There are two kinds of humor. One kind that makes us chuckle about our foibles and our shared humanity -- like what Garrison Keillor does. The other kind holds people up to public contempt and ridicule -- that's what I do. Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful. I only aim at the powerful. When satire is aimed at the powerless, it is not only cruel -- it's vulgar.
Molly Ivins
I miss Molly, and I would add that the powerful and their handmaidens the media have been mocking us for too long with their vacuous statements and misinformation. The hot air blown and the twenty four hour news cycle have flooded us with vapidity.
I recommend watching this series on Al Jazeera [embedded below]
i have tried not always successfully to aim my mockery at the powerful rather than at their followers, especially here on Kos; where often the defense of the absurd often has a political coloration. Closing ones eyes to the imperfections of ones own side is often more insidious than highlighting the imperfections of your political enemies.
Since I have almost zero power by having little real wealth and only a vote once every now and then, then the only way to hit hard is through mockery. I just wish I was better at it.
The jejuneness of the reporting that we have to put up with on a daily basis from every more vacuous talking heads that pretend that there is always two sides to any given argument and then provide us with ever more empty talking heads to prove their point, is truly dispiriting. We are continually told that investigative reporting is too expensive in the current media landscape, I would argue its lack as being the more costly.
Instead we are subjected to shouting matches where he who shouts loudest, interrupts the most and has the last word, wins. The same in politics, where he who says the most outrageous things gains the news-cycle for the day. We then are subjected to the Friday news dump when they want to slip something unpalatable under the carpet.
Both the news and politics have become a parody or themselves and by so becoming have removed the connection to the reality most of us face. The void created by this disconnect allows the powerful to operate with impunity, especially when they both own the media outlets and the politicians concerned.
How to fight back against these goliaths of inculcation?
Demonstration, where they mock the turnout, composition and cleanliness of the demonstrators? If that doesn't work, then pepper spray, kettling, and arrest are used without discrimination or sense.
Voting; in a rigged system polluted with the wherewithal rather than determined by the perspicacity of the arguments? Where the powerful often play by financing what is jokingly termed a grass roots movement?
We live in a society where the mere demanding of equal rights by a minority is turned upon its head and is seen to be an infringement of the rights of the majority. Where the victim of a crime becomes responsible for the crime itself. This is unacceptable.
When the weak join together to form a union this is deemed to be an abuse of power, yet the rich get their way via their lobbyists this is seen to be an acceptable part of the democratic process. When we are told to be happy with the not as bad as the other side becomes a standard reply. We have a problem.
Some may argue that mockery is wrong and when used by well paid talking heads against the poor, minorities, and the weak I totally agree. I will refer to the Molly Ivins quote at the top of the diary, it becomes both cruel and vulgar and when coupled with dishonesty, malignant.
Satire and mockery are to be treasured as they get us through the day when appropriately targeted and can be powerful ways of personal motivation. Yet when we demonstrate, stand together since we actually have more in common as a people than many would have us believe; then when this is mocked in return by the powerful, then we know we are beginning to worry them.
When we use satire to hold the powerful accountable than that is a positive, when we are mocked in return we know that we have rattled their gilded cage.
Sorry for the rambling diary.
Just a thought, and I do recommend the series on Al Jazeera.
3:16 AM PT: The link and video seem to have some problems on the US side of the pond.
Link:
http://www.aljazeera.com/...