The Best Medicine: Why Comedy Matters in Politics

An Editorial and Reflection by Brian Contreras

Politics at home and abroad so often make people emotional, whether because of the content itself or the strong opinions people have about it, that making jokes seems to rarely be an appropriate response. All too often people will argue that it isn't the time or the place for being comedic, and that doing so diminishes the importance of the event or issue being made light of in the first place. And frequently, this is true; current events are overflowing with stories that, if not deserving of empathy, are at the very least worthy of being taken seriously.

Yet all too often, people's knee-jerk reaction to a joke being made about a pertinent issue is to call out the speaker as insensitive or untimely. And to be fair, this is generally an accurate assessment of the situation. Most would-be "comedians" are just using tragedy or conflict to satisfy a need for attention, without fulfilling the most basic requirement for being a comic - which is to say, actually being funny. Yet the problem here is the tastelessness of the attempt at humor, not the fact that an attempt was made. Because comedy is not only a basic way that humans deal with pain, but also (if done right) an erudite yet accessible format of art. Just as Pablo Picasso's Guernica or Terry George's Hotel Rwanda dealt with tragedies or social issues in a respectful but still personal manner, modern comedians have the ability to use their own unique method of communication to draw attention to issues, illustrate flaws in society, and perhaps most importantly, make people happy when they have no other reason to be.

One particularly salient illustration of the key role humor plays in the modern world is that of Hannibal Buress and his use of stand-up comedy to publicize the accusations of rape against Bill Cosby (which had been largely ignored for many years up to that point). During one of his sets Buress called out not only the older comedian and alleged rapist, but also the society that allowed him to remain unconvicted for so many years following the first victim stepping forwards. Almost immediately following the routine, websites and publications across the nation were publishing articles detailing the many accounts of sexual assault up to that point, which in turn led more women to come forwards and say that they, too, had been victimized by Cosby. The fact that it took a male comedian to make this a public issue, rather than the victims themselves, is problematic to the extreme; however, at the same time, it exemplifies the power comedy has to influence social systems.

Another recent event exemplary of this potential power is the strange tale of Seth Rogen and James Franco's stoner comedy The Interview, which openly mocked Kim Jong-un and his North Korean dictatorship. Franco and Rogen, famous for works like Freaks and Geeks and This is the End, may not seem like the likeliest candidates to cause an international cyber-terrorism crisis; but then again, you're not the Supreme Leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Following the announcement of the film's release by Sony Pictures, Jong-un's administration threatened retaliation; soon after, massive amounts of Sony documents and data were leaked online, and the film was eventually pulled from widespread release following the threat of further attacks, possibly physical in nature. Regardless of the actual quality of the comedy (which has received middling reviews since then), it's power to intimidate or humiliate world leaders to the point of large-scale hacking attacks against major world superpowers is astounding, and indicative of the political leverage comedy and satire can have if used under the right circumstances.

Also in the news cycle over the last few weeks has been the finale of perchance the most famous work of political satire of this century - Comedy Central's iconic The Colbert Report, a mocking news show that poked fun at conservative politics, foreign crises, and all manner of timely issues. Following his introduction through The Daily Show with John Stewart (a similar albeit less satirically-tilted program), the eponymous Stephen Colbert adopted an uber-Republican persona while discussing each day's news items. Yet the character and the man alike extended far beyond the confines of the show, with events like Colbert's biting speech at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner, his massive DC-based "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear", or his sharp take on campaign finance reform through the Super PAC "Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow" demonstrating his commitment to character, comedy, and criticism. Such an expansion of the brand made him as important to the American political scene as nearly any other pundit or policy maker, and ironically enough, a man who lived behind a satirical facade became one of the most honest voices in the mass media. The loss of his irreplaceable insight and humor will be sorely missed from American televisions, all the more so because of the degree to which his comedy mattered not just as humor but as a force for social change.

But likely the most striking example of the power of humor in the world, and certainly the most fresh in our minds, is that of Charlie Hebdo - the satirical French publication that, after publishing a controversial portrayal of Muhammad, was attacked by two Islamist terrorists in what led to the direct death of twelve victims (as well as that of five more in subsequent acts of violence). Much has been said about the relative merits of the Hebdo cartoon and whether it was satirical or simply offensive in nature; this forum is not the place for such discussions. All that can be said is that the events were tragic, and the needless deaths deeply saddening. The idea that comedy (even of the offensive sort) would be cause for murder is unthinkable.

For better or worse, comedy is an immensely powerful tool, as the Charlie Hebdo staff proved through their publications that both led to and reflected on the attacks; whether one agrees with or rejects the specific stance of them or any other comedian is besides the point. To limit the freedom to make jokes (whether through law, intimidation, or violence) is to limit the human capacity for self-expression. This is not to say that there aren't limits in humor, but rather that the limits must be based on the preservation of safety and well being rather than the avoidance of offense. After all, truly powerful, world-changing art will always offend someone; that art being comedic in nature makes it no less important.

Why D.C. Teenagers Have Taken a Stand Against Police Brutality

By William Bates and Yared Lingo

          This past Wednesday, December 17, The School Without Walls High School of Washington, DC held a protest in front of the White House.  The school was protesting police brutality and unpunished violence against African-Americans. School Without Walls students were outraged by these crimes, particularly the recent deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice.  The students marched from their school at 21st and G street NW, DC to the White House. At the foot of the White House, the students staged a “die-in”, wherein they laid together on the ground for over 30 minutes before marching their way back to their school in time for their midterm tests.

          The demonstration accomplished one thing without a doubt: proving that the youth of America care about this pressing issue. The protest was conceived by teenagers, organized by teenagers, and enacted by teenagers. The student organizers of the demonstration went above and beyond social media posts and hashtags to incite real action. The amount of time and effort put forth by the students, not only the organizers but also the participants, would be noteworthy even in adults. So this protest raises an important question: why is it that a demographic generally viewed as apathetic would take a stand, and in a huge way, on their own volition?

Students marching to the White House (The Nation).

School Without Walls Protest. Digital image. The Nation. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.

        Social media, most notably Twitter, has been monumental in influencing this phenomenon. There is a clear relation between the online movement and the physical actions, as suggested by the chants used by the students during their demonstration. In recent days, masses of Twitter members have used the platform to post their feelings about some of the recent police brutality-caused deaths, including those of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice. Common Twitter hashtags #icantbreathe and #blacklivesmatter were then transformed into call-and-response protest chants by the School Without Walls student body. The students’ yells of “Black Lives Matter!”, “No Justice! No Peace!”, “I Can’t Breathe!” and more could be easily recognized by anyone involved in the movement, largely thanks to their vast popularity on Twitter and other social media.

        Social media also provides accessibility to the movement for the students and helps to explain why this issue in particular garnered support from America’s youth. According to a 2013 Pew Research poll, 96% of black people in the United States aged 18-29 (the youngest age demographic with available data) use a social network, compared to 90% of white people in the same age group[1]. The difference is even more significant on Twitter specifically, where the number for white young adults becomes 28%, and for black young adults becomes 40%[1]. Black youth in particular have taken their outrage at police discrimination and brutality to social media outlets, especially Twitter; this online outrage has, in turn, morphed into student protests including (but certainly not limited to) the one by School Without Walls.

The School Without Walls die-in (The Nation).

School Without Walls Protest. Digital image. The Nation. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.

An important part of the responses to the recent deaths is that young people (especially African-Americans) are realizing that this could happen to anyone. This attitude is shaping responses on social media and also leading to protests all over the United States. Such racial discrimination against African American youth by the judicial system has been occurring for a glaring number of years, as seen in the case of George Stinney (a 14-year-old African-American who was wrongly convicted of murder and executed in 1944). The ages of the recent victims of police discrimination give further explanation as to why teenagers are protesting. They can empathize with Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, John Crawford III, and Trayvon Martin, who were aged 18, 12, 23, and 17 respectively at the time of their deaths.

Student speakers at the die-in (The Nation).

School Without Walls High School Protest. Digital image. The Nation. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.

There is currently a process within the United States in which black people are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that they could lose a friend, an acquaintance, or a family member at any time and they might not get any help from the American justice system. Students, especially black students, have seen that the police do not necessarily only harm people guilty of a crime, and that the justice system might not protect them if they are the victim of a crime at the hands of another civilian. This concept was expressed vehemently when the murder of Trayvon Martin was in the news thanks to the “Skittles and Iced Tea” campaign (naming the only items an unarmed Martin had with him at the time of his death). It was also seen at the protest when Aram Barnett, a School Without Walls student, spoke to his fellow students and surrounding observers during the die-in. His speech ended on a powerful note, stating that the next victim of police racial bias could be one of his friends or even himself.

           The unique nature of this movement has been able to emotionally charge the American youth. Largely thanks to social media, an attitude of “anyone can be murdered by police”, and the relatability of the recent victims, teenagers are taking a huge part in protests and (as seen with this event) even organizing their own. Only time will tell if this newfound solidarity will ultimately lessen police discrimination, militarization, and brutality, but support by teenagers gives the movement much-needed youthful hope in the mean time.

[1]Smith, Aaron. "Detailed Demographic Tables." Pew Research Internet Project. Pew Research Center, 06 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Dec. 2014.

I Got 71 Problems and the House is One

By Brian Contreras

On Thursday night, the 11th of December, the House of Representatives passed a Congressional spending bill that, if made law, will dictate government spending and appropriations for much of the bureaucracy until late next year. They also crucially extended the deadline for the Senate to vote on this vital legislation by two days, staving off yet another government shutdown by a matter of hours.

This bill, in addition to funding many major federal agencies, supplies money to deal with the ongoing issues of Ebola and ISIS, as well as (in a move that has angered leading Democrats like Nancy Pelosi) reducing regulation on Wall Street bankers and increasing the donation cap for individuals to the RNC and DNC.

However, amid all the tension, one seemingly minor inclusion in the bill is drawing much attention from the nation's capitol - not necessarily by those within Congress, but rather the people who call the city home.

The bill, at least as interpreted by the Republicans who are pushing for it's passage, would stop the District of Columbia from legalizing marijuana; a decision that passed with the vast majority of support in DC's November elections as the widely popular Initiative 71. This has led to a planned march by supporters of legalization in DC and a sit-in in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office, as well as claims by legalization advocates that the bill's language could be interpreted in such a way as to still allow the change (since it had already been passed by voters). Whether such a loophole is available or not remains to be seen, but judging by the climate in Congress at the moment, things don't look good for supporters of DC's right to self-determination.

http://dcmj.org/ballot-initiative/

A campaign poster from the movement which, if the Congressional spending bill passes the Senate in it's current form, will likely be invalidated.

Fracked Up for the Future

By Arnie Zemzow

US Senator John McCain declared the United States can begin deliveries of liquefied natural gas to Europe before 2020, as reported by Thomson Reuters.

McCain was openly pleased with the breakdown of construction of the project "South Stream” – a discontinued effort to channel more Russian gas into Europe whose failure was abetted by the Ukrainian crisis. According to Republican Senator, he himself put a lot of effort into this development, eventually persuading the Bulgarian government to count on Europe in terms of energy interests of the country and to cease cooperation with Russia. Furthermore, McCain proposed to establish a supply of liquefied gas to Europe from the United States.

Hello Ladies....
 
In June 2014, McCain and four other Republican senators introduced a bill in Congress called the "Act on the Energy Security of the North Atlantic." The bill proposes the acceleration of the process of issuing licenses for fracking system and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy for gas companies. The Department of Energy proposed to immediately approve the export of liquefied natural gas to Ukraine, Japan, and US allies in NATO. According to the authors, the new law will help the US get rid of excess gas, which is destructive to US energy systems due to lack of pipelines, and at the same time to strengthen the Russian economy and reduce Europe's dependence on Russian gas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 1 Russia's final withdrawal from "South Stream". The project worth 15.5 billion Euros was designed for delivery to Europe 67 billion cubic meters of gas per year. It was planned that the pipe would pass through the Black Sea and through Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Italy and Slovenia. The desire to participate in the new project was echoed by Turkey and Macedonia.

For Her Majesty

By Cam Prudey

London Mayor Boris Johnson tried to calm a drunken passenger on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to London, according to BBC News. 43-year-old David Morris shouted insults at the flight attendants and behaved aggressively. According to witnesses, Johnson warned rowdily that on arrival at Heathrow Airport he could be arrested if he did not calm down.
 
The staff tried to restrain the passengers of the aircraft, but the man who was drunk went on shouting and demanding alcohol. Airline employees had to force handcuffs on Morris, tie his legs and sit him in a designated chair. However, he continued to shout and require hard liquor. It is noted that only one hour of struggling took to sober this man and calm him down.

London Mayor thanked the members of the crew for their excellent performances of their duties.

After landing at Heathrow, the aggressive passenger was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct on board the aircraft while intoxicated. He was taken to a police station in West End London. On December 18, the Morris case will be heard in court.