Irony Is Dead Again? Gee Thanks, Obama

Or latest sketch just a 'vehicle to make anal sex joke'

(NEWSER) - Saturday’s SNL cold opener—which poked fun at Obama’s deficit spending—conclusively marked the show as an “occasionally humorous right-wing propaganda organ,” writes Ethan Porter of True/Slant . SNL’s been obviously anti-Obama since the primaries, pausing only to mock Sarah Palin, who's far less popular than Obama. “The show, fat and rich in its old age, reflects the politics of its executive producer, Lorne Michaels, who maxed out to McCain in 08.” More»

(NEWSER) - When Stephen Colbert announced he was doing four shows in front of the troops in Baghdad, many wondered if he’d tone down his ironic bluster. Wonder no more. Colbert swaggered on stage for the taping in a camouflage business suit yesterday, and declared himself the only one man enough to declare victory in Iraq, the New York Times reports. Then the president ordered Ray Odierno to shave Colbert’s head. More»

We guarantee Obama never considered any of these schmucks

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama probably never sat down to consider the worst possible contenders for David Souter’s Supreme Court vacancy. But the guys at The Stimulist did. Here are the top (bottom?) five judges who never had a shot:

• Myron Steele: Used his government email address to send a lewd video to 38 male friends.
• Donald Thompson: Convicted in 2006 of using a penis pump…during a murder trial.

President-elect not lacking in comic fodder; it's mainstream comedians who are lacking

(NEWSER) - Bill Maher recently said Barack Obama “needs to give comedians something to work with.” The President-elect is “too perfect,” he groused, and worse, liberals are afraid to laugh at black people. If only Dave Chappelle were working, laments Salamishah Tillet for the Root. He’d quickly prove Obama is plenty funny, if only white comedians learned the “cultural nuances of black America.” More»

Web offers chance to poke fun, change a few minds

(NEWSER) - Viral election videos offer campy calls for change, seamless special effects, and more than a few celebrity cameos. Laughs aside, “over the past decade they’ve also impacted politics—sometimes changing the course of elections and frequently providing a few laughs in an otherwise wonky world,” Jeffrey Ressner writes in picking Politico's top 10 of '08.

1. Yes We Can: Will.i.am’s minimalist all-star Obama tribute "may be the most creative video of any type to emerge this year.”
2. Dear Mr. Obama: An injured Iraq veteran explains why war is a good thing.