Apparently Jay Leno pissed off some Koreans with this joke. Tough titty. I watch American comics satirize everything from Bush to Clinton to Condit to celebtities to religion to eating dogs. IMO, the late night comics (Leno, Letterman, Conan, etc) are especially brilliant.

There is a danger in this I acknowledge. If we become a nation that laughs at everything, all the time, then we become a nation that holds nothing sacred but sacriledge itself. OTOH if we can't recognize the absurdities in everyday life, if we can't laugh at ourselves and our leaders, then we are left with Talibanism.

I thought the comics handled 9/11 very well. Letterman did not appear for a week. When he did return, he was circumspect. He did no stand-up monologs for several weeks (?). Every night for quite a while he had at least one "serious" guest----Guiliani, the Fire Chief, Dan Rather, etc.

Gradually the traditional format resumed. The traditional format includes a traditional American attitude that goes way back---ie, don't demonize your enemy so much as mock him. Osama is a fiend, but he is also ridiculous. It is good that we laugh at him.

How many other countries are able to mock themselves and their enemies? Not too many I bet. It is one of our strengths.

-- (lars@indy.net), February 27, 2002

Answers

Did you hear the one about the traveling salesman who stopped at Osama's cave and.........

-- (lars@indy.net), February 27, 2002.

You are a lout. There are many subjects not appropriate for humor. You need some Sensitivity Training.

-- (Algernon C. Braithewait III@Cambridge.MA), March 01, 2002.

I am duly chastened. I will never again be so insensitive. What can I do to redeem myself?

-- (lars@indy.net), March 02, 2002.

And America wonders innocently why everyone hates us~~~~~~~~

The Ugly Americans

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), March 03, 2002.

So you think everyone hates us because we make fun of them on TV? Do you think making fun of them is worse than, say, burning our president in effigy? Or bombing our ships in port? Or decapitating our journalists? Or hijacking our jets and flying them into our skyscrapers?

-- (just@want.to.know), March 03, 2002.

And America wonders innocently why everyone hates us~~~~~~~~

The Ugly Americans

Cherri--

That's my whole point. Too much of the world is too uptight. Don't you think UBL is "funny"? Scary but funny. I think the Taliban even had laws Against laughing in public, especially at them. Does Al Jazeera (?) have any comedy shows? I doubt it.

Do you not find these people worthy of ridicule? Their inability to engage in self-effacing humor is a weakness. IMO it is one of our strengths.

-- (lars@indy.net), March 03, 2002.