This film documents the "moment" Al Franken turned from comic writer to political activist. Al Franken is most famous for going on SNL in the late 70s and saying his name over and over. To many people the name “Al Franken” was a punch-line. It was an ironic and bold act for the writer. Basically proving all the things we’ve been told about media brainwashing by (ironically) doing it to a public at large. His career has been downhill ever since.
Until now. Actually, it’s probably more true to say he’s just famous again for getting other people to say his name. Bill O’Reilly and Anne Coulter to name but two. When Franken came out with his book “Lying Liars …” Bill O’Reilly went nuts, both in public and, it seems, in private, forcing the Fox network to sue Al Franken. This was his finest moment. He called O’Reilly on his shit in a public forum that O’Reilly couldn’t control (you know, that’s how those shows work – the format is controlled by the host. O’Reilly can just yell at someone until he decides to cut their time. That’s how he appears “smart” when he’s just a bully. On other shows, famously Letterman this past year, he looks like an intolerant bully.) But, Al decided to step away from the safety net of “comedian” and become serious about politics. That’s what this “film” is about … the invention of Air America, the liberal radio answer to Rush Limbaugh.
Problems:
I’ve always said that political humor is the second lowest form of humor (the lowest being “kicked in the balls” type humor.) Politics are transitory and, for the most part, disconnected from the human experience. In the last 10 years the dissection of “news audiences” has polarized political types into “conservatives” and “liberals” … and never the ‘tween shall meet. The problem with this is that most people actually are in between. Very few are hard left or right, despite the media proselytizing on both sides.
For example, I am politically liberal and personally conservative. Unlike “Liberal Conservatives,” I refer to myself as a “Conservative Liberal” … if at all. I’m closer to a Libertarian in that, if you really get to the truth about most issues you find they cannot be solved with anything but an appeal some “meta” issue. Since, the only faith I have is a faith in science and fact, anything that doesn’t adhere must be deemed “meta.” For example: abortion is a meta-ethical issue. The only answer is an answer drawn from belief and faith, not fact. My answer therefore comes to a logical response (I don’t know, so I can’t tell you you can’t) and a personal one (I’ve known people who’ve had them and they were really messed up.) In short, any meta-ethical issue cannot be legislated. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans represent this agenda, so I am neither.
But, if you believe people like my brother or Bill O’Reilly, I’m just avoiding the issue.
And, now the far left have decided to answer. And, just as the sad truth must have met Dennis Miller that his very clever act needed severe dumbing down for his new-found faith in the Republican party, Franken found that his new audience didn’t really want to wade seriously into the hate methods of O’Reilly and Coulter. The Daily Show does a good job of taking them down many more pegs then their hate speech ever built.
This film really could have been worse, but fortunately it does most of the story telling by letting Bill O'Reilly be the villain. When it does drag it is usually the moment when you can’t go where Al is going. I can not cry because John Kerry didn’t win the election. I feel bad that Bush won (because he’s an idiot), but John Kerry wasn’t much better. To see Al go from cynic to believer and not know how is a bit Faustian. O’Reilly really does get his last laugh by playing the devil.
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