By Mike Martin
In an op-ed in the last edition of The BV, Brandon Sapienza criticized the politicization of late-night comedy shows by Madeline L’Engle who says, “A good laugh heals a lot of hurts.” Well maybe it is just me, but I think it is hard to laugh when America experienced its worst mass shooting in history.
No matter what side you’re on, when health care is hanging in the balance, how would one expect Jimmy Kimmel or Stephen Colbert to stand up in front of America and give some good laughs when these awful things are occurring?
Sapienza also criticized the “bashing” of Donald Trump. I hate to break this to everyone, but late-night shows are in the business of getting viewers and making revenue. News stations talk more about Colbert, Kimmel and Seth Myers than other comedians because of their takes on Donald Trump and his administration.
When Kimmel gave his opinion on health care, he did not, as Sapienza said, “demonize” the Republican Party. He was not on his high horse calling for one side or the other. He wanted reform along with the majority of Americans, and a simple YouTube search of the video will show that.
Late-night hosts will go after whoever and whatever will get views and get them talked about. They are doing just that. The end of Sapienza’s article is the most interesting, as he states that comedians should “get off their high horse, and make Americans laugh again.” It’s not easy to laugh when this kind of chaos and horror, like the Vegas shooting and the health care battle, is happening. Comedians are people too, and they will make people laugh when the time calls for it.
Sapienza argued people should turn off late-night shows and hear what the “real experts” say. I’d love to know what is meant by the real experts. I would also like to ask who tunes into late-night TV for their “real news,” as Sapienza said.
If I’m a democrat who wants to watch Stephen Colbert go to town on Donald Trump, I will, and Colbert’s ratings will benefit from my watching him. If you want to watch Sean Hannity at night, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you.
These late-night hosts will make us laugh again – they will – but when the time is right, not when all this chaos is occurring around us.
martinma15@bonaventure.edu
