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Sometimes we all need a good laugh in the face of adversity. With The What a Joke Comedy Fest, comedians around the country are taking back the national dialogue in a way that won’t negatively affect our healthcare system. The festival takes place in more than 30 cities over the inaugural weekend, with a local lineup of 20 comedians performing sets to benefit the ACLU. To prepare, we asked a few of the funny people participating in the series to get serious about the current State of the Union.
For more activism activities, check out our inaugural weekend protest round-up.
Emily Winter (TV Land):
Which civil liberty needs protection most under the Trump administration?
I think ranking civil liberties is dangerous. They all need to be protected because they're all actively in jeopardy. Look at our list of civil liberties. It reads like a checklist of things Trump doesn't give a shit about.
What is the biggest joke in the country right now?
Donald Trump is a joke. Unfortunately, the joke's on us.
Jenn Welch (New York Comedy Festival):
Which civil liberty needs protection most under the Trump administration?
ALL OF THEM. The incoming administration has made it clear that civil liberties are now a luxury good only available to the rich, straight, white men who can afford them.
What is the biggest joke in the country right now?
ALL OF IT. It’s like Trump is Gallagher, the watermelon he’s smashing is filled with every awful, hateful, racist, sexist, classist thing we’ve been trying to eradicate from our society, and the people covered in pulp mortgaged their healthcare to buy tickets to the show.
Janeane Garofalo (Wet Hot American Summer):
Which civil liberty needs protection most under the Trump administration?
All of them. I would say every single one.
What is the biggest joke in the country right now?
The biggest joke right now—although it's tragedy—the biggest tragedy right now is the miscarriage of justice that may put that man into office. I don't know if I can call it a "joke." I'm gonna pretend "joke" means "miscarriage of justice." It's a sick joke: The installation of a person who has no business being in office taking office.
Jordan Temple (MTV's Decoded):
Which civil liberty needs protection most under the Trump administration?
I think one of least thought-about protections is the freedom from forced disappearance, which means state officials abduct groups of people from their homes without telling their families where they are. Trump and his administration have directly threatened the livelihoods of many immigrants and have emboldened many hate groups and law enforcement with vitriolic speech that seeks to normalize the detainment of black and brown people internationally, not just in the United States. It's going to get worse before it gets worse.
What is the biggest joke in the country right now?
The biggest joke in the country are the people who don't have a squatty potty. Seriously, get your life together. Everyone is pooping wrong and that's why they're so upset. Too many opinions, not enough squatting.
Laurie Kilmartin (Last Comic Standing):
Which civil liberty needs protection most under the Trump administration?
The Second Amendment. Ok, maybe not. But I am worried about my right not to carry a gun. I don't need a weapon, I've got a spine-chilling RBF.
What is the biggest joke in the country right now?
I don't know, I just long for the days when it was Charlie Sheen.
Subhah Agarwal (Comedy Central):
Which civil liberty needs protection most under the Trump administration?
Freedom from discrimination and discriminatory policies is in desperate need of protection under the Trump administration. Mike Pence—who essentially oversaw the legalization of discrimination against LGBTQ folks in his “religious liberties” law while governing Indiana—is now the Vice President. On top of that, a lot of bigots are actively discriminating under the guise of eschewing political correctness. Trump has made several discriminatory statements (such as a judge of Mexican descent would be unfit to preside over his case because of his heritage) without much if any consequence, and now people feel they can act and discriminate in similar ways. They must be reminded their behavior cannot and will not be tolerated.
What is the biggest joke in the country right now?
Michael Flynn is the biggest joke in the country. He’s Trump’s slated pick for National Security Advisor and he peddles a ton of fake news. His son, who still advises him, was actively peddling the Pizzagate conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton and the Dems were involved in sex crimes with children and that pizza was code for child sex, which is insane. If any food is code for child sex it would be something like Little Debbies or Jujyfruits. Anyway, that ended with an armed man trying to free imaginary sex slaves in a D.C. pizzeria. Having this Islamophobic lunatic who peddles fake news advising the president on national security is a giant joke, especially because one of the threats to our nation’s security is fake news!
Rae Sanni (Comedy Central):
Which civil liberty needs protection most under the Trump administration?
All of our civil liberties need protection under the Trump Administration. He’s already openly expressed desire to limit the freedoms of the press and the freedom of religion, and this attack on women’s reproductive health is a clear attack on the right to privacy. Everything else will fall from there. One minute, he’ll be blacklisting newspapers from White House press conferences, because they used a cover photo of him that showed his jowls, the next, all us non-whites and Jews will be in internment camps for the non-Aryans watching episodes of Celebrity Apprentice with our eyelids peeled back like in A Clockwork Orange, tortured until we swear loyalty to the Orange Fuhrer. It’s terrifying.
What is the biggest joke in the country right now?
The biggest joke in our country right now is the pundit class that insists upon coming up with reasons other than bigotry for Trump’s election. The man ran a campaign rooted in bigotry, it should be no surprise that his followers would be bigots. And still, we get the “economic anxiety” angle and every other excuse. “It’s not bigotry; it was Hillary’s e-mails!” “It’s not bigotry, it’s just that my grandmother who hates blacks but is totally not a racist felt left behind when she thought black people were doing better than she is!” NOT BIGOTRY THOUGH! What a joke.
Dave Hill (@midnight, Inside Amy Schumer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee):
Which civil liberty needs protection most under the Trump administration?
All of the them, except for the right to bear arms. Fuck that one. If the Republicans could figure out how to get richer by banning guns, they'd get rid of them tomorrow.
What is the biggest joke in the country right now?
It's hard to pick just one person or thing. I guess for the moment I'll go with the rejection of the idea of socialized healthcare of any kind by so many Americans. We are one of the few, if not only, industrialized nations in the world without it. And those that are against it seem to be perfectly fine with things like paved roads, public schools, stop lights, garbage collection, court-appointed attorneys, sidewalks, the snow plow guy and countless other "socialized" things in this country. Absolutely fascinating.
What a Joke Comedy Festival. Various locations, various times, (whatajokefest.com). Thu 19–Sat 21; $15, $20, $40.