6 ms·

I presume this one: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/nov/21/john-oliver-last-week-tonight-qatar-world-cup https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio

I presume this one: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/nov/21/john-oliver-last-week-tonight-qatar-world-cup https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/nov/21/john-ol... He is a comedian, isn’t he? So is this comedy or not? I‘m not British and not a native speaker, I can‘t tell.

colechristensen 4y ago
It’s supposed to be a news program that’s funny but it tends to lean a bit hard on the jokes and plays a little loose with the research. Generally accurate but trying a bit too hard for one viewpoint / hilarious outrage.
barbazoo 4y ago
There's also tons of resources online from serious people: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=qatar+human+rights+abuse https://duckduckgo.com/?q=qatar+human+rights+abuse
Ekaros 4y ago
Corporate propagandist is the truth. As most far left "comedians" on mainstream TV. They really don't do comedy but far left propaganda.
- smcl 4y ago
  Is there anything in particular you think Oliver (or any other left-leaning comedian) has been wrong about, or is this more of a gut-feel thing? Also is it necessary to specify "left" when talking about comedy? I can't really think of anyone right-wing who can be called a comedian. Guys like Crowder and Gutfeld are the closest but they kinda struggle with joke construction, material and they paint themselves into a corner (and tbh delegitimize themselves a bit) by their uncritical, fawning adoration of some pretty ridiculous political figures.
  - HKH2 4y ago
    If you're looking for good right wing comics, you're not going to hear about them from Hollywood or the Mass Media. Look for them on YouTube or somewhere where you won't get deplatformed for making a joke. People can't even handle sets from Dave Chappelle or Ricky Gervais without calling for a boycott.
    - smcl 4y ago
      These are interesting examples, because Dave Chappelle was a genuinely good comic but he had a rocky comeback after a prolonged absence (understandable) took it badly and started lashing out at kids-these-days, then "cancel culture" and then drifted into what we see today. Ricky Gervais has written some pretty spectacular comedy, but his stand-up has never been particularly well respected. He has often tried to go for shock value, but it's never been that shocking (certainly nothing like Jerry Sadowitz), creative or - most importantly - funny. None of these guys got suddenly deplatformed, cancelled or boycotted because of a joke. They struggled a bit, made some missteps then blamed their audience and "cancel culture" when it wasn't well received. They can still be funny, but when they're airing their grievances about that (i.e. doing the stuff that the right like) it's obvious, awkward and a bit painful.
      - HKH2 4y ago
        I don't care what critics think. If a comedian makes me laugh, I'll have to concede that they're funny. If they make people clap instead of laugh, they're probably not that funny.
        smcl 4y ago
        That's fair. I'm still not sure who would be an example of a good right-wing comic, though. Most of what I’ve seen involved material that’s repetitive (how many by now have delivered a variant of the One Conservative Joke - “I identify as an attack helicopter”?) and was designed to make the viewer validated in their right-wing beliefs at the expense of, say, some clueless “libtard” rather than exploring the form at all (ie it’s to make you “clap”). I dunno, I saw someone complaining about left-wing comedians was curious to hear who might be a right-wing comic.
otikik 4y ago
There’s a type of comedy that is funnier if it contains some truths. On his case, the social criticism is the true part of while other parts like the self deprecation and random bits of pop culture references (“how many movies has this actor done this year?”) are there as supporting jokes.

colechristensen 4y ago

It’s supposed to be a news program that’s funny but it tends to lean a bit hard on the jokes and plays a little loose with the research. Generally accurate but trying a bit too hard for one viewpoint / hilarious outrage.

barbazoo 4y ago

There's also tons of resources online from serious people: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=qatar+human+rights+abuse https://duckduckgo.com/?q=qatar+human+rights+abuse

Ekaros 4y ago

Corporate propagandist is the truth. As most far left "comedians" on mainstream TV. They really don't do comedy but far left propaganda.

smcl 4y ago
Is there anything in particular you think Oliver (or any other left-leaning comedian) has been wrong about, or is this more of a gut-feel thing? Also is it necessary to specify "left" when talking about comedy? I can't really think of anyone right-wing who can be called a comedian. Guys like Crowder and Gutfeld are the closest but they kinda struggle with joke construction, material and they paint themselves into a corner (and tbh delegitimize themselves a bit) by their uncritical, fawning adoration of some pretty ridiculous political figures.
- HKH2 4y ago
  If you're looking for good right wing comics, you're not going to hear about them from Hollywood or the Mass Media. Look for them on YouTube or somewhere where you won't get deplatformed for making a joke. People can't even handle sets from Dave Chappelle or Ricky Gervais without calling for a boycott.
  - smcl 4y ago
    These are interesting examples, because Dave Chappelle was a genuinely good comic but he had a rocky comeback after a prolonged absence (understandable) took it badly and started lashing out at kids-these-days, then "cancel culture" and then drifted into what we see today. Ricky Gervais has written some pretty spectacular comedy, but his stand-up has never been particularly well respected. He has often tried to go for shock value, but it's never been that shocking (certainly nothing like Jerry Sadowitz), creative or - most importantly - funny. None of these guys got suddenly deplatformed, cancelled or boycotted because of a joke. They struggled a bit, made some missteps then blamed their audience and "cancel culture" when it wasn't well received. They can still be funny, but when they're airing their grievances about that (i.e. doing the stuff that the right like) it's obvious, awkward and a bit painful.
    - HKH2 4y ago
      I don't care what critics think. If a comedian makes me laugh, I'll have to concede that they're funny. If they make people clap instead of laugh, they're probably not that funny.
      - smcl 4y ago
        That's fair. I'm still not sure who would be an example of a good right-wing comic, though. Most of what I’ve seen involved material that’s repetitive (how many by now have delivered a variant of the One Conservative Joke - “I identify as an attack helicopter”?) and was designed to make the viewer validated in their right-wing beliefs at the expense of, say, some clueless “libtard” rather than exploring the form at all (ie it’s to make you “clap”). I dunno, I saw someone complaining about left-wing comedians was curious to hear who might be a right-wing comic.

otikik 4y ago

There’s a type of comedy that is funnier if it contains some truths. On his case, the social criticism is the true part of while other parts like the self deprecation and random bits of pop culture references (“how many movies has this actor done this year?”) are there as supporting jokes.