Tim Hawkins - The Government Can

My sister (the one who likes Sarah Palin no matter what anyone says) wrote to say:

A friend of mine sent this to me, I thought it was funny, check it out.

And so I checked it out. And it is funny - a little - but it goes completely against every one of my liberal biases.



Ha de ha ha ha.

Ha.

And who is this Tim Hawkins?:

Hawkins has been accused of being equally gifted and twisted. Whatever your take, he has indeed become one of the most in-demand comics in the country. His arsenal is unique: high energy stand-up, physical comedy, slick guitar skills, a thousand faces and voices, improvisational chops. It all combines to create an insane comedy experience. And yes, the guy can really sing. “People think I live a rock-star life”, said Hawkins. “Believe me, Mick Jagger never gets lost in a Hertz parking lot looking for his Ford Focus.”

Tim is a busy comic… and getting busier. He is already on track for 120 events in 30 states in 2008 including churches, corporations, comedy clubs, and colleges. A former All-American baseball player, he traded the sports stage for the comedy stage and never looked back. The St. Louis native taught himself to play guitar and tested the waters at area comedy clubs. But over the next 10 years, working to support his family was full-time. Comedy was only part-time. By 2002, Hawkins was ready to launch his full-time career as a professional comedian.

His art form was honed primarily in churches, with a brief 6-month stint performing in prisons as part of Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship. Since his shows ranged from little kids to youth groups to married adults, he had to develop material that would hit a wide age range. “Survival mode, pure and simple. I learned comedy in front of a lot of multi-generational audiences, so I had to find material that would cater to all ages. It’s a thrill to provide a family connection where they can share the experience… and then take a DVD home for another family comedy night. But really, I think my fans are probably just the same people who voted for Sanjaya.”

...Even though Hawkins recently headlined at the Tempe (AZ) Improv, he determined early in his career that he did not want to focus on the comedy club circuit alone. “People love stand-up, but many choose not to go to comedy clubs. So we’ve gone underground, even counter-culture in a way. And it’s a blast.”

So, what's wrong with it? Populist, visceral opposition to government is deeply-rooted in American history, of course (I'm reminded of the song "Dad Gum Gummint" from "Big River"), and I'm just as prone to hate the government as anyone, but one needs to be selective in indulging that prejudice. We are all deeply-enmeshed with the federal government, in more ways than we realize. Even conservative nutjob Michelle Bachmann collects hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in government farm subsidies. Indeed, I bet the more opposed you are to government, the more likely you are to be dependent on it, in one way or the other. Even militia members in the Idaho wilderness need their SSI checks.

We all need government to succeed in its mission. For example, the Big Government bailout of Wall Street. I hate it. It supports slimeballs. But do I want it to succeed? Yes, you bet! Because my 401K is in their hands. My retirement is hostage to Wall Street slimeballery! So is yours! If they get what they need, I will get mine too!

Support Big Government! In this evil, evil world it is the only real friend that will come to your aid!