In a Minute on The Huffington Post

The Best Of 'Fox And Friends': Miss California, Baby Vacuuming, And Brian Kilmeade's Vaseline Obsession (VIDEO)

2009-07-22T14:14:08Z

Imagine a world in which pundits spontaneously walk off sets, shoving vacuum cleaners in babies' faces is cool, and Carrie Prejean is taken seriously...seriously. Thanks to the fine folks at Fox News, such a place not only exists but is granted three whole hours of uninterrupted airtime every morning! Now, we obviously can't recommend you actually watch all or any of said program. Instead, we've compiled a best-of-the-best video, enjoy.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

The Best Moments Of The Sotomayor Hearings: Wise Latina Lines, Banal Baseball Metaphors, And Crack! (VIDEO)

2009-07-21T13:55:57Z

So what does it take to become a Supreme Court justice in this fair nation of ours? After combing through hours and hours of footage from last week's congressional hearings, we found you need to know a hell of a lot about baseball, Perry Mason, aaand it wouldn't hurt to know how to wield a nunchuck (but who doesn't). All in all we learned less about Sotomayor than we did about her questioners, but that's better for us here on the comedy page.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

"Morning Joe" In A Minute: Our Favorite Moments And Memes From Scarborough And Friends (VIDEO)

2009-07-15T08:25:09Z

"Morning Joe" has always been a source of great entertainment for those who watch it. There was the time Mika's dad, former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, came on the show and told Joe his knowledge of the 2000 Camp David meetings was "stunningly superficial." There were those few episodes in which Scarborough dug himself deeper and deeper into a feud with Jon Stewart, the one man everyone should know by now not to do that with. And, of course, there were those episodes in which Mika talked about vibrators.

But what of the day-to-day antics of "Morning Joe"? What of the phrases the hosts can't help but use, the jokes they can't help but make, and the sponsorship they can't help but cling to? That's where this video comes in. As with most of our "In A Minute" videos, this isn't actually a minute long, but it's very close, and we feel it will give you a good sense of what you're missing if you don't watch the show because morning TV makes you want to vomit.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

Sarah Palin's Resignation In A Minute...And A Half (VIDEO)

2009-07-06T15:04:35Z

Watching Sarah Palin's press conference on Friday was like watching a drunk seal trying to land a plane, or in basketball terms (which Sarah prefers) like watching a grade-schooler try to score on Kobe while jabbering inanely. As Gail Collins put it:

"When she ran for vice president, she frequently became disjointed and garbled when she departed from her prepared remarks. Now the prepared remarks are incoherent, too."

There was something about a fish and sports and a lot about politics and not quitting but then quitting. It ended and I felt more confused than when it started. I felt down right mavericky...or something. So I knew we had to boil this down for you, our lovely fans, to its key moments.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

Perez Hilton's Sobbing Video Insanity Condensed To One Crazy Minute (NSFW)

2009-06-23T17:34:45Z

Ok, we lied, we couldn't get it down to a minute even though we trotted out every fancy editing trick we knew. It's a minute and a half--a minute and a half of pure crazy--a minute and a half of a self-obsessed, angry, narcissistic, celebutard ranting about a member of the Black Eyed Peas. It's amazing and we knew you couldn't sit through the whole twelve minutes, so we included only the choicest parts.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

All The Palin Letterman Drama In One Minute (VIDEO)

2009-06-18T18:24:56Z

(SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO)

Roughly two weeks ago, David Letterman made a joke (as he is known to do) about Sarah Palin's daughter, saying:

"One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game: During the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."

He was obviously referring to Bristol, the daughter who has in fact been knocked up, but she was not at the game, 14-year-old Willow was. This spiraled out of control and quickly became an issue of rape with the National Organization for Women backing up a lady they told voters is "not an advocate for women," and conservatives blaming Obama for their made-up scandal.

Dave responded to Palin's insistence that his jokes were "disgusting" and "sexually perverted" in an earnest 7-minute segment in which he made it clear he was referring to Bristol and was self deprecating, saying:

"I'm telling you, I recognize that these are ugly. These are actually ugly. These are borderline...but again, in an act of desperation to get cheap laughs, which is what I've been doing for the last 30 years."

This wasn't enough for Ms. Palin, who quickly took to the air to drag this ridiculousness out telling Matt Lauer that Letterman contributed to the "acceptance of abuse of young women" and calling on people to "start really rising up."

The last tidbit, of course, struck a cord with nutjobs who organized a "Fire David Letterman" rally. That went on despite the fact that Letterman apologized (AGAIN) and Palin accepted.

Anyway, it worked out well for Dave, whose ratings have gone through the roof as a result of the "scandal."

Having said all of this, none of it is actually in the following video. No no, our "in a minutes" are about coverage not actual events, and the coverage of this ranged from awesome to absurd. I'll let you decide which is which.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

Twitter On The TV: America's Best (And Worst) Microblogging Moments (VIDEO)

2009-06-02T15:11:04Z

Who can forget Stephen Colbert making Meredith Vieira squirm by saying "twat" on the "Today Show"? Or Oprah tweeting for the first time? Or Jimmy Kimmel mocking Oprah for tweeting for the first time by changing her text to read "MY TOENAILS TASTE LIKE BUTTERSCOTCH"?

In three short years Twitter has gone from a nonsense word to a nonsense "news" topic, making anchors and pundits alike buzz with glee over what they had for breakfast and what their audience thinks of what they had for breakfast. (Note: It was a bagel)

Everyone from CSPAN to FOX News is getting into the Twitterverse: A place where Ashton Kutcher is the most popular man in the world and Demi Moore saves lives. It's a very dangerous place.

We here at the Huffington Post have compiled the best moments from TV's Twitter coverage for your viewing pleasure. We dare you not to throw up a little.

WATCH:

Sotomayor's Nomination Coverage In A Minute (VIDEO)

2009-05-28T14:27:46Z

Sonia Sotomayor are the words on every pundits' lips this week, and we are stranded here with the "Daily Show" on hiatus having no one to help us mock the media for their coverage. Luckily, we have compiled (roughly) 60 seconds that highlights the lowlights of the past few days.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

Glenn Beck In A Minute: Our Favorite Moments From Fox's Finest (VIDEO)

2009-05-08T13:20:58Z

Glenn Beck, a man Jon Stewart praised as, "a guy who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking," that "GQ" begged the question "Is this the most annoying man in America?" about, that coworker Shep Smith doesn't even understand, has seeped into our national consciousness over the years becoming a pseudo-star on the talking-head stage.

Before you decry this or try to challenge it, know that we've decided to condense Glenn Beck to one minute so you can have the full experience without actually watching his show. Believe me, you'll thank us.

For more "In a Minutes" click here.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

Swine Flu Coverage In A Minute (VIDEO)

2009-05-06T16:24:21Z

"In a Minute" videos are back! We know you've missed having news shows, events, and stories condensed into 60 seconds so you can avoid the boring parts. We jumped back in with swine flu coverage: The pandemic that panicked the media!

For more "In a Minute"s click here.

WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

Ari Melber: Michael Steele's Heavy Handed Hip Hop

2009-03-04T08:12:46Z

"Are there any conservatives in the house?" thundered Michael Steele, the new chairman of the Republican Party. He was getting funky, to use the GOP's new vernacular, as he scanned the hotel ballroom for young conservatives: "Young people in the house, stand up!"

Turning to serious matters, Steele urged his allies to acknowledge their party's mistakes, while salting the message with millennial slang. "Tell America: 'We know the past, we know we did wrong--my bad.' " Escalating the banter, master of ceremonies Michele Bachmann, a 52-year-old Minnesota Congresswoman most famous for suggesting an investigation of Barack Obama's "anti-American views," took the mic from Steele and proclaimed, "You be da man!" Twice.

Who needs SNL when you have CPAC?

This cultural flailing might seem like little more than fodder for the late-night shows, but it also reinforces the demographic conundrum facing Republicans. And no, I'm not just talking about race.

Steele is the first African-American chairman of the GOP, a striking development that remains forever overshadowed by its catalyst, the election of President Obama. Leading a party pales next to leading the country, of course, but even if Steele had a bigger job, there are no silver medals for breaking barriers. You don't remember Larry Doby, do you?

So Steele soldiers on, sans street cred, in pursuit of those voters Obama won so convincingly. (More on who they are in a minute.) The strategy, Steele told the Washington Times, is a "hip-hop makeover" for Republicans. And he meant it.

In the past few weeks, Steele has reached out to the President via rap lyrics; advocated conservative principles in a television debate with Chuck D., star of the politically charged hip-hop group Public Enemy and, in a sign that Steele may be on to something, provoked a challenge for a freestyle rap battle from Stephen Colbert. Yes, Proposition Eight can finally meet Eight Mile. Now who exactly is this all for?

The media coverage has focused, predictably, on black voters. A Sunday article in the Boston Globe asked whether Steele can "lure minorities" to the GOP, while pundits have scoffed at the idea the Republicans would out-organize Barack Obama in black communities. Yet Steele is not just targeting black voters--the Democrats' most reliable voting bloc long before hope was trendy. He is focused on young voters, who flocked to Obama in the largest demographic shift of the 2008 election. The new chairman has said so directly, too: "Where we have fallen down in delivering a message is in having something to say, particularly to young people." And he is right--about the problem, anyway.

In 2004, John Kerry won voters under 30 by nine points, and lost every other age group.

Last year, Obama won those young voters by a staggering 34 points. (And he lost voters over 45).

If Obama can hold those voters' support, and keep them backing Democrats in Congress, the Republicans really would have no national future.

Young voters back Obama's policies, sure, but many also appreciate his youthful style and new-school "brand." For this generation, by default, hip-hop is the shared cultural experience. (See the top albums of the last decade, for example.)

Obama's comfort with that culture, and endorsements from its leaders, has earned him generational credibility. When Obama channeled Jay-Z on the campaign trail to brush the "dirt" of petty attacks off his shoulders, young people knew exactly what he meant. Older television pundits did not get the reference. Some even conceded their confusion while blasting the gesture as "contemptuous," (as the Washington Post reported at the time). Obama invoked hip-hop deftly and accurately. He played on the theme that being tough does not mean you respond to every attack. Just as Jay-Z confidently brushes away his enemies, and hip-hop culture scolds the "haters" who pillory successful people, Obama signaled that his political approach--transcending trench warfare and pessimistic snark--was cool, current and strong.

Now contrast that to Steele's gimmicky foray into dusty LPs. Here is his debut in the New York Times after assuming the chairmanship: " 'It's going to be an honor to spar with [Obama],' he said, before throwing down the gauntlet to Mr. Obama with a quotation from... a rap song by Kool Moe Dee: 'How ya like me now?' "

First of all, what is he talking about? How does the president like a former lieutenant governor now that he's become chairman of the opposition party? It doesn't even make sense. Second, the album is twenty-two years old, so this reference does not exactly resonate with young people.

The spectacle got more awkward when Steele offered Bobby Jindal some "slum love" for doing a "friggin' awesome job" as governor of Louisiana, in an ABC radio interview. As the Wonkette blog pointed out, this mess of a shoutout was actually coaxed out of Steele, based on his proclivity for questionable slang. All this heavy-handed hip-hop may make him "da man" for fellow travelers like Rep. Bachman. To young people, Steele just looks like he's fronting.

In the end, however, this is all still a welcome trend. For decades, our national politics were fueled by a supposed cultural backlash from older whites--from Willie Horton and the White Hands to the Pledge of Allegiance and the Confederate Flag--which Republicans exploited and relayed through a range of cultural tropes. Democrats used to nervously compete on this turf. Just last year, in fact, an old-school consultant flanked by the battle flag was chiding Obama to drop the urban "elitism" and get rural.

Now the turntables have turned, as the GOP chairman might say. It is Republicans who are frantically remixing their message for cultural appeal, targeting a new generation of voters who speak a different language. And the Democrats, led by Obama, have found their rhythm.

--
This column originally ran in The Nation.

COMMENTS UPDATE: An interesting take from HuffPo commenter hsm121:

I think that the whole thing is a joke. Part of the reason 0bama connects well is that he treats even the young people like intelligent adults and he doesn't try to bullsh*t us. The JayZ thing fit into what he was saying and it was low-key, not in-your-face. I'm one of those young people and watching Steele these past few weeks has just been cringe-inducing. Bling-bling? Slum-love? Etc? It's not his natural manner and it's not cool, it's embarrassing. It actually, to me, makes them look more out of touch than anything. Not only do they have a message problem, they have a messaging problem. It makes them look foolish. It's obviously fake. And young people, regardless of what some people think, are not instantly going to switch parties just because some leader says bling-bling and hip-hop or because some congressional reps are using twitter. Underestimating people and reducing them down to their simplest terms seems to be par for course for the Republicans.

Marshall Fine: Review: Good -- Reflecting the Bush years

2008-12-30T11:51:32Z

"Hitler's a joke," Viggo Mortensen tells a friend in the new film, Good. "He won't last."

Gee -- didn't they say that about George W. Bush?

I've been wracking my brain for the right quote or analogy to capture the gradual encroachment and irresistible rise of evil which the Nazis represented -- but all I could come up with was the one about the frog in the pan of water that's gradually heated to boiling. And it's too facile to invoke the current Bush administration, too trivializing of the Holocaust. More about that in a minute.

Still, why bother when these ideas are so casually captured in this adaptation of C.P. Taylor's play of the same name?

That transformation is embodied in Prof. John Holder (Mortensen), a distracted literature professor who, in 1937, is summoned to the Chancellery of the Nazi high command. A novel he wrote some years earlier -- about a man who euthanizes his terminally ill wife to spare her pain -- has caught the fancy of Hitler and Goebbels. Would Holder like to work for the Nazis to put his ideas into practice?

Nothing big, mind you -- just some writing to justify mercy killing as a humane practice. And the Nazis are paying big money.

How can Holder resist? After all, his wife seems perpetually on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His mother has both tuberculosis and dementia. And teaching literature isn't nearly as fulfilling since the Nazis started burning books.

So to suddenly be appreciated -- even if it's by the Nazis -- doesn't ring alarm bells in his head. True, their ideas are dangerous, but they don't threaten him, because he's not Jewish. When he's blindsided by an assertive female student (Jodie Whittaker) who seduces him away from his high-maintenance wife, Holder is suddenly afloat in a sea of moral relativism, drifting into dark waters.

Writer John Wrathall, working from Taylor's original play, employs the same device Taylor did to explain Holder's ability to disengage from reality: Holder plays classical music in his head, which creates a layer of illusion over the reality before him. It's like a form of self-hypnosis, except in teaching himself not to give in to the urge to smoke, Holder is removing himself from the world at large, finding ways to rationalize his own selfishness.

Which, in the end, is the problem with this script and this film. Ultimately, Holder is both spineless and amoral; by the end, he's wearing an SS uniform and feeling no guilt -- after all, it's just a uniform. Yes, the SS is herding Jews into camps to kill them -- but Holder is doing what he can to save his own Jewish friend, the libidinous psychiatrist Maurice (Jason Isaacs).

As played by Mortensen, Holder seems less like a good man who gets lost than like a distracted man who simply gives in to distraction. Rather than doing the right thing, he starts doing the easy thing, never reckoning on a reckoning later on. He's living in the moment and the moment feels good: a new mistress, more money, less hassle from wife and mother, a measure of power.

He's a hard character to care about, even though Mortensen is an exceptionally human actor. It's almost impossible to understand what a vibrant character like Maurice, played with laser-intensity by Isaacs, would see in Holder as a friend, except possibly as a foil.

We've just suffered through almost a decade of selfishness and self-serving in the name of public service. And really, when the best thing you can say about a president is that he didn't foment a genocide (at least not at home), well, moral relativism really does rule, doesn't it?

In that sense, Good is an unintentional reflection of the Bush years -- and the Bush administration. But it's a mediocre movie, nonetheless.

For more of my reviews and interviews, visit my website,
www.hollywoodandfine.com.

Blago...In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-12-12T10:20:15Z

Sixty seconds of Blago, as seen through the eyes of the "Small Three": FoxNews, CNN and MSNBC.

Chris Matthews In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-12-09T09:45:25Z

Chris Matthews is probably not leaving MSNBC as originally speculated. Oh well. We're sure you agree that Congress's loss is our gain. Enjoy this one-minute compilation of every Chris Matthews interview from Hardball last week.

Can you imagine this on the Senate floor? Can you? Can you? CAN YOU?

Arianna Huffington: The Meltdown Will Be Blogged

2008-12-01T18:37:04Z

The headline in the LA Times said it all: "Charities Can't Keep Up with Deepening Poverty."

America is facing a vicious charity Catch-22: the harsher the downturn, the more people in need of help but the fewer stepping up with donations. "As resources vanish," wrote the Times, "the threads of the nation's extensive social safety nets are fraying, leaving single mothers, elderly shut-ins and others ever more vulnerable."

For months we've been inundated with the raw data of the economic meltdown: unemployment figures, foreclosure numbers, massive bailout stats. Here at HuffPost we want to do more to put a human face on the suffering. The recently laid off, the newly homeless, the students unable to afford college.

And who better to tell their stories than the people themselves?

So we want to hear from you. How is the downturn affecting you and your family? Have you lost your job? Your home? Are you seeing For Sale signs on your street? Are more businesses in your town going under? How are you making ends meet? What are you hearing from your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers? Even if you still have your job and your home, and the ability to send your kids to college, how has the deep economic recession affected your outlook, your mood, your spending habits? If you work for a charity or a food bank -- what are you seeing?

Tell us your stories. Blogging about them and your feelings -- including your anger, your fears, your hopes -- is a great way to cope with the many personal, social, and professional dislocations that the hard times are producing.

Losing your job -- or even fearing that you might -- can make you feel powerless. But at the same time you are looking for work - or learning a new skill - you can take up blogging. It doesn't require anyone's permission, there is no application process - you just need blogging software (some of the best is free; more on this in a minute), and the will to express yourself. Or you can blog here on HuffPost.

Blogging is all about connecting to others. The bond between blogger and reader creates an intimacy that is a much-needed corrective to the isolation that hard times bring. I'm always amazed by the things I learn from commenters I've never met but feel that I know. And I'm equally amazed by the things I keep discovering about myself in the course of writing and clarifying what's important to me.

Andrew Sullivan fleshes this experience out in a terrific essay in the Atlantic called "Why I Blog." "Alone in front of a computer, at any moment, are two people: a blogger and a reader," he writes. "The proximity is palpable, the moment human -- whatever authority a blogger has is derived not from the institution he works for but from the humanness he conveys. This is writing with emotion not just under but always breaking through the surface. It renders a writer and a reader not just connected but linked in a visceral, personal way. The only term that really describes this is friendship. And it is a relatively new thing to write for thousands and thousands of friends."

It's not therapy, but it's the same principle -- and a lot cheaper (depending on your co-pay). The blogger/reader connection can have practical consequences as well. You can get suggestions on anything and everything - from a job opening to finding a place to volunteer to help others (and help put your problems in perspective). As Sullivan writes, "a good blog is your own private Wikipedia."

Blogging is clearly not the answer, but it's a wonderful survival tool. A way to connect to others, a way to stay on top of how others are coping, a way to reach out, a way to stay sane.

There has already been a lot written about the similarities between the current downturn and the Great Depression. But one way today's crisis is fundamentally different is the Internet. With its immediacy and transparency, and the instant debate over policy it provides, the Internet will allow citizens to feel more engaged in government than ever before. And blogging will also make a difference on the personal front as well.

So, to share your stories, your tips, your fears, your ideas with us, click here and fill out the simple form. We'll feature many of them on our Living section, our home base for information and stories on navigating the lean days ahead.

This recession will be blogged. Join us.

PS: For those of you intimidated by the idea of starting a blog, or even writing a blog post for HuffPost, we have put together a new book, The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging. It's an A-to-Z guide to blogging, with something for everyone -- from tech-challenged newcomers looking to get a handle on this revolutionary way of communicating (including tips on choosing the right blogging software) to more experienced bloggers looking to take their work to the next level. The book, which is being released tomorrow, features words-of-blogging-wisdom from Nora Ephron, Harry Shearer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Craig Newmark, Erica Jong, Gary Hart, and many other HuffPost bloggers. You can read an excerpt here.

PPS: Psychologist and HuffPost regular Peggy Drexler launches a new series of posts today on the ways the historic changes rattling our country are forcing us to reshape the future and ourselves. Check out The End of Normal.

I will be appearing on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" this Wednesday, December 3rd at 11PM/10PM Central.

Obama On 60 Minutes... In A Minute

2008-11-20T09:51:46Z

60 Minutes reporter Steve Kroft lands an interview with President-elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, and he gets to ask those important questions on issues like the economic stimulus, the war on terror.

Keith Olbermann In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-11-13T10:11:06Z

What- you watch CNN at 8 PM? You fool. It's 2008 and MSNBC is where it's at. We dare you not to "Olbermann" after you watch this:

Election Day In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-11-09T12:18:18Z

Ok, two minutes, but it was a long day, people. Bookmark for the grandkids.

The 2008 Presidential Campaign In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-11-03T09:10:16Z

A loving look back at the changey, mavericky presidential race. We spread the wealth around, and gave the rest to questionable associations from our past.

Palin/Huckabee 2012!

The Final Presidential Debate In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-10-17T09:52:43Z

The last minute of the last debate. Sob.

Read more: Video, In a Minute, Comedy News

DNC In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-10-05T13:14:56Z

Democratic National Convention coverage from MSNBC left us overwhelmed. So here's the whole thing in (a little over) a minute.

Read more: Dnc, In a Minute, Comedy News

Ahmadinejad At The UN: In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-09-26T13:20:20Z

On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered an "incendiary" speech that was incoherent, meandering, and endless. Enjoy!

CNN's Rick Sanchez All Over The Financial Bailout (In A Minute) (VIDEO)

2008-09-23T17:29:15Z

Watch: CNN's Rick Sanchez is all over this bailout. In 20 years, we'll be saying, "When the economy collapsed, CNN's Rick Sanchez was there."

Read more: Video, Rick Sanchez, In a Minute, Comedy News

The Republican National Convention In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-09-08T10:42:57Z

Sure, the Republican National Convention was shortened by a day, but three days is still a lot to handle. Here's the whole thing in a minute to help you catch up if you missed it.

USA!! USA!! USA!!

Sarah Palin Scandal Coverage In A Minute (VIDEO)

2008-09-03T20:08:17Z

In the three days following John McCain's announcement of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, we had a really hard time just keeping up with all the stories and information coming out about little miss hockey mom. Apparently, so did CNN.