Inside the Beltway: Questionable Humor Nothing New
A reader shared the following, citing this source:
I don’t mean to minimize the tasteless, offensive nature of Wanda Sykes’ remarks about Rush Limbaugh and kidney failure, but what are we to make of Nixon and Agnew’s performance at the 1970 Gridiron Dinner?
“Things got no better at the Gridiron that night. Absolutely determined that a good time would be had by all, and equally determined to bring down the house, Richard Nixon appeared as the final act. The curtain pulled back to reveal the president and Vice President Spiro Agnew seated at two modest black pianos (Dwight Chapin at the White House had requested grand pianos or at least baby grands but the Statler Hilton could only manage uprights). This was the first time a chief executive had appeared on the Gridiron stage, and Nixon opened by asking: “What about this ‘southern strategy’ we hear so often?” “Yes suh, Mr. President,” Agnew replied, “Ah agree with you completely on yoah southern strategy.” The dialect, as Wilkins observed, got the biggest boffo.
After more banter with the “darky” Agnew, Nixon opened the piano duet with Franklin Roosevelt’s favorite song (“Home on the Range”), then Harry Truman’s (“Missouri Waltz”), then Lyndon Johnson’s (“The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You”). Agnew, drowned him out a few bars into each with a manic Dixie on his piano, and the Gridiron crew got louder and louder. “The crowd ate” it up,” Wilkins observed. “They roared.” Nixon ended with his own favorite songs, “God Bless America” and “Auld Lang Syne,” and here Agnew played it straight.”
For comparison, if you missed it earlier, MSNBC’s report on Sykes’ remarks:
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8 Responses to “Inside the Beltway: Questionable Humor Nothing New”
I don't see the point you're trying to make. Is it “Republicans have been tasteless and offensive too!”?
Apparently, Pete is saying “everyone does it”.
I would have hoped he could have found a better example than a questionable account of a gridiron dinner practically 40 years ago.
Stretching that far must hurt.
Comedy often crosses the lines of good taste, and these are no exceptions. The thing about those couple of lines from Sykes was that they were stale jokes that are made on practically a daily basis on leftwing blogs, and then there's the issue of hypocrisy. Democrats considered it completely beyond the pale for conservatives to ever suggest that liberals were traitors, or that they were 'saying the same things that al Qaeda was saying', but somehow it's now acceptable to say that about Democratic opponents because 'they did it first' (is that really the standards you guys set for yourselves?)
I mean Rush Limbaugh presents a REALLY big target. Surely a talented comedian could have found better ways to skewer him with originality and without playing the same game that you guys feel that he and other conservatives play. Why is it perfectly obvious to some liberals that America should hold itself to higher standards than the terrorists hold to, but when it comes to partisan rhetoric the other guy doing it too is good enough justification for doing what you've complained about for eight solid years?
Anyway, like so many other trivialities, I wish we could stop getting so distracted from real issues. No need to get in a lather about what a comedian says, nor to get in a lather about people getting in a lather.
You make some good points CStanley. I commented before how it seems that we're in this “two wrongs make it right” mentality. You know “Could you imagine if Bush did this?” from the right and “Well Bush did it too” from the left. It's things like this that in my mind turn people away from politics because its easy to perceive it as some stupid game to decide who can be offended more by what someone says. I'm not going to get worked up over what Sykes said. That was kind of the point of the whole thing anyway. But I'm sure Rush will say something in response today that will make the “Quote of the Day” here and we all will have a new (non) story to discuss with the ultimate conclusion that Rush is a blowhard.
Meanwhile, I'm starting to wonder about those other side issues. You know, about the recent uptick in casualties in Iraq and whether or not we will be able to actually withdraw like we said we were. Or where the Gitmo detainees are going to go. But I guess, when Rush is about to respond to a comedy act he all of a sudden becomes relevant and pushes everything else to the backburner.
Someone made a joke about Rush Limbaugh?!!??!?!!?!
OMG! OMG!
I'll bet he's so upset and heartbroken. How could he possibly stand all the increased attention and ratings he'll likely get from this non-story.
Chris is right, Rush loves this stuff. As for his “defenders”, it's just so much faux outrage. Let's be honest, RL has dished out more negative and damaging BS than any other 10 comedians put together. Sykes was funny as hell… for those who still have a sense of humor that is.
Crossing the line is what professional comedians do for a living. Rush will be able to get his listeners jacked up on this for weeks. Fake rage sure does sell ads! It is a win win situation for both.
Could it be that there are just no funny Republicans? That Rich Little really tore it up at last year's dinner – they are still talking about it, great impressions of George Romney, Everett Dirksen and Prescott Bush.