This is Politics 101: Don’t hire an insult comedian to perform at a rally in the final days of the election.
But the Trumposphere writes its own rules – sometimes to its own detriment.
and booking Tony Hinchcliffe – a comedian whose special skill is to mercilessly roast anyone – to perform at Sunday’s Madison Square Garden rallyThere was political misconduct.
Hinchcliffe’s now infamous set included a joke where he Puerto Rico has been called the “floating island of garbage.”,
And, well, it’s not a good idea to offend the entire demographic of voters you’re still trying to woo.
The Trump camp distanced itself from the line and a report from Bulwark said that part was taken without consideration.
Heck, they were even able to sneak a joke into the script where Hinchcliffe called Kamala Harris the C-word, which a staffer asked to remove.
As right-wingers did damage control amid the uproar, President Biden bluntly said “hold my ice cream cone” and decided to defend Puerto Rico’s honor – By calling Trump “supporters” trash,
The mistake is reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 “basket of deplorables” comment and also brings to mind Obama’s reported assessment of the veep’s tendency to, “Never underestimate Joe’s ability to fix things.”
Bumbling Joe, who is a real politician, not a comedian Now I am doing cleaning workWith a huge assist from the media, which had been angered by Hinchcliffe just days earlier.
Amidst this smelly mess there remains a collective pearl about one of the early jokes (which was a reference to PR’s very real garbage problem). Hinchcliffe’s set was not evidence that Trump is a racist.
However, Hinchcliffe being on the mic, however goofy and imprudent, shows that someone in the former president’s camp has impeccable taste in comedy.
Hinchcliffe is a Take No Prisoners roast comedian: an equal opportunity criminal who deploys vicious put downs with the precision of a sniper. His jokes are harsh and rude. And no creed, no race and no identity will be spared.
His hugely popular “Kill Tony” podcast, where novice joke tellers perform one-minute sets for Hinchcliffe and two other established comedians, has 1.9 million subscribers. But after this his star really shined Netflix Roast of Tom BradyWhere they put him in a delirium clinic.
The Texas-based comic said Gronk “looked like a Nazi who keeps burning himself on the oven” and Brady looked like a “Confederate FG.” Jeff Ross “was so Jewish that he watched football only for the coin toss.” He also joked that fellow roaster Sam J is “a fat African American gay”, thus allowing Netflix to check a lot of diversity boxes.
In other words, there are no sacred cows in Hinchcliffe’s comedy.
As Jon Stewart noted on “The Daily Show”, he is, by trade, an abusive businessman.
“There is something wrong with me. I find that guy very funny,” he added.
Because Hinchcliffe is hilarious, and he has no equal in the world of comedy. The industry’s most popular artists, like Bill Burr and Dave Chappelle, are aggressive, regularly targeting recognition.
Burr’s act is full of racial jokes. He attacks the idea of white male privilege and mocks transgender people in women’s sports – which most Americans consider a travesty. Chappelle’s 2021 show, “The Closer”, landed him at odds with the trans community.
In a significant step, Netflix stood behind them and free speech.
But in 2024 our cultural sensitivities have changed. DEI is taking off and comedy is taking off.
This can be seen through Shane Gillis, who was hired and fired by SNL in 2019 because he used an Asian slur in an old podcast. Geillis did not go quietly into the night. In February, he triumphantly returned to SNL, not as a performer but as a host.
gillis climb It also reflects the intersection of what we’re told is ridiculous and what Americans actually think is ridiculous.
It turns out, audiences love listening to people in public the same way many people do in private. This, in part, explains the appeal of Trump, who can be crude and defy conventional political wisdom that tells candidates to maintain a veneer of politeness. And save the blunt talk for the background.
No one wants to be pampered and infantilized. They want to hear the truth. They want to poke fun at the sorrows of life and sometimes at themselves.
But next time, keep sharp objects in the comedy club.
