Sarah Palin’s Ice Bucket Challenge Is Funnier Than You Think
For the first time ever, a video of Sarah Palin is funny for the right reasons. Normally, we find ourselves laughing at a Sarah Palin video because she either hilariously bungles a softball question; or because she can’t describe the duties of the office for which she’s running; or because she totally botches a major historical event; or because she somehow conflates fast food workers with purgatory. We’re all familiar with the greatest hits.
Then along comes her ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video, culminating with a joke that’s intentionally funny.
Now, it’s important to note here that the joke is preceded by a head-scratchingly bizarre speech. It’s also important to note that the joke doesn’t appear to have come from Palin herself but instead as a surprise from an off-camera participant. I think you can see where this is headed. Let’s go through this mess beat-by-beat.
1) Palin Live From a Flea-Market. Like all of her Sarah Palin Channel videos, she’s obviously in her house somewhere, but the “set” looks like she’s either running a booth at an Etsy trade convention, or she’s selling tchotchkes at a rummage sale. In the frame we see Palin surrounded by the following items: a conch shell; a bottle of soda; an empty glass; handwritten notes; a check book; a small silver deer-head ice bucket; a random red cup with what appears to be the Philadelphia Phillies “P” logo; a bucket of pine cones; a framed flag; a American flag hanging from the wall; a potted plant; a repro antique lamp; and a make-up mirror. Why are these things here? Who the fuck knows. It reminds me of Steve Martin’s random “all I need is this thermos” scene at the end of The Jerk: “All I need is this conch shell. And this bucket of pine cones. And this deer bucket. And this…” Anyway, I suppose the setting could be a lot worse.
2) Palin Prim and Proper. Apparently the lady who hasn’t turned down a chance to exploit her family in a poorly-rated reality show and who made this face on national TV… CONTINUE READING
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Bob Cesca
Bob Cesca is the managing editor at The Daily Banter (www.thedailybanter.com) and a Huffington Post contributor since 2005. He's worked in journalism since 1988 as a print writer/editor, a radio news anchor, a digital media columnist/editor, a book author and blogger. He's the co-host of the Bubble Genius Bob & Chez Show podcast and a Thursday regular on the syndicated Stephanie Miller Show. He's appeared on numerous other radio shows including the John Phillips Show and Geraldo Rivera Show in Los Angeles. Bob has been a commentator/analyst on the BBC (TV and radio), MSNBC, Current TV, CNN and Sky News. Following him on Twitter: @bobcesca_go
21 responses to Sarah Palin’s Ice Bucket Challenge Is Funnier Than You Think
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Abby Normal August 25th, 2014 at 09:10
Glad she took the challenge and wrote a check. But she ripped off Patrick Stewart’s idea. And he did it without making an ass of himself and probably wrote a larger check.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkO4NIqAMss
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 12:37
I note how deftly Patrick handles the ice tongs in comparison to Sarah, who struggles like a toddler handling silverware for the first time.
Dwendt44 August 25th, 2014 at 12:58
Most down home folks just reach in and grab a few cubes with their hands. Tongs are a bit to sophisticated for a ‘country gal’.
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 13:11
To be fair, that’s how we big city sophisticates do it too, but we can tong it up at a party if the need arises.
Serious, Sarah looks like she’s baffled by this wondrous new device and is not entirely sure which end to hold, and which end to pick up the ice cube with.
Or maybe she’s just hammered.
Abby Normal August 25th, 2014 at 14:38
That part is hilarious. Also, Patrick is using proper ice tongs. And Sarah is using corn tongs – used for plucking corn cobs out of boiling water.
Abby Normal August 25th, 2014 at 09:10
Glad she took the challenge and wrote a check. But she ripped off Patrick Stewart’s idea. And he did it without making an ass of himself and probably wrote a larger check.
Also, Patrick uses real ice tongs. Sarah did not use ice tongs. She used corn tongs – used for pulling corn cobs out of boiling water. She never disappoints!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju5VxyM3S4o
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 12:37
I note how deftly Patrick handles the ice tongs in comparison to Sarah, who struggles like a toddler handling silverware for the first time.
Dwendt44 August 25th, 2014 at 12:58
Most down home folks just reach in and grab a few cubes with their hands. Tongs are a bit to sophisticated for a ‘country gal’.
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 13:11
To be fair, that’s how we big city sophisticates do it too, but we can tong it up at a party if the need arises.
Serious, Sarah looks like she’s baffled by this wondrous new device and is not entirely sure which end to hold, and which end to pick up the ice cube with.
Or maybe she’s just hammered.
Abby Normal August 25th, 2014 at 14:38
That part is hilarious. Also, Patrick is using proper ice tongs. And Sarah is using corn tongs – used for plucking corn cobs out of boiling water.
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 14:52
Oh God, you’re right, and that would also explain why she’s having such a tough time getting a grip on the oddly-shaped ice chunks.
Guess they were already too far over budget, what with the Dr Pepper and all, to get real ice tongs.
Seriously, I gotta wonder just how fast, and how many subscribers are baling on Sarah’s Playhouse after being subjected to shit like this.
viva_democracy August 25th, 2014 at 09:56
She can’t even do funny correctly. It was painful waiting for the end. The end, her getting dumped on, was funny, but all the BS before that moment was cringe-worthy.
runner_runner August 25th, 2014 at 09:56
She can’t even do funny correctly. It was painful waiting for the end. The end, her getting dumped on, was funny, but all the BS before that moment was cringe-worthy.
William August 25th, 2014 at 10:14
Murica
William August 25th, 2014 at 10:14
Murica
Abby Normal August 25th, 2014 at 11:02
“Don’t you guys think, c’mon, at this stage of my life and career, I’m a little too prim and proper for all that . . . . (makes motion of ice bucket being dumped).”
What career? Two years as governor of Alaska? A state with fewer than 800,000 residents? There are hundreds of suburbs with populations greater than that. Being mayor of a city of 800,000 would be far more stressful than being governor of Alaska. And she quit after two years.
Someone needs to tell the poor buffoonish creature that she makes a fool of herself each and every time she opens her mouth.
Thanks, GOP. Sarah is the gift that keeps on giving.
Abby Normal August 25th, 2014 at 11:02
“Don’t you guys think, c’mon, at this stage of my life and career, I’m a little too prim and proper for all that . . . . ice water, dump bucket thing.”
What career? Two years as governor of Alaska? A state with fewer than 800,000 residents? There are hundreds of suburbs with populations greater than that. Being mayor of a city of 800,000 would be far more stressful than being governor of Alaska. And she quit after two years.
Someone needs to tell the poor buffoonish creature that she makes a fool of herself each and every time she opens her mouth.
Thanks, GOP. Sarah is the gift that keeps on giving.
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 12:50
Like all of her Sarah Palin Channel videos, she’s obviously in her house somewhere, but the “set” looks like she’s either running a booth at an Etsy trade convention, or she’s selling tchotchkes at a rummage sale.
It’s evident from the bathtub reverb of the audio that Sarah’s on set in her car port, with concrete floor and perhaps cinder block walls. Which pretty much means that, yes, the cold water dump at the end, was in fact planned, although her reaction is pretty much what you’d expect from a sudden dump of cold water, BONK BONK ON THE HEAD. Todd hosed out the garage afterward and was paid handsomely for it, no doubt.
The set itself is reminiscent of the carefree set design accompanying most Ed Wood movies, where a bedsheet is hung, and a folding table, covered in another bedsheet, is randomly decorated with assorted things that have no purpose or relation to the scene or each other.
I’m assuming one or more of her meth children was employed as set dec, and again, paid handsomely.
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 12:50
Like all of her Sarah Palin Channel videos, she’s obviously in her house somewhere, but the “set” looks like she’s either running a booth at an Etsy trade convention, or she’s selling tchotchkes at a rummage sale.
It’s evident from the bathtub reverb of the audio that Sarah’s on set in her car port, with concrete floor and perhaps cinder block walls. Which pretty much means that, yes, the cold water dump at the end, was in fact planned, although her reaction is pretty much what you’d expect from a sudden dump of cold water, BONK BONK ON THE HEAD. Todd hosed out the garage afterward and was paid handsomely for it, no doubt.
The set itself is reminiscent of the carefree set design accompanying most Ed Wood movies, where a bedsheet is hung, and a folding table, covered in another bedsheet, is randomly decorated with assorted things that have no purpose or relation to the scene or each other.
I’m assuming one or more of her meth children was employed as set dec, and again, paid handsomely.
Lux Tempo August 25th, 2014 at 13:52
I couldn’t sit through it. Her voice is worse than nails on a chalkboard to me. So thank you earlier commentors for the spoilers.
Lux Tempo August 25th, 2014 at 13:52
I couldn’t sit through it. Her voice is worse than nails on a chalkboard to me. So thank you earlier commentors for the spoilers.