Serious When It Comes to Funny

According to this snippet, comedy impresario Jon Stewart used the word neologism "Lesbollah" on his August 17 show:

Keeping The Facts Straight With What We "Know" About Hezbollah...
"... it rhymes with Lesbollah." -- Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

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Now I'm not so conceited to believe I'm the first English speaker to coin the pun -- I mean, how many English words replicate the phonetics of "Hezb-" ? -- but I am pretty sure I'm the first to run with it at any length and with any success. For my lil' diddy of a satire back in July remains the most popular JMK post yet, and I've visited visitors who in turn employ the phrase, having first seen it here.

Still, Stewart's paste version of my little gem belies a very American liberal, willed ignorance -- willed ignorance plus a disturbing conceit.  For only someone who has had his head in the SAND for the past 25+ YEARS about the Islamic Republic of Iran's fundamental antagonism toward the free West would believe that a gag line that's dependent on his own and his audience's (presumed) ignorance about the IRI's Sharia-for-Export Project would be funny. If his humor were genuinely robust it would tap into our intelligence, not our ignorance.

Further, such a gag line takes an ungentlemanly swipe at those in opinion-making and intelligence circles who labor to understand Hezbollah accurately and to influence public opinion and public policy accordingly. For example, Michael Ledeen was hip to the Iranian revolution's disposition back in 1979 (H/T: Jason). Here's some recent intelligence about Hezbollah: this Iranian export is now one of Venezuela's hottest imports. So, what do you "know" about Venezuela, Jon? What -- that it rhymes with "Fernando Valenzuela"?

American comedians like Jon Stewart need to "get" that irreverent humor can also be irresponsible humor.  Only after "getting" that, I say, will they be able to joke irreverently and, at the same time, responsibly.

Because I'm serious when it comes to funny.
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Jon,

In case you or any of your writers read this blog, that's peachy: I hope to see more of you.  I'm just less concerned you might have taken an unacknowledged cue from JMK than that you catch my DRIFT.  Anything unclear? If so, let me know.

Toodles,
JMK

Comments

[killerjoe]

Villapain, and Cheriraq, have just declared that there is no war on terror. It looks as though they have taken the american lefts way of dealing with any issue that is......well, just icky. If they don't acknoledge it, then it doesnot exisist. Just like the blue dress,just like everything else that the left dosent like.

cheers

[JMK]

I just heard Blair's going to resign within a year. I'm concerned about who will come after.

[mdd]

You know, I kinda thought you were serious about funny. I'm more prone towards funny about serious.
Now that I see it in black and yellow, I'll keep it in mind.

J-
Good post, I tracked in from the Colbert link, what a boob.

mdd