Craig Ferguson: no more Britney jokes (crowd laughs anyway)
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Stumble ThisFerguson sometimes drops the cynical late-night stance and speaks earnestly. This Monday, he decided to avoid cheap shots at the weak while reserving the right to jab at the powerful, as comedy should. (I didn't know he was an alcoholic: his description of going to rehab instead of killing himself is both funny and moving.)
[edit] I think the title is a bit hard on the audience. They're normally pumped up to laugh anyway and Ferguson didn't play it entirely straight.
however, these people lead public lives, just like politicians and other rich/powerful people. if you're selling yourself one minute you can't take offense when people make humorous comments about what you do the next minute when you're not explicitely acting like a product.
... okay, done with the 'devil's advocate' thing.
the more you know!(rainbow & nbc logo)
... however, to a significant portion of society it IS newsworthy when popular-culture figures, professional atheletes, or publicly elected officials have problems. They exist to us as creations of our collective societal conciousness, and guffawing at their imperfect lives both brings them momentarily down to the level of the lowely tv viewer and gives another easily digested collective story to share socially.
Marie Antoinette was said to be cheating on her husband the King with his brother-in-law, Charles X. Popular and scandalous pamphlets were circulated with drawings of them having butt-sex... I REST MY CASE! hah
Questioning the sanity and/or integrity of elected officials, or high ranking lobbyists, religious leaders or business men and women, is another matter altogether. If gay-hating fascists who are powerful takes a walk on the brown side, thats NEWSWORTHY, if dick cheneys lesbian daughter adopts, thats a personal, but highly NEWSWORTHY thing. Anna Nicole and Britney having issues may be worth a mention, but not the kind of obsession the current media has.
And thanks for sifting this vid. Really made my day.
*runs off to search for more craig ferguson*
Maudlin submits 1, and he gets 114 votes...
How do you do it man???
I think this video just hit the Sift sweet spot this month, combining the quality of Ferguson and the initial rush of sympathy a lot of people had for Britney (partially dissipated now).
But sometimes you just don't know what will work here. I've put up things I thought were awesome and they disappeared or barely made it to the front page. Meanwhile, Principles of economics, translated somehow got almost as big as this video. I had no clue there were that many economics geeks on the Sift.
I've never seen a whole episode of this talk show of his...
BUT This monologue was just superb, heartfelt, true on many levels, and just makes me like the man more. A+ for him.