Don Rickles, Joan Rivers etc.... Get over it. A little too much? Yes. Worthy of debate---not even close.
Comedy certainly is subjective. But regarding Wanda Sykes' comments at the recent White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner, the debate theoretically could be allowed to go no further than this: If you find yourself, in any way, favoring of the comedic merits of kidney failure, you're on the wrong side of the argument.
Sykes is a comedienne, and anyone who knows anything about Sykes knows that when you get a dose of her stand-up chatter, you're not exactly getting a Noel Coward level of subtlety or sophistication. But she makes people laugh.
Her "jokes" at the correspondents' dinner, though, clearly had people nervously tugging at their collars in discomfort. Often at these dinners, invited comedians engage in good-natured ribbing of the sitting U.S. president, but unabashed Obama supporter Sykes instead set her sights on one of the president's biggest detractors, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
With a mixed crowd reaction -- and with Obama by all appearances laughing at the jokes -- Sykes compared Limbaugh to terrorism mastermind Osama bin Laden, and recommended that Limbaugh be investigated as the possible 20th 9-11 hijacker.
Then, in light of the host's stated desire for Obama to "fail," Sykes said, "I hope his kidneys fail, how about that?"
Classy.
Some defending Sykes have said that she merely was dishing out invective with the same politically incorrect gusto that Limbaugh employs on his radio show -- essentially giving him a taste of his own medicine.
But that doesn't mean the medicine is any less bitter.
Sykes did herself a disservice with such atrocious, over-the-line blatherings. A woman who has won many entertainment awards for funnier material debased herself by poorly attempting to exploit organ failure for laughs.
And Obama certainly did himself no favors by sitting on the dais and smiling throughout Sykes' routine, as if giving her loony views tacit approval.
"That's way, way beyond reasoned debate or comedy and Obama's reaction to it was astonishing," wrote dinner attendee Toby Harnden of the London Daily Telegraph . "Obama laughing when someone wishes Limbaugh dead? Hard to take from the man who promised a new era of civility and elevated debate in Washington."
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs tried to calm the waters earlier this week by weakly denouncing Sykes' words on behalf of the administration, saying "there are a lot of topics that are better left for serious reflection rather than comedy."
"Art," Andy Warhol observed, "is anything you can get away with." Well, Sykes got away with it, but there's nothing artful about how she did it.
Comments
Don Rickles, Joan Rivers etc.... Get over it. A little too much? Yes. Worthy of debate---not even close.
ONLY THE TRUTH, spot on! This one is just another weak attempt to denigrate "the other side." The ACES apparently never tire of writing asinine and "much ado about nothing" editorials. GGpap
It's always the fanatics who can't take a joke.
Obama has big ears. OMFG! He made fun of Obama! What a racist! SHOOT him! I'm just saying.
It is exactly what Dashiel said, even though he got it wrong in his mind. Sure, if we are going to push the envelope making fun of conservatives, we should be able to do it with liberals also. But we all know what would happen if we slammed Obama or most any liberal too much. There would have been a riot in the room, a black sedan would have driven up at the offender's house that night and the IRS would be checking his charitable donations while he was in the Gulag.
This response is so predictable, I could have channeled the board and written it myself. Right-wingers are not exactly known for their stellar senses of humor...probably for the same reason they insist on reading the Bible literally. The kidney failure joke didn't bother me a bit. I'm surprised that people who defend torture would be discombobulated by a comedian's words.
Another whining effort from the Right-wing.
Riverman, I think you're mistaking Barack Obama for Dick Cheney (the Gulag? You're kidding, right?). Anyway, the media are incapable of rioting--they'd just sit there laughing nervously, the way they always do.
Spot on, only the truth. Nobody takes political comedy seriously. It's part of being in the game. The media is trying to create news and the AC editorial page seems to have stayed away from ALL serious subjects for the past three weeks. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? The Obama treasury department is taking control of more of the investment market and you're writing about some Mums Mabely want-a-be.
Did ACES (The Augusta Chronicle editorial staff) like what Colbert said about George W. Bush any better? Now that was funny, intellectual stuff.
Colbert will always be my hero for that. It was amazing.
Yes, yes, HotFoot and Caine. We all know where the left gets it's news. We find that funny, too. (thanks for the confirmation)
Wanda Sykes is usually one of the most hilarious people I've ever listened to however this was totally over-the-line. She went from funny to pathetic!
Anybody need some oxycotin? At a Iraqi base a white U.S. soldier killed 5 U.S. soldier comrades.Is this so funny?
OMG! The POTUS laughed at *jokes*! Oh Noz! I swear...if he had sat there all stoic, you all would be calling him elitist for being above laughing at jokes. Can't win for losing I guess. Also, when did the ACES get all PC?
Why is Harry Reid calling on CBS to fire Dave Feherty for his joke about Nancy Pelosi? Double standard? Is it because he is white and Wanda is black? I mean, it was just a joke, right?
Rush is always so decent and politically correct. He wouldn't dream of insulting anyone. You have to feel sorry for him after this horrible attack by a comediane.
Thou must not take the name of the Lord, Rush Limbaugh, in vein...
Imus must be wondering what all the fuss is about??!!
JTF, EXACTLY! Imus got fired, because he made a "joke" about black girls. Jamie Foxx made an even cruder "joke" about a 16 yr old WHITE girl and he gets a pass. Dave Feherty made a "joke" about(liberal) Nancy Pelosi and now could be fired. Wanda makes a "joke" about (conservative) Rush and gets a pass.
The truth is NONE of the jokes were funny (well, Dave Fehertys was a bit funny). The issue for me is the BLATANT BIAS. I would like to hear someone defend it.
C'mon GGpap, Techlover and Justus4. Weigh in on this with your wealth of unbiased knowledge. Help me understand what is going on here.
I hope Michelle Obama gets liver cancer...that way the American Taxpayer can save millions of dollar when she start chemo because we won't have to pay for her weekly electrolysis treatments...I mean we all know she is just a shaved down Wookie....is that funny...heck yea it's funny...ha ha ha...laugh NeoLibs, it's just a joke....
JTF,SHAQ If you is black you cans git away wif anythink ie; DRUGS,BANK HOLD UPS,EVASION OF TAXES,WELLFARE,HANDICAP PARKING,FREE MEDICAL,FREE FOOD, FREE HOUSING,RIDIN AROUND WITH CARDBOARD TAGS SAYING "TAG APPLIED FOR OR LOST TAG". I don't know what they are complaining about,they got it made. It's all about how to screw the white man.Go to their church's they have classes on it.
This isn't worth debating because you get retarded comments from people like gdaddy
Just the truth queenie
The problem wasn't Sykes making fun of Limbaugh or saying she hoped his kidneys failed. The problem was - comedians are supposed to "roast" the President at these dinners...all in good fun and good humor. But, Hollywood is obsessed with Obama and thinks he walks on water, so no one would DARE make a joke about him... Give me a break already...
AA, I agree.
Had Sykes made a joke about Obama's organs failing she would have been booed off the stage and run out of town! Trying to mix personal hatred with 'humor' just shows how low she will stoop to get a cheap laugh. The fact that Obama showed amusement at such a callous 'joke' demonstrates his total lack of propriety and good judgment. As the leader of this country I would have expected him to show some decorum and not openly approve of such blatant partisan styled remarks. Hopefully next time there is an event where a comedienne is hired they will find someone who is a capable humorist and not just another angry leftie spouting her divisive rhetoric to get approval from the Obomanite worshipers.
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