2006-01-07 22:53:55.1352+00 by Dan Lyke 4 comments
Via Baylink: SFWeekly does a look at Tom Lehrer and satire:
"The whole idea of freedom of speech means you can say 'fuck' on television is an anathema to me," Lehrer says. "That's not what freedom of speech is about. It's about saying stuff. Now you can say anything, why don't you? But they don't."
[ related topics: Humor Civil Liberties ]
comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2006-01-08 01:22:50.845711+00 by: Diane Reese
That article is from April 2000. Lehrer appears, however, to still be alive although also appears to have now retired from teaching at UC Santa Cruz.
#Comment Re: made: 2006-01-08 22:04:58.96172+00 by: petronius [edit history]
I remember a period in the 50s and early 60s when satire was dangerous, and very cutting edge. What happened is that the entire creative mindset went into a critical mode and everything became satire. So now its boring or only intermittently funny. And not particularly dangerous. The idea that an overhormoned middle-ager like Howard Stern is our last, best hope is so ridiculous that it borders on the offensive. At last!
#Comment Re: made: 2006-01-08 23:17:17.510142+00 by: Dan Lyke
Yowza... mod me down for dupes: I stole that link from Jay half a decade ago.
Petronius, I think as another symptom of that, everyone became hyper self-aware and it became difficult to distinguish irony from reality.
#Comment Re: made: 2006-01-12 21:32:22.587119+00 by: baylink
Well prep *me* for surgery; I missed it too. Probably cause I didn't know who Greg Proops *was* at the time.
I have a well trained forgettery, though, so, like you, I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.