>Just this past weekend, I read the current issue of Reason
>magazine, which I consider a very well written and visually
>well laid out magazine. When I grab an ish of it, I want to
>dive in and read it -- and I'll read it cover to cover in
>one sitting. When I pick up the Nation (which comes to my
>house), I flip in and see if Pollitt is in there, read her,
>maybe read Alterboy to annoy myself, and then maybe read the
>arts and books section. After that, it's time to force
>myself to read the rest of the magazine. (Except Jonathan
>Schell -- I simply cannot read him w/o falling asleep).
>
>So why *are* our magazines so damn dull?
>
Damn good question. I like _Reason_, too. And Peter Bagge's a terrific
addition to the masthead over there.
Reasons Why the Left is Dull;
1. We have to spend a lot of time explaining why the conventional wisdom is wrong. Doesn't leave a lot of room for wit.
2. Most of our news is about some horrible thing going on in the world. The right-wing press can recast their stories into tales of how crazy liberals are fucking things up for other people, which gives them leeway for humor. But it's tough to take that iconoclastic approach to, say, ethnic cleansing or sharia law or partial-birth abortion bans.
3. We spend too much time worrying about the messages inherent in the humor. Anyone with any degree of wit will get a lot of "That's not funny" and "I don't get it" and "Why is this supposed to be funny?" and "What does this mean?" questions from people on the Left. After a while, they drift away.
4. Humor has to have some cruelty in it to be any good. Thus, right-wingers have the freedom to make fun of poor people, sick people, women, gays, blacks, Native Americans, and everything else. All we let ourselves do is make fun of people in power.