The Politics of American Comedy

[@WisecrackEDU]

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[@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

[@W-W-W-616]

@@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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 😂

[@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.

[@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

[@Shdwtrev]

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

[@AlexiaHoardwing]

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.

[@rosslytle5700]

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

[@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😂

[@jose.montojah]

Funeral jokes are a dead art

[@MrSeansmith111]

Ha

[@robertjay9415]

i won’t miss it

[@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

[@bazzfromthebackground3696]

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

[@CriminalFriday]

"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.

[@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.

[@dasaggropop1244]

@@idontwantahandlethough because they take him literally. a lot of things he says ironically, to make fun of people who are like that. if that goes over your head you think he just is like that.

[@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.

[@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

[@tsukikage]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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"

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@alexdegross6248]

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

[@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"

[@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.

[@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"

[@persephonesunderworld]

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.

[@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?

[@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?

[@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.

[@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.

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

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

[@WisecrackEDU]

classic.

[@nmodlling]

Great insight and genuine perspective… We need you to get a spot on Rogan

[@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.

[@mjuzumaki]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@CzolgoszWorkinMan]

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

[@7davesanchez]

When I see a headline about a comedian making an "offensive" joke or "crossing a line," but the publication doesn't actually include the setup and punchline, I know they are lying (or at least dishonestly framing it) for clicks. It's like Betteridge's Law of Headlines.

[@JohnSmith-ud7qk]

When did Shane Gillis talk to nazis??

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

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

[@HylianFox3]

Politicians will never not be acceptable targets

[@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

[@johnchiu]

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

[@WisecrackEDU]

let's do it.

[@FuNati]

Your whole thesis is wrong. A good joke is the one you can’t predict. You can never predict a Louis CK or Patrice joke. That’s why they’re some of the greats. You can always bank on Kimmel to roast Trump. Thus it makes it boring. Gillis is the funniest right now because he’s smart and unpredictable. And he laughs at EVERYTHING. Just like South Park does. Art - and especially comedy shouldn’t have boundaries, and if you can’t take a joke? Well, you must be great at parties. ❤

[@chrisfair11]

Tell me you have an agenda without telling me you have an agenda....

[@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.

[@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?

[@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.

[@EdyGlockenspiel]

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

[@deldarel]

If you have any good funeral jokes, Charon

[@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... 😳👀💀

[@EJ-im3ck]

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

[@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.

[@pvtpain66k]

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

[@duedadew]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@Curarkaig]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@CzolgoszWorkinMan]

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

[@poncacamp9349]

when did he chat with nazis?

[@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.

[@tyrel5150]

Idk what “nazi” Shane talked to but just know that any time some person is called a “nazi” people mostly just dismiss it as a purely political move. The threshold of what is considered “nazi” has been expanded to the point where it loses most of its meaning which is a disgrace to the victims of what real Nazis did. Canada literally saluted a REAL Nazi so where is the video on that?

[@mr.pavone9719]

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

[@rickysrockinreviews]

The thing about comedy is analyzing it kills all of the humor.

[@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.

[@alexanderchristiansen1664]

The only reason I know about Jordan Peterson, Hasanabi or Andrew Tate is because their detractors won't shut up about them.

[@chadphriday197]

I am the wokeiest woke that ever woked and I love Shane Gillis. I will protect him with my life, as long as he doesn't go down the Dave Chapelle route

[@danielkover7157]

I'm a little late to the gallows humor thing, but my dad used be a funeral director at a crematory. Some of his best include: "Business has been dead lately," "Cremation is the only business where you're supposed to burn your customers," and he used to joke about his previous job as a baker, and then becoming a cremation funeral director. He once told me that humor helped him cope with a lot of sad things. (He did NOT tell his jokes to customers, in case you're wondering.)

[@axxa5000]

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

[@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!

[@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!

[@TommyHanusa]

I know men can be worried about how other people think about them not having hair. I can say some jedi shit about how you shouldn't worry about what other people think of you and its a path to pain and whatever. But I mean I will acknowledge that baldness does matter; and like it is a look. And some people (perhaps the people you want to be attracted to you or who you want respect from) might not like the look. But you probably also have looks that you don't find attractive (and conversely find attractive, sometimes people like the look). So in a way, what is fair is fair and it probably doesn't make you feel any better. But there are two things about men losing their hair that are objective and reassuring. Male pattern baldness is masculine (its literally called male); if people question your masculinity ask them to question your baldness! And second and perhaps more practically; no bad hair days, no waiting for your hair to dry, no hair styles to worry about. The reality is that baldness is a masculine, practical, and timeless look. And if someone is going to make fun of you, they are going to make fun of you. Either because you are bald or because of your hair. You can't win with those people cause they are being a loser.

[@spencer8218]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@LuisCastillo-tg6xw]

The comments are really good on this one. Funerals are the situation where laughter is needed the most

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Dogtrio]

I feel like shane gillis is the only person I have seen who can make good conservative jokes.

[@mannyogu8124]

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

[@JLB0880]

Watching this right after the excellent Some More News critique of Lady Ballers. Fantastic double feature.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

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

[@Seraphvonteschen]

My two cents are this: As the internet has given us access to eachothers wit and jokes, it's also given a voice to those who don't like it. In a way, it's made it easy to identify with people who think the same way about a certain comedian or type of humor. But it has also made it that much easier to be openly offended and push back against it, in essence giving them a soap box to be preachy and annoying. It's not that we've become sensitive. We've always been sensitive about it. It is that we're more aware of it because of the internet.

[@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.

[@WorldinRooView]

The "It's the job of a comedian to find the line and deliberately step across it" is often quoted by those who tend to step across it but forget the quote goes onto say "and brings their audience with them". Similar to the "The customer is always right..." continues to say "in the matter of taste."

[@snowballeffect7812]

Connor O'Malley is HILARIOUS. Thanks for reminding me to watch The Irish Mob again.

[@TheBigMaxYT]

Sorry, “tendency to chat with Nazis?”

[@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.

[@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!!!!

[@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!

[@CiaoRooster]

It resonated as true because the very very first time I saw Sarah Palin on TV, on mute at the gym, being announced by Se. McCain, I thought (out loud), “What is Tina Fey doing at a McCain rally?” Apparently, everyone else did too, because SNL certainly jumped on it PDQ.