Serious Government Dashes Comic Hopes
Apparently the voters simply thought that the problems with the economy and other issues were simply too serious and voted for one of the most serious governments that we've had in some years. And while serious legislators may be good attacking serious problems such as the recession, a real depression of comedy might come from such a serious government in which comics aren't able to make easy fun of the politicians.
Even Conan O'Brien recognized this fact in a comedy bit where he attempted to make jokes about Barack Obama not liking beets for dinner. Of course this wasn't even funny, which was exactly the point. Compared to the endless gift of pants-down humor that could be made about Bill Clinton or the endless mentally challenged jokes about George Bush, Barack Obama is a serious man who is serious about being a great president who wants to achieve real results and there just isn't all that much funny about that. And Barack Obama has few distinctive bad traits that loan themselves to humor like even Reagan or Bush 1 had as well. Comics must be beside themselves with panic for the coming recession of laughs with the election of the first serious president in quite some time. Comics will have to look to Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Madonna or Amy Winehouse to screw up big time or something if they can't count on the White House to provide them endless sources of new comedy material.
Comics had some faint hope that John McCain might be elected. John McCain's age would have provided plenty of laughs for the comics to exploit, but the voters instead decided to break the hearts of the comics when they elected the most serious man in years when they selected the professorly Barack Obama instead. It is also as though the country has finally realized that a government by Gilligan needs to be replaced by a government by the Professor instead. And it marks the third attempt by Democrats since 2000 to elect a stiff intellectual as president, and the country finally found one they like for a change compared to the colorless Al Gore or John Kerry. Al Gore was so stiff, he seems like he was made from wood. And Kerry seemed less appealing despite great intellectual talent as well. For a while the public simply found the goofy George Bush as more to their liking even if nearly everything he did turned into a Three Stooges mess.
And nearly as bad, the best hopes of electing a goofy senate seems to be dashed as well. Alaska's convicted felon Senator Ted Stevens has lost his bid for re-election, which will kill endless jokes as goofy personality Sarah Palin might have appointed herself to this position and provided a real wealth of comedy material. Just like that, one of the best hopes of the comics turned to dust when the convicted 85 year old felon with a wife nearly young enough to be his grand daughter, who looks like one of the WIZARD OF OZ Munchkins, lost to Democrat Begich when the count of 24,000 absentee ballots continued. There had to be tears throughout the comic community.
Now the last hopes of comics is pinned on the uphill fight of screwy former SNL funnyman Al Franken who is trailing in the Minnesota recount. And once again, hope is again fading that Franken can will his recount unless some disputed absentee ballots are included in the recount. But the fact of the matter is that if Al Franken had been a more serious man, and not so related to humor, he would have probably have been elected to the senate in such a strong year for Democrats. Voters in Minnesota have long trended Democratic and voted heavily for Barack Obama, but Al Franken was probably simply too funny to win even with so much wind in the sails of Democrats this year. And the voter probably decided reluctantly to stick with more serious Republican Senator Norm Coleman.
Comics including the late night comics must be beside themselves with fear and panic where their next joke will be coming from. Where do you find laughs when the voters won't elect ridiculous personalities and instead opt for serious politicians because the current state of problems are so serious? When conditions aren't that funny, then neither are the politicians it seems.
Listen to the call. It's amazing how gullible Palin is -- she giggles like a school girl when she thinks she's receiving a phone call from Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France -- but it is so obvious that this is a prank call and she just doesn't get it. She's oblivious... clueless. 