What is the role of comedy, if any, in highlighting political hypocrisy, immorality, and evil? Should political comedy aim to unsettle us rather than make us laugh? We attempt to answer these questions by discussing two people — Jon Stewart and Barack Obama — that made a lot of lefties feel good for a while but we wonder if they really did anything more than that.
We would really appreciate it if you shared this episode with a friend … or, perhaps more appropriately, an enemy.
Chapters
- Brain Freeze, 0:00 – 14:03 — Socio-political mindlock is endemic in the United States. What made our gray matter even grayer this week? Let’s add to the list of things radical right-wingers love more than actual people.
- Dumb and Dumber with a Chainsaw, 14:04 – 31:12 — Is there a thing called the Comedy/Horror Nexus? We think so.
- Is bothsidesism a problem?, 31:13 – 41:07 — Sort of. We shouldn’t invent or emphasize things just to appear politically balanced. Usually, we don’t have to.
- America got a wedgie., 41:08 – 48:01 — Not giving a shit about a lot of things is fine. That’s a problem for politicians who don’t stand for anything but still need our votes.
- The past doesn’t exist., 48:02 – 58:00 — As Patrick from Sponge Bob said, “Maybe if we all close our eyes nothing bad will happen.”
- It’s later than you think., 58:01 – 1:12:57 — Why don’t politicians ever go and talk to actual people? There’s a chance it could help. Democrats and Republicans alike are eviscerating the constitution.
- We gotta grow up., 1:12:58 – 1:26:53 — We only have two choices: Build power to resist oppression by the wealthy white patriarchal establishment or quietly submit. We must hold the big criminals accountable.
- Cherry on Top, 1:26:54 – 1:28:40 — We despise delusional optimism, but we really like to celebrate sparks of joy and goodness in our lives. Jørn has a fantastic book recommendation!
Relevant sources:
Adams, Sam. “Return to Bullshit Mountain.” Slate, 12 Feb. 2024. slate.com/culture/2024/02/jon-stewart-daily-show-host-comedy-central-return.html. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
—. “Jon Stewart’s Daily Show Comeback Acknowledged the Criticisms of His Return—Then Sidestepped Them.” Slate, 13 Feb. 2024. slate.com/culture/2024/02/jon-stewart-daily-show-return-trump-biden-age.html. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
Avashia, Neema. Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place. West Virginia University.
Baldwin, James. “National Press Club Speech, 10 Dec. 1986.” YouTube, uploaded by thepostarchive, 13 Jan. 2019, youtube.com/watch?v=7_1ZEYgtijk. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
Lerner, Max. It’s Later Than You Think: The Need for a Militant Democracy. Routledge. 1989[1938].
Pierce, Charles P. “The Cynic and Senator Obama.” Esquire, 20 Jul. 2015. www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a4559/barack-obama-0608/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
—. “The Cynic and President Obama.” Esquire, 27 Jul. 2015. www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a16259/cynic-president-obama-1112/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
We want to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on the issues we discuss, tell us why that thing we said was really dumb, let us know how you’re doing, or send us random comments and questions on anything at all. Chris: [email protected], Jørn: [email protected]
If you need immediate help related to mental health please call or text 988 to connect with a confidential crisis specialist anytime of the day seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org/ to start and chat and find other resources. The Trevor Project offers the same thing with a focus on the LGBTQ community. Call 866-488-7386 or text 678-678.
Logo by Dave Sharpe
Music: “Life of a Wandering Wizard” by Serge Quadrado Music.
