The Politics of American Comedy

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Why Americans Can’t Take A Joke
Everyone seems to be offended these days. Are Americans collectively losing our sense of humor? The comedy landscape has changed in recent years to encourage polarization. When did jokes go from uniting us to dividing us? And what are the societal implications of not being able to share a laugh? Let’s explore in this video: “Why Americans Can’t Take A Joke.”
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=== Watch More Episodes! ===
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Written by Rachel Van Nes
Hosted by Michael Burns
Directed by Michael Luxemburg
Edited by Henry Arrambide
Produced by Olivia Redden
Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound
#politics #comedy #culture
© 2024 Wisecrack / Omnia Media, Inc. / Enthusiast Gaming

[@WisecrackEDU]

Compare coverage and stay informed on breaking news by subscribing through my link ground.news/wisecrack for 40% off the Vantage Subscription which is $5/month for unlimited access to every feature such as the Blindspot Feed.

[@ground_news]

Thank you for continuing to share our mission Wisecrack team! If anyone's interested in getting the full picture of issues like the one in this video, check out the link in the description and let us know if you have any questions.

[@jamesburrows3602]

We need a George Carlin philosophy video!

[@magnoliamike]

Daddy would you like some sausage? Daddy would you like some sause sa ges

[@UnscriptedVideos254]

@@ground_news How do we know you're the real Ground News?🤣

[@dayegilharno4988]

"Comedy has been historically used to..." make people question their most strong-held beliefs. How TF did we lose that cultural knowledge!?

[@katattack907]

If my grandmother knew how much money I spent on her funeral, she'd be spinning in her ditch.

[@WisecrackEDU]

that's good.

[@socialanarchy081]

Lol

[@ChineduOpara]

Haaaaah! 😂

[@mythology2467]

Classic Jimmy Carr

[@djb903]

Oh my God I read your comment and heard his laugh in my head 😂 ​@@mythology2467

[@DrErikNefarious]

I'm in the idea that you can joke about anything, but if no one laughs, maybe you're just bad at comedy.

[@juvedoo99]

Anthony Jeselnik put it best. Comedy is about getting away with it. Which means, people have to be in on the joke and laughing. If the reactions are not laughter, then, like you said, you’re not doing comedy, you’re just an asshole and suck at comedy.

[@TheTransitmtl]

You should always punch up though. If you punch down it often stops being funny

[@neo2419912]

What if you punch like Will Smith?

[@runkus6136]

@@neo2419912 then you need to go see a trsiner.

[@ChineduOpara]

​@@neo2419912😂

[@TempehLiberation]

Funeral joke for the comment gods: I got fired from my job because I kept asking my customers if they would prefer “smoking” or “non-smoking”. Apparently the correct terms are “cremation” and “burial”.

[@jose.montojah]

Funeral jokes are a dead art indeed

[@MegaManXPoweredUp]

You can still find good jokes, as long as you're willing to dig for it.

[@asswipe-fl7hq]

I think I'll take the non-smoking

[@ChineduOpara]

That joke slayed.

[@Hawkenwhacker]

This killed me.

[@userMB1]

a guy is at the funeral and asks the widow:"can i say a word?" She says yes. The guy walks up right to the casket and says:"plethora". Then sits down at his chair. The widow comes up to him and says:"Thanks you, that means a lot".

[@markfoster1520]

OMG

[@jamesterwilliger3176]

Jokes about guillotines have really lost their edge

[@connorletkeman5002]

People have really lost their heads over those jokes

[@ChineduOpara]

​@connorletkeman5002 Well, then the comedians should quit while they're... y'know...

[@joylesstiger]

In my experience they leave people rolling in the aisles.

[@ericcarabetta1161]

People with a good head on their shoulders still appreciate a good ol’ guillotine joke.

[@mekkio77]

Did you hear the one about the guillotine that was made out of bread? I hear it was a real pain in the neck to use.

[@FIFODavid]

2024. The year where we hold comedians to a higher ethical standards than CEO's and politicians.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

That's every year. That's always how it's been. The examples of the people in charge being held to any standard at all are so rare as to be counted as important events in history books.

[@Chas-OTE]

A fast food or convenience store part-timer is held to a higher ethical standard than most CEO's and politicians.

[@cg1906]

Yeah because nobody complains about politicians or CEOs in 2024???????? What a laughably bad take

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

@@cg1906 Do you know what it means to be held to a standard? It means you either comply or suffer severe consequences. In example, if a comedian kills thousands in the pursuit of profit, they go to prison. If a CEO or politician kills thousands in the pursuit of profit, no consequences exist for them.

[@cg1906]

@@dontmisunderstand6041 okay so the year mentioned has nothing to do with the critique then, because that's always been the case? Which makes the critique still dumb, just in a different way.

[@roscojenkins7451]

The guy who recorded himself yelling "help! Im still alive! Let me out!" And had it played during his funeral is chefs kiss

[@WisecrackEDU]

That was AMAZING. Irish guy I'm pretty sure?

[@roscojenkins7451]

@@WisecrackEDU hah yeah probably. Knew he was terminal so before he got too sick he set it all up to make his friends and family laugh

[@BaronVonQuiply]

@@roscojenkins7451My maternal grandfather was a musician, so he played at his funeral

[@ladyyyhokage]

WHAT A GUY. that’s a very irish thing to do imo 😂

[@okram2k]

The best thing we could do as a society is to stop anger sharing stuff. All you're doing is giving them exactly what they want, more exposure and reaching a wider audience. You're not "dunking" on 'em, you're giving them more clicks and more power over even more people than they would have had if you just ignored them and moved on.

[@Jasonmakesvideo]

WISDOM

[@joeracer302]

They got us fighting culture wars so we won’t fight a class war

[@jhtv5757]

It frustrates me to no end when people don’t get this. We’ve known this for years now and the general public keeps falling for the trap

[@anonymouslearner2454]

But maybe that way we are trying to address a problem, having an open discussion, and communicating what we find hurtful? I do think that anger part of it needs to be removed though Just like the discussion in this video and it's comments?

[@LBJ-ez7mm]

Joe Rogan isn’t popular because of “anger sharing.” And nobody cares about “clicks.” Boomer logic.

[@Shdwtrev]

Favorite funeral dad joke: “that cemetery must be very popular, everyone dying to get in!”

[@jose.montojah]

Funeral jokes are a dead art

[@MrSeansmith111]

Ha

[@robertjay9415]

i won’t miss it

[@ACCPhil]

OK, so it was my mother's funeral. My cousin - who I hadn't seen his dad's funeral (my mother's brother) - came up to shake hands. And the first thing that came out of my mouth was "we must stop meeting like this".

[@ChineduOpara]

Your dead mom's ghost probably chuckled at that one 😅

[@ladyyyhokage]

this is honestly a beautiful way to come to terms with death. my favorite saying “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry,” and i try to live by that. i think this story encapsulates it perfectly. 🫶🏻

[@jazzjensen]

I think my dad mightve made that one once at a funeral lol

[@rosslytle5700]

Will glass coffins become the new industry standard? Remains to be seen.

[@dpray96]

I was always a disappointment to my family. When my grandad died, he put it in the will he wanted me to be a pallbearer, to my families confusion. Apparently he thought I'd let him down one more time.

[@WisecrackEDU]

NICE.

[@Im-the-greatest]

Ha wow

[@ChineduOpara]

Nice one 😂

[@Chas-OTE]

We got a winner! 😂

[@chrismuratore4451]

If its true, old man had a great sense of humor. If its not, ya, just a great joke.

[@bazzfromthebackground3696]

I have a few funeral jokes. _I'll have to dig them up._

[@Kenkire]

8:00 A person who know my mom very well made a joke at her burial. He said in a stage whisper as they were lowering her into the ground, "She would have loved to know that 4 hot men where handling her body." Everyone who knew my mom laughed. Those who really didn't, scowled. My mom would have laughed her ass off.

[@BeeWhistler]

You ever wish you could limit a funeral to people who get the joke? I’ve told my kids that anyone who wants to bring “funeral potatoes” to my funeral gathering didn’t know me well enough to attend. (Those spuds are foul but a staple of my church’s funeral gatherings) I heard of another family who horribly offended in-laws when they played a song called “Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think)” and danced around the house at an after-funeral gathering there, because their dad had always done that and they would all dance in a line after him through the house. So this was a healing/bonding kinda thing, dancing around to this song like he used to do. But the in-laws didn’t know it and were so mad at his wife! So yeah… I get that there’s well-wishers and stuff but maybe what’s best is just to have the really close mourners get together and not have to deal with a bunch of people who judge and cause problems.

[@Kenkire]

Sadly it was my sister. She had been estranged for years. @@BeeWhistler

[@rishabhanand4973]

@@BeeWhistleryeah, if i ever go to the funeral of someone i don't know well, and i see someone make a joke or do something that otherwise seems atypical of a funeral, i'm gonna assume it's some kind of inside joke they have with the deceased, especially if it's a close friend or family member doing it

[@robbymidgettofficial]

"Post stuff you like" This. The more you post stuff you like and ignore stuff you don't, the less the algorithm is going to make you rage all day.

[@YawaruSan]

You forgot to say “Number seven will shock you” when making a rage bait listicle about religions

[@WisecrackEDU]

Damn, good note.

[@ShatteredAutomaton]

I wanted to like this comment but there is already 69 likes and I'm not gonna be the guy who changes a perfectly good 69 to a 70.

[@ConnorNolan]

I’m a progressive who loves Shane Gillis! His comedy is more nuanced than many give him credit for. He has plenty of genuinely offensive jokes, but the main one he was cancelled for was actually making fun of redlining and racist policies of the 50’s and 60’s

[@Theillive]

Yeah I thought this video had a bad take on Shane- he literally makes jokes about how similar “both sides” are in both of his specials, which is something this video states should be done more often lmao

[@barnoldwhv]

Ok, please explain this to your dumb prog friends that think he is a nazi.

[@ConnorNolan]

@@Theillive I agree, I think of Shane as occupying South Park’s sort of space politically. They tend to piss off and humor everyone fairly equally

[@hanslehnardt7230]

It was weird to have Shane Gillis be the centerpiece of this video but not actually show jokes from him. He's hilarious, and really not a right-wing comedian.

[@tommcgovern2083]

Shane Gillis is awesome. I've got friends on the left and right (Europeans) that think Beautiful Dogs is one of the best specials of the last 10 years. His delivery and how he handles subject matter is very similar to South Park.

[@spelcheak]

Shayne’s whole “slur” joke was a passing dig at a theoretical racist guy in 1920s NYC. It’s Incredibly tame

[@idontwantahandlethough]

Yeah. I'm a leftist and i don't get why libs have a problem with him. if you actually listen to the content of his jokes, he's clearly a compassionate, kind, and yes, actually kinda _funny_ human being

[@Loe_Jist]

A pervasive trend nowadays in how people perceive comedy, and we really in all aspects of society, is intellectual laziness. People focus on the superficial, the nomenclature, the syntax, and refuse to see the bigger picture. People default to "you said X!" and don't listen to what's being said. Even if they say they understand, they still hang on a word or a phrase that irritates them. They don't listen to a person saying a slur in a joke and see the bigger context of what's being communicated. They just fixate on that word. It sets off alarms in their heads and they jump to conclusions and pigeonhole people. "You said X!? You're a Y!" It's lazy thinking, a knee jerk emotional response, and it makes people look very dumb. Instead of a social commentary, people heard Shane Gillis use that word and do the accent and assumed it was hateful. They heard what they wanted to hear. Satire, parody, irony, and absurdism are all legitimate forms of comedy. They point out the lunacy and stupidity of something.

[@Dr.Quarex]

Your comment about more prejudiced people being more likely to misinterpret subversive humor immediately takes me back to the amazing moment when I was hanging out with my only conservative friend and his even more conservative friend said something like "I can't stand Stephen Colbert anymore, I liked him better on Comedy Central when he was still allowed to be pro-Republican"

[@Aaron-kj8dv]

There were studies about him because he was mocking Republicans and it said Republicans know he's mocking them they just think he's funny. I think if there was a Stephen Colbert who made fun of liberals in the same way would be liked by liberals.

[@BeeWhistler]

Okat, THAT is comedy. That is truly amazing.

[@pattyofurniture]

That is hilarious.

[@sardonicus1739]

That's how Colbert got 'em. The dems found him funny for being a ridiculous parody of how awful republicans can be, and the republicans were like, "yeah, that's our guy speaking truth to power." showing that republicans in and of themselves had gotten so ridiculous the parody stops feeling like parody.

[@geisenm]

Poe's Law in a nutshell

[@Alex.Toledo]

People think it's stressful to argue with relatives of opposing ideologies, but have they ever fought with someone they agree with? THAT'S the real power move.

[@VCV95]

My friends and I would get heated over stuff all the time. We'd debate stuff and there were always people playing both sides if they had no stake in the debate lmao.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

Some days I think I might be doing both at the same time :|

[@jergin4596]

As a leftist, yes

[@DillonCarbajal]

Lol this guy and I are definitely in different universe's. "I only know Shane Gillis because people complain about him" rather than because he's the funniest comedian out right now 😅. I also love how a majority of who he showed as right leaning comedians are likely Democrats just not leftists.

[@kaoko111]

This is My dead joke. Every time i go to the cemetary to My dad's tomb i come back Home telling everyone "just came back from the cemetary. Dad still there, he didn't move"

[@Bigtmac2200]

My favorite joke I heard at a funeral was at my grandfather's funeral. My grandmother said "this is the first time I've ever seen him with his mouth shut." 😂 It completely broke the tension and provided levity we sorely needed.

[@BeeWhistler]

Reminds me of Graham Chapman’s funeral. John Cleese got up and called him a bastard and said he was glad he was dead. This was something Graham would have found hysterical.

[@alexdegross6248]

I guess the real political joke here is that we have a broad spectrum of politics in America

[@tsukikage]

I heard this one recently: How do you guarantee a smoking hot body as a senior citizen? Cremation.

[@pvtpain66k]

Me, a man of culture: pauses to go watch "Water's not wet"

[@joshyoung1848]

New Yorker here! Why were the twin towers angry on September 11th? Because they ordered a pepperoni pizza but instead got plane.

[@MegaManXPoweredUp]

They should've ordered from Ray's Pizza.

[@Aaron-kj8dv]

Meh, 2/10

[@ChineduOpara]

Too soon, man... too soon

[@fire_tower]

Alternate: "Why weren't the Twins Towers upset on 9/11?" "They were too busy being down"

[@SageWon-1aussie]

​@@fire_towerUmm, upset and down are synonyms. Don't give up your day job

[@thomaswillard6267]

When my cousin died, we went to the funeral. My cousin greg was many things, but we all just kept repeating "He was a bastard, but he was our bastard" or "he was a sonofabitch, but he was our sonofabitch"

[@juggle_g7579]

I think comedy coincedes with our ability to enjoy lightheartedness as a society. When we were doing better as a country, we had a higher capacity to not just create comedy but also enjoy it.

[@persephoneinthesky]

Why doesn't everyone understand that I'm the funniest person? And also that I'm universally right on who isn't funny?

[@Cartoonnetworkisamazing]

If it makes you feel better I think you’re funny even though idk you

[@BaronVonQuiply]

@@CartoonnetworkisamazingI'm going to reuse a comment I made on a video last year and say _" That was so wholesome, I don't even need breakfast now"_ If we could react with more than a like and a comment I'd give you that, too.

[@BeeWhistler]

Hey, you’re already funnier than Shane Gillis.

[@ModernDayJames]

As a new yorker, I can confirm that we are always making 9-11 jokes

[@travtotheworld]

Do those jokes usually fly, or do they just crash and burn?

[@Mr.internet.Lag.]

I wouldn't say Shane Gillis is right wing, but he does have right wing fans

[@WisecrackEDU]

Yeah - I think what we were trying to get at was more about his fans than him.

[@Theillive]

@@WisecrackEDUdidn’t get at that at all though….. ? Love your videos and this one gets a lot right but like…. Shane literally makes jokes in both of his specials about how sneakily similar “both sides” really are, which is something you directly state should be done more often in this video. Great video overall, but didn’t care for the misrepresentation of Shane. He’s just a *good comedian* flat out- not left nor right wing.

[@Mr.internet.Lag.]

@@WisecrackEDU Alright, I just thought i was a bit confusing when he's juxtaposed with all those other comedians. I understand now, thanks Michael.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Appreciate it - and you made a good point. If we did this one over I think we could be way more clear about that distinction. @@Mr.internet.Lag.

[@Donaldbraskowitz]

@@WisecrackEDUyou said he chats with nazis....what are you referring to?

[@darejohnson2251]

I agree with Jenselnik. There's no such thing as an untouchable topic. Everything has potential to be funny and everything can be joked about however, it is the job of the person telling the joke to make sure that it's actually good. If you're telling a joke and you get backlash, it's because you're not good enough at telling jokes. That's how I feel as a comedian anyway

[@sackofclams953]

I disagree with the implication that any pushback makes you a bad comedian. If a million people laugh and one person cries then the joke is fine and that one person is likely too sensitive. It is nobody’s job to please everyone.

[@darejohnson2251]

@@sackofclams953 there is a difference between "any pushback" and "backlash" also, I never stated that a comedians job was to please anyone other than themselves. Rather I was making the point that it's a comedian's responsibility to make material that the audience laughs at regardless of their personal stance on the subject matter of the joke. If a joke is overwhelmingly met with anger and boos, well the comedian didn't make it funny. It was a bad joke. Not in subject, but in writing or execution, or both.

[@steven2183]

I once emailed my geology professor in college a flat earther website as a joke and I think he thought I thought flat earthers were right and he was wrong...

[@vienlacrose]

In fairness: people adjacent to flat earthers have been pretty successful at fucking up our education system, so I can understand why he's on edge about that.

[@carpeimodiem]

"Or his tendencies to chat with Nazis..." *shows a pic of Matt McCusker* lmfao 🤦‍♂️ "Right leaning comedy..." *shows another shot of Matt on stage* 😂 Just wow...

[@reach4thesports897]

yeah, this is absurd

[@seattlekarim964]

I would 100% watch Michael rank the religions. Let's make it happen!

[@thebigdawgj]

The only correct religion is Judaism, so all the rest are immediately tied for last place.

[@Jedidiah_McCain]

I think, in part, comedy is getting too out of touch. I see it too often on Netflix Specials, where the big names have been making sets inspired by personal grievances, and “Oh, look at me. Cancel Culture has really been kicking my ass lately.” And me, a person who relates to none of that goes “Sir or madam, am I supposed to care right now? Is it really funny if most people can’t quite sympathize with what you’re talking about?”.

[@pkz420]

Who are you talking about? Specifically? I have seen many comedians complain about the cancellations and hyper-sensitivity. Like all comedy, some was funny, some was not. It's a big issue to anyone in the industry, so it's going to be a common topic. If you are unable to empathize with someone who is not like you, that's a sign of your intolerance and mental illness, not a sign of their failure. But it's ok, because you are not their target audience. Nobody markets themselves to psychopaths. "Most people" found them funny enough to make them wealthy and famous. I don't relate personally to cancelling at all. I am not in an industry where it matters or even exists. But I can laugh at guys like Shane and Chappelle when they btch about thin-skinned babies that can't just change the channel when they see something that was not made for them. Learn some empathy and you will also be able to laugh at jokes made by people who do not look and act like you. If everyone else is laughing, but you're not... objectively, it's funny. Your opinion does not change that, or even matter. If you're upset because someone made humour that was not targeted at you, then “Sir or madam, am I supposed to care right now?"

[@djb903]

"thin skinned babies" 😅 Empathy right?

[@SageWon-1aussie]

The focus on Nostalgiabate plays a big role in this phenomenon. The world moves on, but platforms look at what worked before and hope that it will be profitable again. I could watch Eddie Murphy's "Raw" now and find it funny, because I found it funny when I first watched it. People that had never seen it before might find it objectionable because the issues it presented as funny have been explored more thoroughly. I might even laugh at a joke out of familiarity, while still thinking "Well, that aged badly." Then have to explain to a fresh audience why I laughed, and who Mr. T. is. It should be no surprise to comedians that their jokes from yesteryear fall flat today. The fact that there are comedians that adapt with the times, or put in the work to make their jokes "timeless" just makes them jealous.

[@t_ylr]

​@@pkz420I mean do you think Chappelle does a good job of empathizing with trans ppl? For example I'm gay , anytime a straight comedian makes a joke about how gay men can't drive it's always funny to me. Partially it's because that joke tells me you like and hang out with gay ppl. It's not one of the obvious negative stereotypes. In a similar way i think Bill Burr get more leeway with black jokes black folks think Bill Burr likes black ppl lol. Like I don't Dave is a bigot. He probably would support trans rights or a trans child, but you wouldn't know that just by going off his last couple specials. He certainly has the talent to make actually funny jokes about the trans experience. I think he just lacks the empathy

[@larryinc64]

A lot of comedians do basically have a job where people pay them to complain about their job. Not that they don't have problems, but they are complaining to people who are on that "normal 9-5 grind", a lot of streamers and internet personalities fall into that as well. I guess most comedians get popular for being very grounded and "an every man" but then the success robs them of their ability to be that, and it's easy for their material to get swallowed up in "I AM NOW THE FAMOUS COMEDIAN WHO SAYS THINGS AND NOW 80% OF MY MATERIAL IS HOW 1/3rd OF THE POPULATION REACTS TO IT"

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Making fun of polititians is funny! It really helps broke down their images.😂😂😂😂😂

[@HylianFox3]

Politicians will never not be acceptable targets

[@The_Infinite_Squirrel]

15:22 "If we can no longer agree on what's true..." I would take it further and say we can't even agree on the definition of words. The echo chamber feedback loop has even "bifurcated" our language.

[@vanessamaldonado5877]

Whic is kind of ironic that the ppl who complain the most about "changing definitions" are themselves changing definitions, like some states want to legally define words like "woman" for a discriminatory agenda.

[@oxydeep9404]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@vanessamaldonado5877language will change over time so sometimes the circumstances will necessitate definitions - especially when some people intentionally use language to mislead others or as some grotesque form of activism/narcissism. The fact that some states have found it necessary to clarify basic terms is a perfect example of my point.

[@vanessamaldonado5877]

@@oxydeep9404 But you didnt understand the argument being made, Legally defining "man" and "woman" as only and solely based on sex assigned at birth ignores the reality that trans ppl exist, therefore mandating legal discrimination of ppl based on circumstances of birth, definitions do change with time as more technological and scientific and societal advancements are achieved, so does the definition of man/woman changes to include trans-women and trans-men, conservatives just want to make it legally impossible for trans ppl to exist.

[@oxydeep9404]

@@vanessamaldonado5877 No one denies the existence of trans people and this “weaponization” of the contrary serves only to further portray allies as dramatic and illogical. The definitions are there to describe/categorize the vast majority of people. To the point that these words are changing as a result of advancements, change does not come free and clear without opposition. Perhaps there are those that wish to maintain the current definitions because the proposed definitions are seen as dramatic and illogical.

[@vanessamaldonado5877]

@@oxydeep9404 Well, those who lived in the age of Galileo also thought that changing the definition of the world to a "globe" was "dramatic and illogical" because for them they still wanted to believe the earth was flat, thats whats happening with LGBTQ+-phobes at the moment, they simply dont want to acknowledge the existance and more importantly, the LEGITIMACY of the existance of LGBTQ+ ppl, thus wanting to mandate the discrimination of LGBTQ+ ppl by either changing the definition of woman/man to solely sex assigned at birth, or the definition of marriage of only between "one man and one woman".

[@mjuzumaki]

Conan O'Brien is my favorite "political" comic cuz most of his political jokes are as current as the New Deal. 😂

[@WisecrackEDU]

If you want to support our work and help us rely less on ads and algorithms, consider signing up for our Patreon community at www.patreon.com/wisecrack. Memberships start at $1, and include everything from early and ad-free video access, exclusive podcast and video content, access to our discord server, and in-depth philosophy videos hosted by Michael. Find out more at www.patreon.com/wisecrack

[@EJ-im3ck]

As someone who truly enjoys watching cringe content, I love this channel.

[@deldarel]

If you have any good funeral jokes, Charon

[@DaughterofDiogenes]

I found a picture online that illustrated the opposite of a stork. It was a crow carrying a coat hanger. I thought it was so hilarious I texted it to everyone. Suddenly everyone is concerned about my mental health 😂 That’s sort of a funeral joke.

[@axxa5000]

lol wtf at "not funny" with a picture of Shane Gillis. He is, without a doubt, very hilarious.

[@johnchiu]

Hey Spicy Mike, can I restart the Irish mob with you and Conner?

[@WisecrackEDU]

let's do it.

[@TheIronWaffle]

Everybody should get the Criterion Channel even if the only funny thing about Freddy Got Fingered is that it’s on the Criterion Channel. Then go watch all their amazing movies, listen to their informative commentaries, and become a next level movie nerd. And no, my real name isn’t Mr. Criterion Channel. But I’ve considered changing it. If I get enough likes, I may do it. Okay, if I get, like, three likes. That’s a lotta likes for me. Unlikable chaps like me (that is to say “such as myself” not that unlikable chaps like me) love the Criterion Channel almost as much as we love the Criterion discs on our shelves in our very lonely homes where we post page long essays on Reddit, securing our place in the crevices of internet canon. 👀

[@WisecrackEDU]

I really support this.

[@MrSteveyz]

Who are the, "nazis" that Shane chats with? I'm honestly confused who that's referring to.

[@MsPoliteRants]

A quick google search got me an article “Shane Gillie has a long history of inviting holocaust deniers on his podcast”. Bill McCusker and Andrew Pacella. (Who also deny Sandy Hook massacre ever happening) or the yahoo article which is more in-depth, “Why Does Shane Gillis keep promoting these Holocaust Deniers?”

[@MrSteveyz]

@MsPoliteRants just saw that article as well. It does sound like Matt mccuscker wants to be a good brother, more so than Shane believes in any of those conspiracy theories and is a nazi. Regardless, I don't think anyone knew how big mssp would become when they're inviting people who are talking about holocaust denial or hallow earth. It probably isn't worth disowning your own brother or your best friend's brother in real life to save a dumb podcast. But at the time, mssp had such a small audience, it could barely legitimatly be considered, "promoting." Apart from all this, though, if I know 20 nazis. And say I knew 20 Klansmen and 20 black panthers, and 20 rabbis. Now say that's more friend group. I start a podcast. I invite all of my friends on, and the ones who accept my invitation are 2 nazis. Am I purposely promoting nazis? I invited friends who were nazi, kkk, Rabbis, and Black Panthers. But they all turned it down. But I still need to do a podcast.

[@MsPoliteRants]

@@MrSteveyz why would you be friends with 2 nazis, let alone 20, in the first place? Or klansmen?

[@jamesburrows3602]

We need a philosophy of George Carlin video!

[@WisecrackEDU]

we've talked about him a lot over the years but never in one full video. someone should make a remix cut just taking every time we've ever talked about Carlin, would probably be an hour long video.

[@jamesburrows3602]

@@WisecrackEDU lol it definitely would, that's why I mentioned it!

[@roscojenkins7451]

George Carlin's comedy is ALOT like Rage Against the Machine. They were better before they got so political

[@juvedoo99]

@@roscojenkins7451I hope you’re joking… RATM have been political since the beginning. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt though and the irony in your comment is really funny.

[@roscojenkins7451]

@@juvedoo99 glad you gave me the benefit of the doubt. I was ready to say WHOOOSH to ya lol

[@themasterofinfinity]

Comedy is subjective and a reflection of the cultural zeigtgeist. I don't think politics is ruining comedy I think that it has just changed ehat people find funny.

[@spencer8218]

September 11th jokes? You mean bring your plane to work day?

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

"I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming in terror like his passengers"

[@WisecrackEDU]

classic.

[@paravarium]

Depends on the level of the comedian. A great one can make them very funny.

[@LBJ-ez7mm]

We need a belt system for comedy, like karate. I think comedy would thrive under a dojo system.

[@dlobelow760]

When my dad passed and I visited my dad's side of the family for the first time, everyone tripped out that I looked just like him. One person said that it almost was like he came back to life in my body just to say hi. I still find it hard to tell them how hilarious and heartwarming/heartbreaking to hear that. I know this wasn't a funeral joke but I take up any chance to talk about my dad if I can

[@EdyGlockenspiel]

I miss JibJab's political cartoons from the 2000s.

[@LonkinPork]

The video just went live, I'm commenting before watching (gotta get those Algorithm™ bumps) but I think the Achilles heel of a lot of modern political comedy is in the polarization of the past decade or so: to effectively satirize a viewpoint, you have to understand it on its own terms - especially when it's a viewpoint you disagree with. If you don't dig deep enough into an ideology to find the comedy underneath its core principles, you get the surface-level "Clapter" comedy that's become emblematic of this ongoing fustercluck of a decade.

[@Barrelrollz]

Freddy Got Fingered is the real underdog in today's oppressive hegemony.

[@JackgarPrime]

Now that is a subversive masterpiece.

[@AndrewDasilvaPLT]

Someone recently did a pre-emptive 25th anniversary review of Napoleon Dynamite and it was worth watching.

[@mr.pavone9719]

My son's favorite: You can't spell funeral without FUN.

[@reeds.9669]

Shane Gillis is hilarious and far from right-wing, I'm pretty well-acquainted with "Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast" and those boys are actually pretty damn liberal, it's just that some people on the left treat any breach of the neo-liberal newspeak as a personal attack that threatens their very lives and personal safety. He also went at Martin Shkreli in the best way, in person, to his face. If you hate Shane Gillis you should watch him challenge a pharma-bro's B.S. in person, that might change your mind.

[@kelliott7864]

It's just adolescent humor and some of us grew up.

[@TRobertson47]

Don't know how well it's aged, but I loved Super Troopers by the Broken Lizard team.

[@WisecrackEDU]

During my teenage years I probably watched that movie between 68 and 70 times.

[@duedadew]

Water makes things wet, it itself isn't wet Dirt isn't dirty, it makes things dirty

[@SerenGetter]

Political comedy's main problem is the foundation of the comedian. A vast majority of political jokes are shallow interpretations of recent news then sprinkled with silly buzzwords, essentially jokes that anyone couldve seen on a youtube comment.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Good call - this is often while political comedy on all sides can be a little "meh", as it's operating with a very basic and uninteresting understanding of political reality.

[@juvedoo99]

I think a lot of it boils down to the lack of nuance in general due to our shortened attention spans. Therefore, cheap comedy is quick and you don’t have to think so much about it. It’s why Monty Python is hilarious but I guarantee a lot of new generation people would have a hard time decoding the humor. Not because they can’t necessarily but because the norm is quick shallow comedy.

[@darthbee18]

Speaking of Molière, the way he passed away was pretty metal - he performed his last play while being heavily sick of tuberculosis (ironically playing a hypochondriac who was exploited by his doctor). After a dance number in the play he had a hemorrhage, but he insisted on finishing the performance. Not long after that, he had another bigger hemorrhage and he died just a few hours after the performance 💀

[@WisecrackEDU]

Wow. This is a classic version of the on-stage death of Colonel Bruce Hampton. (google it)

[@darthbee18]

@@WisecrackEDU not me thinking Bruce Hampton was an actual US Army colonel 😭 (and he died after giving a speech) - darn, it wasn't a long time ago too 😳 (I thought it was sometimes in the 70s, when it was just in...2017 😳👀) The way history rhymes is spooky sometimes... 😳👀💀

[@SamusSelf-Destruct]

It’s one thing to make fun of people in power and politics in general. It’s a whole different issue to mock disempowered and marginalized people. Jokes are fine, cruelty and bigotry are not. And it’s perfectly fine to call out comedians for cruelty and bigotry and hold them to account. “Cancelling” is just a nonsense buzzword.

[@williamg780]

*I went to Arlington and all I got was a lousy military industrial complex*

[@Im-the-greatest]

Eh there's something there maybe. Work on it.

[@lakingscrzy]

The thing I find so amusing is how whenever there is either a meme or some comedy that goes viral that half of the people will pretend they don't get the joke and that anybody who does laugh at it is stupid for laughing at something that doesn't make sense. That or they try and analyze a joke "objectively" and then act confused when there is no comedy to be found.

[@gregorymurphy6115]

Honestly? didn't ever think of Shane Gillis as right wing?

[@Theillive]

He’s not right or left wing lmao, this video gets a lot right- but dead-wrong take on Shane.

[@JohnSmith-ud7qk]

When did Shane Gillis talk to nazis??

[@shayZero]

It is so funny that, apparently you can tell when someone not from NY jokes about 9/11 after using Norm Macdonald *a Canadian* as the example.

[@Curarkaig]

How to tell if someone is a New Yorker in 2024: They weren’t there on 9/11

[@larryinc64]

Stand up comedy these days is really just people doing controversial on-stage podcasts and complaining that people who have different opinions "don't like comedy". Every recent clip I've seen from Dave Chappelle seems more like a TedTalk.

[@MandyMoorehol]

Conservatives are going to be so confused when they figure out the Bible is satire. Lol

[@kmanley29687]

You have my full agreement on Freddie Got Fingered. I would also add Pootie Tang and Venture Bros. as two completely under appreciated comedic masterpieces.

[@Im-the-greatest]

Oh no it's pootie tang!

[@mannyogu8124]

I don't know about Shane Gillis' podcast but *his stand up is not political. He's actually really funny

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Donald trump imitations will always be funny😂😂😂😂😂

[@wynonasbigbrowndragon6121]

Especially because they bother him so much. Dude never caught on that the WORST thing a person can do when they're being made of is make it clear that they're unhappy about it 😂

[@Aaron-kj8dv]

Only if they're done right. Gillis has a great impression.

[@flagcoco69]

By the way, thank you for leaving Generation X out of it. You talked about what triggers Millennials, Boomers, and Gen Z, but it seems that the Xers are always left out of the conversation. Being born smack dab in the middle of the generation (1969), I'll speak for us all saying we all appreciate not being brought into this dumb fight. We grew up is a great time for comedy, we got the best and the worst. We had Carlin and Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison and Dave Chappelle. We got it all. We know the good stuff. We're also the least butthurt of all the generations because, frankly, we just don't give much of a damn. Boomers ruined politics for us by saying they were going to change the world, but as soon as they got into power, they sold themselves out. You watch, our generation will get completely screwed out of its time in power, we're going to go straight from Boomers to Millennials, and you can tell it's happening, that's why you have Methuselahs like Biden and Trump running for president, it's because the Boomers are trying to string it out long enough for the Millennials to take over.

[@ljrumpf3]

decoding comedy is what is killing comedy. laugh or dont... simple as that

[@checkthestache]

People take themselves way too seriously. It's a lot easier to laugh at anything when you can laugh at yourself.

[@Justindedwards215]

FOR THE RECORD... Freddy got fingered is a HILARIOUS gross out comedy. If u don't like weird gross out comedies then just don't watch it instead of complaining to the dude who recommended it ( which was subjective anyway because people recommend based on their own taste and personal experience) and getting all pissy and offended about it.

[@Justindedwards215]

Wow!! Thanks for the heart!! I genuinely thought you wise Crack guys would never see this comment but I was wrong. Glad to see you all know you have one comment on your side when it cones to movie recommendations!! Thanks again!!!!

[@Sidharthavicious]

My problem is that most people who attempt political comedy are going more for validation than laughter. Stephen Colbert was funny on The Colbert Report but is beyond tedious in his late night show. He stopped trying to make people laugh and opted for making them clap and hoot. Trump broke a lot of brains.

[@Theillive]

Dude I can’t even watch Colbert now lmao. Like OK DUDE WE GET IT, ORANGE MAN BAD. PLEASE JUST BE FUNNY AGAIN!

[@adamazzalino5247]

I got a new job where 500 people are under me! I work in a cemetery...

[@SaintKines]

Too soon... for at least some of them... I assume

[@ShaedeReshka]

The world is in such denial about its problems that critiquing the powerful is often seen as picking on the vulnerable. All those poor billionaires, investors, landlords, world leaders, and corporations need YOU to defend them after all.

[@thebigdawgj]

South Park said it best. Either everything is okay to make fun of, or nothing is. You can't pick and choose.

[@CzolgoszWorkinMan]

a lot of what's characterized as "punching down" is really just lovetapping laterally

[@MarkusJackDijkgraaf]

"Doc, is that a rare disease I'm suffering from?" "No, don't worry! The cemeteries are full of it."

[@ericjome7284]

When people say "politics", they mean "an honest and sincere expression of your core values" When those values don't agree or can't be unified, we can't really have comedy about it. "I don't want to be political" means "I don't want people to express their core values or require that I express my core values" This is why self deprecating humor often works; you are providing space for people sharing values to laugh at the irony and those diametrically opposed to interpret the irony as sincerity. It is why you can have a civil conversation with people of opposing positions if you avoid subjects of core values. No talking about religion or politics was a guide to civil discourse because it avoids directly confronting core values.

[@anonymouslearner2454]

Yes! self-deprecating humour!

[@Joe-Przybranowski]

I made the best funeral joke ever thirty years ago at the crowded funeral of a dear and beloved friend. I looked up and happened to notice that the town water tower had a giant cross on it. Without thinking I said 'who the fuck needs a hundred thousand gallons of holy water?' The whole place went up. We eventually decided that we would hole up under it in the event of a vampire attack.

[@CzolgoszWorkinMan]

saw "not funny" next to shane gillis' face in the thumbnail and had to come see why you're wrong

[@Alexander_Grant]

I'm a socialist, almost as far left as you can get, and Shane Gillis is my favorite comedian since Norm. It's crazy how many people dislike him for political reasons, he's not even right-wing, it's like the people who hate him have just listened to the right-wing people who also haven't listened to him and think he's on their side. Shane Gillis is about as apolitical as you can get. I think a big problem is that people lack comedy literacy these days, you've got people who have no sense of humor who get comedians pop up in their feeds and have no idea how to know if something is satire or not. Every right-wing person I've seen who props Gillis up as a right-wing comedian has completely misunderstood what they shared.

[@rainmanslim4611]

The thing is, you can joke about anything, but it has to be funny. The commedian has to do their homework. Thats what separates Bill Burr making jokes about black guys and having black guys rolling around laughing and the guy who played Kramer yelling racial slurs on stage.

[@CallousPhallus]

Big ups for Freddy Got Fingered. If you hate it after seeing it once then you're normal. Watch it again and see what happens.

[@th3r0d]

Freddy Got Fingered was bonkers. I usually turn to Grandma's Boy or Super Troopers when I want a good laugh

[@jesselovett4934]

funny thing is, i know you're playing me with that water comment. but you know what, it worked. water isnt wet. it makes other things wet.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

Ever see Nick Swardson's stand-up on planning his own funeral? Good stuff!

[@seattlekarim964]

I enjoyed "After Midnight" in no small part because it was a break from the excessively political nightly comedy shows.

[@dave_riots]

Comedy, like any other form of art, has always been political and is reflective of our current political environment. In the midst of this culture war, what is and isn't considered funny to someone depends on their politics and worldview. This isn't comedy "being ruined", it's an artform adapting to our current political environment as it always has.

[@comicbrandon]

Swear on my life Jeselnik stole one of my jokes.

[@quintonwinslow9354]

Shane’s not a right winger. He hates being part of any movement. He just wants to do comedy. He’s said.

[@LBJ-ez7mm]

The woman who wrote this video grew up on an Almond Plantation in Bakersfield. Look it up. She hates Shane because he comes from a modest background and thinks calling yourself artist is dumb.

[@Zomburai45]

Most of the right-wingers I've ever met say they're centrists who don't belong to any movement, including the chick who used to dress up like the Statue of Liberty for TEA Party rallies and the guy who became a racist survivalist stockpiling weapons of questionable legality. I don't know if Shane Gillis is a right-winger; this video is the most I've ever heard talked about him. But his saying he's not doesn't tell me anything.

[@jonathanthomas2171]

If he wants to write jokes outside of "I find trans people weird" then he is more than welcome to do so, he has good old material...this makes him far more money, and he's in a place where he doesn't have to sell his soul.

[@Stoiccc1]

Republicans are in the closet, never admitting their truth. Democrats are in drag shows. Celebrate their views, and getting offended by differing views. Independent folks are hated by everyone. Assumed to be the binary opposition by the two extremes. Solution, make fun of yourself, your party, your values, ect. If you can make fun of yourself you'll never run out of things to laugh about, and possibly be less likely to be offended.

[@barnoldwhv]

@@Zomburai45 What an arrogant and shitty post. People don't know what they are so you have to tell them? Fuck right off.