[Recording Start]
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: In your time as a comedy writer, how do you learn to deal with belligerent social and political commentary; things so abhorrent happening in the social scene or legal scene or cultural scene in America that only a joke can make some sense of it?
Rick Rosner: The political climate in America has been tumultuous, particularly since the early days of the Trump administration. Initially, there was a glimmer of hope among many that Trump would adopt centrist policies, given his lack of fixed political ideologies. However, it quickly became evident that he was governing primarily for his base, embodying a particularly abrasive attitude. This attitude seemed to empower tens of millions, including myself, to adopt a similar tone. My response often involves firing back at people on Twitter, trying to blend humor with the harsh rhetoric that characterizes the current political discourse in America.
Even though I aim for humor, I strive to avoid clichéd language when responding to someone from the opposition, especially if they’ve made an untruthful or offensive statement. For instance, Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson recently made absurd comments against vaccines, questioning the efficacy of human-made solutions compared to divine intervention. Instead of resorting to outright insults, I labeled him a “Russian dupe,” considering some evidence suggests Russian manipulation. However, this approach has its limits, as many people are resistant to changing their views.
In these cases, I often turn to the internet for support. For example, after Ron Johnson announced his third-term candidacy, contradicting his previous promises, I compiled and shared various articles and op-eds highlighting his negative aspects. This method serves to underline my points without resorting to direct insults.
When you initially posed your question, I thought you were referring to how I handle offensive comments directed at me.
Jacobsen: Oh, that’s another session.
[Recording End]
Authors
Rick Rosner
American Television Writer
Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Founder, In-Sight Publishing
In-Sight Publishing
License and Copyright
License
In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at http://www.rickrosner.org.
Copyright
© Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Rick Rosner, and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Rick Rosner, and In-Sight Publishing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Rick Rosner 