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June 04, 2005

Let's Rumble

Harry and et alia of Scratchings are

... out of patience with famous liberals who are kind of against war, but not willing to yell about it on their radio shows.

Specifically, they are irked by Al Franken and Air America.

Thus, it falls to me to defend Franken, etc., in what I hope will blossom into a vicious, dirty little online war.

1. I strenuously disagree with et alia about Franken's funniness. I don't listen to every second of Air America's broadcasts, but I defy anyone to say Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them and Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot aren't funny. I defy you!

Plus, Franken was often genuinely funny on SNL. He is funny. It cannot be denied. Do not deny it.

2. Air America does have strong whitebread, NY-Times-on-the-radio tendencies. But.

In these days of modern times, even the NYT types, with all their flaws, need to be defended. Yes, they're incredibly white. Yes, they are blind to anything having to do with class. And yes, if necessary they will kill millions so Hillary will be elected and they can be appointed Assistant Undersecretary of State for East Africa.

However, they do have one redeeming quality, which is they aren't batshit crazy. They do care about reality, even if they miss huge swaths of it because of their nice liberal blinders. That's a low standard to meet, but here in 2005 I consider anyone an ally if they aren't certifiably insane.

Franken isn't certifiably insane. And if larger progressive forces make enough noise to make him feel safe, he will stride in the right direction. And you never know when the previously irksome nice liberals will have had enough and will break completely. This has already happened to Jeffrey Sachs, and Paul Krugman may be nearing such a point himself.

3. Air America can surprise you from time to time. It's not JUST polishing the Democrats' knobs. Janeane Garofalo in particular comes up with some pretty frank statements and guests. Chuck D, though there less these days, has also been impressive and interesting.

SO IN CONCLUSION

I understand the temptation to dismiss these folks. But honestly, our forces are not so powerful that we're in any position to throw poop at anyone even vaguely sympathetic. We don't have to love them, nor they us. But let's save the internecine bloodbath for the Biden administration.

Posted at June 4, 2005 01:26 PM | TrackBack
Comments

I got a server trying to pick a fight with you :-(

Posted by: Harry at June 4, 2005 01:41 PM

Good points, I think. We need every drop, ounce and speck of energy, even if it's only well-intentioned but not skillful .. the rest of these fuckers are out of their *god-given* minds and will screw us time and time and time again ( we are watching that fact happen in slow-motion). So let's not scare off or piss off well-meaning but unskilled change agents and provocateurs .. we need every single one.

Posted by: Jon Husband at June 4, 2005 03:40 PM

I'm only irked by Al Franken and have no larger beef with AirAmerica; it is what it is, and don't expect it to be more than that. (Full disclosure: the sig. other is a big Randi Rhodes fan.)

Maybe I'm just a humorless sonofabitch, but I didn't find Lies and the Lying Liars particularly amusing, although it was readable and informative. As far as Franken on SNL goes, four words: the Al Franken Decade. It was mildly funny the first time he said it, and it grated everytime after that. I do remember the Franken and Davis show bits as being truly funny, but I'm showing my age here.

Is this a bloodbath? I don't think so. We just disagree about Franken.

Posted by: et alia at June 5, 2005 01:09 AM

Harry,

I'm glad to hear of your decision to let bygones be bygones in this matter. After some thought, I've concluded I'd far rather collaborate with you on fleecing the unwary than go at it head to head. I'm a businessman, and blood is always expensive.

Jon,

Yes, that's how I see it. As someone myself who in the past was an infuriating liberal, and who still retains infuriating liberal qualities, I'm not willing to write anyone off.

et alia,

Are you familiar with the big book of sketches from the first five years of SNL? I think if you read it (and see what F&D were responsible for even when not in it) your appreciation for Mr. Franken would increase.

Plus, the Lies and the Lying Liars title is funny all by itself. Stop the denial!

Posted by: Jonathan Schwarz at June 5, 2005 12:36 PM

This is all very interesting.

No, really...interesting.

Please continue.

Posted by: Mr and Mrs. Similgossetparshettemingoss at June 7, 2005 11:48 AM