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You are here: Home / Popular Culture / Al Franken

Al Franken

by John Cole|  August 28, 200312:46 pm| 32 Comments

This post is in: Popular Culture

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Ace Columnist Cosmo Macero sums up my thoughts regarding Al Franken:

Al Franken is a humorist. And a humorist is a comedian who isn’t funny.

But he hates Republicans, so in some circles, that adds to the humor quotient. Here is Al being funny:

Franken doesn’t merely denounce conservatives. He harasses them, provokes them, gets right up in their faces. He once called up National Review Editor Rich Lowry and challenged him to a fight in a parking garage. Lowry declined.

I’m in stitches. Really. And Let’s not forget the real truth about Al Franken- he isn’t just some comedian who happens to have ‘turned liberal’ because of the evilness of Bush. Al Franken is a party hack.

goreandfranken.jpg

And at bottom, that reveals what Franken really is: a party hack, a very good, and at times quite entertaining one, but a hack nonetheless. Because he fits a poorly defined niche in American politics

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32Comments

  1. 1.

    David Perron

    August 28, 2003 at 1:33 pm

    It’s obvious he’s going for that Art Buchwald look:

    http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0802/buchwald081402.asp

  2. 2.

    greg

    August 28, 2003 at 1:40 pm

    In addition to the Rich Lowry thing, didn’t Franken also challenge someone at the Fox News table to a fight at the Correspondants dinner?

    Does he have a black belt or something that i don’t know about, because he strikes as the type who would get his friggin ass kicked, yet he’s always challenging people to fights.

  3. 3.

    Matthew

    August 28, 2003 at 2:06 pm

    [looks into crystal ball]

    Al, guest-hosting on Crossfire: “If you were half the man James Carville’s wife is, you’d fight me, Tucker, you right-wing wimp.”

    Tucker Carlson: “Alright Al, you asked for it.” [Swings, knocks Al off his seat.]

    Al: “Owie owie owie, I’m suing!”

  4. 4.

    HH

    August 28, 2003 at 8:53 pm

    Yeah he verbally abused Alan Colmes at that dinner, chased Hannity down the hall at Fox and was removed from the building, etc.

  5. 5.

    Tom McMahon

    August 28, 2003 at 9:03 pm

    And a humorist is a comedian who isn’t funny.

    Good line. Like when someone uses the word whimsey, I get prepared to be bored to tears.

  6. 6.

    mark

    August 28, 2003 at 9:05 pm

    Has Al Franken EVER been funny? The only SNL thing I remember him for was Stewart Smally (I’m big enough, smart enough, and dog gonnit’ people like me!), and saying that is funny is like saying Michael Moore is skinny.

  7. 7.

    Matthew

    August 28, 2003 at 9:35 pm

    saying that is funny is like saying Michael Moore is skinny.

    Al used to be funny. Then Michael Moore ate his sense of humor. So tragic.

  8. 8.

    S-Train

    August 28, 2003 at 11:25 pm

    Al Franken’s writing buddy Paul Mooney even cracked on him on a local Detroit radio show. He said, “I know Bill O’Reilly would have kicked Franken’s ass if Franken wasn’t so good at telling bad jokes.”

  9. 9.

    Kimmitt

    August 29, 2003 at 4:47 am

    Humor is in the eye of the beholder; I loved Al Franken before I was even vaguely aware of his political leanings.

    Besides, “fight in a parking garage?” That’s just an inherently funny statement in the context of a political debate on national television. And yes, Al would get his ass kicked three ways from Sunday by most of the folks he satirically challenges to fisticuffs. That’s part of why the challenges have amusement value.

  10. 10.

    RW

    August 29, 2003 at 10:48 am

    It reinforces my contention that the smaller in physical stature a man is (as in: one of the little people) the more apt to be a blowhard & overall smarttass.

    Of course, that’s not universal (hard to say that O’Reilly is *not* a blowhard, even if I like the guy).

  11. 11.

    jd

    September 3, 2003 at 7:42 pm

    Lowry said he though liberals were all a bunch of wusses. Accordingly, Franken thought it would be funny if he challenged Lowry to a fight. Lowry asked him if meant in the ring. Franken said no, in a parking lot. Lowry said he would think about it. The next day he declined. I personally think that is pretty funny.

    By the way, Lowry looks like a big wuss to me. I think Al could have taken him.

    For a more accurate description of Franken’s challege, read his book.

    Also – he did not challenge anyone to fight at the correspondents dinner and he was not asked to leave.

  12. 12.

    cookiemonster

    September 27, 2003 at 7:58 pm

    what kind of single-celled one sided idiots are you? have any of you actually read one of his books!? a party hack? but can you disprove anything he says?

  13. 13.

    ROMAN

    October 5, 2003 at 2:53 pm

    I read Al Frankens’ book, LIARS!… and found it to be highly supported by fact checking and source citing. Franken can hardly be considered to be a hack and he is extremely funny. Franken is simply taking the outrageous conservative staements and turning those statements on their heels.When a conservative makes a ridiculous staement such as “Jesus would have been a supply sider,” it makes it easier to use humor to refute such a silly statement and
    promote your own point a view in a common sense and humourous manner. Franken clearly understands that a long thought provoking theologically based argument would only put the reader to sleep and also lend some legitimacy to a belief about Christs’ so called economic beliefs. Frankens’ books easily prove through humor and satire that the belief system conservatives use to promote their theories about sex, science, economica and foreign policy are nothing but a joke.

  14. 14.

    joe

    October 14, 2003 at 2:01 am

    It seems that some people post, discrediting Franken without really knowing what they are talking about:

    1. Al knows his book is not fair and balanced – and that’s exactly his point, neither is Fox News!

    2. The title ‘Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot’ is Al giving Rush a taste of his own medicine (opiates aside) Rush is the king of ad hominem attacks, such as the title of the book. After once calling Chelsea Clinton the “White House Dog” Limbaugh deserves, not to be disagreed with, but to be called an idiot.

    I think Al Franken (although yes probably unstable) is very informed, intelligent, and makes an extremely (conservatives take note!) well-documented case demonstrating the conservative slant in the media – hence the lying liars.

    I was a hard-core dyed-in-the-wool conservative before I read Al’s enlightening books.

    sign me a Franken convert,
    Joe

  15. 15.

    Joe

    October 14, 2003 at 2:07 am

    i agree he’s not funny. I like Al Franken’s political writing much better than his “humor.” Although the Lowry bit was pretty funny, and Lowry definitely had it coming to him, the little wimpy conservative sissy bully!

  16. 16.

    trhaps

    October 21, 2003 at 5:58 pm

    Big Al rules and he would’ve taken Lowry down. The bottom line is Lowry backed down and Al was ready. Who is the wimp now, Lowry?

  17. 17.

    jm

    November 1, 2003 at 3:50 pm

    “It seems that some people post, discrediting Franken without really knowing what they are talking about:”

    Is that a fact?

    “After once calling Chelsea Clinton the “White House Dog” Limbaugh deserves, not to be disagreed with, but to be called an idiot.”

    Didnt happen.

    Transcript from lexis nexis:

    Copyright 1992 Multimedia Entertainment, Inc.
    RUSH LIMBAUGH
    SHOW: RUSH LIMBAUGH (9:00 PM ET)
    November 6, 1992, Friday 11:15 AM

    LIMBAUGH: Thank you. This show’s era of dominant influence is just beginning. We are now the sole voice of sanity, the sole voice of reason. We are the sole voice of opposition on all television. This is the only place you can tune to to get the truth of the opposition of the one-party dictatorial government that now will soon run America. Oh, I mean, we are only beginning to enjoy dominance and prosperity. Most of these things on the in-out list are not even funny, but a couple of them–one of them in particular is.

    David Hinckley of–of the New York Daily News wrote this, and what he has–he’s got–it’s very strange. He says, In: A cute kid in the White House. Out: Cute dog in the White House.’ Could–could we see the cute kid? Let’s take a look at- -see who is the cute kid in the White House.

    (A picture is shown of Millie the dog)

    LIMBAUGH: (Voiceover) No, no, no. That’s not the kid.

    (Picture shown of Chelsea Clinton)

    LIMBAUGH: (Voiceover) That’s–that’s the kid. We’re trying to…

    _________________________

    Yes, it was a mistake, and yes, he profusely apologized.

    “I was a hard-core dyed-in-the-wool conservative before I read Al’s enlightening books.”

    You expect anyone to buy that? You’re full of it. You never were a conservative.

  18. 18.

    nery

    November 4, 2003 at 2:52 pm

    FRANKENstein. This guys bolts are to tight. Any one with a neuron knows full well this idiot is trying to make money. No wonder the rest of the “elitists” of the world think Americans are stupid, Can we blame them for taking this moron seriously as pro or con!

  19. 19.

    elliot

    November 5, 2003 at 8:20 am

    Refering to the case where Limbaugh switched the picture of Millie the Dog and Chelsea Clinton: the show was taped. If Limbaugh had made a mistake so embarassing, it would have been edited from the show, especially since he “apologized” for it later. Besides, of it was an accident, and he had intended to show the dog, than what would the point of showing the picture be? Why even bring it up? I’m sure Limbuagh doesn’t enjoy showing off the Clinton family. Personally, I read both Limbaugh and Franken to get both sides of the spectrum. I find Franken to take much more time in to researching his books, and much more though into their purpose. Limbaugh, on the other hand, show very little sings that any research was put into his books at all.

  20. 20.

    emily

    December 7, 2003 at 4:42 pm

    al franken rocks republicans are the root of all evil and limbaugh is a big fat idiot who should be sacrificed as an apology to the gods

  21. 21.

    Chauncey

    December 8, 2003 at 1:03 am

    That supposed transcript from Lexis-Nexis has been declared spurious by some. It just started circulating at the end of October 2003, though this story has been around for ten years.

  22. 22.

    dave

    December 29, 2003 at 6:07 pm

    Franken makes numerous, yet accurate observations of liars like coulter, o’riely, and bush.

  23. 23.

    Mark

    January 1, 2004 at 7:07 am

    Way to go Emily,…is that from the Liberal Manifesto????

  24. 24.

    Mike

    January 1, 2004 at 7:08 am

    Al Franken & Michael Moore,…two left wing liberals the libs are proud of and I thank god that those 2 are on the lib team!!! I’m prouder all the more to be Republican!!!

  25. 25.

    Earnestdan

    January 14, 2004 at 2:23 am

    Oh, come on- Al is just a typical smarmy liberal who loves to act as though he is above the foolish, uninformed conservatives. As if he has any answers, anything to say except maligning some who would try to stand for values and rightness (as in non-left-wingers..yes?). His foundation of self-supposed superiority tumbles easily with examination. Yes, the “right” has weakness among its spokespeople, as they are human, but the left- they are empty. No values, no goodness, no hope. Only a spiral away from any values treasured by those who formed this country. If those back then were as they are now, there would be no United States, no Christianity, not anything that would require sacrifice. You point out lies you suppose spoken by the “right,” yet on the “left,” lying is an accepted way of life- no moral absolutes, right? That would imply values and absolutes, which can’t be embraced by the left. Embrace homosexuality, which historically has been seen as being popular before the fall of any civilization. And of course speak of the rights of those who would pander pornography, yet promote killing the live, healthy, yet unborn. Inconsistency? What do yo think? Oh, I’m sorry, I used a word unpopular to the left………”think.” You are a leech, Al. You spew exaggerations and disaffection at the “right” as though you know anything worth saying, yet it plays like a carefully scripted diatribe, carefully avoiding the weaknesses in your stance, if you were willing to see them. But I guess you are not. So, I bid you goodbye- please think a little before writing. You may not appeal to the emotionally handicapped left, that crew that aches for anything to throw at the right, accurate or not, but…..you may actually say something that is right. Perish the thought? Whatever.

    Bye-

    Dan

  26. 26.

    Al Franken

    January 18, 2004 at 3:21 pm

    why do people lie?

  27. 27.

    Jack

    February 18, 2004 at 3:25 am

    Dan – Al Franken outsells Rush and O’Reilly combined. Centrist liberals are the overwhelming majority of American citizens, and we are in the process of reclaiming our mantle from the ultra-wealthy Republican elite and their boot-licking minions. You and your maladjusted ilk would like to force the entire population to conform to your distorted worldview, but it ain’t gonna happen.
    I hope you’re able to work through that latent homosexual panic real soon – best of luck in liberal America!

  28. 28.

    amir

    February 24, 2004 at 10:46 am

    With friends like “Ahssole Al”,
    who needs enemies?

  29. 29.

    Dave

    March 11, 2004 at 7:16 am

    Al Franken and the rest of the hee-haw liberal gang actually believe that they are the majority and that opinions are the only ones that count. This leads them to believe that they are the only ones smart enough or honest enough to even have an opinion. Sounds like the pigs in the book Animal Farm. As a life long conservitive and active duty military for 27 years I know who the majority is and its not the friggin centrist liberals. According to centrist liberal polls they are, that is just another liberal lie. I will never ever support the democratic party and I will never ever become influanced by any memeber of the Al-Franken terrorist group. But I will continue to defend the constitution that Al and his buddies are trying to destroy.
    Dave

  30. 30.

    Cindi Mandeville

    May 18, 2004 at 1:03 pm

    Al franken is a brilliant man, historian and truth teller. There are so many liars out there that have followers: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and such. The previous two are nothing but blowhards. I am sticking with Al all the way.

  31. 31.

    Matt

    May 31, 2004 at 10:19 pm

    Al Franken and Bill O’Reilly are made for each other. Both are partisan hacks who love to hear themselves talk and be in the spotlight. They also love making money, and their little rivalry certainly isn’t depriving either one of cash or work.

    Franken is a left-wing whiner and Chicken Little, and O’Reilly is just a sissy bully-wanna-be.

Comments are closed.

Trackbacks

  1. Pejmanesque says:
    September 1, 2003 at 12:18 pm

    THEY DON’T LAUGH WITH HIM, THEY LAUGH AT HIM

    John Cole discusses the less-than-impressive Al Franken. Personally, I’m hoping to do enough denigrating posts about Franken to get him to challenge me to a fistfight in the nearest parking lot….

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