 - 12:47 pm 15. matrixslb:As a conservative, I must confess McCain was not exactly my first choice. But if I had seen moments like these of the man, that would have changed. McCain was brilliant!
Oct 17, 2008 - 1:10 pm 16. newton:Obama can’t have a sense of humor. Remember: it isn’t “Politically Correct”…
Oct 17, 2008 - 1:14 pm 17. Xixi:Off Topic: But funny in a way. Where are they hiding Michelle Obama? Somebody should make a clock ticking off the days and minutes since she’s been seen by the media.
Oct 17, 2008 - 1:24 pm 18. Neo:“We know the press is really an independent, civic-minded and nonpartisan group … like ACORN.”
Oct 17, 2008 - 1:35 pm 19. TexasDude:There is a reason why McCain’s number went up with the selection of Palin and I fully support that selection.
I was never excited about McCain’s campaign, but I knew I would vote for him because he was better that Obama.
However, with Palin, I became very excited about the campaign and now believe that she is the sole reason that McCain is still in this race.
Otherwise, this was a Bob Dole campaign.
Oct 17, 2008 - 1:41 pm 20. Barry Dauphin:Well, one thing’s for sure. McCain is a lot funnier than David Letterman.
Oct 17, 2008 - 1:43 pm 21. Derek:Very funny, and thoroughly enjoyable.
I thought McCain came across as confident and funny. Obama came across as trying to be confident and funny.
McCain had some very sharp barbs but everyone was in full throat laughter. Obama’s barbs came across as bitter and sharp, resulting in polite laughter.
And it was Obama’s crowd. I especially enjoyed watching Hillary laughing. I think she enjoyed it.
I don’t know if my impression is correct, but did Obama and Hillary’s reactions change as they realized the camera was on them?
Derek
Oct 17, 2008 - 1:44 pm 22. AnAverageAmerican:This may have been the best speech McCain has ever made. He was self-deprecating, skewered Obama with humor, followed by a seemingly heartfelt tribute to him. And the turnover to Obama at the end was pure comedic genius. He had a sparkle in his eye and maintained a high-level of eye contact with the audience.
Obama, on the other hand, despite his reputation as an orator (perhaps sophist is closer to the truth), was badly beaten.
Oct 17, 2008 - 2:06 pm 23. Ratatosk:Obama, on the other hand, despite his reputation as an orator (perhaps sophist is closer to the truth), was badly beaten.
Sophist? That’s not even close to the right term. Do people today just string random words together and think they mean something? I can’t escape the dumb no matter which side of the blogosphere I wander into. I think that scares me more than an Obama or McCain presidency.
Oct 17, 2008 - 3:25 pm 24. Huh:sophist – 3. a captious or fallacious reasoner (Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed.)
I think “captious” fits O to a T.
Also, there may be a reason why dumb follows one around the blogosphere. It may just be the core of one’s being and as the saying goes, “like attracts like.”
Oct 17, 2008 - 4:58 pm 25. buddy larsen:I mus be dumb 2.
dat word ’sophist’ look lak it do fit purty durn good.
Oct 17, 2008 - 7:08 pm 26. ricpic:McCain was so relaxed because he was surrounded by his natural constituency: liberal Democrats. No nasty right wingers about to mar the mutual admiration society conviviality.
Oct 17, 2008 - 7:41 pm 27. Barry Dauphin:Now for something really funny. The Telegraph repots that: “Barack Obama has vowed that he will ‘change the world’”. And to think that Bush was accused of overreaching by wanting to bring democracy to the Middle East. Folks, we could be in for some really bad times with narcissism like this in the White House.
Oct 17, 2008 - 8:02 pm 28. buddy larsen:Barry, that’s what dat other Fuhrer promised –”Give me ten years and you will not recognize Germany”. He was right, too.
Oct 17, 2008 - 8:14 pm 29. Gary Rosen:Huh: you beat me to it, BO definitely qualifies as a “sophist”. Rat may be right about one thing though, that McCain blew the election by choosing Palin as VP. This alienated a crucial bloc of voters – the people who aren’t as smart as they think they are.
Oct 17, 2008 - 8:38 pm 30. Alan Kellogg:As I watched Hillary’s reaction to McCain’s barbs at her husband I could just hear her thinking, “That is so Bill.”
Oct 18, 2008 - 3:35 am 31. Barry Dauphin:Buddy, don’t let Peggy Noonan catch you talking like that :>)
Oct 18, 2008 - 6:15 am 32. buddy larsen:Barry, can we tolerate a little Rod Stewart: “…But then I used to love her But it’s all over now , yes it is …”
Oct 18, 2008 - 7:25 am 33. stace:I watched it live, and I thought that Obama did just fine, but McCain killed. I know I’m biased, though, so I went over to HuffPo to see their take on it. They wouldn’t say a kind word about McCain even if he single-handedly discovered the cure for cancer. Or so I thought. Shockingly, most of them agreed on the high quality of McCain’s performance. Just wait till Sarah slays ‘em on SNL tonight.
Oct 18, 2008 - 7:53 am 34. Chavo:Vote for your favorite here: http://chebellafiori.blogspot.com/2008/10/whos-funnier.html
Oct 18, 2008 - 10:49 am 35. California Dreamer:I’m not sure Sarah Palin “slayed them” on SNL tonight, but then again I don’t get stoned for SNL the way the target audience does. I am sure Tina Fey is BS’ing the world when she said she hopes she doesn’t have to play the Sarah character after Nov 1st because the rest of the show isn’t remotely funny regardless of whether or not you are stoned. It’s a sad day when SNL can’t get as many laughs as South Park–and that’s been the case for years.
Oct 19, 2008 - 12:43 am 36. david levavi:Humor correlates directly with intelligence. And humor is a vehicle for honesty—especially embarrassing honesty. That conservatives trump liberals at humor as they do at creative and realistic social policies is inevitable.
I recall a panel discussion years ago featuring half-a –dozen creative comics including, if I recall correctly, Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner Woody Allen and others. For sheer brainpower, the lineup could have competed well with the scientists on the Manhattan Project.
Humor is part and parcel of McCain’s persona and political repertoire. Does anyone recall Obama making a joke before the Al Smith Dinner?
To work, humor has to be felt. Both candidates were working from scripts at the dinner. McCain appreciated the jokes. Obama was punching the clock. He has an easy and fulsome laugh—a sad but common defensive response to cover rough conversational patches among African Americans—but not the talent to create humor.
Obama is a serious and ambitious actor and humor can’t be faked. He’s a radical huckster on the make and making funny is one more way to appear unthreatening. Yet another aspect of blowing smoke at the White Man. How it goes over depends on the room.
Oct 19, 2008 - 10:08 am 37. buddy larsen:Aww, man –Sid Caesar –we need a Sid Caesar revival –starting with when he was locked inside that hardware store in ‘Mad Mad World’. Yeesh –fuuunny stuff –slapstick and cerebral at the same time –& better comic eyebrows than Belushi –
Oct 20, 2008 - 2:08 pm