Can someone explain leftist comedy to me?

MGN22@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – -75 points –

Not looking to discuss politics. I'm just trying to find the humour in left-wing mainstream comedy.

I've tried watching at least 30 movies and as far as I can tell it's the same two tropes. Someone who is usually smart does something obviously stupid or they are uninformd about something and everyone is shocked that they just don't get it with a "seriously bro" type of comment. Or the other trope when someone who is super serious becomes upset because someone shocked them with their progressive views with a "yeah that's how it's done" type of comment.

What's funny about that?

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I’m… honestly unsure what you’re talking about. Provide some examples of the content you’re alluding to.

They just found one of the many think pieces about how conservative comedy usually sucks and is trying to get their little jab in at the left. They probably don't even know what their talking about.

Based the wording of the post and this comment from OP’s profile which specifically mentions Gab, I feel pretty confident making an educated guess that OP may fall somewhere on the MAGA spectrum.

Conservative comedy is funny because we don’t have things we’re not allowed to say

Lmao, there isn't a more thin skinned group than conservatives.

Remember the Starbucks cup meltdown? What about the Potato head toy controversy?

Yall literally can't even jerk off in peace without having your sons monitor your computer with anti-porn software lmao

What are your favorite comedians that would be happy to label themselves as conservatives?

I could imagine they like Bill Maher and Dennis Miller. The only two comedians I know that are both popular (or were) and proudly conservative.

Bill Maher might actually be a conservative, but I'm not sure if he would happily accept the label or target a specifically conservative audience. Maybe he's getting there, though. His Wikipedia article was a trip.

Maher often eschews political labels, referring to himself as "practical"... he has also described himself as a libertarian, and has also referred to himself "as a progressive, as a sane person"... Maher counted himself, Rushdie, and others such as Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris as "9/11 liberals", noting that they differentiate themselves from many mainstream liberals in saying that not all religions are alike and that they are not bigoted in criticizing a particular religion.

I wasn't familiar with Dennis Miller...

The last special I watched Maher do, he was very explicit about being conservative and the material very much conveyed that thinking. It's why I don't bother with him anymore.

I would say that's unfortunate, but at least he's being honest now. IDK, even when he had a good point it was always presented in the most insufferable way imaginable.

Care to give an example of a movie that does this?

Sure. The Marvel movies for example like Deadpool and Spider man. There will be a break in the action because someone did something silly and other people in the scene have to comment on it with the "seriously bro" type of comment.

Marvel movies are leftist?

Even ignoring that Marvel isn't leftist, I don't even think leftists think Marvel humor is good. OP's premise is broken on so many levels

I think OP might have a skewed opinion of the centre.

Yeah.

Oh honey, what dark corners of the Internet have you gotten mired in?

Protecting status quo with violence is usually not left wing. Super heroes are reactionary. They don’t create anything. They just react to some villains plan to change things. That’s right wing conservatism. Beat up anyone who want to do things differently.

https://thenewinquiry.com/super-position/

And Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence's books:

  • The American Monomyth (1977)
  • The Myth of the American Superhero (2002)
  • Captain America And The Crusade Against Evil: The Dilemma Of Zealous Nationalism (2003)

I don't think comedic breaks in action films are exclusive to any particular political group. You might be conflating the two because certain slang terms often appear in those breaks, and those terms might be more prevalent in communities you think of as leftist.

Let me give you a counter-example. In Star Trek Beyond, Spock realizes the crew can locate an away team by the radiation given off by a jewel he gave Uhura. McCoy asks him incredulously "you gave your girlfriend a tracking device?" and Spock responds "that was not my intent." This is a classic "bruh" moment, but it uses traditional wording, not slang. So if you think of this phenomenon as being intrinsically linked with leftist slang, I can assure you it isn't.

He finds a comedic pause interrupting his delicious violence to be a bit too far to the left. I don't know if bringing up a moment based around an interracial couple in a goddamned socialist space movie about learning, sharing and helping is the best way to show this particular OP that not all BruhBreaks(TM) are leftist.

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You think fucking Marvel movies are leftist? What do you think a leftist is?

What do you think a leftist is?

Any film where the entire cast aren’t straight white men fighting over a prize woman is “radical left” and simply watching it will turn you into a disabled trans lesbian in the name of forced diversity.

Obviously.

There will be a break in the action because someone did something silly and other people in the scene have to comment on it with the "seriously bro" type of comment.

I can't figure out how this is even remotely "leftist." It has absolutely nothing to do with any political leaning, left or otherwise.

If anything marvel movies are the most neutral I've seen! They go out of their way to try not to offend anyone. Part of the reason I think they're kinda boring lol

They go out of their way to try not to offend anyone

This is a leftist behavior.

Aren't you the same person who more or less said that you found It's Always Sunny to be too offensive for you to watch?

That's not true, I'm a leftist and I love offending the right people

leftists often engage in shaming of their friends for not being with the times

Bathos. That's Bathos. Interrupting something serious to ridicule it. It's been a trope since the 18th century, and it's definitely not just a "leftist" trope. It's also NOT the only type of joke in left-wing media, or the only types of jokes in those specific movies. Most of Deadpool is pop culture references, for example.

Those are really the only jokes you took away from those movies?

Maybe comedy and jokes aren't for you?

Marvel movies aren't leftist, and their comedy isn't leftist either. That's not even political really. You're describing a Flanderization of Joss Whedon comedy tropes

Deadpool was hilarious when they were going through the sex poses for the different holidays, then swapped it around for pegging on "International Womens Day".

They even call back to it in the new trailer:

https://youtu.be/WbN1DJzyjsw#t=33s

It's the sudden subversion of expectations that makes it funny.

Marvel movies are action movies with quips, not comedies.

They’re also not “leftist:” they’re movies for the masses, and are about as apolitical as you can get. The politics that do get in are fictional ones that are focused group to hell to not resemble any real world politics.

The Boys is the only leftist superhero comedy.

The Avengers are heroic, care about others, and aren't the cartoon villains they fight, which Republicans fucking literally are. That is why Marvel films are Leftist.

Plus...to be fair, Tony is all about science, and helping the community, stopping war, and all that gay woke crap.

Oh yeah, I forgot that Hydra are literally NAZIS, so of course that makes Captain America a woke liberal.

J Jonah Jameson is basically Alex Jones in the Disney movies.

The comic character was around before Jones was even alive, and J. K. Simmons started his betrayal before Jones even got big. It’s not Disney’s fault that Jones turned into his own caricature.

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"I don't want to talk about politics, but hear me out: Politics."

I have no idea what movies you're talking about. Go watch Poor Things, great dialogue, strong feminist ideals and stronger laughs.

If would probably help if you listed some of these movies so we could know a bit more about this leftist comedy of which you speak.

Perhaps also give some examples of media you do find funny

It's Always Sunny is probably the closest thing to leftist comedy you'll find

Superstore is the most leftist comedy I've personally seen. And it fucking slaps.

Fuck yeahhh

And part of what makes it so good is that it isn't afraid to criticise leftists as well (like the black haircare episode where Jonah is jonahing) - it's not just a "haha other side bad" show

I really like how it calls out "performative" leftism and shows the value of actual labour organization. The early episode where the question of whether or not to do a mexican accent is drowned out by the capitalism of selling salsa was the one that really hooked me on the show.

What’s leftist about Sunny?

https://thesundae.net/2017/03/18/the-gang-fights-neoliberalism/

It also bears the rare distinction of being canceled by several streaming providers but no leftists.

And off the top of my head, it deals with latent racism, abortion, Israeli treatment of Palestinians, and the trans panic ("shit yeah it's a hate crime") before Danny Devito joins.

And everybody’s a machiavellian narcissist?

One of them is the Machiavellian narcissist, the others are all pure evil in their own unique ways. The entire purpose of the show is to showcase bad people being bad in a way that the audience always laughs at, and never with.

If you don't get it, I understand. It's immensely crude and offensive, and not for everyone. But there's a reason the people who stuck around to watch it absolutely adore it.

Not sure what you mean, OP. A whole bunch of the classic comedies are leftist. Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles (really all Mel Brooks), Some Like It Hot, Caddyshack, The Great Dictator, etc. are all leftist humor.

I’ve tried watching at least 30 movies

What kind of movies are you even talking about?

Try watching some proper comedy. A panel show or a standup special.

I hate to even contribute to this, but I suppose Star Trek: Lower Decks and The Orville would be about the leftiest comedies you could possibly find.

IMO the main difference between left leaning commedy and the right leaning commedy is that the left can make fun of itself.

Example: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Biden catches Covid and his press secretary claims, that "despite his illness, the president is not slowing down". Colbert finds it believable "because he does not thing it is physically possible to move any slower than Biden already is". Whole theater is laughing.

Imagine a right leaning commedian said that about Trump. He would get shot!

Is anything outside of the spectrum of the Chris Kyle sniper movie and Larry the Cable Guy Goes to Fellujha a leftist movie?

Do you fire up a film, see the protagonist being kind or considerate of other characters and think, "What's this leftist gay shit?"

The filmic genre of comedy was created for and died with Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and was then briefly revived for the movie Superbad. No other movies considered in this genre are worth watching (much less: discussing).