Explaining the political punching bag post

According to Dean, a stand-up routine is a series of loosely linked jokes on a central topic told with attitude. Each joke shares the same basic structure. There is a set up, which has a premise and a 1st story followed by a punch with a premise that shares a connector with the premise & 1st story of the the set up but that reinterprets it to tell a 2nd story that pokes holes in a target assumption. Jokes in routine often have tags that extend the work already done by the joke to get another bang for the buck or there may be transitions between jokes.

Following Dean's structure, I break down the first couple of minutes of Colbert's routine. This drains all the water out of the routine's swamp, but it allows us to take pictures alligators (with ticking clocks in their bellies), so we can build our bit/byte/bite of a routine.

Topic:  The bill introduced by Congressman Posey (Birther movement and its spawn)

Intro: The character of pundit allows for easier introduction of new routine as new bit of news. 

Joke

Punch premise: introducing a bill will increase rumors, and is a crappy/stupid thing to do

Set up premise: introducing a bill will quash rumors, and is an act of kindness

Set up: Bill’s bill was part of his plan to squash rumors that Obama was ineligible to be president

1st story: putting focus on something stops rumors

Target assumption: He was trying to help

Connector: focus on rumors

Reinterpretation: He didn’t help

2nd story: putting focus on something increases rumors

Punch: by getting those rumors into as many outlets as possible (this is a sarcastic punch- an obvious problem stated as if it is not a problem)

Tag: To quell rumors, demanding test to determine if FL congressmen are part alligator.

Joke

Set up: I’ve had enough with the reckless whispering

Punch: But the rumor is . . .

Joke

Set up: We’ve all been in the place of getting some hot gator love

Punch: Most of us remember to use protection

Segue: Bill couldn’t get a co-sponsor, interview with Posey