Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Political humor during tough times

Political humor during tough times

Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

Political humor has a long, storied history in our country. Some of Mark Twain's humor from the late 1800s stands the test of time:

"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it."


"All Congresses and Parliaments have a kind feeling for idiots, and a compassion for them, on account of personal experience and heredity."

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

In the days before cable TV, political humor was fairly benign, perhaps because in having to appeal to vast audiences one had to be careful about not turning off people with varied viewpoints.

Johnny Carson is the perfect example as he used used a gentler humor to address the tough issues of his day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv6BZYenEWY

In those gentler times the political humor seemed gentler too. The jokes about Gerald Ford hitting spectators with bad golf shots, or Bill Clinton blocking two airport runways while he got a haircut, or Dan Quayle misspelling potato, or Al Gore saying he invented the internet seem so harmless today.

The stakes have been raised today whether it is Stephen Colbert's obvious distaste for Trump or Jimmy Kimmel thrusting himself into the health care debate as he spoke out forcefully about his son's medical condition.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

In the past we made fun of our presidents; whether it was Tricky Dick, Carter being a hick, or Clinton being a hound. But unlike today it seemed then to be equally distributed.

As The Fulcrum connects American culture to democracy we would be remiss if we left out comedy. Comedians have a way of expressing uncomfortable truths in a way we can hear it. And we can laugh at ourselves, too.

We are aware of the potential dangers given that satire knows few boundaries and some of the content will offend those on the left and some will offend those on the right. We accept this risk with the understanding of the power of comedy to wake us up to the absurdity of the dysfunction and hyperpartisanship that epitomizes our government today, and to allow us to vent our outrage of the ineptness of what we witness daily.

And so we will end with some one-liners that are bipartisan in the sense of making fun of all:

  • Washington, D.C., is a city where many politicians are waiting to be discovered, and an equal number are afraid they might be.
  • There's nothing wrong with this country that a good politician can't exaggerate.
  • Politicians are animals who sit on a fence and try to keep both ears to the ground.
  • The gifted politician is the one who can give the type of answer that makes you completely forget the question.
  • A skilled politician is one who can stand up and rock the boat and then make you believe he is the only one who can save you from the storm.
  • A political war is one in which everyone shoots from the lip.
  • No party can fool all the people all the time ... that's why we have two of them.
  • Not much of a choice this year – one candidate looks like the seller of used cars, the other one looks like a buyer of used cars.
  • We'll double-cross that bridge when we come to it.
If you have additional examples of the intersection of comedy and the American political experience, please email us at pop-culture@fulcrum.us.

Read More

Ben Folds Upcoming Tour: Offers His Fans a Time to Reflect

Ben Folds performs on stage with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra at Perth Concert Hall on January 28, 2021 in Perth, Australia.

Getty Images, Matt Jelonek

Ben Folds Upcoming Tour: Offers His Fans a Time to Reflect

In February, Ben Folds resigned as artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, shortly after President Donald Trump took charge of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO,” Folds wrote on Instagram on February 12. “Not for me.”

While Folds is not overtly political, he has used his music as a platform to encourage dialogue and understanding within his audience. He has the opportunity to do so in his recently announced 2025 concert tour, which includes the “Paper Airplane Request Tour,” where members of the audience can request songs by sending paper airplanes to the stage.

Keep ReadingShow less
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood screenshot
Sony Pictures Entertainment

Movies that show us at our weaving best

The Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project tackles the problem of broken trust that has left Americans divided, lonely and in social gridlock. Weave connects and invests in grassroots leaders stepping up to weave a new, inclusive social fabric where they live. This is part of an ongoing series telling the stories of community weavers from across the country.

With the weather getting colder across the northern hemisphere and some holiday time with family and friends coming up, you might want to kick back with a movie. We’ve got you. Here are some movies that will give you hope, leave you smiling and maybe inspire you to get out and rebuild social trust in your community in 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
The role of theater in fostering constructive political dialogue
Tom McGrath/TCMcGPhotography

The role of theater in fostering constructive political dialogue

While it may seem like our country is more politically divided than ever, political division has been a recurring theme throughout American history.

The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the struggle for civil rights, the protests surrounding the Vietnam War and similar events highlight how deeply divided opinions can become. Each of these periods had its own complex set of issues and emotions, and they shaped the nation in significant ways.

Keep ReadingShow less
Megan Thee Stallion in front of an audience waving "Kamala" signs

Singer Megan Thee Stallion performs at a Kamala Harris rally in Atlanta on July 30.

Julia Beverly/Getty Images

Do Charli XCX’s and Kid Rock’s endorsements make a difference? 19% of young people admit they might.

Longoria is an associate professor of political science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

British pop star Charli XCX sent many young people’s group text chats and social media feeds wild when she endorsed Kamala Harris by playing off a term she coined in a song, and posted on X, that “kamala IS brat.”

While this endorsement, which happened in July 2024, likely means very little to most adults who don’t follow the singer’s music, it is considered high praise among young people. Harris’ campaign astutely embraced Charli XCX’s support – temporarily changing the background of its X profile to the same shade of lime green that Charlie XCX favors.

Keep ReadingShow less