I'm a conservative, have been now since 2002. It took me a long time and some heartache to come to this point, and the journey involved wandering many years in the liberal wilderness. But maybe that was a good thing because I learned some things during that time of error.
One thing I learned is that progressives don't like to laugh at themselves. And they very much don't like it when others make fun of them.
But, on the other hand, I do think they like to laugh at conservatives and conservative values and viewpoints. They really get down with that. And they actually, in my opinion, do it a lot better than conservatives. They know how to put a happy face on their ugly debt creating, dependency inducing brand and at the same time really stick it to conservatives. They learned early on (late '60s) about the power of popular culture and how it could slowly move the immovable.
Don't get me wrong. I know conservatives know how to have fun, but somehow there's a disconnect between that and their political work. If conservatives support a movie that is successful, it more than likely is a serious movie, probably a documentary. A good example would be the magnificent documentary by Dinesh D'Sousa, 2016: Obama's America. Another example is the two part Atlas Shrugged. I'm not knocking these movies; they're great.
But where is the conservative stand up comic that jabs sharp one liners at liberals? Is there anybody out there other than the great Dennis Miller? Where is the conservative writer who writes a book or a movie script that makes fun of progressives? And, if that happens, where is the conservative support for that comic or that writer? For every Greg Gutfield there are ten John Stewarts, or Stephen Colberts, or David Lettermans, or Jimmy Fallons, or...well, you get the picture.
Maybe it's because many conservative political leaders and pundits, especially in the leadership ranks are middle aged or older and understand that they're in a very serious business and perhaps mistakenly think that the best way to advance their cause is by serious dialogue. I agree that it's a serious business, but I also think there's more than one way to catch fish.
I believe it's time for conservatives to rare back and laugh! Time for us to understand that using popular culture to promote and spread our views is a good thing. Time to understand that skewering liberal/progressive views and values in an entertaining way might help spread our own ideas, especially among young people.
So, putting humility aside, I urge you to please click this link to get a Kindle copy of my very funny $0.99 ebook, Ken Tool, Or Obamaism. MAY THE FARCE BE WITH YOU!
P.S. I'm working on getting a copy on NOOK, uploaded my ePub file, etc., but so far I seem to be stuck at the "processing" stage.
UPDATE:
Ken Tool, Or Obamaism is now available on NOOK! Just click this link to purchase.
ALL excellent points. Well written.
ReplyDeleteScooney, good to hear from you and thanks. I know for a fact that that you're one conservative who loves a good laugh. Especially at the expense of progressives who are blind to their foibles and fantasies.
ReplyDeleteYou left out P.J. O'Rourke, who, in my mind, is the Right's finest humorist. His stuff is just absolutely brilliant, much better than that pathetic Jon Stewart's stuff... who comes off heavy-handed compared to O'Rourke. And then there's Mark Steyn, while not technically a comic, certainly can turn a wry phrase that always gets a guffaw outta me. Christopher Hitchens was in the same category as Steyn (but better with words) and an "original," which is to say he wasn't consistently on the right in his later years. But he was on the right more often than not.
ReplyDeleteI'll buy yer book, too!
You're right, Buck. Point taken. I forgot O'Rourke. I really like his stuff too. Besides the political things, he shows up in one of my car magazines frequently. Always funny. And Steyn is one my favorite writers, like you say not exactly a comic but he always has that (cliche coming) acerbic wit thing working. Also, what he writes always seems so effortless to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for buyin' the book. If you get time and the spirit moves you, a review on either Kindle or Nook would be greatly appreciated.