There’s a political rally currently underway at New York’s Madison Square Garden featuring a line-up of MAGA acolytes, grifters, wannabes, and the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe.
I’ve found an important feature of roast jokes is for them to be told at a roast.
See, when you tell jokes at a roast (or a comedy club or standup special), everyone watching knows what’s up. The context is clear.
But when you’re at a political rally, in a suit, standing behind a lectern, with a C-SPAN logo in the corner, in front of a bunch of folks waving signs featuring a hatemonger’s name, amidst a lineup of angry dudes spewing toxic bile, you’ve really messed with the formula.
At that point, the problem isn’t that people can’t take a joke – it’s that they can’t even tell it’s a joke.
It’s a sad statement on the modern GOP: the party’s racism is so deeply entrenched, so endlessly sprawling, that even artificial intelligence buckles under the task of cataloging it all.
This wasn’t an accident. It was the point. It’s what MAGA was built on—a message to the white, the bitter, and the fearful that their ginned up anger is a rallying cry, a political stance, and a weapon. It's a promise that America belongs to them and no one else. It’s why Trump’s rallies don’t even try to reach beyond his hardcore base. The sad part is that, for as many reasonably-minded people as he'll lose because of this abomination, he'll gain just as many who want nothing more than a fourth Reich.
An Open Letter to Your Friend or Relative Planning to Vote for Trump: Your Vote for Trump Is an Endorsement of Bigotry, Cruelty, and the Erosion of Rights—No Matter the Reason You Give.
I've never heard of this guy, but seems to me he's inadvertently (or maybe it's part of his plan? As I said, never heard of him) helping the left by showing how horrible the maggats are by laughing at his jokes? Kinda along the lines of Stephen Colbert's character on The Colbert Report?
Well said. Tony is part of that fake edgy comic group. A lot of it is straight insults or punching down without the cleverness.
Their jokes are like “I fucked your underage daughter”. Regular people: ummm that’s not funny and I’m not listening anymore. “What? Can’t you take a joke? - snowflakes amirite?”.
Olbermann thinks this idiot sealed the deal for Trimp's loss by hammering on the Hispanic vote. Trimp didn't say much but his minions like SaMo Gerbils think this is their moment.
Are you kidding? THEY probably thought he was hilarious!
"Christian Nationalists" are neither—they are, every man, woman, and child, Pharisees and Hypocrites, a group so foul even Jesus Christ Himself couldn't forgive them.
Thank you for this well-written piece. I read about this guy’s “performance” and wondered how this could be real life in 2024. I still don’t know, but your essay made me feel better.
Excellent deployment of Eagle’s Nest reference
I’ve found an important feature of roast jokes is for them to be told at a roast.
See, when you tell jokes at a roast (or a comedy club or standup special), everyone watching knows what’s up. The context is clear.
But when you’re at a political rally, in a suit, standing behind a lectern, with a C-SPAN logo in the corner, in front of a bunch of folks waving signs featuring a hatemonger’s name, amidst a lineup of angry dudes spewing toxic bile, you’ve really messed with the formula.
At that point, the problem isn’t that people can’t take a joke – it’s that they can’t even tell it’s a joke.
--
FYI wrote more about it here: https://mattruby.substack.com/p/why-you-cant-bring-a-roast-to-a-rally
*The GOP’s Racism Broke AI*
It’s a sad statement on the modern GOP: the party’s racism is so deeply entrenched, so endlessly sprawling, that even artificial intelligence buckles under the task of cataloging it all.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-150895632?r=4d7sow&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Make America Hate Again
This wasn’t an accident. It was the point. It’s what MAGA was built on—a message to the white, the bitter, and the fearful that their ginned up anger is a rallying cry, a political stance, and a weapon. It's a promise that America belongs to them and no one else. It’s why Trump’s rallies don’t even try to reach beyond his hardcore base. The sad part is that, for as many reasonably-minded people as he'll lose because of this abomination, he'll gain just as many who want nothing more than a fourth Reich.
An Open Letter to Your Friend or Relative Planning to Vote for Trump: Your Vote for Trump Is an Endorsement of Bigotry, Cruelty, and the Erosion of Rights—No Matter the Reason You Give.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-150725410?r=4d7sow&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Move over, Matt Rife. There's a new America's Worst Comedian.
this guy is the perfect advertisement for Pro-Abortion.
I wonder if Barron got him the gig??
Not for all the tea in China… Not enough money on the planet
Fuck every last one of those hate filled MAGA shitheads
I've never heard of this guy, but seems to me he's inadvertently (or maybe it's part of his plan? As I said, never heard of him) helping the left by showing how horrible the maggats are by laughing at his jokes? Kinda along the lines of Stephen Colbert's character on The Colbert Report?
An exam question with exactly one acceptable answer: Fuck that guy.
He's not even right on the substance. Puerto Rico isn't an island of garbage.
Staten Island is.
Yooo you don't gotta put one island down to raise up another.
Yes I suppose you're right. Apologies.
Well said. Tony is part of that fake edgy comic group. A lot of it is straight insults or punching down without the cleverness.
Their jokes are like “I fucked your underage daughter”. Regular people: ummm that’s not funny and I’m not listening anymore. “What? Can’t you take a joke? - snowflakes amirite?”.
My response to that is, "I'll answer you as soon as I'm done fucking your mother—she wants to try again and see if she can get it right this time."
You think you're so tough, punching down? I can punch down—right into your face, Snowflake.
Olbermann thinks this idiot sealed the deal for Trimp's loss by hammering on the Hispanic vote. Trimp didn't say much but his minions like SaMo Gerbils think this is their moment.
So tired of this shit.
How many so called Christian nationalists will watch this and finally see the light? Will this be their Damascene moment?
Sadly I expect not. If they have somehow tolerated everything that went before they will most probably tolerate this too.
Are you kidding? THEY probably thought he was hilarious!
"Christian Nationalists" are neither—they are, every man, woman, and child, Pharisees and Hypocrites, a group so foul even Jesus Christ Himself couldn't forgive them.
Hence my qualifying them with “so called”.
Thank you for this well-written piece. I read about this guy’s “performance” and wondered how this could be real life in 2024. I still don’t know, but your essay made me feel better.