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"I had thought — I had been told — that a 'funny' thing is a thing of a goodness. It isn't. Not ever is it funny to the person it happens to. Like that sheriff without his pants. The goodness is in the laughing itself. I grok it is a bravery... and a sharing... against pain and sorrow and defeat."
- Valentine Michael Smith
(Robert Heinlein,
Stranger in a Strange Land) |
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POLITICS
Yes, folks, it's time for the  ALL - AMERICAN edition of the Comedy Newsletter!
It's October, and many of us have thoughts of trolls, witches, spooks, devils and evil spirits on our minds. The rest of us are ignoring politics and thinking about Halloween! *rimshot*
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, there's a reason Election Day is set so close on the heels of Halloween - we're all out of scared by then. But in the lead-up to the Big Day (November 4, this year) comes all kinds of opportunity for laughs.
The big news this November for citizens of the US, of course, is the Presidential election, though of course there are a lot of other elections going on at the same time - every seat in the House of Representatives is ripe for turnover, and many Senate spots as well - to say nothing of possible state and local elections. These tend to be of concern only on the local level, which is where, as writers of comedy, you can shine; the national publications pretty much have the big race covered.
To do that, though, you have to be informed enough of the various candidates' positions, pet issues, backgrounds, temperaments - even looks, if your bent is artistic (I had an artistic bent once, but it got straightened out). More - and this is where it gets tricky - you're writing for an audience, and the audience has to "get" the joke. But this is no different from other types of comedy, where physics jokes, for example, don't usually get much traction at plumbers' conventions - though it may work the other way around.
This inevitably leads to the comedian being better informed about the candidates in question than most people - which means that come election time, we're sure to make the right decision... right?
One thing, though, that gets overlooked in all the elephant vs. donkey matches is the candidates' sense of humor. Traditionally, political candidates don't joke around too much. After all, to run a country - or even a small portion of it - one must project a sense of confidence and sobriety (I'm talking about YOU, Ted Kennedy). But to me, it seems that a person's true, core self can come out when they're making jokes.
Given that, I present for your viewing pleasure a video of Barack Obama and John McCain - on the same stage - making jokes about themselves and each other. It's not a debate - it's WAY funnier than any debate. And they both stayed civil. So I hope you'll take the time to make your Big Decision, at least in part, on who YOU think told the funnier jokes.
After all, is anything really more important than laughs?
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10/obama_mccain_share_laugh...
"I can't shake that feeling that some people here are pulling for me," Mr. McCain said, turning to the far side of the stage. "I'm delighted to see you here tonight, Hillary."
...
"I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think I would ever run for president," [Obama] continued.
Comedy gold. |
A few examples of political humor from around the site:
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Comedy: October 22, 2008 Issue [#2675]
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- Sonali