2009.04.29
Conservatives don't get the joke
I have long entertained the notion that one of the defining differences between liberals and conservatives is that liberals have a much better sense of humor. It's an idea that warrants further study, I think, but I've never had time to pursue it.
Thank goodness for researchers at Ohio State University.
We found that individual-level political ideology significantly predicted perceptions of [Stephen] Colbert's political ideology. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements. Conservatism also significantly predicted perceptions that Colbert disliked liberalism.
In other words, Conservatives tend not to get the joke. Does anyone have access to this study? I'd like to read the whole thing, but don't think I'm going to drop $1/page for the privlege.
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I knew this one years ago. A lot of things on conservative radio that were supposed to be funny really weren't, by a long shot. Sometimes they'd get something, but more often than not, it came off as dry, smug, or condecending but was supposed to make people laugh.
Comment by Other John — April 29, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
This study is a joke
Comment by Mary — April 29, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth from here.....
Comment by Kristen — April 29, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
My experience is the opposite. Liberals are always looking for ways to be offended. They have become like church ladies, clucking their tongues at every perceived slight against some group they like.
Colbert is not afraid to poke fun at liberals. That's what separates him from the other shows that just poke fun at conservatives.
Comment by Henry — April 29, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
PROOF!
Comment by Sandi Saunders — April 29, 2009 @ 2:13 pm
Humor has its basis in truth. It is such a subjective thing that the wasting of money of such a study is a joke.
Bob Hope wasn't funny? Red Skelton wasn't funny? They were not liberals....
Comment by BobH — April 29, 2009 @ 2:26 pm
There are obviously exceptions to the general rules...that's why stereotypes can be dangerous things because they categorize everyone under the same umbrella. I do think though that, based on my expereinces and interactions with people, conservatives have seemed far more uptight and less humerous than the liberal friends I've had. The only time I've really seen really conservative people say funny things and laugh at funny jokes has been when they've had a drink or 2 in them. Of course, like I said there are exceptions. One of our friends who is a very conservative Christian has an exceptional sense of humor, and a liberal friend of ours is a hardline prude who barely laughs. But I think the general trend is reasonably rooted in fact.
Comment by Other John — April 29, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
If you get it, you get it and if you don't you don't. Funny is an eye of the beholder issue obviously because they really believe it is Liberals he is making fun of. LOLOO.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — April 29, 2009 @ 2:37 pm
Colbert makes fun of both. The others do not.
Comment by Henry — April 29, 2009 @ 2:55 pm
Sandi, I wasn't sure I understood your post. Humor is hardly universal and can seldom be isolated by political ideology. What is funny in the US is not necessarily so in Japan, or Arabia for instance.
I listen to Prairie Home Companion quite regularly. And I like Garrison Keilor and I find most of his humor is good. The onesidedness of his attacks on Bush even continued well beyond the election and January 20th. The jokes were getting old, even to the hard core liberal.
Point being, humor is an elusive goal. Something that was funny last month isn't funny this month. And some humor is timeless. But once you have heard a joke it usually isn't funy anymore.
Unless it is Barney's gun going off, which still seems to be funny even when you know it will happen.....
Peace
Comment by BobH — April 29, 2009 @ 3:27 pm
Funny you should mention Barney, BobH. I've been feeling kind of funky all day -- cold or pollen, not sure -- and I'm trying to keep it from becoming full blown. I keep hearing "Nip it! Nip it in the bud!" running through my head.
There are classics in everything, humor included. Humor tied to current events and politics is often funny but fleeting -- just like those expletives flung around on broadcast TV.
Comment by Luanne T. — April 29, 2009 @ 3:37 pm
Thanks Luanne,
You know, I went to see Richard Pryor when he came to Roanoke quite a while ago. Shall we say, I stood out in the crowd? Now, I thought he was funny. But not everyone would or does (or did). And, I am conservative.
Humor goes way beyond conservative/liberal. Heck, it can even depend on moods. Who cracks jokes at funerals?
Comment by BobH — April 29, 2009 @ 4:00 pm
Well, speaking of classics, who can forget the Mary Tyler Moore episode at Chuckles the Clown's funeral?
Comment by Dan Radmacher — April 29, 2009 @ 4:15 pm
The 70's were the golden age of comedy because the conservatives had lost control of the dial and the liberals hadn't figured out how to be offended yet.
Comment by Henry — April 29, 2009 @ 4:24 pm
Garrison Keilor is a Liberal?
Comment by Sandi Saunders — April 29, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
I don't know any liberals that are offended, more like sickened by the shenanigans that have caused the country we LOVE, to have lost stature in the eyes of the rest of the world.
Comment by Blue John — April 29, 2009 @ 4:37 pm
Does this "Liberals being offended" start with thinking racial jokes, sexist jokes, gay jokes etc. were just not funny? What is it that defines the "offended" label and what started it?
Comment by Sandi Saunders — April 29, 2009 @ 4:45 pm
Keilor is a huge Democrat. He opened the Democratic Convention one time
BJ
Less Kool-Aid, dude.
Comment by Henry — April 29, 2009 @ 4:59 pm
H,
Come on over - join the party!
Comment by Blue John — April 29, 2009 @ 5:06 pm
Oh Yeah, Garrison is a liberal. Have you ever looked at who is guests are on the show: James Taylor, etc.
The difference is that I, as a conservative, can laugh and be entertained by s liberal (putting their politics aside) whereas I have seen many a liberal that was too sensitive about jokes from the other direction.
Comment by BobH — April 29, 2009 @ 5:10 pm
Sandi
Let's see. We had to edit Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry cartoons. Then Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" got edited. I really don't think funny had anything to do with it. People laughed big at Andrew Dice Clay even though his whole schtick was just raw over-the-top offensiveness. He was offensive on steroids. It was like he was lampooning comedians who pushed the envelope. That was juvenile humor and we were almost laughing at ourselves for laughing at him. We didn't mind stupid humor back then. But suddenly, we didn't want to be offended anymore. Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy couldn't do the standup routines like the past. The mid 70's National Lampoon magazines would be banned today.
The "Bush is an idiot" comedians were dreadfully funny. Even Bush was funny making fun of himself. But you couldn't do that to Obama. It just won't be allowed.
Comment by Henry — April 29, 2009 @ 5:11 pm
Dan, I agree the MTM thing was funny, but my point was that how many funerals/visitations have you been to where jokes were being cracked? How many people were in the mood for humor on 4-16 or 9-11?
You just can't measure it on a liberal/conservative slant, IMHO.
Comment by BobH — April 29, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
I got your point, Bob. Sorry, but I just couldn't resist the urge to bring up MTM when you mentioned laughing at a funeral.
But I agree with you, comedy shouldn't be a liberal/conservative thing. Though these days, sadly, just about everything is - or people try to make everything partisan, even when it's not (witness Henry's desperate attempts).
Comment by Dan Radmacher — April 29, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
"The "Bush is an idiot" comedians were dreadfully funny. Even Bush was funny making fun of himself. But you couldn't do that to Obama. It just won't be allowed."
I do not believe that Henry. Instead of, "It just won't be allowed", I think you are just jealous because the late night comics won't have an endless supply of material as they did with Bush.
Comment by allen bunch — April 29, 2009 @ 5:48 pm
I do not listen to Mr. Keillor (it's that golf announcer voice, I go right to sleep) so no, I had no idea of his politics or his guests. The few snippets I have ever heard were not funny but maybe I am just missing out.
I think perhaps I did not make my point well. I think that humor is an "eye of the beholder" thing, some may "get it" some may not. Since we cannot ALL think everything is funny, we must accept that if that is someone else's cup of tea, so be it, whether it is political, social, or in a stand up routine, Vegas or Lahore. I have heard some very Liberal "comics" I thought were just insulting and not remotely funny, but I am sure there are people who find them hysterical.
I have heard Leno and Letterman do "Obama jokes" and I have heard Obama and his friends do "Obama jokes" so he is by no means off limits, but like much of the mean spirited crap that, as has been admitted "has a basis in truth" or more aptly, someone's version of truth, the teller may well cause an otherwise funny riff to be not so funny simply by virtue of the source. Since making a joke has long been the defense for boorish (and worse) behavior, it is a dicey area sometimes. I have heard some very insulting "Obama jokes" that I am sure some Conservatives would think hilarious and others would pan. Anyone who thinks comedy does not or is not intended to cross some lines is kidding themselves, but using comedy to deliberately insult on a constant riff is just not funny no matter the target and it is especially tough to take when you like the target, IMHO.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — April 29, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
You can almost see the comics that made their bread and butter off politics start to stutter now. Even Doonesbury is just killing time with nonsensical blather. With the Democrats in control, they just don't want to make waves.
And this is just the first 100 days. Imagine what it will be like in another 100 days.
Comment by Henry — April 29, 2009 @ 8:27 pm
"With the Democrats in control, they just don't want to make waves."
Why would comedians be worried about making waves? Are they afflicted with the same liberal bias that struck the journalists. Oh, I get it now. Most of the comics didn't finish high school either, right. Well, they still got another 100 days. Maybe they can get GEDs. I guess they are just spoiled. After they get educated, maybe they can make up their own material instead of waiting on someone to just hand it to them.
Comment by allen bunch — April 29, 2009 @ 10:15 pm
I doubt that M*A*S*H can be explained by "conservatives controlling the dial", and imho that was the funniest show of the 70s.
As for comedians who made "Bush is an idiot" jokes and now don't do that re: Obama....that seems to explain itself. What's to say? He's not an idiot.
Comment by Kristen — April 30, 2009 @ 4:27 am
People tend to forget that "All In The Family" was a huge hit TV show in the 70's and it was produced by a liberal. "Blazing Saddles" was produced by a liberal. Nowadays, people are shocked that kind of language was allowed. Having grown up in the 70's. we would not have been able to comprehend that someone would say that something controversial would not be allowed. We would have fought it just to fight it (see Smothers Brothers).
Maybe in the next 100 days, speech against the government might face the same scrutiny.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96533
Comment by Henry — April 30, 2009 @ 6:59 am
The leader of a newly formed public awareness campaign to alert U.S. citizens about an effort to stifle free speech says he expects local "boards" will be assembled within 90 days to begin censoring talk radio, a move that will come as an "Arctic blast" against the expression of opinion in the United States. - From Hank's link
Let me guess, the members of these "boards" will be flown to the meetings on black helicopters?
Comment by Dan Radmacher — April 30, 2009 @ 8:03 am
Is that the same helicopters that deliver the people that censor libraries?
Comment by Henry — April 30, 2009 @ 8:21 am
I really have no idea why I bother, but just for the sake of any remote possibility of enlightenment. Yes,"a Liberal" produced "All in the Family" and many other REALLY funny shows, but just like the "Colbert Report", we were laughing AT Archie not WITH Archie. The times they were a changin' and the TV box was being used TO POINT OUT the idiocy of people who talked and acted like Archie, the goodness and decency of a black family in the projects like "Good Times". Just like Colbert, people miss the satire and irony and go for the punch line sometimes and that is fine too, but PLENTY of people do GET the message now, just like they GOT it then. Curse Hollywood all you want, they know how to make money off our ignorance, prejudice and fear just as well as any politician, maybe even better.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — April 30, 2009 @ 8:45 am
Henry, did I miss something?
"Having grown up in the 70's. we would not have been able to comprehend that someone would say that something controversial would not be allowed."
What is not allowed? I missed that.
By the way, Archie was the liberal and Meathead is the conservative.
Comment by allen bunch — April 30, 2009 @ 10:22 am