Shocker: Sarcasm, Humor Lost On Right-Wing Media

It truly is a special brand of human who does not grasp when he or she is being mocked. Case-in-point, Media Matters has previously reported that the right-wing media has vigorously tried to spread the idea that Bill Ayers, political activist, personally penned the president's first book - Dreams From My Father.

Recently, Ayers appeared at Montclair State, where he very clearly mocked right-wing conspiracy nuts who have previously credited him with this particular feat. The right took this as an admission that he actually did write Dreams.

From the interview:

Bill Ayers: One more, one more (question)

Question: Thank you sir, thank you, thank you. Time magazine columnist Joe Klein wrote that President Obama's book, “Dreams from My Father,” quote: “may be the best written memoir ever produced by an American politician.”

Ayers: I agree with that.

Question: What is your opinion of Barack Obama's style as a writer and uh ...

Ayers: I think the book is very good, the second book (“The Audacity of Hope”) is more of a political hack book, but uh, the first book is quite good.

Question: Also, you just mentioned the Pentagon and Tomahawk ...

Ayers: Did you know that I wrote it, incidentally?

Question: What's that?

Ayers: I wrote that book.

Several audience members: Yeah, we know that.

Question: You wrote that?

Ayers: Yeah, yeah. And if you help me prove it, I'll split the royalties with you. Thank you very much.

Laughter and Applause

The above transcript, which originally appeared in a World Net Daily post, even includes the phrase “laughter and applause,” which are typical reactions to - wait for it - a joke, or a sarcastic remark. The World Net Daily post goes on to state: “A close reading of the transcript from the Montclair State speech on Friday shows that Ayers again volunteered he was the ghost writer of 'Dreams,' even though he had not been asked that question.” It's too bad the aforementioned “close reading of the transcript” failed to pick up on clear sarcasm and mockery of the writer and like-minded people and publications.

Some of our old favorites missed the joke so badly that they even posted “gotcha” articles on their blogs. Congratulations to the winners at World Net Daily, as well as News Busters, American Thinker, and Gateway Pundit for sitting quietly as Ayers' intent went completely over your heads.