Cruz Mocks Opponents

     There's certainly no denying that politics is a very serious thing. At any given point in human history, civilizations have been plagued by evil and injustice, and during these dark times, we look to our strong leaders to help us reach a resolution. But let’s be honest… Politics can be also be pretty funny. As it turns out, Saturday Night Live may have some competition in sketch comedy. On February 12, 2016, Nick Corasaniti of The New York Times published an article examining Ted Cruz’s satirical humor and increasingly comical political ads as tensions run high for presidential candidates in South Carolina.
     The article begins by referencing a few of the recent attack ads Cruz has released before noting Cruz’s personal humor and upcoming spoofs. Attached to the article is one of Cruz’s recent videos aimed at Hillary Clinton’s ongoing email scandal titled, “It Feels Good to be a Clinton”, an obvious nod to the popular 90’s tune, “Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangster”. But just in case you were beginning to think Cruz and his team were comedic masterminds, the article reminds you that everyone goofs sometimes, and one’s of Cruz’s own ads was pulled after discovery that it featured the star of a soft-core pornographic film.
     Yes, it is true that politics is something to be taken very seriously and we should learn everything we can about the matter before deciding who will become the leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world. Yet, the reason shows like SNL have managed to remain popular for over 4 decades is because everyone needs a laugh if they hope to avoid becoming emotionless robots. When Trump makes an insulting comment about one of his opponents or Cruz releases a satirical attack ad, we’re quick to become shocked or offended, but only because we have told ourselves that it’s unprofessional or tacky, not necessarily because it so.
     When stress level becomes too high or the weight of usual politics has got you down, I highly recommend readers of this post take a look at the aforementioned article. We may not all be politicians or lawyers, but humor is something that people across the globe can identify with. Corasaniti does an excellent job of examining Cruz’s humorous strategy, in a time when our nation is riding a wave of change.