The New Road

1/2 Hour News Hour

Recently I watched video from a conservative meeting of their intellectuals. One got to talking about how they were getting lampooned effectively by the shows on Comedy Central, and that they ought to "buy their own show". The reason I was watching the video was to get a peak at a tacit admission that the whole conservative movement was never a grassroots thing, but a big show that was bought by big business fat cats. That's how the American Enterprise Institute got started. It's a gravy train.

So, as per usual, ask a fat cat and yea shall receive. There is a new show on Fox called the "1/2 Hour News Hour" which is a complete rip-off of The Daily Show. Have a watch for yourself on YouTube. They have a live audience, but the comedy is so bad they have to put a laugh track on top of it. It's like watching M*A*S*H, with the laugh track, but without the funny.

I haven't watched the whole show, but I did hear another segment that had Rush Limbaugh appearing as the President in 2008. It too was shockingly bad. Rush Limbaugh, like Ann Coulter, is only a comedian because it provides legal protection against hate speech. He isn't actually funny. Take this joke from Rush; "We all remember Cindy Sheehan's cross country shooting spree."

Rush, remember that old saying, "in every joke there is a grain of truth". Yeah, that's what's missing here. Cindy Sheehan has never been associated with gun violence. She is a peaceful protester. Something like this would have been better; "We all remember with horror when Cindy Sheehan teamed up with Leo Buscalia for a cross country peace, love and hug spree. It took weeks to get the smell of patchouli out of the country." It's at least somewhat in character for her. Killing, violence, death threats, these are only funny in your demented mind Rush. They aren't funny to sane people.

I actually wish Fox all the success in the world with their new show. I hope that conservatives learn to lighten up and laugh a little at humor that doesn't involve torturing and killing their enemies. Fox needs to move beyond stealing the set design and the format of The Daily Show, to the humor itself. Jon Stewart lampoons everyone; conservatives, liberals, the media, and himself. And he takes time to set the jokes up. That set up time, by the way, is called the 'news' and it's often some of the best on TV.

Honestly, what has happened to Fox? They used to be really good at making the propaganda seem half way real. Now it's just half-assed cheesy crap. Is their heart still in it?

Update: You can see the crappy Rush Limbaugh clip here. Ann Coulter is in it as well, who looks more anorexic and frightening than usual. I also like how Rush makes a joke about medications, given that he eats Oxycontin like they are M&Ms.