I yearn for the days SNL and comedians were not political hacks in disguise.

[*Nately120*]

(03-26-2024, 07:13 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: To be quite honest, most people have no idea what the actual political positions are of the parties. I mean, one party lacks an actual platform and the other has a wide spectrum of members. Political parties in this country only exist to provide a structure for elections and members are not beholden to any sort of party positions. The majority of voters only have ad hoc policy positions and are not ideological other than the superficial things we see with the most ardent followers.

This is one thing the whole votes to protect something as mainstream as abortion access seem to have made clear.  Red states will vote 15+ points to protect abortion access, but a republican politician could run on support for the overturning of Roe and/or a national ban and win the state by 15+ points.  Policies and political preference don't always line up neatly.  I guess that's why it's easier to make fun of and/or "report news on" specific politicians over policy for the most part.

It also fits each side and their delivery of critique of the other side that for the most part the GOP has the over the top characters and democrats are criticized for being career-politicians who are sneaky and underhanded.  You have "comedians" joke about one and you have "journalists" blow the proverbial whistle on the other.

[StoneTheCrow]

Sorry in advance to those who are opposed to posting gifs and memes here but how has this not happened yet?

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

Yes. Completely accurate description of what I said. No wonder you get so confused by the media. And I wasn't entirely referring to you..

[*Nately120*]

The latest Jon Stewart thing I saw didn't make fun of Biden so much as make fun of people who spend their lives thinking Trump's gonna get his comeuppance AAAAAAAAANY day now.

[Dill]

(03-26-2024, 12:12 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Side note, hasn't Trump floated the idea out there that people who make fun of him when he's president should face consequences?  I can only assume late night shows in North Korea and Russia aren't making fun of Kim Jong whatever and Putin.  Maybe the late night folks are getting their jabs in while they still can.  Maybe if Jimmy Kimmel laced into Biden ol Ice Cream Joe would start tossing the idea out there that Jimmy Kimmel should fall out of a window.

In the '90s, Russia had a great comedy show based on puppets, called Kukli, which did make fun of Putin and all politicians. About month after Putin came to power the oligarch who owned the tv channel which produced it was arrested and forced to sell his media assets and leave Russia. End of Kukli.


I used to watch the show on late night tv in the U.S. It was hilarious.

[Dill]

(03-26-2024, 03:35 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Yeah, most of the stuff by Meyers is harmless, but he still shows the older falls, slips, problems with stairs when none of the others bring up the past ones. And I think that the OP isn't quite remembering SNL correctly. I have the Peacock app and I went back about a year ago to watch a lot of ''The Not Ready For Prime-Time Players'' and the pacing was very slow and some of the sketches didn't quite live up to when I saw them as a kid, Samurai Night Fever specifically. George Carlin was on many of the early shows and some of his routines weren't comedy routines as much as they were hippy complaints about society and the government. Paul Simon would play songs with some commentary. Dan Akroyd as both Nixon and Carter were regular appearances

I remember when SNL began back in the 70s. I was in my twenties then, and watched it religiously.

In the context of the times, it was VERY political in the LEFTISH/LIBERAL direction, 
making fun of corporate society, uptight conservatives and the like. It was NOTHING like anyone had ever
seen in terms of breaking cultural norms. It became increasing bland as the original cast left.

As far as the claim of some golden age when "both sides" were equally lambasted on late night comedy,
I also remember that back then (60s and 70s), the difference between sides and politicians (except for Nixon and Agnew, who were not considered funny) 
just was NOT very great, as it is now.  Their foibles and scandals were ordinary, and kind of equal. Rhetorically maybe Agnew was on par
with Trump, and then he was gone for good. 

Also, there was no cable, much less variety, and all comedians/talk shows had to respect "family values."

Cable and the internet suddenly widened the spectrum of comedy offering; then during the '90s the difference between both sides
began to widen year by year, becoming a chasm in 2015 .

I cannot imagine my parents and older relatives or the nation as a whole back then tolerating a presidential p-grabber with so many bankruptcies
and fraud settlements, who paid off porn stars, said he didn't like troops who were "captured," defamed his rape victims, and eventually attempted a coup--
all while millions of followers and three media affiliates insisted everyday that the other guy who did NONE of that was just as corrupt and bad so DOUBLE STANDARD!!

Complaining about comedy "balance" in this context just entirely misses what has happened to the country.