Danger: Politics and Satire Ahead!

[sophierom]

You may want to skip this. I don't want to offend anyone. But I also wanted to post jibjab's newest political satire for those who are interested.

Comments

[lunafish]

LMFAO! Both the videos are great! I do think the New Yorker cover is pretty awful, but there's plenty of sense in Jon Stewart's suggested response. In any case, I'm so sick of two-year election years!

[sophierom]

Hi there!

Re: New Yorker cover. I think it wasn't particularly good satire, and it was insensitive. I shouldn't dismiss people's outrage over it ... but I do worry. One of the things I liked least about the Bush years (and there have been so many) is that the Bush operatives took everything out of context and made it appear much worse that it was. They also were so uncritically supportive of Bush. Sometimes, I fear some of the more zealous Obama supporters are the same way. Maybe I'm the one being insensitive now, but I've been spending too much time in the blogosphere! ;-D

As for two-year election years, LOL! Yes, even the idea of a two-year election year shows the insanity of it all. :-D (But then, I guess I'm feeding into it, aren't I? Or at least, feeding off of it! :-D )

Hope you're doing well!

[lunafish]

I saw a good article in the paper today about this. Basically the writer said that the reason the satire failed for many people is that we're living in a post-satire world--post-satire because the situation is already so painfully ridiculous on its own that we can't tell the difference between reality and satire! Poor us. *hugs world*

But I think you're right. Being in blogosphere has made me more critical too...maybe even more so than being in college!

[_vocalion_]

Hi Sophie!

Thanks for posting these!:-D I've missed so much election coverage this year, but with any luck, I'll be returning to the states the day before election night, so I'll be able to watch the returns.

Always nice to see an update from you!

[sophierom]

Hi, _vocalion_!

When you say you're returning the day before the election, does that mean returning for good? Are you and your DH moving back to the States? If so, that's great! I want to come to the West Coast (assuming that's where you'll move) and visit!!!

[_vocalion_]

Yes, we'll be returning for good, and I've been meaning to update about the trials and tribulations of the U.S.immigration process, so stay tuned. :-) We'll be returning to my home in California, but eventually relocating to Southern Oregon. But no matter where we are, it would be great if you could come out for a visit. (Pssst: if you should find yourself in our vacinity in the summer of 2009, there's a good chance you could also meet Ms lunafish face to face, too.) ;-)

[sophierom]

Pssst: if you should find yourself in our vacinity in the summer of 2009, there's a good chance you could also meet Ms lunafish face to face, too.)

That would be wonderful! We have a friend who teaches at the University of Oregon. I have no idea if that's in Southern Oregon or not, but it's Oregon, so I'm hoping that I can convince Ivory that there are plenty of good reasons to make the trip out west next summer and visit!!

[snegurochka_lee]

I can't play the second video from my office right now, but I saw the Daily Show take last night and laughed mightily. I mean, uh, I thought it was pretty obvious that it's making fun of the neo-cons who have been calling Obama a militant Muslim, or his wife a militant Angela Davis type - not the magazine calling them that itself.

I just... what? What's happened to this country?!?!? :)

Also, hi, Sophie!

[sophierom]

I just... what? What's happened to this country?!?!? :)

Also, hi, Sophie!

Hi to you, too! How's life treating you? Are you teaching during the summer session? If so, how is that going?

Yeah, I think the Bush years have destroyed our sense of humor. I think we've become so used to the GOP taking every little thing out of context that we (liberals - I'm including myself in this category ... I'm assuming you, too, but sorry if I'm making unfounded assumptions!) have become so scared that any little hint could destroy our chances in 2008. As I said above, I don't know if Obama will be a great president, but I'm hopeful, and I have to believe that he'll be better than McCain. (Though I also believe McCain would be a little better than Bush. The only advantage of living through possibly the worst presidency in American history is that I find myself believing that it can't possibly get any worse. Please???)

Anyway, we'll see.

Hope you're doing well!

[vanityfair00]

I missed the last presidential election and I will miss this one as well and I can't tell you how happy I am to miss all the crap leading up to it as well. Call me Unamerican but call me relieved as well.

[sophierom]

Call me Unamerican but call me relieved as well.

No, not at all. That's why I love the jibjab video ... they poke fun at the whole process. Quite honestly, I'm a bit of a political junkie, so I actually get a perverse kick out of this stuff. But from a more serious perspective, I do worry ... not so much about the candidates - because they're candidates and they'll act like candidates. I think the electorate has become soft over the last 50 years. I think we all need to be a little smarter, a little better informed, and a little more disinterested, to use the word that many of the founders used ... that sense of making a decision based more on reason than emotion. What I really mean, of course, is that everyone should agree with me! :-D Seriously, for all my complaining, I am hopeful...

Hope you have a lovely visit at home with your family!! Thanks for all of the updates about Japan. It's been fun reading about your adventures (and misadventures) there!

[sophierom]

Yay for JibJab! And I love that term, "United States of the Offended." Personally, I think everyone should take a chill pill ... unless I'm offended, of course, and then dammit, how dare they be so insensitive???? :-D

Hope you're doing well!