Samantha Bee Doesn't Understand 'Identity Politics'
Well, this is just snarky faux liberal infotainment...or disinfotainment...or...whatever...so not to be taken seriously... But wow, that sure is crap. I couldn't even make it all the way through. I've been told that she's usually good, but honestly haven't seen anything but this. Which, as I think I mentioned, is not good.
This, I guess, is now a general type of argument on the left: crazy lefty theory x is really nothing more than uncontroversially good thing, y! Political correctness is just good manners! Identity politics is just civil rights! And, hey, while we're at it, why not: Donald Trump is just a political outsider who wants to drain the swamp!?
Here's the thing: advocate PC and IP if you want--we can have a conversation about it even. But don't pretend that radical movements are just offering up home truths. PC and IP are anti-liberal movements. Stop pretending that they're merely offering up modest ideas that we all ought to accept.
This, I guess, is now a general type of argument on the left: crazy lefty theory x is really nothing more than uncontroversially good thing, y! Political correctness is just good manners! Identity politics is just civil rights! And, hey, while we're at it, why not: Donald Trump is just a political outsider who wants to drain the swamp!?
Here's the thing: advocate PC and IP if you want--we can have a conversation about it even. But don't pretend that radical movements are just offering up home truths. PC and IP are anti-liberal movements. Stop pretending that they're merely offering up modest ideas that we all ought to accept.
posted by Winston Smith at
9:34 AM
5 Comments:
Samantha Bee is so unfunny it hurts me. Her delivery is terrible, and her rants typically come off as condescending and self-righteous rather than funny. "Infotainment," as you call it, gets away with this sort of thing by using the 'Jon Stewart Defense:' Claim that the content of the show is just comedy to escape facing criticism for the ranting nature of it all.
It seems to me that Jon Stewart was mostly justified in using this defense. Samanta Bee does not seem to be justified in using this defense. Why? Because the prevailing comedic elements of her show appear to be that it's called comedy, an occasional joke is thrown in, and people laugh at it.
Trevor Noah is in this category too. John Oliver isn't bad. At least his delivery makes it seem like he's only half-serious about what he says.
I wanted to like Samantha Bee, but man, she just isn't funny. She tries to go for a crass angle a lot and it just doesn't work. It seems forced and senseless.
Trevor Noah clearly knows very little, if anything, about politics, and was a terrible choice to replace Jon Stewart. They really should've just put Jon Oliver in. I wonder about the internal politics there since a lot of people quit after Jon Stewart left and the relatively unknown Noah was picked as his replacement.
Jon Stewart is incredibly smart and was very well read on all of the issues he covered. It's hard to find a replacement for him, but man, they sucked at doing that.
I liked Samantha Bee on TDS, but just was never motivated to watch her until this. Seriously...couldn't even make it anywhere near halfway through...
Trevor Noah sure seems like a likable fellow...but I just don't find him that funny.
Granted, Stewart is a hard act to follow. I'm not really sure he *could* be replaced. Colbert's shtick was old long, long, long ago.
John Oliver might have made it work, though his new show got old fast.
I find Lewis Black really funny, but that shtick would also get old.
In my book, the choice should have come down to one between Larry Wilmore and Jessica Williams. I think both are really funny. Also, Jessica Williams is hawt.
Larry Wilmore sort of blew it on _The Nightly Show_, he just wasn't that funny.
I really like Oliver, and like the issues he tackles, but sometimes he pushes the humor a bit too far. I also don't think Oliver could take over the daily show, he was on contract with HBO for this week tonight for at least a year or two.
I'm 100% with you on your Jessica Williams analysis, Winston.
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