Some punchlines are as obvious and as straightforward as Larry gouging the eyes of Curly and Moe (“Why, I oughta…!”). They either tickle your funny bone or they don’t.
It’s binary humor.
Not everyone finds “The Three Stooges” funny: We call those who don’t “women.” With all due respect to Matt Walsh, if you ever want to know who a woman is, show her a Three Stooges movie. Numerous articles have been written about this particular phenomenon. For whatever reason, men love the stooges; women don’t.
Humor is a lot like beauty: Funny is in the eye of the beholder. Not everyone, for example, appreciates the sophisticated, high-brow humor of a well-timed fart joke. (Again, we call those who don’t “women.”)
When Donald Trump held court at Mar-a-Lago last week, giving Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau an opportunity to slurp the president’s ring, an amusing anecdote emerged: The President-elect told Trudeau that if Canada couldn’t figure out how to get by without incurring such lopsided trade imbalances, then Canada is welcome to join America as our 51st state.
Since then, he’s had fun with it:
To anyone with at least half a brain, Trump’s intent is clear: If you want to access the U.S. marketplace, then you’re subject to U.S. rules and policies. And obviously, Canadians value America’s protective umbrella, which is why 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S. border.
But to MSNBC, Trump’s comments must mean something else.
He’s stupid and confused.
In an absolutely absurd article that went live today, MSNBC political contributor and “The Rachel Maddow Show” producer Steve Benen pondered the question, “Why Trump is suddenly calling Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ‘governor.’”
And he immediately answered his own question in the article’s subtitle: “It all stems from [Trump’s] confusion about what a trade deficit is.”
At the heart of Benen’s theory: “The problem, of course, is that the Republican has never really bothered to learn what a trade deficit is, and [Trump’s] claim is largely gibberish.”
Of course!
If only Trump was as wise and knowledgeable as the Democrats who just crashed the economy, spiked inflation, and did nothing in the face of trade wars! (Don’t you dare call it “Bidenomics”; call it Demonomics.) These liberal economists are still the smartest ones in the room — just ask ‘em and they’ll tell you.
After suffering an electoral landslide loss (which was at least partially attributable to economic mismanagement, elitism, and out-of-touch leadership) you’d expect a modicum of self-scrutiny. After all, when you lose an election, that’s your opportunity to right the ship and improve for next time. But the Democrats haven’t missed a beat: They’re still as arrogant and oblivious as ever.
It’s actually kind of inspiring. If only the GOP were as self-confident as liberals!
Trump called Trudeau a “governor” because it’s funny, memorable, and makes a larger point. That’s it: Period, end of story.
Sometimes, things are what they are; call it the Popeye Principle. (“I yam what I yam!”) Symbolism, literary allusions, and poetic analogies are all fine and good, but sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes, an eye gouge is just an eye gouge.
But $10 says Steve Benen doesn’t like the Three Stooges either.
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
