What Is and Isn’t Humor … A Few Observations

Flying High

The above image was generated apparently by UCF after its football win over Bill Belichick’s UNC. It was quite the winning margin but the image isn’t just about the “W” and its grand margin. It is humor for real.

Coach Bill referred to UCF as “Central” during the week. That is an insult for those in the know and a strong motivator for UCF. Then, Coach B’s omnipresent sidekick JH appeared on the sidelines (quite the high heeled white boots she wore) and whispered something to her amour. A football play perhaps? Best wishes?

Note please: JH doesn’t appear to be a good luck charm for BB and can you name two other wives/partners who appear on the field/court in any sport as a show of support/love? Answer: You can’t.

The image above is a takeoff of a photo of Coach B flying his amour on his legs on a beach in an image that makes most peoples stomach’s curdle. The holder of the W on its legs in the image here: the UCF mascot Knightro! Not exactly “Billates” as JH coined it.

Note: If you aren’t familiar with the image, try googling BB/JH image as I can’t bear to show it here. But: add in that my post may not click with you if you haven’t seen and perhaps pondered BB and JH’s lifts. (Once pondered but decided not to date a man who wasn’t familiar with the Coldplay affair saga. Being out of touch (at any age) with contemporary memes/ images/ stories isn’t good.)

This UCF image is humor … satire to be exact. It plays off their win to be sure. It plays off the absurd photo of a coach flying his youthful lover sky high to show what exactly? Fitness? Agelessness? To me, it shows ridiculousness and an absence of judgment and a sense of superiority. Just like BB showed in his misnaming of UCF.

My view: Do whatever you want BB that is legal (you have been caught cheating in football) but do it in private. And a question I’ve had for ages: Who took the photo of JH flying on BB? Must have been a staged event. Who wants that or let’s that happen?

Kimmel and ABC and Disney and Sinclair

Now to other humor/satire. Late night talk show host Kimmel was suspended for mocking the president’s reaction to Kirk’s death. What Kimmel said and showed was funny and yes, it mocked the sitting US president who it appears can’t take a joke (or any criticism).

What Kimmel’s monologue portrayed was fair. The president’s behavior has seemed odd at best in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. The repeated simultaneous references to his multi-million dollar ballroom seemed singularly out of place. Distraction from Epstein? Kind of like Melania’s purple hat in the UK that covered a goodly portion of her face. A lampshade hat hiding her thoughts/feelings.

Some jokes cross a line. That line isn’t always clear. Racism and sexism and religious prejudice and mockery of those who are disabled: most jokes about that likely cross a line.

But political satire? Well within bounds. Making fun of a famous coach based on his own actions? Well within bounds.

My advice (not that folks care): If you don’t want to be laughed at, don’t do laughable things. And if you are in the public eye and a public figure, people ARE watching, as well they should. Yes, leaders and public figures will be teased and mocked and cursed no matter what. But some of the narrative is within the leaders/public figures’ control.

If you paint your face orange to look suntanned, you will be teased. The British joke photo of T’s pillowcase is hysterical. If you are 73 and date a woman way way younger than your children and young enough to be your grandchild and then you flaunt it, you will be teased.

I am struck by ABC’s demand (or is it Sinclairs or Disneys?) that Kimmel apologize and pay Kirk’s family to get back on the air. I hope he refuses. Free speech isn’t bought or priced like that.

Imagine the outcry if BB and JH sought to remove the UCF photo mocking them. Imagine if they even referenced it!

ABC and Disney and Sinclair: You are falling prey to extortion. You are doing what happens when fascism rears its head. Don’t crater. Don’t capitulate. Look at the Big Law firms that lost their souls and their clients and their respectability for caving to T.

Try this instead: Stand tall. Stand firm. Stand in favor of the miraculous 1st Amendment that allows for dissent and humor and satire and protest. That is America. That is no joke.