Victory Soap v. 2.0

Steve H. continues to agonize over the inability of conservatives to be funny, whereas liberal comedians are raining down upon the earth like one or more Biblical plagues. I don't agonize, though, because I think I have it figure out: liberals are British and conservatives are French. Stay with me. The French, despite their outwardly loose moral style, are at base conservative and serious, which is another way of saying humorless -- by which I mean they don't really "get" things like irony and absurdism. In fact the French tend to judge people by whether they are "serieux" or not (which word in French has more important connotations such as integrity and reliability than the word has come to have in English). On the other hand, where would the British be without their talents for irony and an appreciation of the absurdities of life? That's the only way they've been able to get along stuck on that island with each other for so many centuries. And liberals are, if nothing else, anxious to get along with everyone else. But the French could care less about such jejune concerns.

It has to be true: look at French pop culture -- it's absolutely dreadful, most of it borderline retarded. The famous love of the French for Jerry Lewis is one well-known example -- but just look up "French pop culture" and you'll realize that they've come up with plenty of their own dreck. On the other hand, when it comes to real art, the French can't be beat -- at least in the visual arts, music has lagged somewhat though there is Delibes, etc. On the other hand, the British have gotten pop culture down pat, they practically invented it. Their serious "real" culture on the other hand has never risen to what it was in Shakespeare's day, bright spots here and there notwithstanding. But what do we think about when the words "British music" are uttered -- Holst, or the Beatles?

(Note: part of this post is part of a comment I left on Steve H.'s post -- he moderates, so it hasn't shown up yet, and I wanted to share my wisdom with all of you, my loyal readers.)