FOX-News Comedy: “Fair and Oxymoronic” (Laugh Track Here)

FOX News Channel appears to be pushing the oxymoronic envelope by delving into the Underworld of comedy. If Fox News wasn’t oxymoronic enough, producers have decided to add “comedy,” so when Fox cancels out News, television viewers will at least be left with comedy – FOX’s new golden parachute. FOX News Channel has leaked its new version of the “Daily Show” -- “The Half-Hour Comedy Hour,” (laugh track here) on the Internets (laugh track here) via YouTube (see clip below). The show is scheduled to debut this Sunday night. Don’t worry loyal fans of satire, FOX wasn’t moronic enough to pit the new show up against the “The Simpsons.” Although, I do hope the producers were smart enough to equip their chutes with rip-chords, because “laugh tracks” can cushion the blow only so much when you’re falling 35,000 feet at 32 feet per/second squared -- only to crash and burn a horrible, Nielson-rated death (laugh track here).

Unfortunately FOX producers forgot about one significant oxymoronic variable: “funny Republicans.” Don’t get me wrong here, I have a friend who is funny and Republican (no that there’s anything wrong with that), but whenever he attempts to combine the two, he’s often left behind, laughing to himself. Maybe the Republicans should consider a No Republican Child Left Behind Laughing to Him or Herself Provision to the NCLB Act when they start toying with it over the next couple of weeks (cue laugh track). Part of the provision should target Republican children, subcategorizing those who think they’re funny. These kids should wear “laugh trackers” around their ankles to help monitor their comedic attempts while simultaneously cuing a barrage of pre-recorded laughter. The latter will help spur laughter in small groups, or at least indicate that the targeted child was trying to be funny, thus cuing those around him to laugh (laugh track here).

(WARNING: please view clip at your own risk. Side effects of watching this are irreversible and may cause viewers to order cable just for the FOX channel, or worse, vote Republican.)



The Fallout: Trust me, if you had to watch this clip more than once to tease out the satiric intent, you’re not alone. If you watched it at work in mixed company, those who laughed aloud are either Republicans, closeted Republicans, or still subscribe to “Mad Magazine.” The most painful part about this leaked clip, other than the comedic and satiric miscues, is the canned laughter. The laugh tracks were not only physically painful (and not from laughing too hard), but they helped make the show a parody of itself. Whoever came up with the “laugh track” idea should be killed (laugh track here), although I’m sure he’s already dead, laughing away in his grave (evil laugh track here).

The tragic irony of this new show is that it probably will appeal to its target audience. If Republican audiences thought Ted Sporer’s joke about “Osama Obama” was funny, this show may titillate (…uh huh, uh huh, he said “titillate,” Beevis…) their funny bones.

Related Recommended Reads:

“Step Away form the Jokes, Fox News, Before You Hurt Yourself” by Bob Cesca (Huffington Post)

“Why Aren’t Conservatives Funny?” by John McQuaid (Huffington Post)

“‘Dreadful’ comedy, fair-and-balanced.” (Think Progress)