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Laughter is Your Voting Ballot

Sometimes political humor is tasteless, but that's because it isn't really political. Poking fun of Jr. Bush's untalented attempts at public speaking is not political humor . It's below the belt and has no real political value. But Jay Leno saying "I hear the Iraqis are in need of a constitution, why don't we just give them ours, we're not using it." is a blessed addition to free speech and reveals a lot, as to what's going on in the people's political arena.

None of these political humorists are politically impartial, that's true, but they are looking for the injustices, and that's where the people's eyes should be directed, as politics always drew power-gluttons to it's arena. There aren't that many seats in congress and even less diverse political views. A politician is, at best of times, someone who wants to make a change for the better and, at worst of times, someone who wants to make a profit.

Only 54% of eligible Americans vote (http://life.familyeducation.c om/elections/politics-us/36258 .html), this, to me, is an obvious sign of despair. The remaining 46% don't see the benefits in casting a ballot, come voting time. These people's voice isn't being heard. Political humor is a great tool, in letting the people be heard. The more political humorists we have, the more views will be heard.

As for the politicians' feelings being spared, I believe political humor should stay political. If we weren't busy with Clinton's oval office affairs, maybe we would have noticed the intentions behind the attack on Iraq, on the night of his impeachment debate. ("Military aggression and political diversion
", http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/ dec1998/iraq-d17.shtml)

There's always room, in humor, for blows below the belt (sorry, couldn't help myself ;) ), but we must distinguish it from political humor. Political humor is a form of satire. Satire is the most important form of expression, when regarding democracy, as it is our last unbiased watch-dog (something that even the press can't claim to anymore). Most political satire doesn't pull any stops, regarding which politician to bite. These comedians, caricaturists and screenplay writers, blindly, go after any politician, who's not acting in the interest of the greater good. They're the ones preserving democracy, and the people laughing along give them their legitimacy. When you laugh, you give them your vote.

Watching Leno, or buying a certain newspaper because its political views resonate with your own, increases ratings and syndication. The more a show is popular, the more copy-cats will repeat the new trend. As a result, a dominant political outcry is raised. That outcry, in turn, will change popular opinion and become the majority. One could say, the watching/reading of political satire is political activism.

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