It's pretty clear that standup comedy is dominated by left-wing, liberal types. There are a whole bunch of reasons for this tendency, including the fact that this kind of person is attracted to this mode of expression in the first place. It's an inherently youthful, energetic medium, after all. It's brash, in your face, irreverent by its very nature.
Also, while the Left has ceded much ground in the culture wars the arts generally have remained a stronghold for them. And they are absolutely determined to keep it that way. So, if you're a comic who isn't PC then the powers that be will be extremely hostile to you -- even if they aren't actually up-front about it -- and you'll find it very hard to progress in the industry.
This cultural bias is pretty obvious. You see evidence of it all the time. One notable example was the furore over those shockingly politically incorrect tweets of Trevor Noah.
The Daily Show itself is about as relentlessly left-liberal as it's possible to be. There are absolutely no surprises there. Actually, I think it's long taken itself too seriously -- and its viewers do too. Really, it's more of an ongoing political campaign against American conservatism masquerading as entertainment -- a leftist jihad with jokes!
Selection of Noah as the show's new host was politically correct to start with. He's bi-racial South African who's known for his progressive politics. There's no way he got there on merit alone. And I'll bet there are many far more accomplished American comics -- also of the Left -- who are livid about this.
Then there was the scandalous development of those sexist and anti-semitic tweets that came to light recently. The fact that so many people were so upset about them reveals the intensity and inflexibility of their expectations of him. Their attitude was that given his new role, and the fact that he's a member of a racial minority, he must be against bigotry in all its forms, and his jokes would always reflect this.
Wrong. He's just a young guy who likes the spotlight, and enjoys making people laugh. He's driven by ego far more than his desire to change the world for the better. That makes him like pretty much any entertainer who ever lived, in my opinion.
I think too many people forget that -- including comedians themselves. Nothing they do will ever have much of an impact on the world. This is not the case with politicians. They may be a lot less entertaining and charismatic. But they definitely get a lot more done -- for good or ill.
Basically, if you want to change the world through your comedy you've chosen the wrong profession. And if you're an audience member who looks to comics to be their political leaders you're sure to be seriously disappointed sooner or later.
Also, while the Left has ceded much ground in the culture wars the arts generally have remained a stronghold for them. And they are absolutely determined to keep it that way. So, if you're a comic who isn't PC then the powers that be will be extremely hostile to you -- even if they aren't actually up-front about it -- and you'll find it very hard to progress in the industry.
This cultural bias is pretty obvious. You see evidence of it all the time. One notable example was the furore over those shockingly politically incorrect tweets of Trevor Noah.
The Daily Show itself is about as relentlessly left-liberal as it's possible to be. There are absolutely no surprises there. Actually, I think it's long taken itself too seriously -- and its viewers do too. Really, it's more of an ongoing political campaign against American conservatism masquerading as entertainment -- a leftist jihad with jokes!
Selection of Noah as the show's new host was politically correct to start with. He's bi-racial South African who's known for his progressive politics. There's no way he got there on merit alone. And I'll bet there are many far more accomplished American comics -- also of the Left -- who are livid about this.
Then there was the scandalous development of those sexist and anti-semitic tweets that came to light recently. The fact that so many people were so upset about them reveals the intensity and inflexibility of their expectations of him. Their attitude was that given his new role, and the fact that he's a member of a racial minority, he must be against bigotry in all its forms, and his jokes would always reflect this.
Wrong. He's just a young guy who likes the spotlight, and enjoys making people laugh. He's driven by ego far more than his desire to change the world for the better. That makes him like pretty much any entertainer who ever lived, in my opinion.
I think too many people forget that -- including comedians themselves. Nothing they do will ever have much of an impact on the world. This is not the case with politicians. They may be a lot less entertaining and charismatic. But they definitely get a lot more done -- for good or ill.
Basically, if you want to change the world through your comedy you've chosen the wrong profession. And if you're an audience member who looks to comics to be their political leaders you're sure to be seriously disappointed sooner or later.
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