I had just begun working on a piece about how comedy is the the only adequate response to the modern world, and the most profound approach to exploring and understanding the modern human psyche... when this happened. The folly and tragedy of human existence, and the indifferent and inhospitable relationship of the universe to human needs and desires, can be plumbed only by the sharpest and most penetrating comedy, without which tragedy loses its meaning and its deepest pain. And sometimes it just happens without comedy writers needing to make anything up. Or is it the other way around? Miss Congeniality. Elle Woods. Tracy Flick. Could this be an example of life imitating comedy?
Maureen Dowd in The New York Times takes a lighter comedic view:
So imagine my delight, my absolute astonishment, when the hokey chick flick came out on the trail, a Cinderella story so preposterous it's hard to believe it's not premiering on Lifetime. Instead of going home and watching "Miss Congeniality" with Sandra Bullock, I get to stay here and watch "Miss Congeniality" with Sarah Palin. [...]
This chick flick, naturally, features a wild stroke of fate, when the two-year governor of an oversized igloo becomes commander in chief after the president-elect chokes on a pretzel on day one.
The movie ends with the former beauty queen shaking out her pinned-up hair, taking off her glasses, slipping on ruby red peep-toe platform heels that reveal a pink French-style pedicure, and facing down Vladimir Putin in an island in the Bering Strait. Putting away her breast pump, she points her rifle and informs him frostily that she has some expertise in Russia because it's close to Alaska. "Back off, Commie dude," she says. "I'm a much better shot than Cheney."
[UPDATE: Now comes news from the McCain-Palin campaign that there's an unmarried, pregnant 17-year-old daughter in the pro-family Palin household. You can't make this stuff up. Reuters reports that the minor is "about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, according to aides of Republican presidential candidate John McCain." Damn right she will. It's written into the GOP platform!]
Quite often, the behavior of public figures displays a cosmic humor beyond anything a comedy writer could actually have gotten away with. In this case, the joke would seem too crass and cynical if it weren't for real. Now its crassness and cynicism give the humor real bite. A week ago if some film or television writer had proposed this preposterous scenario (old politician chooses Alaskan creationist former small-town mayor and beauty contest winner as running mate), it would have just seemed mean and a little desperate. Now? Well, see "Ham Sandwich McCain's Actual Choice for Veep." It no longer seems so far-fetched.
Now you have to wonder: Why didn't he choose someone more qualified? Like Harriet Miers?
When it comes to experience, Dan Quayle was the natural choice -- but his Y chromosome made him ineligible in the all-important tokenism category. (Brownie could bring his hurricane ineptitude to the table, but he's still sporting a scrotum so that won't play.) The main attribute McCain's running mate needed was that she be able to play up her sisterhood with Senator Hillary Clinton, the veteran politician so long beloved and revered by the Republican Party. That and she had to have spunk. The convention is in Minneapolis, and she's gonna make it after all.
Once comedy of this magnitude has occurred, and satire has been rendered superfluous, the really brilliant comedians have only to recognize the situation for what it is. I'm tremendously grateful, then, that Jon Stewart, with his unerring eye for future casting opportunities, and Samantha Bee, with her sharp-as-a-tack "lady brain," found exactly the right words to summarize the genius behind this unprecedented decision.
(Transcript below, after the jump.)
Thanks to Daily Kos for this transcript of Samantha Bee's segment, after which nothing more needs to be said about this choice:
Jon: Senior Female and Women's Issues Correspondent Samantha Bee joins us now with more. Obviously, I know how moved you were by Senator Hillary Clinton's run for the presidency. How are you feeling now about this extraordinary moment?
Samantha: It's amazing, Jon. As a proud Vagina American myself, I can tell you I'll be voting for McCain in November.
Jon: That's it? You just vote for whoever has a ...
Samantha: A fun pouch.
Jon: The ...
Samantha: The Love Pita
Jon: Right. But in many ways Governor Palin is the ideological opposite of Senator Clinton.
Samantha: Oh yes, but she's her gynecological twin. You see the thing is. Let me explain. They both have vaginas ...
Jon: Yeah, yeah. No, no. I understand. I understand. But Senator McCain is somebody who voted against equal pay for equal work.
Samantha: Boobies (making circular gestures around her chest). They both have boobies.
Jon: But both Palin and McCain believe that Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
Samantha: Ow, ow, ow. Can you just stop overloading my lady brain? Ow. John McCain chose a woman who is almost completely unprepared for the job and who disagrees with me on every core value I believe in, but I will be voting McCain in November because he understands. Women don't vote with the big head (pointing to her head). They vote with the little hood (pointing downward). Am I right ladies? You're with me!
I think the daily show just hit the nail on the hood.
http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/ms-alaska/
"As a University of Idaho graduate, a television sports reporter, a beauty queen who was Miss Wasilla and competed for Miss Alaska, Palin brings a bit of the 'Legally Blonde' aspect to the race -– you underestimate her at your peril, as opponents found in Alaska, and in the movie."
Apparently, this is the Reese Witherspoon election, what with all the Tracy Flick-Hillary comparisons and now plucky Sarah "Elle Woods" Palin possibly a breath away from the presidency. I would laugh, but this ticket has a darn good chance to win! It's like watching "Idiocracy" - I know it's funny, but I can't laugh because it cuts too close to the bone.
Oh, and p.s. (sorry for venting): If anybody defends to you Palin's foreign policy qualifications simply because Alaska is next to Russia, please cease all communication with that person. I can't imagine a more insulting argument.
FINALLY, we have a candidate who's ready to tackle the crisis of illegal immigration across the Bering Strait.
Jim, are you seriously going to argue that there was nothing to satirize about the DNC-MSNBC-Olbermann hotsweatylovefest last week? I know you're a lefty but I thought you were a bit fairer-minded than that.
Also, if you don't think there are quite a few equally satire-proof fruits and nuts on your own side, think again:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/the-rebuttal.html
qdpsteve: What? Did I claim that one group had a monopoly on (unintentional) comedy? I don't think so. You should have seen the Daily Show segment just before this one, in which the hotsweatylovefest you describe (ever seen a political convention before?) climaxed with fireworks that Stewart portrayed as an entire stadium having an orgasm. It was funny.
But why is it that, when somebody points out something genuinely funny, it's considered a coherent response to say: "Yes, but are you claiming that this is the only funny thing? It may surprise you to learn that another thing that is not this thing is also funny, too! So there!"
Hey, the sky is blue.
But why do you imply that the sky is the ONLY thing that's blue?!?! Think again! Some M&Ms are blue, too! I would have thought you'd be more open-minded about blue-ness!
That's some satire-worthy logic...
qdpsteve--
Sure, Democrats can be stupid sometimes, too. We're all agreed on the fact that political affiliation doesn't innoculate you against being dumb, right? Great.
That said, I think it's pretty funny that you're putting Andrew Sullivan out there as someone who's on the "side" of the Left. Yes, he's an Obama booster, but he's also a libertarian conservative who voted for Dole in 1996 and Bush in 2000--hardly a lefty poster-child.
Jim: not trying to make you the enemy here. I'll save that until next month after you've already panned An American Carol. ;-)
However, several times last week, and especially given the news about the behind-the-scenes crazy convention cartoon-like capers at MSNBC (whatever you might think of their personalities and coverage), I checked your site to see if you had any comment/insight. Didn't see anything. Hmmm...
Now, it's nothing more or less nefarious than human nature to 'notice' the most whose steer is being Gored (pun semi-intended) when the brand in question tends to make what you consider to be the most delicious Outback Special. Re Malkin, for instance, it's funny how much she derides Stewart/Colbert (and others in the 'MSM')... unless they happen to be marinating her favorite choice cuts in the stockyard kitchen.
But YES, this post left something of a bitter taste in my mouth. Sure, it's your site, your flavor. And the beauty of the internet is that there's something for every taste. (Dirty Harry's Place, anyone? Anyone??)
If there's anyone who coulda/woulda done some great stuff about last week Jim, it's you. I think you'd be surprised how many conservatives out there enjoy your stuff, including your political pieces. Would it render me nothing more than a knee-jerk partisan (emphasis on the jerk) if I were to ask... where you were??
Man, the Daily Show was on fire this week. All those conservatives who question if Jon Stewart and his team will be out of material if Democrats win can rest assured he will find plenty of material no matter who's on the stage.
qdpsteve, you do know Andrew Sullivan is a conservative, right?
qdpsteve: In answer to your question: I don't think I've watched a party convention since George McGovern chose (and quickly un-chose) Thomas Eagleton in 1972. (Correction: I did see Pat Buchanan's amazing America At War speech in 1992.) I'll read the party platforms, but I don't much enjoy watching the parties party on TV. But this history-making announcement is on another level entirely -- unanimously acknowledged as a real surprise by partisans of all stripes. Historians estimate SP is the most underqualified VP nominee since (Democrat) William Jennings Bryan chose John W. Kern in 1908. Now, that's funny news. It's as if, in response to those McCain ads, Obama had actually chosen Paris Hilton as his running mate! In fairness to Palin, the governorship of Alaska may be an office with more significant responsibilities than the governorships of some other states. Like Texas. (I'm sorry, I can't stop...)
Just to clarify: yes folks, I know Andrew Sullivan is (generally speaking at least) a conservative-libertarian who happens to be supporting Obama. I provided the link to his site in a hurry, to use as an example the left-borne 'scandal' he was addressing. Nevertheless I should have found a less confusing source. Oops.
Yes, those MNBC reactions were a ridiculous, and I think Matthews is going out of his way to be a little more "balanced" than usual when it comes to the GOP this week.
I do want to know why the GOP and the McCain camp, who were so quick to play up (dare I say exploit?) the qualities of this telegenic Alaskan "Brady Bunch," are now saying it's nobody's business and the media should stay out of it. If anyone violated their privacy it was their matriarch and Sen. McCain.
Alaska is one of the easiest states to govern. A small population rolling in oil money. And Jim I love the comparison of Obama actually picking Paris as his running mate. Man he would have really gained the support of Vagina Americans with that one!
Agreed that TDS was on fire. They do their best work at the political conventions, going out for a week and just making asses of themselves (and both political parties). For those interested, I found 3 clips the most interesting. Take a look for the MSNBC folks taking diggs at each other on air (man Olberman and Matthews hate each other :)), the clip treating Barack Obama like the Lion King (about pissed my pants on that one), and the correspondents tailgating the speech at Mile High. Loved it when they poured a little white wine for Hillary, along with Sam and Jason at the stadium.
Phenomenal!
I can't help but think of that Alan Alda's line from Crimes and Misdemeanors: "If it bends, it's funny. If it breaks, it's tragedy." Or something very close to that. If McCain and Palin elected, it will break. Until then, I'll be laughing
qdpsteve: Chastising a dude because he talked about what he wanted to talk about on his own blog, and not what he didn't, is a little insane. It would be completely illogical for me, a hard-line "lefty" (ye gods, but do I hate that sort of pigeonholing... maybe just because I fit so well in the pigeonhole...), to go to, say, Ted Nugent's blog and wonder why he's not making fun of Sarah Palin.
Jim- Unless it's in another blog post, you missed a complete softball of a movie reference (a movie that's been fully vetted on this site, no less. Unlike, say, a certain VP selection by a certain Presidential candidate). Consider:
- Sarah Palin's underrage, attractive, brunette daughter with a quirky name and a small frame recently revealed that she's pregnant by a dim-witted boyfriend.
- The daughter is deciding to keep the baby.
- Sarah clearly wears the pants in the family, while her husband is somewhat of a layabout.
- Sarah will accept her party's VP nomination in the same state where the movie was set.
- The Palin family's statehouse is in Juneaux, Alaska.
- The movie and the real-life drama both involve a lot...and I mean A LOT...of white people (and a few quirky pro-life Asians/Eskimos).
Any guesses?
i fail to see what's so amazing about a 17 year old girl who lives in a pro life house having a kid. is that the funny part? if it is, way to sound dumb.
joe: I don't think a 17-year-old unwanted (or unplanned) pregnancy is funny. The joke is the way the campaign cynically tried to exploit pregnancy (and Sarah Palin's motherhood) for political gain, and how it has backfired. Karma, when viewed as irony, can be very funny. And the butt of the joke is not the daughter, but the mother who should never have been in this situation (neither offered nor accepted the nomination) in the first place.
Wow! Thanks for that Jim, thats going to keep me smiling all day.
Sam J. - I agree with you. This comedy will keep me chuckling as long as McCain and Palin are kept far from the white house. Its fun to joke about, but I'm only laughing to keep from crying.
The Daily Show did plenty of pieces on the over-adulation of Obama. But there's not that much about the candidate himself that can be made fun of. TDS doesn't even have to *write* much these days. All they have to do is play clips of prominent Republicans saying ridiculous things or saying one thing and then later saying the total opposite and demonstrate the inherent ridiculousness in what they say. They do this for Democrats too (Obama's concession on drilling, for one) but the Republicans are something else.
After reading Emerson's posts, I've come to the conclusion that he is just a left-wing crank. He filters everything to such a degree that he can't really be taken seriously, anymore, unless you happen to be a liberal ideologue, who wants to have your own beliefs confirmed. I think what's worst of all is that he's mean-spirited and cynical when dealing with most conservatives and he gives a pass to liberals. It's too bad. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm an Independent, too, so I can only imagine what Republicans think about him. It's not that he's liberal. It's that he's unfair.
Heh.
It's funny how the talk has gone from wondering when Palin would drop out to, now, wondering whether Biden will.
Some people are just entirely out of touch with American beyond the boundaries of their own small world.
Way to misread the weather.