News Satire Roundup: February 14th

Sunday, February 14^th – And we’re back!  First up was Scalia’s death and McConnell’s vow to oppose any Obama-selected replacement.  I liked the point that his main argument, following an unwritten convention, goes against Scalia’s famously literal interpretation of the Constitution.  The Chipotle story was all right; John’s disgust for Bud Light, McDonald’s, etc. can be funny, but sometimes, I wonder if there’s any food he likes.  And obviously, a New Zealand MP being hit in the face with a dildo was always going to be great.  The main story looked at voter ID, and the hypocrisy, bureaucratic BS, and insanity was in full force.  Highlights:  the ID-issuing office that’s only open four days this year, proponents of voter ID laws “ghost-voting” for colleagues at House sessions, and the guy who accidentally alluded to the less-touted “benefit” of voter ID when he pointed out how votes for Obama decreased in an area after a voter ID law was instated.

(Note:  my main source for Last Week Tonight videos, other than HBOGO, is the show's YouTube channel, and they usually just put up the main story.)

Of course Last Week Tonight would return on a week that The Daily Show was dark!  In order to offer more than a one-paragraph post, I thought I’d just write a bit more on the show in general.  One thing that’s struck me about Trevor’s version of The Daily Show is how much I appreciate the frequent interviews with Black filmmakers and performers.  Don’t get me wrong – I love the more issue-focused interviews, and given the choice, I’d almost always pick a guest like Dalia Mogahed or DeRay McKesson.  However, some of Trevor’s interviews with Hollywood folks have really sparked my interest in films that 1) I knew very little about, or 2) had heard of but didn’t really get.  For a while, I’d done a lackluster job of checking out more stories about PoC.  Much like workplace diversity, consuming diverse stories doesn’t “just happen” – you have to seek them out.  Without that conscious effort, my limited exposure wasn’t getting the job done. 

Good on The Daily Show for getting my butt in gear.  First, there was Spike Lee and Nick Cannon two nights in a row, both promoting Chi-Raq.  I’d seen IMDb banner ads for the film, but I had no context for what it was about, and still images weren’t enough.  Actually hearing about it, its Aristophanes origins, and its message was all I needed to move it to the top of my must-see list (now, if only it had been in a theater where I could see it instead of waiting for the DVD!)  I’d had a similar banner-ads-only intro to Beasts of No Nation, but Trevor’s praise of the film when he interviewed Idris Elba definitely piqued my interest, and it’s now one of my favorites for the year.  I knew more about Concussion, since I’d seen the full trailer for it in theaters a few times before it came out, and I was already thinking about seeing it; Will Smith’s remarks on the show sealed the deal for me.  And then there’s Creed.  I was intrigued enough by the few TV spots I saw to check out some reviews, and heir overall glowingness enticed me, even as I was skeptical to learn it was a Rocky movie.  Still, I wanted to see it and was disappointed when it left my local theater in less than two weeks.  After Ryan Coogler came to The Daily Show, though, that disappointment turned to full-on woe – now I really wanted to see it!  The strength of that interview made it an absolute Oscar-season requirement for me, even though it only got one nomination and I had to drive 60 miles to get it.  And it was amazing.

Of course, white interviewees have made me interested in their projects as well (like Brie Larson for Room,) while other films don’t tempt me at all, regardless of race (Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Marlon Wayans, and Ice Cube were fun, but I’m still not seeing Goosebumps, Daddy’s Home, Fifty Shades of Black, or Ride Along 2.)  It’s not about watching whatever the show tells me to; it’s about getting a good introduction to something I wouldn’t otherwise come across.