How Not to Do Satire
Perhaps over time I have given Air America host Randi Rhodes too much credit. I watched this bit of slurry, drunken stand-up, the one that got her suspended, and thought, “Oh, you know, Rand, if you’re going to call Geraldine and Hillary ‘whores’, you have to make it funny.” You need to say something like, “Geraldine Ferraro wants to know if her new Klan robe makes her look like a whore. And I say not unless she accessorizes it with a lamppost and a public defender. Just by itself it makes her look like a racist twat, but a whore? Not so much.” This was the problem that my fellow writer back at The Lake Pachacutec ran into when he wrote his infamous post about Ellen Tauscher. It wasn’t all that funny, and as a result it came off as more random and mean and kicked off what I call The Great Cunt Flap of 2006.
Some could argue that I was walking that same line last night when I put up that “Bitch, Please” sign, but see, the expression on the little girl’s face is priceless, and speaks volumes about what so many of us Democratic voters are feeling as the primary process becomes more and more like abdominal surgery without anesthesia. The usual self-righteous kneecappers are going to come out of the woodwork to bitch about your work regardless, so make it good, or it just won’t be worth it. Getting suspended from your job over an unfunny rant like Randi’s is like Bai Ling getting arrested for shoplifting a magazine and some batteries. If you’re going to get arrested for shoplifting, get popped stealing something spectacular like, I dunno, state secrets, or a cache of diamonds, or a closeted politician’s wallet, not a pack of Energizer D-cells and an issue of InTouch, you know?
As an example of satire done right, I point you to the video above, which comes to us via Sadly, No!.
34 Responses to “How Not to Do Satire”
By Betsy on Apr 3, 2008 11:02 pm |
Evening T. Hi Trexicans.
By Betsy on Apr 3, 2008 11:03 pm |
Looks like a good round-up. I’ll watch the video in a bit.
By TRex on Apr 3, 2008 11:08 pm |
Evening, gang. How is everyone?
By DrDick on Apr 3, 2008 11:10 pm |
Evening, T. I think we are all busy f@#king Obama.
By Laura on Apr 3, 2008 11:11 pm |
Hi there. Was busy taking a little trip down memory lane, thanks to your links….
By Bil on Apr 3, 2008 11:13 pm |
Wow, plain Bil existence here too compared to Curtis.
I’m just f*#king Obama…
By Betsy on Apr 3, 2008 11:13 pm |
I am busy listening to Bob Kincaid discuss the Randi controversy at http://headonradionetwork.com/streaming.php . And trying to shoo texteen off to bed.
By TRex on Apr 3, 2008 11:14 pm |
DrDick said
If only!
By Betsy on Apr 3, 2008 11:15 pm |
TRex said
LOL
You gazing at pix again?
By madmommy on Apr 3, 2008 11:17 pm |
Evening everyone! Saw the bit about Randi Rhoades on C&L earlier. Watched the clip of the performance, and it really just wasn’t funny. Let’s face it, you can get away with a lot if you bring teh funny.
The ever-present double standard is still there, though, and more than a bit annoying. She gets suspended for calling names, yet certain pundits on the right can call for assasination of public officials without their bosses batting an eye.
FWIW, I forwarded the picture and post from last night to mom, she thought it was hysterical. But then she thinks HRC is the anti-Christ, so…
By msmolly on Apr 3, 2008 11:18 pm |
I hope Persi shows up tonight. I was Toobless and missed giving her a big HUG on her loss of Gemma. Persi, my belated condolences. Thoughts of concern and healing go to you and your family.
I’m not sure what’s up with Randi. I have noticed that Rachel Maddow seems to be appearing nightly on Countdown. YAY Rachel! But what’s up with Ms. Rhodes?
By Betsy on Apr 3, 2008 11:29 pm |
hi msmolly. welcome back
By DrDick on Apr 3, 2008 11:39 pm |
OK. I’m heading off to bed. More young minds to corrupt in the morning.
By TRex on Apr 3, 2008 11:46 pm |
DrDick said
Good luck, sir. You are doing god’s work.
By Betsy on Apr 3, 2008 11:48 pm |
night Dr D. See ya tomorrow
By burnspbesq on Apr 3, 2008 11:50 pm |
It just occured to me: we haven’t had any pen porn in a while.
Check this out. Unreal!
By newdealfarmgrrrlll on Apr 3, 2008 11:51 pm |
*arriving ndfg waves bye to DrDick* Young minds to corrupt, heh, just teaching them to think critically is Dangerous Territory.
By Betsy on Apr 3, 2008 11:54 pm |
burnspbesq said
Think they took enough pictures in enough positions? Geez. Pen PORN indeed.
By TRex on Apr 3, 2008 11:56 pm |
burnspbesq said
Holy smokes. Bet that one doesn’t come cheap.
By madmommy on Apr 3, 2008 11:58 pm |
Betsy said
Ha! I was thinking the exact same thing! Playboy doesn’t do that many pictures of their centerfold.
It’s a pretty pen. What is the reasoning behind buying and holding a pen for 60-odd years and never using it? Is there that big a market for “virgin” antique pens?
By TRex on Apr 4, 2008 12:03 am |
Having a beautiful pen and never using it is like having a gorgeous lover and never kissing him.
Heading home.
By Persiflage on Apr 4, 2008 12:11 am |
msmolly said
Thanks MsMolly. Your kind heart is much appreciated here. I won’t be around much today as I’m trying to reduce my ironing mountain before Olympic high-jumpers start asking if they can train in my laundry.
By burnspbesq on Apr 4, 2008 12:12 am |
One possible scenario: it was a gift to someone who didn’t like it and promptly put it in a drawer. When that person died, it was packed away by his children. Now those children have died, and their children are going through the trunk of Grandad’s stuff.
Or it was slow-moving inventory that got tucked away in the back room and forgotten about.
By Betsy on Apr 4, 2008 12:16 am |
Persiflage said
I iron about 2 or 3 things a month. Tend to wear clothes that don’t need an iron.
By Gnome de Plume on Apr 4, 2008 12:23 am |
I am waiting for Mr. Gnome to get through brushing his teeth so that I can show him the pen porn. He thinks such weird things about we in the blogging world that I have to confirm it.
By Gnome de Plume on Apr 4, 2008 12:26 am |
I used to iron a lot more than I do now. Before, I had a large enough home that the ironing board could be left up and not get in anyone’s way. Now I live in 1/3 the space and I have to haul the @#&!! thing out and put it up each time. If I don’t, either the dogs or Mr. Gnome run into it. If it stays upright, a cat sleeps on it and hair is left for the next ironing episode. I learned long ago not to leave the iron on the ironing board.
By Betsy on Apr 4, 2008 12:30 am |
I ironed quite a bit when I was married.
By Betsy on Apr 4, 2008 12:35 am |
cute video.
By larue on Apr 4, 2008 12:36 am |
TRex, glad you are covering this issue.
In case no one knows, Randi Rhodes was billed at this event as the HOST of Air America. No hiding her affiliation.
Randi is CONTRACTED to AA. She is a rep for them.
Her words opened up a potential for a lawsuit, how ever spurious it might be. It put her employers at risk. It was foolish.
She appears to be reading off of a teleprompter, and so, there was SOME kind of pre written script. Did it include her language and proclamations of Ferraro and Clinton?
I don’t know.
But Randi, whom I LOVE to hear roar across the progressive landscape, fucked up, and now her voice is silenced. Maybe, not to return.
And it adds fodder to the rightwing monsters.
I love Randi, but she fucked up big time on this one.
It could easily be the end of a career when all is said and done.
And the progressives, like the dem’s in this primary, look pretty fuckin stupid, to boot.
Not a proud day for this progressive minded Larue.
One of our best went down in flames.
And TRex, yer one of few in the blogs who have covered it.
THAT, I ‘preciate, hoss. It’s a sad affair, it is. But at least you address it. Thanks.
By Betsy on Apr 4, 2008 12:40 am |
Hi larue. I agree with much of what you’ve said.
By TRex on Apr 4, 2008 1:05 am |
Fresh thread:
http://www.iamtrex.com/?p=613
By pellora hussein on Apr 4, 2008 1:30 am |
I was late to this party, but am going to add my 3 cents anyway
Of ALL the things that Randi could have said about Geraldine and Hillary, this was NOT it. She has so much dirt on those two, and she spouts this! (shaking head and big sigh)
Stoopid is as stoopid does.
I was disappointed. But, from the video, it sounded like the full house laughed, probably some out of shock alone. And over at … uh… thinking… anyway, someone who was there said nearly everyone laughed, that the reaction in the room was not mixed, as was in someone else’s headline. Wonder how those people feel about it now that she has been suspended. If they were all tanked…? Oh well. Done been done now. Consequences. And she is so good on her show and provides so much info. And the story goes on most likely.
By C. Vinson on Apr 4, 2008 3:48 am |
I am one of those who would argue that the “Bitch Please” sign was inappropriate. Yes, I am an Obama supporter, (voted for him) and yes, the girl’s facial expression completely captures my reaction to the Clinton campaign’s handling of itself these days. But whatever I might think of the candidate, I don’t think of her as a “bitch.”
By skippy on Apr 5, 2008 3:17 am |
rhodes was way out of line, even if only in the idea of having the loudest gun in the circular firing squad.
i’m no hillary supporter (nor even obama supporter) and i luv randi rhodes…but for her to use the “w” word against clinton is tantamount to a black democrat using the “n” word against obama.
aside from questions of taste, it just doesn’t help the overall cause which is beating mclame in november.
i’m really tired of the obama-clinton wars. this doesn’t help us at all.
on the other hand, kireker, the man who suspended rhodes, has ties to the clintons.
i am all for free speech w/o job recriminations. especially from string-pulling from on-high.
it’s a mess, all the way around.