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WANDA SYKES' OFFENSIVE ROUTINE.
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."
Oh wait. Wanda Sykes didn't say any of these things. These are things Rush Limbaugh has said about Obama or other Democrats in the past year, the kind of statements few reporters found offensive enough to write about, despite the fact that most of them were said with the utmost seriousness. And while Sykes is a mere comedian whose influence on the Democratic Party is negligible, Limbaugh's influence in the party is so great that Republican leaders can't even criticize him without having to issue apologies after the fact.
-- A. Serwer
COMMENTS (41)
pathetic
Posted by: Anonymous | May 11, 2009 2:59 PM
Nice catch. Excellent article.
Posted by: P | May 11, 2009 3:05 PM
One of the things that has become very clear is that Republicans have no sense of humor. And the more conservative they are the truer this seems. It is refreshing to see a president who can laugh at himself and his staff, admit that he makes mistakes and generally has a relaxed point of view that makes it unnecessary to be on the defensive all of the time. Republicans on the other hand, in the person of Bush, Cheney, Limbaugh, Palin, Gingrich, all of the FOX commentators, etc., etc., seem to have the humor gene missing. They are capable of making fun of others in ways that are demeaning and nasty and that evoke hate and anger. But they are incapable of real humor which conveys a sense of freedom and true enjoyment. Maybe it has to do with their native paranoia and fear. But they really are no fun at all.
Posted by: Jim Dandy | May 11, 2009 3:26 PM
It wasn't offensive, IT WAS FUNNNNNY!! HA HA HA
This article sucks!
Posted by: Wharton Esherick | May 11, 2009 3:26 PM
Exactly what I wanted to say ...
You may have missed but Rush also called Obama as "Chicago thug" the day after the elections.
May be Rush is used to getting apologies from others if they dare speak against him. Unfortunately for him, that would be only from spineless republicans like Michael Steele.
When will Rush apologize for saying Hamas is cheering for Obama's election and spinning Obama's meeting association with Ayers as "palling with terrorists" (though there were other republicans in the same meetings)
Posted by: The Sceptic | May 11, 2009 3:36 PM
Did Anonymous and Wharton read the last paragraph?
Posted by: RobertSD | May 11, 2009 3:37 PM
Awesome post. When the heck are you going to get your own blog?
Posted by: Go, Sestak | May 11, 2009 3:42 PM
Look, Limbaugh is a white Republican, so it's all good. You know this, yes?
Posted by: Lee Gibson | May 11, 2009 3:45 PM
this post is dead on.
Posted by: bearerfriend | May 11, 2009 3:52 PM
sorry, should have been clearer
pathetic that conservatives will whine about this
but also a pathetic and hackneyed conceit by Serwer
Posted by: Anonymous | May 11, 2009 4:06 PM
Just caught you on a webcam bouncing around on your chair. Were you mimmicking obama making fun of micheal j. fox or busting a move to sabotage??
Posted by: red | May 11, 2009 4:08 PM
Openly gay Sykes did miss an opportunity to skewer Obama on his anti-gay-marriage stance though; shame about that.
Posted by: el santorum | May 11, 2009 4:15 PM
No webcam...syke..
P.s. Only people without health insurance die from kidney failure. I'm sure Rush can obtain a kidney from any of his friends in D.R. or Thailand or wherever he's vacationing these days.
Posted by: red | May 11, 2009 4:17 PM
"sorry, should have been clearer"
Uh...no....you should read things thru before commenting on them. Caught with your pants down? No wonder you're anonymoous!
Posted by: Anonymous | May 11, 2009 7:33 PM
P.S.
I was anonymous as a joke....
(and because I hit the send button too early)
Posted by: AlbertCat | May 11, 2009 7:36 PM
Bravo.
Posted by: Steve M. | May 11, 2009 10:36 PM
Two thoughts:
1. What ever happened to the cries (from the right) railing against Political Correctness? What Wanda said may not have been PC but jokes about Limbaugh's Oxycontin abuse are a dime a dozen. Her's just hit hard. Real hard. And, IMO, it sends a simple message: there are some people you don't want to play joking games with. (You know, the popular defense for people who just don't get Rush's humor and wit.)
2. Why the hell is Keith Olbermann auditioning for his own slam feature WPITW? He trots out this bs about Sykes remarks being out of bounds but in the same show plays the tired old "Nazi sympathizer" game regarding Bill-O's latest lie. Seriously, what's the difference? (See, I have no use for HYPE-po-crites.)
Posted by: Nquest | May 11, 2009 10:51 PM
SING OUT, LOUISE! (™ David Ehrenstein)
Posted by: hamletta | May 11, 2009 11:42 PM
The Republicans right now remind me of Daryl Hannah's replicant character in Blade Runner, right after Harrison Ford's character shoots her -- screaming, shrieking, flailing wildly and ineffectively.
Hopefully, we can put a final bullet in them in '10 or '12 and a new, sane 2nd party can arise.
Posted by: A Giant Slor | May 11, 2009 11:59 PM
who cares about that fat bastard
Posted by: david | May 12, 2009 5:41 AM
So Sykes thinks that 911 was humorous and you retards support making fun of organ failure. Nice piece of work you are. Why are you all so scared of Rush? A radio guy has more influence than a president? Looks that way if you people have to constantly go on a Rush bash. Too funny...
Posted by: Ritchie | May 12, 2009 9:00 AM
Okay, Ritchie, now try making a point ...
Posted by: Kyle | May 12, 2009 9:48 AM
Retards, Ritchie?
Surely have a little more class than that. Well, maybe not.
Sounds like your Momma didn't do a very good job with you, son.
Posted by: Pug | May 12, 2009 9:52 AM
Nice article. Good points.
Posted by: NPage | May 12, 2009 9:59 AM
Great perspective, Andy. Rush's raunch is ugly, it's unrelenting, and it doesn't come in for the bashing it deserves.
At the same time, two wrongs don't make a right. And it matters where comments are made and who's listening. If Rush had been invited to the correspondents' dinner and spewed his hate while W and Cheney laughed, we'd be pretty damn angry.
I'm disappointed by Sykes, who should know there's a time and a place for the more pointed stuff, and this wasn't it.
Posted by: Sophomore | May 12, 2009 10:12 AM
"If Rush had been invited to the correspondents' dinner and spewed his hate while W and Cheney laughed"
If Rush had spewed his hate on Olbermann, Garofolo, Maher, Behar.....etc. Who cares??? People who bend over and grab their ankles for Rush care.
Posted by: red | May 12, 2009 10:43 AM
humorless. pathetic. ignorant. whatever.
i've come to the comclusion that conservatroids are just wussies. flat out, no other word for it, wussies. here's there basic platform, in a nutshell.
brown skinned people are scary. i'm scared of brown skinned people. i want government to protect me from brown skinned people.
gay people are scary. i'm scared of gay people. i want government to protect me from gay people.
people with different religious views from me are scary. i'm scared of people with different religious views from me. i want government to protect me from people with different religious views from me.
women who think for themselves and make their own decisions about their bodies are scary. i'm scared of women who think for themselves and make their own decisions about their bodies. i want government to protect me from women who think for themselves and make their own decisions about their bodies.
anybody who disagrees with anything i ever say is scary. i'm scared of anybody who disagrees with anything i ever say. i want government to protect me from anybody who disagrees with anything i ever say.
serious wussies.
Posted by: Rael | May 12, 2009 11:20 AM
thank you, thank you, thank you
dead spot on
Posted by: lilysmom | May 12, 2009 12:02 PM
Nice post, but with a little more digging, I'll bet you could have come up with so much more. Of course sometimes it's the OxyContin talking... .
Also, isn't it amazing how whiny the party of manly men can be?
Posted by: NoOneYouKnow | May 12, 2009 12:29 PM
Damn, I can't find the clips of where she says these thigs. Could you please send me the link to your super-special super-secret video server?
Posted by: Ted S. | May 12, 2009 1:03 PM
To those who are offended by Sykes remarks, they were made by a comedian, not the president. Unlike the White House reporters dinner where we saw Bush making fun of hunting WMD's when our troops were dying looking for them!
Posted by: JS | May 12, 2009 2:57 PM
Is this post a joke? We've been listening to Rush Limbaugh's hate-filled, incendiary and frankly racist routines for years now ("Barack the Magic Negro," making fun of Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's Disease), and you're getting upset because Wanda Sykes called him out for his racist bs? Criminy, give me a break. Luckily, this brand of conservativism is clearly a dying breed and has been reduced to a white, male, southern party that has been losing in election after election. If you want Rush as your political icon, I say go for it. It's political suicide, but perhaps good riddance.
Posted by: Hugh Urban | May 12, 2009 6:07 PM
This assessment to rule them all.
Posted by: SquallCloud | May 12, 2009 9:41 PM
Hugh Urban? My man? You need to work on finishing what you start. Go ahead and read that last paragraph of the post.
Let it soak in.
Yeah.
Posted by: Daniel | May 12, 2009 10:50 PM
david: "who cares about that fat bastard"
About 15 million listeners about the entire Republican leadership.
Which is why it's vital to make fun of him daily.
Did enjoy the commenters who didn't bother to read the whopping three paragraphs. Pretty clear indicator of the online outrage culture these days.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 13, 2009 8:15 PM
What's the latest about Wanda Sykes? Alex, Sykes' wife gave birth to fraternal twins on April 27. A son, Lucas Claude debuted at 7 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 20-inches long, and a daughter, Olivia Lou weighed in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 19-inches long.
Posted by: Wanda Sykes wife | May 14, 2009 12:07 AM
Rush Limbaugh has been making racist, sexist, bigoted, disgusting, and vile remarks for years now. A little bit of it comes back onto him and conservatives and Republicans start freaking out. Thin-skinned hypocrites.
THANK YOU.
njguy93@yahoo.com
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Posted by: Anonymous | September 7, 2009 2:08 AM
i hope we can put a final bullet in them in '10 or '12 and a new, sane 2nd party can arise
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