Comedy must be fact-checked. CNN piece on SNL was necessary, progressive media critic says

[PinkOwl]

Conservatives mock the fact that CNN, the Washington Post, etc., fact-checked the lies spread by a recent segment in Saturday Night Live against President Barack Obama. "It's just humor," they say.

But media critic Bob Somerby tackles that excuse today:

But it’s only entertainment! Limbaugh constantly offers this dodge when he gets caught in some misstatement. This recalls the recent eye-rolling when CNN fact-checked a comedy sketch performed on Saturday Night Live.

SNL had presented one of its typically under-informed sketches, complaining that Obama has accomplished nothing to this point in his presidency. In the process, SNL said or implied various things which are at odds with basic facts. (Example: Did Obama ever say we’d be out of Iraq at this point? It’s easier to come up with “jokes” if you cheat on your premise.) On Fox, and on other cable networks, major pundits rolled their eyes at the foolishness involved in fact-checking comedy. But guess what, losers? “Comedians” can spread bogus facts, and a skewed focus, just like Glenn Beck can.

*My emphasis.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. The difference is

everyone knows (or should know) that SNL is comedy. Many of Rush's listeners believe his word is Gospel, that what he reports is "news," and that it would be sacrilege to question what he says.

[sui generis]

3. I agree - part of the skit is that it is supposed to be hokey

and we have people here saying "YOU LIE!!!!1!!!" , which is the funniest part of all.

As usual, the war between literalists and people who have brains continues, unabated, and undiminished by party affiliation.

[damntexdem]

11. They should leave comedy alone and fact-check CNN.

For that matter, fact-check the MSM in general. Also pornography purveyors like Faux News (political pornography).

[EFerrari]

12. These are the same people who freaked out over "War of the Worlds".

[PinkOwl]

6. Everyone knows SNL is comedy. But does everyone knows what Obama promised regarding Iraq?

By listening to a joke that is supposed to be funny only if Obama promised to take us to Iraq in 9 months,, people might be misled. And you know how gullible many Americans are.

[EFerrari]

13. If comedians had to give a cultural literacy test before they got on stage

what do you think would happen?

[PinkOwl]

15. They don't have to. All they have to do is joke about the truth, not about lies

Because it's corny and deceptive.

If I joked about how dumb Joe Biden is because he shot his friend in the face, I'd be corny and a liar, because Joe Biden did not shoot his friend in the face. It was Dick Cheney.

[EFerrari]

18. Comedy is built on overstatement, understandment, identification

and reversal. It's not the truth.

You know that comedians aren't under oath, right?

[snagglepuss]

16. If SNL were the only place on earth to get correct information your concern

would be justified. But its not.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. Good for CNN. And here's a fact they probably missed:

Fred Armison's Obama impression is actually getting worse.

[joeycola]

7. I think the fact is that many do not have a sense of humor.

[EOTE]

8. Indeed it is. And I think Armisen is usually a funny guy.

I think he's much better at much more avant garde type comedy. He used to have a segment on HBO that I thought was pretty fresh and funny. His Obama has never been very good though and the material he's given is usually worse.

[JackRiddler]

4. Does CNN fact-check its own pundits?

Does CNN fact-check the Pentagon and CIA whores it pimps out as experts?

Does CNN fact-check the senators or think-tank frauds it presents?

Does it fact-check the pundits pimping for the Honduran coup d'etat?

What about the corporate whores on its business shows?

When they do that, then the ludicrous argument in the OP might become halfway credible. Until then, they're just attacking their own competition, as they know too well that SNL and The Comedy Show are taken more seriously than the commentary they present, and for good reason.

[PinkOwl]

5. so CNN don't fact-check its own pundits, therefore they should ignore the lies of others?

Call me weird, but I think fact-checking some lies is better than fact-checking none.

The "They lie sometimes too" argument is a fallacy.

[JackRiddler]

19. Strawman. They should fact-check everyone, starting with their OWN network.

If they don't fact-check their own pundits (especially the government-paid shills from the Pentagon) but instead fact-check a comedy show on another network, this reveals them as ass-covering hypocrites trying to divert attention from the lies they can actually control and prevent. They have no standing if they let their own pundits push wrong facts.

[EFerrari]

9. What an idiot.

[cherokeeprogressive]

10. Jon Stewart mocked CNN for this as well.

Last I checked, he was fairly well respected around these parts.

[PinkOwl]

14. A comedian defending the comedians

An obvious conflict of interest there, if you ask me.

If I joked about how dumb Joe Biden is for shooting his friend in the face, for example. the joke would be corny and I'd be lying, because Joe Biden has not shot a friend in the face.

[Spike89]

17. No, that was very different

I watched that segment and Jon Stewart was mocking them for fact checking SNL when they don't fact-check themselves or their guests. The point he was making was not that fact checking comedy is stupid, but that everything needs fact checking and serious things deserve it more than comedy. He never insinuated that comedy has a free-pass, just that it is absurd to only check comedy.