2mo ago

The Great Republican Political Strategy of Insult Puerto Rico for Some Reason

183 comments

“It was just a joke!”
Oh, I don’t get it. Can you explain to me what the joke is? Like, can you put into words why you find that funny?
- I think it'd be subverting expectations. From the start you might think it's about the Pacific trash island that has collected there, but then it turns the other way and calls Puerto Rico a trash island. A decently funny joke imo, even if rude. I've seen the same joke being done about the UK and it did get a proper chuckle out of me.
  
  The main difference is that the UK used to be powerful and did a lot of bad things to a lot of countries around the world. Puerto Rico on the other hand has always been weak so it feels weird for someone in a much more powerful area of the world to pick on them.
- I don't understand the joke because everybody knows the trash island (not an island btw, you cannot walk on it) is in the Pacific Ocean, and Puerto Rico is on the Atlantic Ocean, so it's inaccurate. I mean... geography is important, otherwise, you could do the joke with any island in the world and as a French, I would of course pick Great Britain.
  (ok, that would be funny, then)

They can't vote, so why would they care? Easy targets, no apparent consequences.
Edit: /s
- Except for the millions of Puerto Ricans that live in the Continental US.
  
  Yeah I'm on board, I was attempting some mild satire.
  
  If they don't live in Pennsylvania, Arizona or Nevada, they also don't count.
  
  The conservative ones will just ignore this like always.
- Puerto Ricans can and do move and there's large numbers of them in swing states. There's 450 thousand just in Pennsylvania
  EDIT: also doesn't help that he also said
  “These Latinos, they love making babies, too. Just know that they do,” Hinchcliffe said, setting up his joke: “There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They c-- inside, just like they did to our country."
  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/comedian-trump-rally-makes-racist-jokes-latinos-puerto-rico-rcna177514
  
  Yeah, I was being mildly satirical. Insulting any people group seems like it should be a losing move. I wish it were.
- Why the /s?
  That's literally the point. Easy target, plus they're brown people i/e "Not Real Americans"
  Bone stock Republican shit.
  
  I guess in this case the /s is for satire.
  
  "We're The Real Americans!" while flying the confederate flag.
- You couldn’t invent a band of chucklefucks more capable at torpedoing a presidential campaign…and yet here we are, tied, with apparently no ability to sway any voters away from Trump. It’s so demoralizing.

Tony Hinchcliffe is not funny. Watched his podcast for a while then totally abandoned it because I realized I wasn't laughing during most episodes. It's mostly seasoned comics taking cheap shots at amateurs and then saying some racist shit while they all laugh and no one in the audience does. His nasally voice is annoying as fuck and hitching his wagon to the trump train seems pretty on brand for that fuckwit. His comedy brand caters to the same people who really like Joe Rogan and Alex Jones, both regulars on the podcast. Shocking I know.

Jfc, they're USA citizens. Ffs.
- Are they? Are they really? Puerto Rico still isn't allowed to be it's own state
  Downvoters somehow missing the point where Puerto Ricans are basically treated as second class citizens because of where they live. Puerto Rico should be it's own state already
  
  They are still U S. citizens, just not citizens of any state. Same thing can happen if you are born in DC or a military base not in a state.
  American Samoans are the ones that really get screwed. They are just U S. nationals. All the responsibilities of citizens (including the draft when it exists) but not all of the benefits.
  
  Are they? Are they really?
  Yes they really are. They are U.S. citizens who are disenfranchised based on location.
  
  This was like 4th grade shit for me my man.
  
  Puerto Rican statehood is more complicated than that. Becoming a state is a contentious issue even amongst Puerto Ricans.

The real joke is that the Trump campaign is tripping over itself now to disavow this message. Meanwhile it's come to light that this "comedian" was going to drop a c-bomb in his material in reference to Kamala, but the Trump campaign told him to remove it, and he complied.
Meaning they vetted the material and were a-fuckin'-ok with garbage island, only to later lie more and try to backpedal.
They're not even good at lying, kids.
Edit: spelling
- I'm still baffled by the logic of having a roaster/crowd work guy doing a set at a convention. Like... he was gonna insult people and start shit. It's literally his job.
  He's not my cup of tea, but he's been around and successful for a while now. He's not an unknown entity who they could claim acted unpredictable.
  
  Eminem spoke at a Harris rally. But he's an adult who cares about people and expects as much from his government.
  
  Did he throw shade at European-Americans?
- is a "c-bomb" a cunt ?
  
  Some people find that word to be too misogynistic to use as an epithet. I'm not quite sure where I stand on that myself, but I tend to avoid it overall.
- Last I saw they just claim it's just comedy and the left wing has no sense of humor
  They'd absolutely hate shows like Brooklyn 99 because there aren't really any racist jokes, and it's too "woke" for them

Tony, Chapelle, and Joe Rogan are actively murdering comedy. They blame everyone but themselves because they can't get with the times. They look down on people and punch down constantly, and still manage to miss the mark. They are not down to earth, they are not relatable, and they should NOT be looked up to.
- That's spot on.
  If you look at actual funny people, they've worked out a way to do it without being heavily racist.
  If you look at shows like Brooklyn 99, they did an amazing job at respecting everyone whilst being hilarious. The parts of this nonsense I saw, was just cringe. It seemed like they were trying more to advertise racism than going for humor, because even my mates are funnier and they're not professionals
  It feels like they were probably surrounded by yes men their whole lives so have lost touch

They're absolutely terrified of Puerto Rican statehood, so they try to drive them away.
Little piss-baby cowards.

Reminds me of this classic greentext
- This reminds me of when RTGame played Cities Skylines using a world map mod and made the island of Great Britain the landfill.

Piece of shit human trash calls Puerto Rico “trash”. Republicans are shit 💩

But... PR is part of the US and is a wonderful place full of kind people. I spent one of the best vacations of my life there going all the way around the island (and Culebra!) and it was nothing but gorgeous views, great food, friendly people (it does help to speak Spanish so you understand how friendly they are) and relaxing days.
And that was when the country was getting rocked by earthquakes and had recently been battered by a few climate-change monster hurricanes. Screw people who hate on PR, that place rocks and is more resilient than your average conservative commentator.
- But... PR is part of the US and is a wonderful place full of kind people.
  Yes, and ones who don't vote for these losers. That's what's got them butthurt. And the fact that they're a majority Hispanic place where everyone born there is automatically a U.S. citizen. I'm sure that also makes them seethe.
  
  The main reason PR isn't a state is because Republicans are scared of how brown people would vote... and to a much greater extent, brown people in general.
  
  Yes, and ones who don't vote for these losers. That's what's got them butthurt.
  Puerto Ricans don't vote for anybody. They don't have representation in Congress, and they have zero electoral votes because they aren't a state.
  So, no, they're just butthurt because of racism, and Puerto Rico can't do anything about it because they don't have any representation.

This was such a weird choice, when the GOP was already getting more Latino support than previously... Wouldn't they want to court these people? Why would they straight up insult an entire voting bloc (one that experts have said could decide the outcome) this close to an election??
I know it's most likely just racism and stupidity, but I couldn't help but think that this dude did this on purpose to get less people to vote Republican? I mean, why else would they do this?
I previously knew this dude from his name, as the guy who writes most people's (particularly non-comedians) insult jokes at Roasts. I'm kind of surprised (but not really, I believe he hangs/hung around Rogan) he's a Trump supporter given the type of material he's written in the past.
I'm not a fan of Roasts, but I'm pretty sure this dude was supposed to be considered like the best at that. At least previously.
Maybe someone who knows more about this guy can weigh in on it. It's probably just racism if I'm being real.
- After the 2012 loss to Obama, the RNC commissioned an investigation into what they could do better. It said, effectively, stop being racist, embrace immigrants, and ease off on abortion.
  They promptly threw it in the garbage.
- He probably doesn't know that Puerto Ricans can vote in US elections.
  
  And a lot of them have moved to one of the 50 states.
- It is wild that there was any Latino support after the Haitian migrant lies.

What a fucking cunt Jesus Christ. The racist rhetoric has really stepped up these past few months since there’s been 0 consequences

The joke only works if you understand that it's not true and that no one can obviously believe it.
If it's done where you and everyone thinks it's true, you're at a Klan rally or probably at the comedy mothership or something.

His "act" was only racist stuff. Republicans seems to believe decomplexed racism is comedy.
- I have Republican acquaintances who still make Clinton/Lewinsky jokes. Actually funny comedy is not their forte.
  
  You should hit 'em back with a joke about Watergate.
- The south is a single issue voting bloc.
  That issue being the reinstitution of Jim Crow.

I used to know someone who is half Puerto Rican, her dad is a marine, her mom is full PR. And they are ALL hardcore right wingers.
Even they wouldn't switch votes after this.
- "Surely he didn't mean me, he meant those other sons of removed who happen to look like me." - Idiots practicing idiot logic.
  
  "Must have confused us with Mexicans again. Damn Mexicans!"

Well they can't vote for president. Unless the move to to the fifty states of confusion.
Right after Hurricane Irma hit Puerto Rico in 2017 I was at the local dount shop. All the local cofee drinker/maga's were there and this one POS was going on and on about how none of those filthy people were gonna come here and live off his tax dollars. It was so stupid that I laughed. This dipshit asked me with a swagger in his voice what was so funny. I informed him that any one of them could get on a plane and come to the US. As soon as they changed their drivers license address they could register to vote. One or two of his asshole buddies confirmed that it was true and he was simply floored. Flummoxed is the best way to describe him.
He reminded me of this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmvR0VkYuDs
Edit: changed a f to a r

This is a PR nightmare.

Because Puerto Ricans can't vote, right ?
- Taxation without representation? There should be a thing about that
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stateside_Puerto_Ricans

So is Donald Trump "presidential" yet? Trump will never get a bigger or better venue than Madison Square Garden between now and the election and THIS is the stupid shit he is going with.

Folks in Puerto Rico when they’re admitted as a state: “he tells it like it is.”

Racists can not help themselves. If there's a MAGAt in your life, I can pretty much guarantee they'll say some hateful shit at some point...
- MAGA maggot lmao

How many jokes about Christians or conservatives did he do? Zero?! Why's that? Answer those questions.
- This isn't even good racism. This is like, 2000s-era ironic racism. Which was about as funny as Holocaust jokes, and aged about as well as Anne Frank.
  Where's the hateful, KKK, lynchmob racism? Don't just casually half ass it. Show your real murican colors. Y'all are living like American History X and you give us Wayne Brady on Chapelles Show.

Why even say this? What a useless shitbag.

I am not fan of Tony but I really love Shane Gillis. I loved the Trump and Biden(Shane and Adam) episode. It was the best comedy I've seen in quite a while.

Is that Tony of the show Kill Tony?
- Oh god, so stupid

502 Bad Gateway...

Is that Kill Tony?
- It's Tony Hinchcliffe at a recent MAGA rally in New York City.
- Yup thats what he does… roast mfs! I dont understand how everyone on lemmy is losing their mind over 1 joke!
  
  The context is important. Republicans are openly racists, and this is a rally for Donald Trump presidency. This isn't a badly lit comedy room

And it's still on a knifedge

Free Puerto Rico
- *With purchase of regular-priced Puerto Rico
- Yeah, we should just make it a state and throw in the Virgin Islands as well.

I'm sure insulting puerto rico will really help ðeir ambition of winning ð state wið ð largest population of puerto ricans outside ð island itself!
- Whatcha typing there buddy? TH isn't good enough for you?
  
  NO IT ISN'T! Launches into multiparagraph long rant about ð importation of ð Gutenberg press mid GVS ruined English spelling to a similar extent to Thai and Tibetan spelling
- (I'm sorry but I'm dying to know, whats up with 'ð' ?)
  
  It's ð letter which represents ð soft 'th' sound ð way þ represents ð hard version. Like B and P but if we had just accepted representing boþ wið an fh for some reason.
- You all are thirsty for hate god damn. leave them alone they are not doing anything wrong.
  
  Wow, I can't believe ðere are so many people here who would downvote someone just for using variant orþography. SMH.

183 comments