When asked why Saturday Night Live tends to make fun of Republicans more than Democrats, Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, replied, “Democrats tend to take it personally; Republicans think it’s funny.”
But lately, it’s different, and comedians’ hatred for conservatives just hasn’t been funny, so we’ve learned to turn the TV off. This year’s Oscars got the lowest ratings in the show’s history: People knew Jimmy Kimmel was hosting and that he’d turn the whole thing into a festival of elitist progressivism.
After all, he’s made a career out of virtue-signaling and white-knighting --- a self-avowed feminist. His respect for women is so strong that, at this year’s Oscar’s he said, with a sigh, “I wish I was a woman.”
Well, apparently his respect for women doesn’t apply to all women.
By the progressive metric, he mocked a woman --- an immigrant woman --- for the way she speaks. A micro-aggression, if you ask me. Not very PC. It’s another reminder that Kimmel is angry, bitter, cynical and tired. The sad clown is full of anger.
At this point, it’s a truism. He runs his mouth constantly because it distracts from his insecurities and allows him to release a bit of his venom. But we keep the sad clown around because occasionally he makes us laugh.
Lately, Jimmy Kimmel can’t even do that. He’s just a sad clown that isn’t funny. Leftists claim that conservatives aren’t funny. Conservatives put up with the whining and are able to laugh at something that’s funny whether they disagree with it or not. Leftists can be offended if their ideas are challenged but conservatives can’t.
Worse, if a conservative expresses offense, leftists consider that very objection offensive. At the end of the day, Kimmel’s sanctimonious tantrums don’t matter. We can change the channel. What DOES matter is the divisiveness Kimmel is enflaming with his dubious activism.
Talk-show hosts are no longer comedians or even political comedians. They’ve become activists who occasionally tell jokes, or who veil advocacy with humor. They assume a dubious sense of authority. And, unfortunately, most of them happen to be raging leftists. Luckily, most engineers, dentist, farmers and surgeons tend to be conservative, or else we’d all starve, be toothless and every bridge and overpass would have its own gender.
Humor has immeasurable power.
In all seriousness, humor has immeasurable power. The power to unite, to combat tribalism. As Mark Twain wrote, “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” A person’s ability to laugh often reveals a lot about them. Laughter is one of the finest joys of life.
And, if you can share a laugh with someone, it’s hard to ignore their humanity. Lately, people don’t laugh --- not like we used to. And it’s something we need now more than ever.
Maybe it’s time for us --- all of us --- to face an insult with a grin and find a way to make the angry person smile.
