Excellent.

October 15, 2007 10:47 AM

Who says Republicans don't have a sense of humor? Yes, this really is linked from the homepage of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's minority site.
posted by MrMoonPie (47 comments total)

Peter DeFazio's site has some Simpson's action, as well.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:48 AM on October 15, 2007

The problem with that story, and I must have read it like five times, to make sure I wasn't parsing it wrong is that it makes no sense Burns wants SCHIP for himself? Why does Quimby consider himself a monster? What's going on with the niece?

None of it makes sense.
posted by delmoi at 10:54 AM on October 15, 2007 [2 favorites]

I didn't really follow it either.

On a different note, I wonder whether a congressional committee can be held liable for trademark and copyright infringement.
posted by brain_drain at 10:57 AM on October 15, 2007

Well, the "I am your niece" bit was pulled straight out of an episode of the Simpsons, I believe.
posted by mrnutty at 10:58 AM on October 15, 2007

I read it a few times and here's what I think is going on:

Quimby creates SCHIP to cover his bastard kids. Burns decides to cash in on the free healthcare, even though he's a bazillionaire and could afford it himself.

I'm sure working families that are just above the poverty line and can't afford medicine for their sick kids will get a chuckle out of the notion that they are the ones who are greedy.
posted by DU at 11:01 AM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

I wonder whether a congressional committee can be held liable for trademark and copyright infringement.

Well, there is a "Report Waste, Fraud & Abuse" button at the bottom of the committee page.
posted by R. Mutt at 11:01 AM on October 15, 2007

I saw this earlier today, and I wandered into something even cooler to me: Did you know that the House has a Small Brewers Caucus?
posted by rollbiz at 11:02 AM on October 15, 2007 [2 favorites]

Painfully bad writing, indeed. Like something from a company newsletter, but without the kindly-submitted creole meatloaf recipe from Donna in accounting.
posted by rokusan at 11:02 AM on October 15, 2007

Further proof that "conservative humour" is an oxymoron.
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:03 AM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I'm not sure who should be more offended: The Simpsons creators or sick children.
posted by birdie birdington at 11:04 AM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

Also, that's the worst damn slashfic I've ever seen.
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:04 AM on October 15, 2007 [2 favorites]

I thought you said there would be humor?
posted by Pollomacho at 11:05 AM on October 15, 2007 [2 favorites]

rollbiz, excellent find!
posted by JHarris at 11:06 AM on October 15, 2007

We elect these people to run the free world and they can't even rip off the Simpsons in a funny or coherent manner.
posted by ND¢ at 11:10 AM on October 15, 2007

Just remember, none of this makes sense!

And if this does not make sense, you should kill the bill.
posted by mazola at 11:12 AM on October 15, 2007

Pope Guilty: This isn't slashfic.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:15 AM on October 15, 2007

Oh, and I'm utterly disgusted with the Repigs. But then you knew that.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:18 AM on October 15, 2007

Also, to be fair to the Republicans, when was the last time the Simpsons itself made any sense?
posted by DU at 11:18 AM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

Can Republicans be cited for copyright infringement of something that appears on Fox?
posted by Pollomacho at 11:21 AM on October 15, 2007 [4 favorites]

Pope Guilty: This isn't slashfic.

Thank you, lupus, that was the joke.
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:26 AM on October 15, 2007

Pope Guilty: This isn't slashfic.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 2:15 PM on October 15

With such a finely attuned sense of humor, can a career writing HECC press releases be far behind?
posted by turaho at 11:26 AM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

"Did you know that the House has a Small Brewers Caucus?"

There's a "small cockus" joke in there somewhere.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:29 AM on October 15, 2007

Who says Republicans don't have a sense of humor?

I wasn't saying that before, but I certainly am now.
posted by Riki tiki at 11:31 AM on October 15, 2007

Also hilarious: only 4% of the government is "ineffective." According to the government at least.
posted by chlorus at 11:31 AM on October 15, 2007

Children's Health Fact of the Day.

Is passing off a really crappy piece of satire as a "fact of the day" some sort of meta-satire or just plain stupid?

*looks at today's 'fact' *
* notes their code monkeys can't even size a screencap functionally *
* withdraws question *
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 11:40 AM on October 15, 2007

Also hilarious: only 4% of the government is "ineffective." According to the government at least.

Apparently they aren't very effective at uncovering inefficiencies.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:47 AM on October 15, 2007

Also, that's the worst damn slashfic I've ever seen.

I might pay to read Monty Burns / Larry Craig.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:57 AM on October 15, 2007

I might pay to read Monty Burns / Larry Craig.

But that wouldn't be fiction at all.
posted by contessa at 12:10 PM on October 15, 2007

This article (and all Republicans) are full of SCHIP.
posted by newfers at 12:13 PM on October 15, 2007

...IS full of SCHIP.

Dammit!
posted by newfers at 12:13 PM on October 15, 2007

[thump] Be More Funny.
posted by rusty at 12:25 PM on October 15, 2007

Not funny, but not hard to parse. Burns wanting SCHIP implies that the measure which Bush vetoed would extend SCHIP to the affluent. Quimby was a throw away gag, he's been boinking his niece but didn't realize it. Maybe a not-so-subtle barb implying that liberals have no morals.

Conservative humour is as funny as compassionate conservatism is compassionate.
posted by substrate at 12:26 PM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

OK, so the link says: "Republican businessman Montgomery Burns today joined with Mayor Joe Quimby, D-Springfield, to support the Senate’s gazillion-dollar SCHIP bill." So, Burns is a Republican. Burns is a Republican. He's the most despised person in Springfield, and he's a Republican. The joke is that he's only in on this deal so he can get a piece of the action (at least that's how I understand it). And this is on a Republican site? Do they understand how this satire thing works?
posted by krinklyfig at 12:30 PM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

They should have used the Republican font: Sans Comic.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 12:44 PM on October 15, 2007 [17 favorites]

I was looking at the above link to white house gov expect more ineffective, the official white house site and the one chlorus mentioned.

Interestingly, none of the links to programs on the ineffective site listing work. Also, among those receiving the highest rating:

Dept of Defense--Military Defense Contract Audit Agency
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:46 PM on October 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Springfield oregon, that is) sent this letter to A.G. Gonzales (back when was still the A.G.). It opens with "Heidely Ho Attorney General Gonzales:" and closes with "Okiliydokily". In the letter, he asks that Justice investigate the "voting irregularities" that plagued the choice of Springfields during the Simpson's movie release.

Ah, those wacky elected officials!
posted by rtha at 12:51 PM on October 15, 2007

Rahm, release the hounds!

That actually made me chuckle a bit. Of course, it hinges on knowing a few things about the DNC, Chicago and Illinois politics.
posted by aladfar at 12:53 PM on October 15, 2007

Do they understand how this satire thing works?

They probably read this.
posted by Pollomacho at 1:36 PM on October 15, 2007

“Who says Republicans don't have a sense of humor?”

Cicero.


What....too soon?
posted by Smedleyman at 4:05 PM on October 15, 2007 [2 favorites]

dances_with_sneetches: "I was looking at the above link to white house gov expect more ineffective, the official white house site and the one chlorus mentioned.

Interestingly, none of the links to programs on the ineffective site listing work. Also, among those receiving the highest rating:

Dept of Defense--Military Defense Contract Audit Agency"

I noticed, too, the DoD not being "ineffective". Bwahaha, these Republicans ARE funny.
posted by symbioid at 4:15 PM on October 15, 2007

I am floored and impressed.

They actually managed to resist the urge to put all of that in comic sans.
posted by blacklite at 4:49 PM on October 15, 2007

Liberal humor has as much point as the liberal agenda has an agenda.

Eh, lazy social stereotype and mimicry. Easy to do (and understand) with the slightest sliver of brain surface and pretty much all that passes for political humor amongst politicians and assorted fanatic hangers on.
Roughly akin to the daily newspaper comic strips in terms of depth. “Hey, where are my shoes..?” *blank* “Oh, no Marmaduke!”
Yeah. That’s humor. Or rather vague manipulation of the symbols of humor.
I wonder why it’s so potent in the other rhetorical realms?
posted by Smedleyman at 5:39 PM on October 15, 2007

Wow - that was horrible. The Kennedy incest joke was pretty good though.
posted by trigfunctions at 7:22 PM on October 15, 2007

I preferred the episode where Flanders fondles Chief Wiggum's leg in the adjoining bathroom stall.
posted by EarBucket at 7:34 PM on October 15, 2007

Remember, if it doesn't make sense, a wizard did it.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:45 PM on October 15, 2007

"...local villain C. Montgomery Burns seen here terrorizing children in a nineteenth century wood-cut..."
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:41 AM on October 16, 2007

"Twentieth Century Fox was unaware of the illegal use of characters from The Simpsons in this press release. Let me assure you, Fox did not authorize this use. Characters from The Simpsons may not be used in this manner…"
posted by Kirth Gerson at 7:55 AM on October 17, 2007