No, social media just mainlined it. Insult comedy (thank you, Don Rickles!) existed. Don Rickles used it and made it respectable. Then TV "comedies" put it into everyone's living rooms. Norman Lear may have been a great producer. But he completely misread the viewing audience. "All in the Family" mainstreamed bigots and made them lovable. Archie was a hero to a good number of people who were once considered uncouth and ignored.
Good observations. I think it’s appropriate in the category of entertainment. Unfortunately our politics (here and in most of the world, really) has hybridized with entertainment. It has made governance unserious. Just another reality TV show!
No, social media just mainlined it. Insult comedy (thank you, Don Rickles!) existed. Don Rickles used it and made it respectable. Then TV "comedies" put it into everyone's living rooms. Norman Lear may have been a great producer. But he completely misread the viewing audience. "All in the Family" mainstreamed bigots and made them lovable. Archie was a hero to a good number of people who were once considered uncouth and ignored.
Good observations. I think it’s appropriate in the category of entertainment. Unfortunately our politics (here and in most of the world, really) has hybridized with entertainment. It has made governance unserious. Just another reality TV show!