Funny Business
Remember when people were all concerned that Al Franken, as a comedian, wasn’t qualified for the Senate?
That was dumb. I’m starting to think that comedians are becoming the most powerful politicians of our time.
Remember not too long ago when the Icelandic “Best Party” won big on campaign promises of free towels? And of course, knowing my target demographic, I don’t need to remind you about Stephen Colbert’s presidential campaign in 2008. (Spoiler Alert: it will probably happen again at some point.)
Well, Brazil has just one-upped that. They elected a clown. A goddamn clown.
Are you terrified yet?
It seems that “Grumpy the Clown” won twice as many votes as his nearest competitor in Brazil’s Congressional elections. His campaign slogan? “It can’t get any worse.” It certainly has a ring to it, but now there are concerns that he might not even be literate, a Constitutional requirement for representatives in Brazil. What makes things really interesting is that Brazil has laws protecting its politicians from almost any form of satire.
(Is it just me, or does this whole thing smell like an episode of The Simpsons?)
In fact, I can’t think of a time when an active sense of humor hurt a politician. To be genuinely funny in the political realm requires a quick wit and an understanding of how government really works (or doesn’t work). Lacking that, one at least needs to be good at puns, which is an admirable skill in itself. Yes, most of these comedians are winning their elections on popular protest votes, but it seems to me that they’re working well not only as members of government, but also as lightning rods for widespread political participation. (Think of the hundreds of thousands of people at the Rally to Restore Sanity.) If people can do their job well, and substitute hollow political jargon for wits and ridiculousness, well then hell, I say The Glass Is Half Full.
Honestly, I don’t know how most Federal officials get by if they don’t have a sense of humor. Except, of course, when they fake it. And let me tell you, if that isn’t an example of the glass being half empty, I don’t know what is.