...The Rise of the Comedian-Politician 1,361 words The greatest religious and societal luminaries seem to repeat each other’s message time and again throughout history. Be kind to each other. Try to empathize with your enemy; see how you are like them, rather than how you are different. And why do we need these people to constantly repeat what their predecessors have already said? It is because the world constantly changes, and we must be aware of the context with which to apply ancient wisdom. Recently, there has been a new breed of professional that carries on this struggle for contextualized thinking: The comedian-politician. In the confusing and vitriolic era of today’s politics, comedian-politicians such as John Oliver and Jon Stewart are essential because they are the foremost providers of political context and moderation. Since the 1980s, American political debate has seen an unprecedented reduction in context. Lee Atwater, a Republican political operative, openly recognized that stripping the context from an issue and playing to baser emotions such as fear, prejudice, and anger was an amazingly effective way to mobilize a base of voters. Rather than appeal to both sides through examination-backed rationality, he instead opted to inflame his core constituency to the point where they came out to vote in droves. Atwater’s legacy lives on in Karl Rove, a fellow accomplice dating back to their college days. Atwater’s tactics were simple yet effective. Lee...
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...Eight different stand-up comedians gathered on the fourth floor of The B.O.B. in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Thursday, October 27th, where they offered a hilarious comedy show with unpredictable acts. Dr. Grins is Grand Rapid's most unique venue for entertainment. The theatre brings in nationally acclaimed stand-up comedians. TIckets were five dollars at the door and a two drink minimum was required upon entry, but that didn't discourage people from attending. Over 200 people packed the room for an evening full of friends, family and fun. Comedians from the Michigan area included Gary Anderson, Corey Tucker, Josh Courtney, Adam Degi, Derek Hebler, DK Hamilton, Ben Wilke and Casey Stoddard. Professional Comedian Fred Potter, the main act, ended the night with an outstanding performance that had the crowd nearly in tears. Potter was born and raised in Lansing, Mich. where he began his career right out of High School after he was voted as class clown. He has opened for Bernie Mac, Tommy Chong, and Sinbad just to name a few. "Laughter is a beautiful thing, there is nothing more rewarding than doing something you love while making complete strangers laugh" Potter says. As Halloween approached, waitresses, bartenders and security guards put on their costumes to make the night more memorable than ever before. "I never knew about Dr. Grins until this past weekend. I wish I would have known about it years ago. This is good, cheap entertainment at it's best" says Kim Fulton...
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...Epic Hero Paper There are numerous examples of epic heroes in real life. One that comes to mind is Lilly Singh. Like a typical epic hero in a story, Singh has the same traits as most. In order to be classified as an epic hero, you should have at least 3 of the characteristics. They include having a noble birth, being a great warrior, traveling over a vast setting, being recognized as a national hero, showing humility, having supernatural help, and showing great strength and courage. Lilly Singh embodies the characteristics of an epic hero because she has traveled over vast distances, has shown humility, and has been recognized as a national hero. One reason why Lilly Singh is an epic hero is because she has traveled far distances. According...
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...Elise 18 April 2016 Mo’Nique “I could have been your cellmate” I chose to watch my favorite comedian Mo’Nique she has inspired me from young. As a child I wasn’t able to watch her shows because of all the cursing and adult content however that didn’t stop me from seeking to watch it while my parents were away or out of the house. My favorite standup performance by Mo’Nique is “I could have been your cellmate.” She walks around the stage. as a big woman you’re not expecting her to move and do some of the things that she does but she does it. She changes he voice from times to time to give a setting of someone else talking and her facial expressions are so hilarious. She’s my favorite comedian because she stands up for all of the big girls. Mo’Nique says many times throughout that’s she could have easily been their cellmate, and I think it’s something most of us can say we’ve experienced if we get angry enough. She picks one of the toughest womens prisons in the nation, and she sets out with two goals. At first you think the goal is to make them laugh, and us when we view it. in fact, most of us certainly bought the thing not because of the prison factor, but because Mo’Nique cracks us up. But by the end, it’s become so much more. A great deal of there women killed out of anger, betrayal or heartbreak. Many more because they were abused and wanted out. Some are hardcore criminals, and others just...
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...plagiarize work is the same as stealing from a store, you are taking what does not belong to you. Unfortunately not all readers and writers feel that this is the case; however, if a writer chooses to plagiarize the act can cause great humiliation and harm to their career or education. In May of 2003, New York Times news reporter Jayson Blair resigned when his editor discovered evidence of several front page articles being plagiarized. (Hanson, C. H. R. I. S. T. O. P. H. E. R., Picard, R. G., & McMasters, P. (2004).) The scandal of plagiarism was so great that soon after Jayson Blair resigned the executive and managing editors also resigned their positions. Jayson Blair’s unethical act not only affected his career, it also cost the jobs and reputations of the two editors. The Macquarie dictionary describes Plagiarism as “the appropriation or imitation of another's ideas and manner of expressing them, as in art, literature, etc., to be passed off as one's own.” Plagiarism. (2005). Plagiarism is not only limited to the stealing of another authors words, but also the manner that the information is shared; therefore if a comedian delivers a punch line to an audience in a manner that is indicative to another comedian without giving credit to the comedian, he could be labeled as a plagiarizer. Students and professionals should use caution when researching an essay or business paper, with the amount of information available on the internet and in the library it is easy...
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...Did you hear the one about the boss who was asked how many people work in his company? About half of them on a good day, he replied. While the worlds of comedy and business may not initially appear to have much in common, a growing number of firms are in fact turning to comedians to help them boost staff communication, performance, and creativity. And to enable senior bosses to improve their public speaking and presentation skills. For businesses who want their workers to be as happy and productive as possible, it is no laughing matter. Except when it is. Companies that are now using comedians include internet giant Google; social media firm Twitter; soft drinks business Red Bull; and German engineering group Siemens. And if those four firms ever walked into a bar together, Red Bull would be the best mixer... Image copyright Ecole nationale de l'humour Image caption Participants at the National Comedy School's training days are asked to embrace their inner clowns At Quebec's National Comedy School in Montreal, Canada, its team of comedians has been offering training courses to businesses since 2009. It currently has 30 clients on its books, including insurance group Sun Life and Siemens' Canadian division. Rather that teaching people to tell jokes, the visiting workers are typically asked to put on red noses and behave like clowns. They are asked to practise pratfalls, pretend to bump into things, and even mock-slap their colleagues in the face. "These kind of games...
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...If there is one thing that all Americans desire it is entertainment. Americans spent more than eight hours a day watching television (1). That’s two-hundred and forty days watching television a year (Taking into account time spent sleeping, eating, and other necessities). People spend about the same amount of time working in one month as they do watching television. Then there’s the time being spent on the internet. Although not as much as television the internet is quickly becoming just as time-consuming as television. On average Americans spent sixty-six hours on the internet a month (2), that’s thirty-three days spent on the internet. These statistics have risen consistently over the past five years on average of one-hundred million users a year (3). Time isn’t the only thing that Americans give up in order to fulfill their need for entertainment. The amount of money spent also contributes to the substantial amount of missing from many American’s pockets. In two-thousand and nine Americans spent almost ten billion dollars on movie tickets alone. That doesn’t even include dollars spent on D.V.D’s, which reached just under seventeen billion dollars, (This includes both D.V.D purchases and D.V.D Rentals) (4). Americans have an insatiable desire for entertainment that will grow until something dramatic changes the routine that we have become accustomed to over the past one-hundred years. Everything mentioned so far has been to given to show Americans need for entertainment....
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...like “I Spy”, ” Fat Albert”, and “The Cosby Show” .Whether it be through concert appearances or recordings, television or films, commercials or education, Bill Cosby has the ability to touch people’s lives. William Henry Cosby Jr was born on July 12, 1937 in Philadephia, Pennsylvania, to Anna and William Cosby. Cosby's father joined the navy and was away from home for months at a time. Cosby, as the oldest son, helped his mother pay the bills by having various jobs such as delivering groceries and shining shoes. At school, he was known for being a class clown by his teachers and for being a great story teller and also being a star athlete in various sports such as track and field, football, and basketball. Growing up in a poor family Cosby learned very early in life that his humor will get him through tough times. During his off time Cosby would listen to one of his favorite comedians Jerry Lewis on the radio, and started to imitate him. While his mother always pushed for him and his brothers to get an education Bill was never interested in school because he always failed his classes, so during his tenth grade year Cosby decided to drop out of high school and enlist in the US Navy in 1956. In the Navy Bill was working as a physical therapist in Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, during this time Cosby began to realize his gift of comedy. When he was attending to the injuried he would make light jokes to lessen the pain for them. During his four years of service Bill was...
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...Bill Cosby’s Downfall from Fame Everyone has flaws in their lives, some are tragic that lead to a downfall. These flaws usually show in celebrities more than the average human being. Tragic flaws of a celebrity stand out to the public, and they are usually not forgotten. There is always high scrutiny when you are a celebrity and in the public eye. Bill Cosby was a celebrity who lost all of his credibility when he put lust as his number one priority. By putting lust at the top of his priorities, Bill Cosby’s career and life started on a downhill slide. Bill Cosby, started his successful career as a comedian in the 1960’s ("Bill Cosby." Contemporary Black Biography. Vol. 59.). Cosby stood out from the other black comedians of that time. Cosby...
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...Innovation is term that can be labeled in a multitude of ways, but it will always have one true definition. Innovation is when someone who introduces a new concept that can be beneficial to society or a certain area in society. Two authors that explore this word are Robert Snyder and Richard Zoglin. In chapter 1 of Snyder’s The Voices of the City, Snyder talks about how Tony Pastor’s innovated and idealistic thoughts revolutionized vaudeville. In Zoglin’s Extremist’s, Zoglin talks about how both the innovations of Robin Williams and Andy Kaufman changed stand-up comedy. In both cases, all three men were able to innovate with social norms and revolutionize the vaudeville industry and stand-up comedy. All three men were innovative for their...
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...Either way, ethnic humor allows for oppressed societies to advance in the face of adversity. The two most prevalent cases of this are in the Black and Jewish communities. I will go on to explain the similarities, such as ancient origins of Jewish and African American humor, and the differences, like the opposite routes the respective styles took as they modernized in American culture. Perhaps the reason for two largely oppressed groups to incorporate humor into their culture is best explained by T. Cohen when he says, “An absurdity can be and example, a symbol, or even, say, an emblem of incomprehensibility. To laugh at absurdity can be an acceptance of its incomprehensibility.” African American humor has even converged with Jewish humor on many occasions, such as the musical The Jazz Singer, where Jews portray black characters, and even more recently with Jewish comedian Larry David portraying ethnic differences between Blacks and Jews on Curb Your Enthusiasm. We will now examine how two ethnicities with histories of marginalization and disenfranchisement used humor to accept their history and assimilate with the rest of society. The nature of Jewish humor is largely disputed among academics like Freud and Dan Ben-Amos. It is no secret that Jews have had a sense of humor since Biblical times. A great example of this is in 2 Chronicles where a king writes, “Jehoram was thirty-two years old when...
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...I. Introduction In his foreword to a collection of the radio scripts of comedians Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. endorses these entertainers as somehow new and different—and relevant—since they draw their humor from the plight of the (American) Common Man. In the process, Vonnegut offers us an insight into his own writing, and the philosophies that inform it. “They aren’t like most other comedians’ jokes these days,” Vonnegut writes, aren’t rooted in show business and the world of celebrities and news of the day. They feature Americans who are almost always fourth-rate or below, engaged in enterprises which, if not contemptible, are at least insane. And while other comedians show us persons tormented by bad luck and enemies and so on, Bob and Ray’s characters threaten to wreck themselves and their surroundings with their own stupidity. There is a refreshing and beautiful innocence in Bob’s and Ray’s humor. Man is not evil, they seem to say. He is simply too hilariously stupid to survive. And this I believe. Jerome Klinkowitz, in the introduction to his essay collection entitled Vonnegut in America, has used this quote—as he certainly should—to support his claim that Vonnegut’s humor has its roots in the comedic response to the Great Depression. But of course there is much more to it than that. The reader is left with a nagging question: Were humanity’s case really as Vonnegut describes it, and were this truly his belief, wouldn’t it seem that the...
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...A prominent example of this issue was presented by the fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, of Georgia Tech University. They were found singing lyrics to songs that described explicit ways to rape the women who were at their parties. Not only did these songs contribute to finding humor in a dehumanizing act towards women, but also to the normalization of rape. The actions of the fraternity went unchecked and the members did not face any consequences, which led to the sexual assault of at least two women (Chemaly Paragraph 2). Eventually, when emails sent between fraternity members instructed the men on how to sexually assault females at their parties, these songs were used to support the case against them. However, the Phi Kappa Tau’s lawyer claimed in their defense that the rape victims were “‘exploiting the hypersensitivity of today’s college campus environment toward sexual assault”’ (Chemaly Paragraph 2). While some people in modern society tend to overhype current issues in the world, sexual assault is a recurring and prevalent concern among college women who have triple the chance of getting raped than their male peers (Angelone 188). Desensitization of such songs leads to a greater proclivity for the incidence of rape or sexual...
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...In The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, conformity plays a major role. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, there are two rival gangs, the greasers and the Socs. The greasers are considered hoods and delinquents, while the Socs are considered nice, responsible children, even though they often are just as bad as the greasers. Ponyboy Curtis, a greaser, is not like everyone else, while the other greasers beat up strangers and rob gas stations, Ponyboy likes to read books, watch movies, and look at sunsets. Through the actions of the greasers, Hinton shows that a teenager will tend to hide his differences ad will do what is expected of him, rather than what he wants, proving that conformity can be beneficial. Darry, Ponyboy’s older brother, is different from the rest of the greasers. While in school, Darry was a football star, a great student, and a well-behaved child. When his parents die, leaving him in charge of his brothers, he has to leave everything behind to become a...
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...West, and the trolls that comment on her pieces. The main section of this story discussed one troll in particular who made a fake account as her dead father. She claimed that this in particular was “the meanest thing” anyone had done to her (Glass, Menjivar, Vogt). The troll made a Twitter account called ‘Paul Donezo’ and the biography read “embarrassed father of an idiot -- other two kids are fine, though.” (Glass, Menjivar, Vogt). This sparked Lindy to do exactly what society tells people not to do, and she responded to the troll. Lindy wrote about how hurt she was by the Paul Donezo account,...
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