(You too, Canada; Mexico, you got reason to bitch…good luck).
Things are weird all the time. “The 60s” didn’t seem strange to me because I was just the right age—not old enough for “the 50s” to have made an impression, so no frame of reference to know that political assassinations, Vietnam, Watergate and the rock ‘n’ roll were unusual. But life in America has bounced from one weird extreme to another my whole life.
Things in America are weird today: technological advances are changing our lives daily in ways my grandparents couldn’t have imagined, while we struggle to recover from the most severe economic shock to the system since my grandparents were newlyweds; without the courtesy of a declaration of war from Congress we’re still fighting the longest war this country has ever fought, while the dysfunctional political system rewards those who shout the loudest and refuse to play nice, and the dysfunctionaler journalism system stands witlessly amidst the chaos trying to sell me today’s “ordeal” or the latest “narrative.”
And then, some nice people who’ve somehow maintained a sense of humor and a little perspective about life try to give us a break, and a giggle or two, just before the next societal convulsion, and what do they get? A lot of criticism from a whole range of folks who just don’t get it.
The D.C. publication TBD.com had a great summary yesterday of some of the dirty bathwater being tossed at Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert for Saturday’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear: that they’ve crossed the line between entertainment and politics (line?), or the location is too sacred to be used in this way (Cordoba House, call for Cordoba House!), or they might offend someone (someone?).
Even when the weird is on high, a laugh can do you a lot of good…could be the best time for one. Try it out.
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