6 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
Holly MathNerd's avatar

Your point about Walsh's comedic talent is astute. I listen to his podcast when I can tolerate him (about 2/3 of the time). He tries to flex his comedic muscle sometimes, but it almost never works. It comes across like he's trolling-but-not-really-but-yes-he-is. Kidding but not kidding. And it makes him come across like a weasel who is unwilling to accept full responsibility for his words, which I don't think is his intention.

Expand full comment
Helen Dale's avatar

I can't read his mind, and maybe it's not his religion that's repressing his inner comedian. But I do think I'm at least half right. He started his Mulvaney rant with an apology. Something no Roman satirist worth his salt would ever do.

Expand full comment
Bob's avatar

Perhaps it’s politeness. It’s easier to be funny if you’re willing to be rude.

Expand full comment
KP's avatar

I would argue it’s American WASPishness that’s his problem with executing decent satire. Yes, even in Catholicism there is a BIIIGGG culture of painful earnest politeness as next to godliness and where using foul language is right up there. Americans often mistake scarcasm and frankness as sins against charity and charity is ‘niceness’. It frustrated the hell out of me when I did a nun run over there because I kept doing the proverbial stepping on a conversational rake every time I got too Australian and let slip an expletive.

Expand full comment
Chris Fox's avatar

As soon as he stops talking about "trans" he sounds like any old right-wing nutter.

While he's on "trans" he is the Voice of Reason.

Expand full comment
Holly MathNerd's avatar

That's where we are. The epidemic of cowardice is such that nobody from the center or on the left will call out the trans insanity. It's a pathetic state, but it's where we are and we deserve to feel bad about it.

Expand full comment