Saturday night’s White House Correspondents Dinner was chock-full-o corny jokes and problematic jokes (like “fat” jokes about Chris Christie– as if there aren’t substantive things to make fun of the Governor for). But there were some great moments that were both funny and meaningful from President Barack Obama and Jimmy Kimmel. Here’s a video compilation I made with a top 10 list below it. Warning: nothing will ever come close to Stephen Colbert’s brilliant, satirical, subversive and courageous roast of Bush back in 2006.
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Rachel Maddow and the truth versus condescending, sexist Republican consultant
Republican consultant Alex Castellanos is pretty good at his job. It’s not easy to fully represent the extent of the Republican Party’s sexism, and yet Castellanos manages to do so in both content and form! And that’s pretty impressive. He demonstrated his skills on Meet the Press, as he denied the well-documented phenomenon unequal pay. Castellanos must have unsubscribed from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research e-mail list, or he would have heard about their study showing that women make 77 cents cents per men’s dollar But, knowing it’s better to show than tell, Castellanos was in top sexist form, constantly interrupting Rachel Maddow, who was typically fact-based and gracious, and even saying, “I love how passionate you are. I wish you are as right about what you’re saying as you are passionate about it. I really do.” Maddow called out Castellanos for being “really condescending” and explained, “[m]y passion on this issue–is actually me making a factual argument.” I don’t know how Maddow remained so calm, cool and collected. I’m pretty sure I would have combusted.
Top 10 Best Political Jokes from the White House Correspondents Dinner
Saturday night’s White House Correspondents Dinner was chock-full-o corny jokes and problematic jokes (like “fat” jokes about Chris Christie– as if there aren’t substantive things to make fun of the Governor for). But there were some great moments that were both funny and meaningful from President Barack Obama and Jimmy Kimmel. Here’s a video compilation I made with a top 10 list below it. Warning: nothing will ever come close to Stephen Colbert’s brilliant, satirical, subversive and courageous roast of Bush back in 2006.
Haley Barbour defends baptizing Anne Frank
I was just watching Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC and had the pleasure of seeing the always lovely Haley Barbour. Barbour went through a list of attacks the Obama campaign is allegedly making against Mitt Romney. When he said the Obama campaign was attacking Romney for being Mormon, Mitchell had to but in and remind Barbour that they had made no anti-Mormon statements whatsoever. So, Barbour, always quick on his feet, brought up Elie Wiesel as an Obama surrogate who is anti-Mormon and wants Mormons to “stop certain practices.” Mitchell basically told Barbour that if he wants to play the surrogate game, it goes both ways. But, the bigger point is that Barbour is basically saying that opposing the posthumous baptisms of Jews, including Anne Frank, is somehow anti-Mormon. Because that is the practice that the Holocaust survivor and writer was against. Well, Haley, by that logic, and if Wiesel, and Obama, by extension, is anti-Mormon, then you, and Romney, by extension, support baptizing Anne Frank. So, please, keep speaking for Mitt!
New Laughing Liberally show this Monday!
I’ll be performing Laughing Liberally this Monday (the 30th) at the Playroom Theater! I’ll be performing again on May 14th, too. They start at 8.
151 West 46th Street, 8th Floor
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Hope to see you there!
Haley Barbour just defended baptizing Anne Frank
I was just watching Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC and had the pleasure of seeing the always lovely Haley Barbour. Barbour went through a list of attacks the Obama campaign is allegedly making against Mitt Romney. When he said the Obama campaign was attacking Romney for being Mormon, Mitchell had to but in and remind Barbour that they had made no anti-Mormon statements whatsoever. So, Barbour, always quick on his feet, brought up Elie Wiesel as an Obama surrogate who is anti-Mormon and wants Mormons to “stop certain practices.” Mitchell basically told Barbour that if he wants to play the surrogate game, it goes both ways. But, the bigger point is that Barbour is basically saying that opposing the posthumous baptisms of Jews, including Anne Frank, is somehow anti-Mormon. Because that is the practice that the Holocaust survivor and writer was against. Well, Haley, by that logic, and if Wiesel, and Obama, by extension, is anti-Mormon, then you, and Romney, by extension, support baptizing Anne Frank. So, please, keep speaking for Mitt!
Russia’s “Pussy Riot” remain in jail
In February, five members of “Pussy Riot,” Russia’s radical, feminist, punk band, enteredMoscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral stood at the altar and sang “Mother of God, Blessed Virgin, drive out Putin!” For their protest art against President Vladimir Putin, three members of the band were arrested, charged with hooliganism, which can carry a seven-year long prison sentence, and have been held in jail since March. The three women, Nadya Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, say they are members of the band, but deny participating in the events at the Cathedral. On Thursday, a judge turned down a request to release the women on bail until their trial starts. He extended their detention until June 24th. Amnesty International, which has taken up the case, explains that,
Even if the three arrested women did take part in the protest, the severity of the response of the Russian authorities – the detention on the serious criminal charge of hooliganism – would not be a justifiable response to the peaceful – if, to many, offensive – expression of their political beliefs. They would therefore be prisoners of conscience….
The broader political context surrounding the anti-Putin protests at the time – and the anti-clerical, anti-Putin content of the activists’ message (themselves unpunishable) – have clearly and unlawfully been taken into account in the charges that have been brought against them.
[…]
Capital punishment: doesn’t work and takes place mostly in Texas
The Economist has mapped out all the executions that have taken place in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Not surprisingly, as Think Progress points out, “[o]ver one-third of all executions during this period took place in Texas, for a total of 481 people killed by that state. Of the remaining, non-Texas executions, the overwhelming majority are clustered in a small group of southern states.”
Funny or Die video gives Rick Santorum a taste of his own anti-choice medicine
Check out this hilarious video, Rick Santorum Aborts Presidential Campaign, in which Ashley Judd, Michelle Trachtenberg, Katy Mixon, and Eliza Coupe counsel Santorum, “If you weren’t mature enough to carry your campaign to term, you shouldn’t have engaged in the risky behavior that began it.”
Supporting marriage equality, one lick at a time
Australian marriage equality advocate, writer and blogger Adrian Fernand is trying to get to people’s hearts and minds, through their stomachs. He’s driving around Australia in an Ice Cream Truck of Love, handing out free ice cream and raising awareness about marriage equality. As he explains in this video, Fernand is making the point that
Some people like vanilla. Others might like strawberry. And some people like chocolate. What if I were to say this person isn’t allowed ice cream, simply because I don’t like chocolate. Now that wouldn’t be fair now would it? That’s why we believe everybody should have ice cream, no matter which flavor they like.
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