Wanda Sykes' mistake:This appears to be a defense of Sykes' routine over the weekend:
... Sykes' joke, while obviously pushing the envelope, is hardly more outrageous than the typical daily edition of her intended target. I had an idea for how to drive this point home, but Adam Serwer beat me to it. Wanda Sykes' comedy routine at the White House Correspondent's Dinner was really offensive. In it, Sykes suggested that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is supported by Hamas, and that Islamists are "constantly issuing Limbaugh talking points". She joked about terrorists supporting conservatives in general, suggesting that recent violent events in Iraq are attempts by terrorists to swing the upcoming midterm elections in favor of Republicans.
Then she got really personal. She joked that Limbaugh was a racist who doesn't want black people to "escap[e] the underclass". She accused him of being responsible for killing "a million babies a year", and aired her friend's theory that Limbaugh himself was a terrorist attack," a followup to 9/11. She also, most disgustingly, said that if conservatives kept apologizing to Limbaugh, they'd eventually contract "anal poisoning." She wondered when Republicans would finally stop "bending over and grabbing their ankles" for Limbaugh, and finally concluded that Limbaugh was just a "bad guy".
The punch line, of course, is that Sykes didn't say any of these things. They're all comments from Limbaugh, directed at the president or his party in the past year.
Yes, they're all comments from Limbaugh,
but Limbaugh didn't say them at a White House Correspondents Association dinner.
Venue matters. Sykes chose an inappropriate forum to play the anti-Limbaugh. Also, the comedy was third-rate. Sykes could have quoted Limbaugh (e.g. "torture at Abu Ghraib is just like fraternity pranks") and then turned them on Rush ("I know of a special frat-house in Baghdad that Limbaugh should join"). Instead, it was pure personal attack. Sykes is not smart.
posted by Quiddity at 5/11/2009 09:24:00 PM
Quid: Is this a Rush to Judgment of Sykes or a Judgment of Rush? I sort of Wanda.
Whenever my side does stuff like this I just shake my head and wonder why we keep shooting ourselves in the foot.
Wanda Sykes' father was a Colonel who worked at the Pentagon and she herself worked as a procurement officer for the NSA for five years.
I'd assume that she's a deep cover agent provocateur.
Rush really is one of the worst people in the world. I don't see anything wrong with pointing that out. All this foofaraw does is further cement the idea that Republican = Limbaugh = Republican = Limbaugh.
