June 30, 2003
Dennis Miller
I have no problem with Dennis Miller being a Republican. I don’t even have a problem with him opening for G.W. Bush.
But over the weekend he made a joke about Howard Dean that really set me on edge. He claimed he couldn’t support Dean because of “the tattoo of Neville Chamberlain on his forearm.”
Why am I upset? It’s not that Miller made a joke about Dean. It’s not that he called Dean an appeaser, virtually a traitor.
The problem is, the joke wasn’t funny. Dennis Miller committed a crime against comedy.
For starters someone needs to tell Dennis the Menace that Neville Chamberlain went to Munich 65 years ago. The median age of death in this country is 74. Do some math -- most of us don't get the reference.
In fact, we're nearly as far removed from Neville Chamberlain at Munich as Chamberlain was, at that time, from the Battle of Gettysburg. Bob Hope (that era's Dennis Miller) would have known not to hit a 1938 audience with his George McClellen material -- no matter how much Alf Landon liked it.
It's not like you can't make good jokes about Howard Dean, even mean, cruel, vicious jokes about Howard Dean. I gave myself about 10 minutes, and came up with these:
Dean isn't from Vermont. He was born in New York to a family of rich investment bankers. But in the 60s he went through a rebellious period. He finally decided to go as far away from the world of money and politics as he possibly could. Now, that explains why he's a Democrat, but what's with Vermont?
Vermont has had a run-in with Presidential politics before. President Calvin Coolidge was from Vermont. It balances out, a President who wouldn't speak and a candidate who won't shut up.
Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's has decided not to endorse Howard Dean, but there is good news. The cast of the old "Bob Newhart" show, the one set in Vermont, are set to endorse him. Larry and Daryl are on board, but Daryl is still mad about Dean breaking up with Torvill.
We're not into making jokes about family members, but Dean's son Paul did a Daffy thing, driving the getaway car while his buddies raided a local country club for its liquor supply. A few days later (true story) Dean was asked about his Democratic rivals and said, "they don't like me breaking into their country club." Really. Dizzy Dean.
Dean is a very lucky man. He married a nice Jewish girl. Not just any nice Jewish girl, a doctor. Probably explains his economic plan. He told her that if we raise taxes high enough the country will make a profit, then we declare a dividend and (here's the good part) it's tax free.
Here's an unusual fact. Vermont was actually a sovereign nation, for 14 years. That's five years longer than Texas. It turns out Vermont's founding fathers were revolting against New York, of all things. Figures, someone had a crystal ball with Howard Dean's face on it.
Time. That's 10 minutes, actually 9:35. Those aren't great jokes, but any one of them is better than Dennis Miller's Chamberlain bit.
Dennis, time to get a new party. The one you're in is no fun.
I’ve never thought Dennis Miller was the least bit funny. He’s just a smirking wise guy who thinks his feces doesn’t stink. He’s perfect for the Bush lovers, smirk, snide laugh and holier than thou attitude.
I don’t care for anyone who humiliates or makes “jokes” at someone else’s expense. It’s right wing humor at is worst or best depending on your point of view.
Barry Crimmins, the populist activist and humorist, used to write for Miller when Miller had an edge. Crimmin wrote a piece that ripped Miller a new sphincter.
Posted by: Rick at June 30, 2003 06:24 PMI rolled on the floor laughing when I heard Miller’s crack about Dean’s tatoo.
It was therefore objectively funny, but yours about Dean breaking up with Torvil wasn’t bad. The jew-bashing isn’t nice, however - they’ve suffered enough.
Posted by: Richard Bennett at June 30, 2003 07:32 PMIs there any truly universal humorists on the right these days? I mean people who even left-wingers can get a laugh out of on a fairly regular basis?
I’m a big Dean supporter, but I wouldn’t be offended at all by those jokes you come up with (I love the Torvill one).
Posted by: Chris Andersen at June 30, 2003 07:33 PMhonestly, who cares? dennis miller may have taken a shot at dean, but if you really think about it, isn’t he one of the easiest comedians to take shots back at? sure he’s clever and all, but i know i laugh more at people doing dennis miller impersonations than i ever would at dennis miller. furthermore, i don’t hear too many of you complaining at the way most late night “comedians” recite jokes written for them ripping on bush for being a moron. while that is probably closer to the truth than the quip about dean being a traitor, the point is to not take comedy so seriously. support who you want, but you have to let comedians - good and bad - attempt to make a living.
Posted by: Cole at June 30, 2003 08:28 PMMiller is an opportunist who has become too content with his celebrity to be funny. He’s got no edge and can only get a laugh preaching to the choir by making fun of people who don’t hold his point of view.
He’s turning right because he knows there aren’t a lot of funny Republicans, so he’s got the field to himself. He knows on which side his white bread is buttered.
Yuppie scum.
Posted by: grover at June 30, 2003 09:14 PMWell, I guess the remark about “obscure historical references” must be true [though why such a seminal event as Munich should be obscure, regardless of time past, rather escapes me], since it appears the initial commentator has rather missed the bus [or point]. I don’t think anyone at the time [not even Churchill] said or thought that Neville Chamberlain was a “traitor”, nor do I think that history so judges him.
So a remark about someone having a Chamberlain mark should not be taken as an accusation of treason, but rather as indicating that the target is dangerously misguided in a pompous and potentially self-righteous way. Whether that applies to Dean or not I know not, since I don’t follow USA politics, not [deo gratias] being a citizen of that country.
Posted by: John Howard Oxley at June 30, 2003 09:42 PMAs a former Vermonter, Howard Dean IS a TRAITOR!
Posted by: John at July 1, 2003 02:37 AMChrist, I bet the lot of you were those children were those who laughed at the class clown’s jokes when he was talking about someone else, but started to get really hurt and offended when those jokes were directed towards you. I had not heard the Chamberlain crack, but now that you’ve informed me of it, it is pretty funny.
What’s even funnier is all the posts decrying how not-funny Miller is now that he’s shilling for Bush. If I were to guess, these are probably the same people who thought that Miller was freaking hilarious when he was he was ripping on Bush, Cheney, and Ashcroft.
I thought that the right was suffering from a profound lack of a sense of humor. It looks like the left is trying hard not to be left behind in that department also.
-Chris
Posted by: Chris at July 1, 2003 09:06 AMDennis Miller is as funny as any court jester. To those in power, he’s a hoot; to those on the other side, he’s their jack boot.
Look, Bush will get re-elected, the unemployment rate will stay up, we will be in Iraq-nam for 10 years more at least, Halliburton and Bechtel will get filthy rich, our soldiers will die one by one in a never-ending guerilla war. I don’t have kids, am not of a draftable age, and jettisoned my 401k. So I don’t really give a hoot. Just the way it will play out.
Miller isn’t funny cause this sh**t’s not funny. Just boring. Here’s one though: I have found where OJ’s “phanom killer” and the WMDs are. They must be on a golf course cause that is where OJ is looking for his killer and Bush is looking for WMDs. Becha Bin Laden and Saddam are there too cause Bush and his boys are spending a lotta time there… BTW: anybody seen the crossed out Pax Romani replaced by Pax Britannica tattoo on W’s arm? Hey, I’m funny too! Can I get a ride on AirForce One?
Posted by: Der Bellick at July 11, 2003 08:22 PMDennis Miller the late night hipster has decided to shill for the Nazis on Faux News? Talk about cognitive dissonance. How does his ribald wisecracking cityslicker act laced with obscure cultural references square with the provincial denizens of Republicanism who “think they know Neville Chamberlin from that Dr. Kildare show on the TEE-VEE……I heard he was gay.” It must kill Miller to be told to adjust his act to the I.Q. level of the Hee Haw set.
Posted by: MiamiMoe at July 23, 2003 02:03 PMYou people need a lobotomy if you think dennis miller isnt funny. hes linguistic, intellectually sound and hes got the paycheck to prove it. so WTF if hes a republican? the majority in hollywood are dems; political affiliation has nothing to do with comedic talents. hes a no shit kinda guy, he tells it like it is, hes raw, uncensored and id rather have his honest opinions about something than some sugar coated BS that so many others spew. you dont think hes funny? well heres a quarter, go out & buy yourself a better sense of humor.
Posted by: Rantaholic at August 4, 2003 06:58 AMAlthough I have no problem with Dennis Miller turning more conservative; however, he can support right-wing views without leaning on the easy, lazy, all-encompassing liberal-bashing that has driven me up the wall for the past 20 years. I was fed up with liberal-bashing long before Dennis suddenly took it up as a hobby (and as a job-hunting tool?). Miller is better than that cop-out method of politics.
Yet, on his appearance on Leno last month, Miller appeared more even-handed. He even blasted this country’s obsession with thinness—not exactly a right-winged cause. Maybe job security (with Fox News) will get him back on even (and even-handed) keel?
I’ll link this article to my website:
An Open Letter to Dennis Miller
http://mnl_1221.tripod.com/dennismiller.html
wow. a guy makes a neville chamberlain joke and look what ensues.
think we’ve got a little too much time on our hands, cha-chas.
Posted by: gerric at August 26, 2003 10:03 PMDennis is funny as hell!
He rips the liberals apart on the Tonight Show. And he does a great job! Dennis is also critical of Rush Limbaugh, even to this day. He is also pro-choice.
He doesn’t sound super right wing to me. Can’t liberals take a joke? Can’t they realize not everyone hates America? Hey, liberals CAN BE SO SILLY THAT THEY ARE FUNNY!
Rush Limbaugh is very funny sometimes when he goofs on liberals and their p.c. stand on issues. And man, does that piss liberals off! The fact that their politics can be really lame and ridiculous.
What? Only stiff, conservatives are ripe material for jokes? Sorry, a lot of you uptight liberals on here are ripe for lampooning!
Yeah Dennis!!! You rock!
Posted by: Jacko at August 31, 2003 05:52 PMI got the Neville Chamberland reference. After I looked his name up on dictionary.com
He was the British Prime Minister who was the great Nazi appeaser. He figured he could give the Nazis a little land and they would chill out.
Like a lot of folks on the Left would love to do around the world! Hell, let them! Just as long as I don’t have to be around when these Islamofascists go nuts and start killing people like crazy cos the libs gave them what they wanted!
America would have done NOTHING after 9/11 if they had there way.
Oh, no, they wouldn’t have. They would have SURRENDERED to Osama and Saddam and all the other Islamic creeps. And made Fidel Castro the Secretary of State!
Yeah, liberals! You keep appeasing them dictators!!!
Posted by: Ticky Picky at August 31, 2003 05:56 PMOK, so there are no super lefty-libs out there cracking jokes? Um, hello, how about BILL “I want to legalize prostitution, drugs and legalize illegal immigration” Mahr”
Posted by: Jeff at September 5, 2003 08:41 AMI like Dennis and I aggree with his views on many political issues. And he is funny at it too.
I had never heard an impersonation of him as cole mailto:cbennett@nd.edu has suggested. Who does it Dana Carvey of Phil Hartman?
Well, no matter what you think cole (weirdo), I have always liked Dennis’s rant and always will!
Buddy Love
Posted by: Buddy Love at September 28, 2003 12:34 AMYou’d think that when Dennis Miller was selling his soul to the devil, he could have negotiated for a better haircut.
Posted by: J. Neal at October 3, 2003 01:59 AMYou know, Dennis may be a republican, but that doesn’t make him a jerk. He’s still a funny guy, and in comedy political beliefs aren’t really that important.
Posted by: John Hugar at November 5, 2003 09:46 PMI read your comment on Miller vs Dean it is why most of the rest of the world hates the Americans. Most of us are ignorant, we think that all Arabs and all the Muslims are the same and we should destroy them. We think Saddam and Bin Laden are body. Do you know that the hijakers are all Saudis and none of them is Iraqi and the Saudis are the best friends of the state. Read Times and watch Discover channel or History channel not FOX or Dennis Miller please.
Posted by: jimmy at November 27, 2003 12:54 PMKeep on Keepin on Dennis Miller, he speaks in a bluntly honest way with great wit! If the left truly loved the U.S. Of A, they too would find his wit “right on”
Posted by: Tamara Clark at January 2, 2004 11:45 PM
