YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 JMAC??? Now that is a hoot of a moniker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In-A-Gadda-Levitre Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Uhh, people, JMac answered the student's question seriously and then made a tongue-in-cheek jab. It's called 'dry humor.' Most people have the mental capacity to grasp it. Maybe his delivery wasn't perfect (and it would've helped if he went over to the kid and tousseled his hair or something) but this isn't Last Comic Standing. Everyone in the room got it. Quite unlike when I was in the store the other day.... My cart was at the start of an aisle and I was about 5 feet away getting an item. This woman comes in with her cart and hesitates even tho there's ample room. I took a quick step and moved the cart and said a polite "Excuse me." She says, "There's no excuse for you" and there was about a five-second pause where I was like... Oooooo-kay. And then she says, "That was a joke." Uhhm, no, in every usage, that's a put-down, not a light-hearted joke. It's amazing these days the number of people who are too slow-witted or dull for humor. JMac over the years has shown a great sense of humor, especially self-effacing. It's one of his biggest assets in being able to reach people. That said, I can't say I've ever seen Obama really laugh, even when he was on that SNL intro he was very stiff. I hear all that and agree in principle, but how do you think the kid felt? Maybe every adult in the room got a chuckle. I'm just saying there's lots of ways to inject humor and you don't have to put down a young kid to get a laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 I hear all that and agree in principle, but how do you think the kid felt? Maybe every adult in the room got a chuckle. I'm just saying there's lots of ways to inject humor and you don't have to put down a young kid to get a laugh. Maybe the kid felt it was hilarious. Maybe he and John Kerry know each other in some way, so the kid knew he was joking around with him. Hell, maybe the kid really is a little jerk. There's plenty of different ways it could play out beyond what we know. Still a stupid thing for a presidential candidate to say. That sound-byte is tailor-made for an attack ad ("John McCain...out of touch with America". Insert "I don't know how many houses I own". "John McCain...out of touch with AND condescending to America." Insert "You Little Jerk" soundbyte.) Why invite trouble? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In-A-Gadda-Levitre Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Maybe the kid felt it was hilarious. Maybe he and John Kerry know each other in some way, so the kid knew he was joking around with him. Hell, maybe the kid really is a little jerk. There's plenty of different ways it could play out beyond what we know. Still a stupid thing for a presidential candidate to say. That sound-byte is tailor-made for an attack ad ("John McCain...out of touch with America". Insert "I don't know how many houses I own". "John McCain...out of touch with AND condescending to America." Insert "You Little Jerk" soundbyte.) Why invite trouble? agreed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 lol, I'm guessing you know all about sharing those nah... though i don't mind invading a woman's after lubing her up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 nah... though i don't mind invading a woman's after lubing her up Probably more like this.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezdm8AvAgWA...feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finknottle Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 I hear all that and agree in principle, but how do you think the kid felt? Maybe every adult in the room got a chuckle. I'm just saying there's lots of ways to inject humor and you don't have to put down a young kid to get a laugh. I think that if the kid felt bad, he got a good life lesson in ettiquete, one he should have figured out a long time ago. Asking your parents' friends how they are holding up health-wise is one thing. Phrasing the question with Alzheimers (or impotence, for that matter) will likely provoke a more testy response. IMO he was clearly a provocateur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finknottle Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Still a stupid thing for a presidential candidate to say. That sound-byte is tailor-made for an attack ad ("John McCain...out of touch with America". Insert "I don't know how many houses I own". "John McCain...out of touch with AND condescending to America." Insert "You Little Jerk" soundbyte.) Why invite trouble? Unlike the houses gaffe or the economy-is-fine remark, I think the 'you little jerk' would have a positive bounce if it appeared in an attack ad. It is outrageous enough that it would encourage people to look up the exchange and see for themselves. IMO most would have the same response the poster did - they would wind up applauding McCain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 I think that if the kid felt bad, he got a good life lesson in ettiquete, one he should have figured out a long time ago. Asking your parents' friends how they are holding up health-wise is one thing. Phrasing the question with Alzheimers (or impotence, for that matter) will likely provoke a more testy response. IMO he was clearly a provocateur. I'm not sure about "provocateur" but I think the kid himself was being pretty facetious. Paraphrasing, 'So, you're, like, old and stuff. Are you worried about getting Alzheimer's or that you'll die in office?' That's a hell of a question to be asking, and the kid knows it and either did or should have expected some joking rebuff for how he posed it. But in the same tack, JMac knows it's a point to consider for a person who wants to become president. That's why he answered it seriously before he made a short quip. I'm 99.9% sure the kid was laughing along with everyone else. And if you can't take a joke that most everyone else on this planet understands is meant lightheartedly, screw 'im. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In-A-Gadda-Levitre Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 I think that if the kid felt bad, he got a good life lesson in ettiquete, one he should have figured out a long time ago. Asking your parents' friends how they are holding up health-wise is one thing. Phrasing the question with Alzheimers (or impotence, for that matter) will likely provoke a more testy response. IMO he was clearly a provocateur. What was this lesson that he should have learned long ago? Not to ask politicians sensitive questions that he's heard others talk about? Seems like he didn't conjure up that question, as it's raised time and time again, and exacerbated when McCain does his gaffe-of- the-week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finknottle Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 What was this lesson that he should have learned long ago? Not to ask politicians sensitive questions that he's heard others talk about? Seems like he didn't conjure up that question, as it's raised time and time again, and exacerbated when McCain does his gaffe-of- the-week. It's not the question itself, it is the phrasing and choice of words which determines how the exchange is to proceed. Is that difficult to understand, or are you like, umm, slow and retarded? (to give an example) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In-A-Gadda-Levitre Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 It's not the question itself, it is the phrasing and choice of words which determines how the exchange is to proceed. Is that difficult to understand, or are you like, umm, slow and retarded? (to give an example) I hear that. Now put yourself in the kid's shoes. You know little about the importance of the "how" you ask people, the choice of words, all that. So, you deliver the question in the only way you know how. The guy dances a bit, mixes with facts, and then disses you in public, and you listen to the laughter of the audience at your expense. Now, you're gonna learn all right, but you're gonna hate and resent McCain. Is that a good lesson? I strongly believe in learning by experience, even when it stings. And just like injecting humor, there's good ways and not so good ways. McCain changes his delivery and maybe you have Johnny's attention. is that difficult to understand, or are you like, umm closed-minded and neutered? see example above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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