After stumbling upon a roast of David Hasselhoff on VH1, David Mills laments the decline of playground-level humor :
And as I watched, with lurid fascination, I realized that the monologue reminded me of junior high, with one difference: in junior high, people were expected to be funny when they were abusive. Kids valued real wit, even if it were only seventh and eighth grade wit. They understood the need to end with a twist that made sense the kind of joke the host ended with an insult that didn’t. They knew more about real comedy, and real abuse, than the host of this VH1 show.
The Battle of Minneapolis
The Battle of Minneapolis is the latest flashpoint in our ongoing regime-level political conflict. It pits not…
Of Roots and Adventures
I have lived in Ohio, Michigan, Georgia (twice), Pennsylvania, Alabama (also twice), England, and Idaho. I left…
Our Most Popular Articles of 2025
It’s been a big year for First Things. Our website was completely redesigned, and stories like the…