Comedy Central's focus on race is getting tiring

[Trooper924]

I'm just going to throw this out: Yes, the Nightly Show focuses a lot on race...because that's what it's for. The show was specifically created by Larry Wilmore to highlight and discuss stories and issues involving minorities that would otherwise be ignored or underreported by mainstream new sources. In fact, the name of the show was originally going to be "The Minority Report".

So saying that The Nightly Show talks too much about race is like complaining that Toys'R'Us sells too many toys or that Nascar focuses too much on racing. That's what it's supposed to do.

 

[Azure23]

Don't see CC but I wouldn't really trust a comedy channel too much for my politics, especially if it's the same opinion over and over again which most likely drive people to start get sick of it rather than think about it.

Though if we talk about the president, if the last 8 years are any sign the president is better white...

U wot.

No seriously, are you actually implying (nah fuck implying), are you actually saying that the president's skin color is somehow tied to his ability to president? That he's a less effective president because he's black? I mean fuck me, I haven't even seen the most conservative pundits just come out and say "Obama is a shitty president because he's black."

Or it could be I'm just misinterpreting you. Which I hope I am.


On the subject of Comedy Central's supposed focus on race: it's two half hour shows a day, and I'd say that the Daily Show doesn't really have a "focus on race" so much as has a black host who reacts to things based on personal experience. Wilmore? Sure, he's got a focus on race, and he's funny but,like I said, a half hour a day among all their other stand up shows, animated shows, and sketch comedy shows does not exactly constitute a focus on race in my mind.

More like being saracstic, that's what those 3 dots are for...

Obama is not a shitty president because he's black, he's a shitty president because he lacks, for a lack of a better term, balls (and has a messiah complex).

So you were saying it ironically to convey your dislike of, what? White presidents or something? I don't quite understand. You think Obama is a shitty president, not because of his race, but because of his lack of balls, but you implied that it was because of his race. That's not what sarcasm is.

Here's a good example of sarcasm, if you had said, "I think Obama is a bad president" and I had shot back with, "that's because you're racist" and then you had replied with (imagine yourself doing a sarcastic voice here) "Yeah, I totaaaaally hate Obama because he's black, it's not about his staid refusal to fight the TPP." See that would have been sarcasm, using a purposefully ironic statement to convey contempt.

What you did was basically say, "Obama is bad because he's black......" Those dots are the awkward silence of an audience expecting a follow up to make it ironic and not getting one.

 

[Erttheking]

Suckering suckertash, you mean a white perspective isn't being represented 100% of the time. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A JOB FOR WHITE POWER MAN. WITH THE POWER TO HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER YOUR MEDIA. WHITE POWER MAN, AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.

...Fuck it, I'm going to catch a lot of flak for it but the hell with it.

Because this. Is a job. FOR THE WHITE GUY DEFENSE FORCE!

Spoiler

http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/740/740957.jpg

 

[Something Amyss]

"I don't watch American TV" disclaimer again.

You mean the one I explicitly address and explain why it doesn't work here?

Did you also mean the segment that's been addressed as being untrue? Because it seems those two things combined cover your response in full. And, I mean, you could kind of go so far as to say that was the point.

 

[Joccaren]

"I don't watch American TV" disclaimer again.

You mean the one I explicitly address and explain why it doesn't work here?

Did you also mean the segment that's been addressed as being untrue? Because it seems those two things combined cover your response in full. And, I mean, you could kind of go so far as to say that was the point.

Please show me someone who has said that OP was incorrect in saying that the person talked about black people not going to space in the Hydrated Salts on Mars report, because going back through this thread, all that I find is still "Its only a couple of hours a day", a lot of jokes about white privilege, and the poster I originally responded to with his rant on how we have to talk about these things and not just ignore them - a sentiment I don't disagree with.

So, yes, the point is if the OPs description was wrong, ignore the points in the post as they don't apply. Kind of why you'd put a disclaimer there saying you didn't watch the show and are just going by someone else's descriptions no?

Your whole 'explicitly address and explain why it doesn't work here' is a bit of a joke as well, to be honest.
It doesn't work here because I'm "Bolstering a point about American TV" - which I'm not. I am saying that there is a time and place to talk about some things, and the OPs example was one of a poor time to talk about things.
And because its "Based one what I'm pretty sure is a fictional example" - so I've linked you to my source, which I have noted as potentially being unreliable, for that example.
If you watched the show and know that it didn't happen, simply saying such would be a much better response than trying to argue a point, especially when the point is about the example provided, and notes that if the example is false, then in this instance the point may not be valid.

I'm not trying to make some larger point about American Television. I am saying that there are some times that it is not appropriate to bring up the racial issue, and providing an example from the OP that the poster I quoted was responding to as a time that would be inappropriate, whilst also adding in a disclaimer that I hadn't watched the show and thus didn't know if the example was what actually occurred, or coloured by OPs perceptions. It seems you may have misinterpreted that as me trying to make a broader point, with my disclaimer there just as a bit of side info, but I assure you that is not the case.

-snip-

For the record the example you're using is them just playing off of the "the black guy always dies first" [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlackDudeDiesFirst] gag. The show plays off of this type of stuff a lot. Its generally not funny, but its not necessarily them injecting race into everything. Saying making gag jokes like that is making race too big an issue is like saying that Jon Stewart made race too much of an issue when he made self-depricating jokes about being jewish.

Ah, well, cheers. As I said, I hadn't watched the show and didn't know if it was a serious thing [Though I kind of doubted it from a comedy channel]. In a more serious setting, it would have been a bit of race injection, however as a part of what seems to be a running gag on the show, I don't think its that serious - as I've said a few time, use of that example was based purely on the OPs description of it, I am unable to actually watch the show.

 

[Arctic Werewolf]

And this is just a taste of the HIL-AR-IOUS antics and gut-busting laughs you can only get here, on Comedy Central!

TVTropes has you covered [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NetworkDecay], and besides that, The Daily Show has been one of the more informative political shows on television for fifteen years while still making jokes. Its almost as is comedy is the presentation of philosophical viewpoints through laughter rather than writ. Nah, that can't be. Nah, its not an artform, its just mindless garbage like comic books and videogames.

Fair enough, but the same joke being told 100 times stops being funny. Although admittedly I haven't watched too much of those slots in a while so I wouldn't know if the joke was overused.

Too early to gauge Trevor Noah taking the helm. The problem withLarry Wilmore's show is, in my opinion, not that its covering race too much, its that it isn't funny or insightful in doing so, and in comedy you need at least one of those things just to stay afloat.

-snip-

For the record the example you're using is them just playing off of the "the black guy always dies first" [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlackDudeDiesFirst] gag. The show plays off of this type of stuff a lot. Its generally not funny, but its not necessarily them injecting race into everything. Saying making gag jokes like that is making race too big an issue is like saying that Jon Stewart made race too much of an issue when he made self-depricating jokes about being jewish.

There's a difference between "Comedy Central" and "comedy". One is a television station that broadcasts comedy programs. The other is professional entertainment consisting of jokes and satirical sketches, intended to make an audience laugh. "Comedy" is the form of entertainment itself, not "Comedy Central". Hope that clears things up a little.

Not all comedy presents a philosophical viewpoint, and that's fine. You can also inform your audience without making them want to decapitate themselves with the nearest fountain pen. Your post made the Nightly Show sound like some kind of fun-killing nightmare. Just go read it. God, kill me now. You're still not even trying to make Comedy Central's programming sound appealing, so I don't know what you're complaining about. I don't think the Daily Show was informative but that's really not worth arguing about.

To the rest of the thread who has devolved into just wallowing in it, apparently: I think programming can theoretically blow chunks even if it has a diverse cast and focuses on race. Sharpen your stakes, because we can't be killed like normal men. Like I'm not supposed to notice the difference in talent and insight and entertainment value between Dave Chappelle and the Nightly Show guy. That must be my "white perspective", and I know how you feel about all that.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I kinda think all of these comedy news shows are boring.

I guess they're not meant to be watched persistently? I really don't know since they're not a big thing where I am. I have watched enough to know that once you've seen a few episodes of one of them you've basically got a handle on the humour. You've seen what the jokes are, now it's just variations on the same thing with little to surprise. I couldn't imagine watching them day after day, year after year, as these things do run on for...

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

And this is just a taste of the HIL-AR-IOUS antics and gut-busting laughs you can only get here, on Comedy Central!

TVTropes has you covered [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NetworkDecay], and besides that, The Daily Show has been one of the more informative political shows on television for fifteen years while still making jokes. Its almost as is comedy is the presentation of philosophical viewpoints through laughter rather than writ. Nah, that can't be. Nah, its not an artform, its just mindless garbage like comic books and videogames.

Fair enough, but the same joke being told 100 times stops being funny. Although admittedly I haven't watched too much of those slots in a while so I wouldn't know if the joke was overused.

Too early to gauge Trevor Noah taking the helm. The problem withLarry Wilmore's show is, in my opinion, not that its covering race too much, its that it isn't funny or insightful in doing so, and in comedy you need at least one of those things just to stay afloat.

-snip-

For the record the example you're using is them just playing off of the "the black guy always dies first" [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlackDudeDiesFirst] gag. The show plays off of this type of stuff a lot. Its generally not funny, but its not necessarily them injecting race into everything. Saying making gag jokes like that is making race too big an issue is like saying that Jon Stewart made race too much of an issue when he made self-depricating jokes about being jewish.

There's a difference between "Comedy Central" and "comedy". One is a television station that broadcasts comedy programs. The other is professional entertainment consisting of jokes and satirical sketches, intended to make an audience laugh. "Comedy" is the form of entertainment itself, not "Comedy Central". Hope that clears things up a little.

Not all comedy presents a philosophical viewpoint, and that's fine. You can also inform your audience without making them want to decapitate themselves with the nearest fountain pen. Not even you are defending the entertainment value of the Nightly Show, so I'm not sure what our disagreement is there. Apparently it's just as painful as you make it sound. You're not even trying to make Comedy Central's programming sound appealing, so I don't know what you're complaining about. You have certainly not convinced me I should tune in. I don't think the Daily Show was informative but that's really not worth arguing about.

To the rest of the thread who has devolved into just wallowing in it, apparently: I think programming can theoretically blow chunks even if it has a diverse cast and focuses on race. Sharpen your stakes, because we can't be killed like normal men. Like I'm not supposed to notice the difference in talent and insight and entertainment value between Dave Chappelle and the Nightly Show guy. That must be my "white perspective", and I know how you feel about all that.

I always wonder why people act like this form of "political comedy" is worthy of much respect. To me it seems very easy to make people who agree with you laugh at the expense of people who don't... What's hard about that? The audience are on your side whether you're genuinely being funny/clever or not.

When I think of skilful comedy I'm thinking of things that are pretty universally funny... Things that don't have a champion and a victim. My preferred comedy is of the pretty silly variety. Things that could be viewed as a little dumb, but actually have a surprising amount of craft to them, or at least interesting perspective. This is why I think Mitch Hedberg's stuff is clever and much of George Carlin's stuff is just circle jerking... But history's going to remember someone like Carlin as a great thinker, and someone like Hedberg as a quirky comedian of note. It's interesting to think about.

I just looked up the Nightly Show on youtube. My thoughts: "Oh, wow... This is truly dreadful." Ignoring the political grandstanding, the performances and the jokes are truly hacky. Bad... Bad bad bad bad bad.

 

[Arctic Werewolf]

I always wonder why people act like this form of "political comedy" is worthy of much respect. To me it seems very easy to make people who agree with you laugh at the expense of people who don't... What's hard about that? The audience are on your side whether you're genuinely being funny/clever or not.

When I think of skilful comedy I'm thinking of things that are pretty universally funny... Things that don't have a champion and a victim. My preferred comedy is of the pretty silly variety. Things that could be viewed as a little dumb, but actually have a surprising amount of craft to them, or at least interesting perspective. This is why I think Mitch Hedberg's stuff is clever and much of George Carlin's stuff is just circle jerking... But history's going to remember someone like Carlin as a great thinker, and someone like Hedberg as a quirky comedian of note. It's interesting to think about.

I just looked up the Nightly Show on youtube. My thoughts: "Oh, wow... This is truly dreadful." Ignoring the political grandstanding, the performances and the jokes are truly hacky. Bad... Bad bad bad bad bad.

I do think comedians can take sides in political matters and still be very funny. There have been plenty of times when I've said to myself, woah, I don't agree with this guy's point at all, but I have to admit, that's funny. It can also be a crutch though, as you say. Stuff like The Daily Show or the Colbert Report isn't just lazy or obvious jokes. It's not just John Stewart taking something out of context and then making a funny face. They really do have talented writers and comedians. That made it watchable for me for a long time.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Awww, one of the many hundred channels you have access to now brings up a prevailant problem within your current society a couple of times a day while the rest are happy to ignore it; excuse me whilst I organise a rag-tag band of Italian violinists to serenade your endless oppressive torment. (Now that's sarcasm, for any interested parties).

Oh and satire is a thing. As time goes on, what's left becomes precious so you mash hobbies together. Comedy is a coping sauce for many a great world problem. To mix it with news is just another way of enjoying life a bit less abrasively.

 

[Something Amyss]

Awww, one of the many hundred channels you have access too now brings up a prevailant problem within your current society a couple of times a day while the rest are happy to ignore it; excuse me whilst I organise a rag-tag band of Italian violinists to serenade your endless oppressive torment. (Now that's sarcasm, for any interested parties).

Oh, they're brought up in our society. It's just that black people are doing it, so we're not being reassured that it's not really a problem.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I always wonder why people act like this form of "political comedy" is worthy of much respect. To me it seems very easy to make people who agree with you laugh at the expense of people who don't... What's hard about that? The audience are on your side whether you're genuinely being funny/clever or not.

When I think of skilful comedy I'm thinking of things that are pretty universally funny... Things that don't have a champion and a victim. My preferred comedy is of the pretty silly variety. Things that could be viewed as a little dumb, but actually have a surprising amount of craft to them, or at least interesting perspective. This is why I think Mitch Hedberg's stuff is clever and much of George Carlin's stuff is just circle jerking... But history's going to remember someone like Carlin as a great thinker, and someone like Hedberg as a quirky comedian of note. It's interesting to think about.

I just looked up the Nightly Show on youtube. My thoughts: "Oh, wow... This is truly dreadful." Ignoring the political grandstanding, the performances and the jokes are truly hacky. Bad... Bad bad bad bad bad.

I do think comedians can take sides in political matters and still be very funny. There have been plenty of times when I've said to myself, woah, I don't agree with this guy's point at all, but I have to admit, that's funny. It can also be a crutch though, as you say. Stuff like The Daily Show or the Colbert Report isn't just lazy or obvious jokes. It's not just John Stewart taking something out of context and then making a funny face. They really do have talented writers and comedians. That made it watchable for me for a long time.

A crutch. Yes, exactly.

That's fair.

I actually think that Stuart and Colbert are very talented, and they obviously have good writers to hand. But when the novelty of the performance wears off (and Colbert in particular is a very impressive performance) you're basically left with formula. How much a person likes the formula will decide the mileage on it. I mean... CSI is still running, right? There's lots of formulaic programming. It doesn't make it bad. Just potentially very boring.

I really did want to take a shot at Carlin there, because everyone keeps telling me how much I should love him. There's some good stuff in his back-catalogue, but when the loudest cheers are the result of material that can be summed up as "We good, they bad. Go us!" then the atmosphere of the show becomes a little off-putting to me.

 

[Arctic Werewolf]

A crutch. Yes, exactly.

That's fair.

I actually think that Stuart and Colbert are very talented, and they obviously have good writers to hand. But when the novelty of the performance wears off (and Colbert in particular is a very impressive performance) you're basically left with formula. How much a person likes the formula will decide the mileage on it. I mean... CSI is still running, right? There's lots of formulaic programming. It doesn't make it bad. Just potentially very boring.

Potentially, yea. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report make people feel like they are well informed and part of the 'in-crowd'. This will never get old, literally. It's addicting. That's the political side of it. If you start to disagree with the message, or notice inaccuracies, the illusion starts to crack at the seams. Then you may find the formula has an expiration date.

I really did want to take a shot at Carlin there, because everyone keeps telling me how much I should love him. There's some good stuff in his back-catalogue, but when the loudest cheers are the result of material that can be summed up as "We good, they bad. Go us!" then the atmosphere of the show becomes a little off-putting to me.

I here ya. Being celebrated for beating up the same sacred cow that everyone else is beating up, and congratulating ourselves for being the 'in-crowd'.

 

[Cecilo]

A crutch. Yes, exactly.

That's fair.

I actually think that Stuart and Colbert are very talented, and they obviously have good writers to hand. But when the novelty of the performance wears off (and Colbert in particular is a very impressive performance) you're basically left with formula. How much a person likes the formula will decide the mileage on it. I mean... CSI is still running, right? There's lots of formulaic programming. It doesn't make it bad. Just potentially very boring.

Potentially, yea. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report make people feel like they are well informed and part of the 'in-crowd'. This will never get old, literally. It's addicting. That's the political side of it. If you start to disagree with the message, or notice inaccuracies, the illusion starts to crack at the seams. Then you may find the formula has an expiration date.

I really did want to take a shot at Carlin there, because everyone keeps telling me how much I should love him. There's some good stuff in his back-catalogue, but when the loudest cheers are the result of material that can be summed up as "We good, they bad. Go us!" then the atmosphere of the show becomes a little off-putting to me.

I here ya. Being celebrated for beating up the same sacred cow that everyone else is beating up, and congratulating ourselves for being the 'in-crowd'.

To be fair "We good, they bad. Go us!" Is pretty much the only thing you find on these forums now adays. You can look at Page 1 to see the circle jerking that epitomizes this mentality.

 

[Arctic Werewolf]

To be fair "We good, they bad. Go us!" Is pretty much the only thing you find on these forums now adays. You can look at Page 1 to see the circle jerking that epitomizes this mentality.

I'm probably as guilty as anyone.

 

[Karadalis]

There's nothing wrong with showing black pride, as it has not been responsible for oppression the way white pride has

I think all the slaves that where sold to white slavers by their fellow black skinned countrymen, and all the victims of the numerous african civil wars (wich some still rage on to this very day) might disagree on that.

This whole "white is the root of all evil" spiel is complete and utter horseshite from a historical standpoint.

Humans have killed and/or enslaved other humans for various petty reasons throughout history and skin color had little to do with it.

It was white people who ended the practice of slavery in the US, not black people. It wasnt because africans suddenly stopped selling their fellow countrymen to white people all of a sudden that the slave trade stopped. It took the british and a US civil war to stop slave trading into america.

If it was for the africans at the time, slave trading would have continued just as usual.

Humans are assholes, and im afraid skin color doesnt make you any better or worse. The only reason that white people are the ones blamed for everything is because white people are good at recording their own history.

We know alot about the Romans.. but what do we know about south africa during that time? Nothing. Who knows what atrocities where commited by black people to black people.

And honestly? Even today there are a ton of black skinned warlords down in africa.. so dont give me that crap about "black pride not been responsible for opression but white pride has been"

Theres no fucking difference between the two.

Bullshit PC talk thats all...

 

[RedRockRun]

Comedy Central has been Liberal Central for awhile now. There were points where The Daily Show seemed more like a political rally at the student union than a comedy show.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Awww, one of the many hundred channels you have access too now brings up a prevailant problem within your current society a couple of times a day while the rest are happy to ignore it; excuse me whilst I organise a rag-tag band of Italian violinists to serenade your endless oppressive torment. (Now that's sarcasm, for any interested parties).

Oh, they're brought up in our society. It's just that black people are doing it, so we're not being reassured that it's not really a problem.

You very much make a point i never thought of before, thanks! This is being feasted upon thought.

Edit: Apologies if i double quoted you, hopefully it adds to the popularity!

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Awww, one of the many hundred channels you have access to now brings up a prevailant problem within your current society a couple of times a day while the rest are happy to ignore it; excuse me whilst I organise a rag-tag band of Italian violinists to serenade your endless oppressive torment. (Now that's sarcasm, for any interested parties).

Oh and satire is a thing. As time goes on, what's left becomes precious so you mash hobbies together. Comedy is a coping sauce for many a great world problem. To mix it with news is just another way of enjoying life a bit less abrasively.

Some people are so myopic that you can't hope to reason with them. People who hunt and pick for things like Trevor Noah or Larry Wilmore to hurt their fee fee's, are those people.

Reward pathways are not so easily realigned for the not-so-introspective. It is a tricky subject.

 

[Arctic Werewolf]

Awww, one of the many hundred channels you have access to now brings up a prevailant problem within your current society a couple of times a day while the rest are happy to ignore it; excuse me whilst I organise a rag-tag band of Italian violinists to serenade your endless oppressive torment. (Now that's sarcasm, for any interested parties).

Oh and satire is a thing. As time goes on, what's left becomes precious so you mash hobbies together. Comedy is a coping sauce for many a great world problem. To mix it with news is just another way of enjoying life a bit less abrasively.

Some people are so myopic that you can't hope to reason with them. People who hunt and pick for things like Trevor Noah or Larry Wilmore to hurt their fee fee's, are those people.

Reward pathways are not so easily realigned for the not-so-introspective. It is a tricky subject.

In 3 months that kind of person won't even remember why they were unhappy.

The topic creator is lot more reasonable and calm about all this then you guys are projecting. Go read it again. Pretty benign. Do you think there is no hope of reasoning with them? Are they really "that kind of person"? You got a lot of anger in you.