"Gulliver's Travels" isn't funny, either...

[Crankie Avalon]

...I mean, not one LOL moment in the whole book!!! "Greatest satire in the English language"???? BAH!!! Where's my copy of "The Fart Book"?

Don Quixote? BORRRRRRRIIIINNNNG!!!!

I say, if you want funny:

1) Sindbad, not Richard Pryor.
2) Ray Romano, not Lenny Bruce.
3) "America's Funniest Home Videos," not "Chapelle's Show."

YEAH!!! Love it or leave it!!!

[annabanana]

1. nail. on. the. head.

risk factor: too smart for the room.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. i concur

[Ian David]

3. Mark Antony wasn't funny at Ceasar's funeral, either.

Mark Antony
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On March 15, 44 BC (the Ides of March), Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of Senators, led by Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus.

In the turmoil that surrounded the event, Antony escaped Rome dressed as a slave, fearing that the dictator's assassination would be the start of a bloodbath among his supporters.

When this did not occur, he soon returned to Rome, discussing a truce with the assassins' faction. For a while, Antony, as consul of the year, seemed to pursue peace and the end of the political tension.

Following a speech by Marcus Tullius Cicero in the Senate, an amnesty was agreed for the assassins. Then came the day of Caesar's funeral.

As Caesar's ever-present second in command, partner in consulship and cousin, Antony was the natural choice to make the funeral eulogy.

In his speech, he sprang his accusations of murder and ensured a permanent breach with the conspirators. Showing a talent for rhetoric and dramatic interpretation, Antony snatched the toga from Caesar's body to show the crowd the scars from his wounds.

That night, the Roman populace attacked the assassins' houses, forcing them to flee for their lives.

Antony surrounded himself with a bodyguard of Caesar's veterans, and forced the senate to transfer to him the province of Cisalpine Gaul, which was then administered by Decimus Junius Brutus, one of the conspirators. Brutus refused to surrender the province, and Antony set out to attack him in October 44 BC.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Antony



See also:
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, approx. 47 BC
By William Shakespeare

Act 3. Scene II
SCENE II. The Forum.

<snip>

ANTONY
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest--
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men--
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

<snip>

ANTONY
But yesterday the word of Caesar might
Have stood against the world; now lies he there.
And none so poor to do him reverence.
O masters, if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong,
Who, you all know, are honourable men:
I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honourable men.
But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar;
I found it in his closet, 'tis his will:
Let but the commons hear this testament--
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read--
And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds
And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And, dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
Unto their issue.

<snip>

ANTONY
Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up
To such a sudden flood of mutiny.
They that have done this deed are honourable:
What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it: they are wise and honourable,
And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:
I am no orator, as Brutus is;
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
That love my friend; and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him:
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;
I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths,
And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue
In every wound of Caesar that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

All
We'll mutiny.

More:
http://www.online-literature.com/view.php/julius_caesar/10?term=not%20to%20praise

Stephen Colbert has shown us America's wounds and bid them speak for him.

[bluerum]

5. There are not enough Shakespeare quotes around here.

Shakespeare wrote many of those eternal truths into his plays and poetry. They seem as alive today as they did the day they were written.

[Crankie Avalon]

15. If only he'd had a Caesar impersonator do a routine accompanied...

...by Caesar's corpse, how much more of an historical impact (and yucks!) there might have been.

[kittenpants]

30. perfect! That's comic gold! n/t

[Ex Lion Tamer]

4. EXCELLENT!

Satire: "Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity."

Of course, if you happen to be the one whose folly, vice, or stupidity is being exposed, you probably aren't smart enough to notice the distinction.

[Ian David]

7. "n the United States of America, satire is protected speech...

"In the United States of America, satire is protected speech, even if the object of the satire doesn't get it." -- Al Franken

[Guaranteed]

6. That's right.

And it probably wasn't meant to be.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

8. also not very funny: 1984, Animal Farm, and Brave New World

why can't these authors get a clue?

[REP]

11. Those Three Not Written to Be Funny; Swift Wanted You to Laugh

Duh - three books, two authors.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

13. that's my point. satire doesn't have to tickle to be satire.

[ComerPerro]

32. 1984 and Animal Farm were hilarious

I am not kidding.

I laughed much of the way through Animal Farm.

[DUHandle]

9. If Literature looses a fight with Popular Culture

it’s because Popular Culture chooses the referee.

Popular Culture’s Past Champions eventually become obscure.


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=gallagher+and+sheehan&spell=1

[REP]

10. No Scatology in Gulliver's Travels? What Version Did You Read?

Gulliver's Travels is famous for its scatology. Surely you remember how he extinquishes the fire in Lilliput? As for poop jokes, how about when a scholar of the Academy of Lagado purports to detect a man's involvement in plots against the government by examining the physical properties of his excrement "because Men are never so serious, thoughtful, and intent, as when they are at Stool"?

Not laugh-out-loud funny? Please, read it again!

[Crankie Avalon]

12. I'll reply to your post exactly as I did to your post in the other thread.

...Yes, he urinated on the fire, but I guess I just didn't think those "dumbed down" the work the way poop jokes normally do others.

You're right. Sorry. I should have said that great works of satire often aren't "haha" funny and left it at that.

[REP]

14. "GT" Was Written to Be Laugh Out Loud Funny

"A Modest Proposal" on the other hand, wasn't. Times (and tastes) have changed, but Swift was a master of the low-brow of his age, as well as sharp-edged satire. What today seems genteel and reserved now was full-on gross-out humor then (the two examples I gave are the most famous, but the book is full of them).

[Crankie Avalon]

17. OK, but do you think it was the gross out humor (for its time)...

...that ensured it would continue to be read in every age subsequent to its original publication, right up to our very own? Do you think it was the most important humor of the work? The parts one should most keep thinking about after finishing the book?

[REP]

21. Swift Was a Genius - A Cranky, Fart-Joke Genius

Yes, I do think it was his combination of toilet humor and social commentary that makes the book so beloved even now. Many young people flock to it for the poop jokes, and come back to it later for the other layers of humor, insight, and biting commentary (and poop jokes).

[DUHandle]

16. I believe some of the ladies

were mighty pleased when they were walking between his legs and they looked up.

[YOY]

27. don't forget the Canterbury Tales...

The original in bawdy sarcasm...the Reeve's Tale and the Miller's Tale...

High and Low culture all at once and screamingly funny once you get past the olde Enlishe.

[deutsey]

18. Read Twain's "The United States of Lyncherdom" or

"To a Person Sitting in Darkness"

Not very funny at all, but damn good satire.

[deutsey]

19. This, also, is NOT funny

The Battle Hymn of the Republic (brought down to date)

By Mark Twain

Mine eyes have seen the orgy of the launching of the Sword;
He is searching out the hoardings where the stranger's wealth is stored;
He hath loosed his fateful lightnings, and with woe and death has scored;
His lust is marching on.

I have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar in the Eastern dews and damps;
I have read his doomful mission by the dim and flaring lamps --
His night is marching on.

I have read his bandit gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my pretensions, so with you my wrath shall deal;
Let the faithless son of Freedom crush the patriot with his heel;
Lo, Greed is marching on!"

We have legalized the strumpet and are guarding her retreat;*
Greed is seeking out commercial souls before his judgement seat;
O, be swift, ye clods, to answer him! be jubilant my feet!
Our god is marching on!

In a sordid slime harmonious Greed was born in yonder ditch,
With a longing in his bosom – and for others' goods an itch.
As Christ died to make men holy, let men die to make us rich –
Our god is marching on.

* NOTE: In Manila the Government has placed a certain industry under the protection of our flag. (M.T.)

[Crankie Avalon]

20. I'll check it out, thanks! eom

[NYCGirl]

22. What about Twain's "1601" — it was one LONG fart joke!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1601_(Mark_Twain)

[NYCGirl]

23. BTW, Lenny Bruce was FUNNY. NT

[zeemike]

25. But not to the cops

And the moral majority of the time. They treated him like the people did Colbert at that dinner

[NYCGirl]

26. They treated him worse. They arrested him and locked him up. NT

[Richard Steele]

24. Recommended for TRUTHINESS. nm

[Sabriel]

28. Latebreaking: Swift's "A Modest Proposal" deemed NOT FUNNY

Critics noted that eating children should not be tolerated. "Honestly, I don't see anything even slightly humorous about cannibalisim," said one reviewer. "I'm against poor people eating their own offspring. And, besides, the recipes he provides aren't even useful. Who has that kind of time nowadays?"

[redqueen]

29. Lovely.

:thumbsup:

:hi:

[YOY]

31. Hold on...are you actually saying"America's Funniest Home Videos"

is better than the "Chappelle Show"?

Yes, I know you're being sarcastic, but please don't forget the sarcasm button!

[Crankie Avalon]

34. See what I mean???

You can't even take for granted people will know you're using sarcasm to make a point unless you punctuate it with a flashing "sarcasm" button!!! :sarcasm:

[jokerman93]

37. That is sooo truthy!

:hi:

[KyuzoGator]

33. I think it's a misguided argument...

It wasn't a case of Colbert not being funny or relevant...it's a case of people assuming he wasn't funny because the audience didn't laugh.

[Crankie Avalon]

35. I thought Colbert was VERY funny...

...I was just making a joke at the expense of those people (especially in the media) who were saying he wasn't funny and even going so far as to say that Bush and his impersonator's routine was supposedly funnier than Colbert's masterful performance. To try to say the latter really is like saying Sinbad is funnier than Richard Pryor, etc., in my opinion.

[KyuzoGator]

36. The people who weren't laughing were the ones being targeted.

It's pretty simple, but then again it is the simple-minded backwash who aren't understanding it.