Decades ago, there were late-night comedians who made jokes at the expense of prominent politicians and policy-makers. But the late-night shows were balanced- they criticized prominent politicians equally, and they showed no favoritism.
Then, as the “golden-age” hosts retired, came the new wave. Convinced by their college professors that they were right, the new breeds of late-night hosts were thoroughly convinced that their liberal ideology was correct, and no challenges would be accepted. While accusing the right-wing traditionalists of being fascists, it was more like the late-night hosts were fascists, because fascists do not allow any criticism, the very behavior that they so roundly criticized the conservatives of doing.
But it goes deeper. The late night left ideologues were far more restrictive and their favoritism was such that they tolerated no one challenging their positions. The lack of challenges allowed was because they were so convinced of their correctness that nothing questioning their positions would be tolerated. Their self-congratulation and profound selfish behavior was because of their self-righteous beliefs. As their professors told them, there was no valid questioning their ideology: they were the ultimate truth and there was no room for criticism.
And on criticism, they often personalized their comedic criticism; it wasn’t just the beliefs of those who differed, it was personal assaults.
Now, using new media as the whipping boy, their loss of viewership is being blamed on new media, and not on their unchallengeable positions. No, they didn’t lose viewership because people were sick of their one-trick pony positions, it was because of all the new media, the new options, that are responsible for their decline. Like all narcissists, the blame had to go to someone other than themselves. So immersed in their ideological positions, it is totally unbelievable to them that anyone would find their glorified left-wing positions boring and repetitive, and their personal attacks loathsome.
The jokes left being funny long ago. They became bitter criticism, not intended to be funny, but to be, mean-spirited and personal.
