The O'Franken Factor: Humor with a Serious Purpose
My personal reaction to covering the talk
by Al Franken last night at a fundraiser for Jewish Family
Services.
I don't get
it.
WOKR-TV (ABC affiliate Channel 13, owned by Clear Channel Communications) was the only "Gold" co-sponsor for the Jewish Family Services fundraiser held last night at the Riverside Convention Center. That means that they had to have given the largest financial contribution. In addition, WOKR-TV's reporter Darren Mark emceed the event.
And yet WOKR apparently didn't bother to send a reporter to cover Al Franken's talk. (At least, no one from WOKR was present for the "press opportunity" provided before the event, and Franken is not mentioned on the WOKR website. If I am wrong, I will happily post a correction.)
Franken was the main attraction.
Perhaps WOKR top brass didn't think Franken was newsworthy, or were afraid a reporter's presence might signal a support for Franken's clearly partisan politics. Yet Fox News (Channel 31) sent a reporter, and Fox has been a prime target for Franken's ridicule. Also present were WROC (CBS Channel 8) and R-News (Time-Warner cable Channel 9).
The Democrat & Chronicle did a full-page pre-event advance in last week's Weekend, as well as a story in today's paper. (Frankly, I think that story puts far to much emphasis on Franken as a comedian and far too little on what he has to say about politics, but then, unlike the D&C, I am "biased." Nevermind why the D&C's emphasis is "objective" while mine is not.)
Perhaps WOKR was thinking it's not news, it's only entertainment. Entertainment isn't news -- unless of course, it's about Ben and J-Lo or Janet Jackson's breast.
For my money, though, give me a talk by Al Franken before you give me a talk by Dick Cheney or even President Bush.
Entertaining he is, without a doubt. But unlike so many comedians who pick up on whatever tidbit in the news they can do a funny riff on, Franken's comedy is solidly grounded in an understanding of complex, serious issues. And unlike President Bush, Franken actually knows what he is talking about.
Jay Leno drives me nuts because he will take some tiny incident and blow it all out of proportion and do a version of the same joke night after night. He does it just to be funny, but because so many young people get their news today from comedians, what comedians do is serious business. Protestations to the contrary, Leno shapes the views many people have of politicians. I would warrant that he and David Letterman can be credited in large part with the deeply entrenched view that Al Gore has a "wooden" personality -- despite the fact that when Gore appeared on Leno's program before the 2000 election, Gore was charmingly warm and funny. Leno insists that his comedy knows no political party or agenda.
Franken makes no bones about his own partisanship. At least he is honest about that.
I am sure there are at least a few folks reading this blog who would say, well of course, you would endorse Franken. After all, you are a liberal (choke, gag). Truth is, I am not a liberal. Liberalism is way too far to the right for me. Liberalism to me is a sappy happy view of the structure of things as they are -- all we need to do is to tweak this and that, and we will be just fine, thank you very much. If there is anything that the Bush administration has done for me it is to show me the fallacies of liberalism -- that our electoral system works in the "marketplace of ideas" to produce the best leaders possible. Instead, what has happened has served as proof positive to me that this country desperately needs drastic, radical change.
Al Franken is a "good liberal." Unlike me he supports military solutions to problems -- in certain cases. Unlike me he believes that presidential candidate John Kerry will lead this nation back onto its true path. Although no doubt I will vote for Kerry in November, I hold no illusions about what he will be able to accomplish, particularly if the Republican stronghold in the Senate and the House is upheld. Things will be somewhat better for the poor, working-class, and middle-class citizens who have borne the brunt of the Bush administration's axe. Perhaps the disastrous so-called Medicare "prescription benefit" will be seen for what it is and rolled back, with a real prescription benefit put in its place. More money will be made available to the states to support health care for the poor, and possibly the middle class. Programs to improve the lot of disadvantaged persons in this country will be restored, and perhaps a few new ones created. But the real sickness of this country -- with its foundation in corporate greed -- will not change.
But what Al Franken has to say cuts to the core of what is wrong with the present administration. As I listened to his talk last night, I was deeply aware of the silences between certain riffs -- those silences were pregnant with meaning and profound sorrow for what has happened in this country and the damage it has done around the world in the past three years. For all the fun he has with the Bush troglodytes, Franken's comedy comes from a sense of deep compassion for those the administration has harmed.
It isn't just Franken's liberal politics that makes him different from Rush Limbaugh and others of his ilk now dominating the air waves. What makes him really different is that Al Franken cares deeply about people who have little ability to be heard. He has something to say worth listening to. If you weren't laughing so hard, you'd be in tears.
Wednesday Franken launches his 3-hour week-day radio program on the Air America radio network, timed to be Limbaugh's competition from noon to 3 p.m. Although it will be broadcast only in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, you will be able to tune in on the internet through the Air America website. Titled "The O'Franken Factor" with the stated intention of baiting Bill O'Reilly (The O'Reilly Factor) into suing him again, the show promises to be a lively alternative to Limbaugh.
Listen. Learn. Laugh. But remember, Franken's comedy is serious business. The most important points he makes will be found in those pregnant silences. You might want to keep a box of tissues handy, just in case you find yourself thinking too hard on what it's really about.
WOKR-TV (ABC affiliate Channel 13, owned by Clear Channel Communications) was the only "Gold" co-sponsor for the Jewish Family Services fundraiser held last night at the Riverside Convention Center. That means that they had to have given the largest financial contribution. In addition, WOKR-TV's reporter Darren Mark emceed the event.
And yet WOKR apparently didn't bother to send a reporter to cover Al Franken's talk. (At least, no one from WOKR was present for the "press opportunity" provided before the event, and Franken is not mentioned on the WOKR website. If I am wrong, I will happily post a correction.)
Franken was the main attraction.
Perhaps WOKR top brass didn't think Franken was newsworthy, or were afraid a reporter's presence might signal a support for Franken's clearly partisan politics. Yet Fox News (Channel 31) sent a reporter, and Fox has been a prime target for Franken's ridicule. Also present were WROC (CBS Channel 8) and R-News (Time-Warner cable Channel 9).
The Democrat & Chronicle did a full-page pre-event advance in last week's Weekend, as well as a story in today's paper. (Frankly, I think that story puts far to much emphasis on Franken as a comedian and far too little on what he has to say about politics, but then, unlike the D&C, I am "biased." Nevermind why the D&C's emphasis is "objective" while mine is not.)
Perhaps WOKR was thinking it's not news, it's only entertainment. Entertainment isn't news -- unless of course, it's about Ben and J-Lo or Janet Jackson's breast.
For my money, though, give me a talk by Al Franken before you give me a talk by Dick Cheney or even President Bush.
Entertaining he is, without a doubt. But unlike so many comedians who pick up on whatever tidbit in the news they can do a funny riff on, Franken's comedy is solidly grounded in an understanding of complex, serious issues. And unlike President Bush, Franken actually knows what he is talking about.
Jay Leno drives me nuts because he will take some tiny incident and blow it all out of proportion and do a version of the same joke night after night. He does it just to be funny, but because so many young people get their news today from comedians, what comedians do is serious business. Protestations to the contrary, Leno shapes the views many people have of politicians. I would warrant that he and David Letterman can be credited in large part with the deeply entrenched view that Al Gore has a "wooden" personality -- despite the fact that when Gore appeared on Leno's program before the 2000 election, Gore was charmingly warm and funny. Leno insists that his comedy knows no political party or agenda.
Franken makes no bones about his own partisanship. At least he is honest about that.
I am sure there are at least a few folks reading this blog who would say, well of course, you would endorse Franken. After all, you are a liberal (choke, gag). Truth is, I am not a liberal. Liberalism is way too far to the right for me. Liberalism to me is a sappy happy view of the structure of things as they are -- all we need to do is to tweak this and that, and we will be just fine, thank you very much. If there is anything that the Bush administration has done for me it is to show me the fallacies of liberalism -- that our electoral system works in the "marketplace of ideas" to produce the best leaders possible. Instead, what has happened has served as proof positive to me that this country desperately needs drastic, radical change.
Al Franken is a "good liberal." Unlike me he supports military solutions to problems -- in certain cases. Unlike me he believes that presidential candidate John Kerry will lead this nation back onto its true path. Although no doubt I will vote for Kerry in November, I hold no illusions about what he will be able to accomplish, particularly if the Republican stronghold in the Senate and the House is upheld. Things will be somewhat better for the poor, working-class, and middle-class citizens who have borne the brunt of the Bush administration's axe. Perhaps the disastrous so-called Medicare "prescription benefit" will be seen for what it is and rolled back, with a real prescription benefit put in its place. More money will be made available to the states to support health care for the poor, and possibly the middle class. Programs to improve the lot of disadvantaged persons in this country will be restored, and perhaps a few new ones created. But the real sickness of this country -- with its foundation in corporate greed -- will not change.
But what Al Franken has to say cuts to the core of what is wrong with the present administration. As I listened to his talk last night, I was deeply aware of the silences between certain riffs -- those silences were pregnant with meaning and profound sorrow for what has happened in this country and the damage it has done around the world in the past three years. For all the fun he has with the Bush troglodytes, Franken's comedy comes from a sense of deep compassion for those the administration has harmed.
It isn't just Franken's liberal politics that makes him different from Rush Limbaugh and others of his ilk now dominating the air waves. What makes him really different is that Al Franken cares deeply about people who have little ability to be heard. He has something to say worth listening to. If you weren't laughing so hard, you'd be in tears.
Wednesday Franken launches his 3-hour week-day radio program on the Air America radio network, timed to be Limbaugh's competition from noon to 3 p.m. Although it will be broadcast only in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, you will be able to tune in on the internet through the Air America website. Titled "The O'Franken Factor" with the stated intention of baiting Bill O'Reilly (The O'Reilly Factor) into suing him again, the show promises to be a lively alternative to Limbaugh.
Listen. Learn. Laugh. But remember, Franken's comedy is serious business. The most important points he makes will be found in those pregnant silences. You might want to keep a box of tissues handy, just in case you find yourself thinking too hard on what it's really about.
Posted: Mon - March 29, 2004 at 09:24 AM
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My name is Georgia NeSmith. "Random Acts of Love" is my weblog, but I have numerous other websites you can link to through this blog. "Random Acts of Love" began in February, 2004, and I have been posting to it fairly steadily ever since, although there are a few months when illness and other issues have kept me away. I write about nearly everything under the sun. I also do a lot of photography and digital art and I teach journalism online. Recently I've also started posting videos to YouTube.
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written by: Bob Russell / Carl Sigman
Sung by Billie Holiday
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-- Margaret Mead
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-- Aeschylus, Agamemnon
-- From "Crazy, He Calls Me"
written by: Bob Russell / Carl Sigman
Sung by Billie Holiday
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
-- Margaret Mead
"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all..."
-- Emily Dickinson
"In our sleep, pain, which we cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom, through the awful grace of God.
-- Aeschylus, Agamemnon
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