Take a Stand Against Sick Comedy!

Unless you think the idea of Bill O'Reilly getting to slap people is funny (as opposed to Bill O'Reilly going to jail for assault), protest the release of "An American Carol." Don't spend your hard earned money on theater tickets to watch this steaming heap of right-wing stereotypes. Send for a copy of "God Is a Rubber Duck" instead.

I am not suggesting censoring David Zucker's latest film. I would never suggest censorship. The best way to protest bad art or objectionable speech (Bill O'Reilly screaming at Barney Frank) is to not pay for it and not participate in it. (How long would O'Reilly last if folks like Frank's only response was, "I refuse to participate in a show which is only propaganda."?)

As a long-time fan of Zucker's, it was a disappointment to discover that, despite his earlier work, he has little understanding of the basic rule of satire: to be funny it has to have a large element of truth. Tina Fey's depiction of Sarah Palin is only funny because it captures the essence of Palin's character (someone who does not understand that being a maverick is only a positive, if you are taking a stand against an error in the common wisdom and not merely being an oppositional pain-in-the-ass).

Think of one of the greatest satirists of our time, the greatly missed George Carlin. He lampooned both left and right-wing politics by showing us bits of uncomfortable truth through exaggeration. Phil Ochs' "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" remains funny by catching some of the worst of the character traits many liberals and now in the progressive movement (liberals too weak kneed to embrace the label). Sadly Ochs' "Cops of the World" is funny because, released in 1966, it seems so prescient.

Merely displaying right-wing stereotypes that, like the drowning of sick and handicapped children portrayed in the film, is more revealing of the warped character of the those that find such things funny than evocative of some truth behind the stereotypes.

And despite the film's central assertion, those of us who see flaws in the right-wing running of the country, do understand the need to protect the country against terrorists. We do not think that need excuses everything done by and in America. It does not excuse invading the wrong country for whatever reason was really behind the Iraq invasion.

So take a stand against this kind of deeply flawed and objectionable comedy. Buy "God Is a Rubber Duck" instead. It would make a great movie.

For those who are still not sure, check back tomorrow. I will be putting the full, first five chapters on line.