Laughing at How We Laugh

[ink_ling]

Does anyone else know what I am intinctively, approximately, tentatively referring to when I use the phrase "free-press humor"? I am growing more than a wee tired of it.

It just seems that, between it and the highly visual, repetitive, physical humor of the late SNL school -- well, and the Simpsons/South Park middle road -- that humor, on the

Comments

[hwynym]

Well, I'm currently reading George Carlin's "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?". Some is pretty funny. In other places, I can see where he's really reaching, probably because his editor told him he needed more material and this was done as "filler" to get it up to the publisher's required page count or something.

One of my favorites: "I was feeling badly because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet. So, I took his shoes and immediately felt better...and let's face it: He didn't really need them..."

[ink_ling]

That's pretty good! :) Don't know much about Carlin, though; does his humor mostly center on risking the giddy politically incorrect?

[hwynym]

Yeah, mostly he takes on religion and politics, with some everyday different-point-of-view humor thrown in to the mix. He's been doing this since the 60's - he came up with the seven words you can't say on tv or radio.

I did enjoy his re-write of the ten commandments down to one.

[ink_ling]

Cool! I may have to check him out again!

[faghatesgods]

interesting post.

Personally I love The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Mostly because they are all political satire.

In this current political climate of lies, that has bled into the media, where we shoudl be getting truth we are getting fabrication. So now, the only place we find truth is hidden in the comedy underneath the satire.

When politics turn, and truth is once again reestablished in politics and media, I wonder what these shows will do then?

But currently, they are both hysterical and sadly, necessary

[ink_ling]

Well, you actually make me step back a bit here: Who am I to be talking about "our" culture in general terms? I'm quite a bit removed from popular culture in general, seeing as I haven't watched tv at home in 7 years. People tell me it has gotten better, though.

When I did watch it, I enjoyed -- for a time -- "Politically Incorrect" with Bill Maher. I liked the political stance and the panel interview format.

Maybe I should take a peek now and then at shows like these to let the air out of my politically combustible, red-faced tires.

[faghatesgods]

I don;t watch TV either really. Just those two shows sometimes if I'm in bed at the right time.

John Stewart of the Daily SHow is my hero. He really skewers the right wing. And Steven Colbert of the Colbert Report is a spin off from the Daily SHow. He plays a character that's a satire fo those right wing Rush Limbaugh type shows.

I learn more about current politics from these two shows than i do from a news source

[ink_ling]

OK: Colbert sounds pretty interesting. In fact, I do think I've seen a few shows over at other folks' places without knownig it was him. Yeah :) He was actually really funny.

My tv doesn't even pick up channels. Except -- you'll be appropriately incensed by this :) -- some local family channel that runs religious and family programming only. It might be nice for a change to be able to dip into an informative and entertaining tv show.

[aemmanuel]

I'm pretty straightforward:
British comedies (not out of any tiresome American anglophilic snobbery but because it was what I was first exposed to) but mostly pre-1990s stuff (exceptions abound, "Bosh", "Black Books", "Absolutely Fabulous" pop right to mind).
Farts, burps, and jokes about shit still make me laugh like a fool.
East coast Jewish humour ("Curb your enthusiasm", "Seinfeld", Mel Brooks, and Woody Allen in small amounts).

[ink_ling]

Haha! I'm so glad you brought up jokes about gas! Even though I'm a big fan of the comedy in subtle wit, I am simultaneously an incurable fan of the fart joke -- or hell! the fart itself!

Parts of me are so adolescent! :)

[fritterfae]

I am not hard to please comedically. I appreciate some comedians in general, but I have favorites

[ink_ling]

OK: The Anubis hand puppets just cracked me up! Thanks!

And Al Franken is actually brilliant. I should expose myself to him more, though. I don't know Sarah Silverman. Who is she?

I think we might need a new "Match Game". :)

[fritterfae]

There's a million Anubis jokes.

Her new movie Jesus is Magic is out in some theaters now. The site auto loads the trailer and there's audio on it.

[ink_ling]

Cool! Thanks for pointing me the way!

[ink_ling]

I want the old famous-for-being-famous folks: Flip Wilson, Phyllis Diller, Madame, Charles Wilson Riley.

I'm prolly just an ol' stick in the mud who doesn't watch tv. :)