Stewart and Oliver lie back, think of England

Maybe it’s because I have British friends so this becomes ten times more hilarious, maybe it’s because I’m enchanted by John Oliver’s dimples, or maybe it’s just that I find it so gosh-darn adorable when other countries try to have scandals, but I thought that last night’s second segment on the Daily Show was beyond fabulous.

This is not to say I don’t usually pee my pants laughing over Jon Stewart, because I do.  But I’ve found that the more I get involved in politics and understanding on a “why yes I do watch White House press briefings sometimes, stop laughing at me” sort of way that the oversimplifications that used to not bother me are now starting to rankle.

Both of my siblings and my best friend would really, really like it if I could stop laughing and then turning to them and going “okay, that was funny, but let me explain to you all the ways in which Jon oversimplified the matter and how in fact this falls in murky waters so far as checks and balances go…” And I would like it to. But alas, those days are gone. My inner politics geek has reared it’s ugly, egg-shaped head, and I cannot go back to my dreamy innocence.

And this is precisely why I found this segment so refreshingly hysterical, I think. I mean yes, it helped that John Oliver and Jon Stewart’s timing was impeccable and the writing was great and blah blah blah, but finally, a news story I could just laugh at without any trace of guilt! There were no nits to pick! Just good, old-fashioned political humor, the way I like it.

So please, anyone and everyone who is involved in politics, please take note. If you could, I would love for you all to get involved in a scandal that is both hilarious and is equally as ridiculous as using taxpayer money to clean your moat. I feel like maybe, I don’t know, Brazil is due to discover that it’s head of state is siphoning money to pay for his Chex Mix addiction. Or hey, you know what’s always a good time? When an anti-gay activist gets outed.

Because call me crazy, but I love for these stories. I live for those stories. I think the world needs more superfluous stories like that as a break from all the torture and recession and stuff.  I’m looking at you, secretly closeted senator who is trying to hide their addiction to phone sex hotlines. If you could be found out in a spectacular and hilarious way, it’d make me really, really happy.

Clacked by Julia Hass
on May 22, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT