Comedians in Office

With Al Franken finally taking the Minnesota Senate seat the Democrats control the senate hands down. More importantly to me however, is that we have a great comedian and a sharp mind in a major elected office now. I would much rather have a comedian than an actor in office; at least comedians have to work a craft of their own mind.

Comedians can be more serious by not taking themselves as seriously. Comedians are the only ‘news anchors’ that can talk openly about the ironic, hypocritical, and blatantly backhanded methods that create the staple of political life in the United States these days. The problem is that people confuse humor with immaturity and a lack of seriousness. Real comedy, especially political comedy, takes a very observant eye and an ability to synthesize many different aspects of our culture, and have a well rounded idea about the grand scheme of American society. However, it’s not all fun being a political comedian.

When pushed against a wall, comedians don’t hide behind their humor; they show the sharp intellect and creative thinking, as well as the brutal honesty that is needed to hone their craft. John Stewart’s appearance on Crossfire is a great example of this. He upset the hosts whose only tactic in response was to heckle Stewart into getting him angry. Apparently, he was not aware that comedians face hecklers almost every day in the stand up circuit, and he wasn’t even very good at it anyway. Stewart was not baited into this trap and his calm composure brushed off Tucker Carlson and left him looking like the immature one. Like many of the politicians that Stewart is criticizing, the Crossfire hosts would not even acknowledge the point he was trying to make, let alone respond- in my opinion because they take themselves too seriously.  I commend Stewart for knowing where the comedy ends, and the real work begins.

Even politicians who aren’t comedians but have a sense of humor are benefiting from this. Appearances on The Daily Show and the Colbert Report have made those in political office, or aspiring candidates more accessible to younger viewers, and make them appear human, something I think we all would like out of our elected officials. Even if the questions are not ‘hard enough’ for some ‘real’ correspondents, it gives us a view of the person running for office, something we seldom see otherwise.

The younger generation knows what sincerity is, and many politicians do not carry that vibe. It’s the comedians that can joke of their own shortcomings, while decisively picking apart another’s hedging. Someone needs to call out the absurdity that has become political life in the United States, and comedians are the only ones to rise up and take this challenge seriously… in a very funny way.