Jim Gaffigan doesn't get horse racing

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Years ago, the president of the LA County Bar Association complained publicly about lawyer jokes. He whined that they diminished respect for the law and the legal system and were corrosive. And of course he didn't think they were funny.

Of course, what was really the case is some members of my profession have a thin skin and no sense of humor.

Lighten up. Do people here really believe that it is out of bounds to mock the whipping of horses, or the ridiculous costumes at the Derby, or degenerate gambling?

Horse racing is conducted in public, therefore, it's a legitimate target, especially for people who aren't as enamored with the sport as we are.

There is a big difference though. The MAJORITY of lawyers are douchebags...whereas only a MINORITY of horseplayers lose their life-savings at the track.

[AltonKelsey]

Most don't have any life savings to lose


Rimshot.

[Afleet]

Viagra's Revenge-thats at least a little funny

[Track Phantom]

Finally got around to watching this. My observations:

1. He had a chance when he started down the "are we still doing this" angle. There are a lot of corny things we do or pretend to appreciate in society simply because it used to be a real thing. The rest of his bit was inane.

2. It would take me 7 light years to write down all of the things in society I think are ridiculous simply because I have zero interest in it. For example, I think Wrestling is idiocy. I used to like it in 2nd grade when I still thought girls had cooties. I grew out of both rather quickly. I could spend all day taking pot shots at wrestling but I have no interest, no knowledge and haven't taken the time to understand the appeal. My opinion is rather meaningless.

3. Horse racing has so many easy targets to poke fun at. This guy found none of them. That was hard to do.

4. CBS really sponsors or advocates this? Someone at the level of this comedian over delivering non-funny lines? You would think there would be a bit more given the network. It smelled to me like a different form of Peta.

5. Who cares?

[camourous]

Saw this on Twitter and it' pretty much spot on..



Breakage = Totally okay
Drugs = Cool
High Takeout = Sure
ADW Signal Wars = Fine
Some states won't let you bet = We'll get over it
Dead Horses = Sad for 5 mins
Kill Pens = Let's drive the price up so it keeps happening
Jim Gaffigan = Worst thing that ever happened to horse racing

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by camourous

Saw this on Twitter and it' pretty much spot on..



Breakage = Totally okay
Drugs = Cool
High Takeout = Sure
ADW Signal Wars = Fine
Some states won't let you bet = We'll get over it
Dead Horses = Sad for 5 mins
Kill Pens = Let's drive the price up so it keeps happening
Jim Gaffigan = Worst thing that ever happened to horse racing

You read this site and really believe that hardcore players feel that way about all those issues? There are literally hundreds of threads with people complaining about all of them, and we've had long threads about trying to save horses from the killers. So you're wrong.

[thaskalos]

We WISH that Jim Gaffigan was the "worst thing to ever happen to horse racing".

[Augenj]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

We WISH that Jim Gaffigan was the "worst thing to ever happen to horse racing".

[papillon]

Originally Posted by Afleet

I thought it was funny, others, not so much

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAhzNcCojg8

Sienfeld's was funnier, but I don't get the poutrage about it tbh.

Horseracing is about gambling. For Zayat of all people to freak out about that is what got the chuckle out of me. Zayat taking the high ground Have to admit, those HERE objecting that...cognitive disonance much?

The Derby has become a asinine, unwatchable farce. If you don't follow the sport it is your sole point of reference and it is Tara and Johnny and pointless, clueless celebrities, and Kid Rock, whose 15 minutes was up about literally a century ago, and cooking show bs, and stupid clothes. And drunks. And even in a good race, crazy bumper cars out of the gate, which nobody, esp true followers, likes to see.

My dad's family is old time Louisville, they stopped going to the Derby years ago and like a lot of natives go to Oaks day exclusively instead, which has apparently gone to hell too. This was their last year.

Then there is the race itself. In terms of a quality run race, it is not. This year's may just have done it for me. When you talk to average people who watched this year's Derby, they found it bordering on animal abuse. They do not understand why it was allowed to go forward in those conditions. The Preakness' conditions only increased the bad taste in their mouths. Likely that is what prompted this.

Justify may be worshiped here, but ordinary people associate him with an unpleasant experience and now there is 70% chance of rain for the evening for the Belmont. Should he win, he will be the least popular TC winner in history with the general public, simply due to the circumstances in which he ran.

The whipping will always be turn off for the general public. That is just reality. And let's be honest, races could be run without it. Let the horses' inherent motivation and will to win become the hallmark of winners. Riderless horses crossing the line first prove whipping isn't really necessary...jockeys either for that matter.

The amount of pearl clutching, suggests a nerve was struck.

[jk3521]

Originally Posted by papillon

Sienfeld's was funnier.

Uhh.. not really.

YouTube

[turfnsport]

Originally Posted by castaway01

You read this site and really believe that hardcore players feel that way about all those issues? There are literally hundreds of threads with people complaining about all of them, and we've had long threads about trying to save horses from the killers. So you're wrong.

It was a sarcastic tweet by POTUScapper. With all the challenges the industry has, everyone is irate over a comedian's three minute bit.

The outrage was ridiculous, but I LOVE Gaffigan. It was not his best work.

[AlsoEligible]

Originally Posted by papillon

The amount of pearl clutching, suggests a nerve was struck.

Not surprised to see so much backlash against Gaffigan. That's a common reaction any time a group is attacked/ridiculed by an outsider.

But aside from a couple remarks (jockeys just go along for the ride, ownership is only for the rich, whipping), I don't think he said anything terribly off-base. And I'm not even sure that the validity of his statements are all that important...because the way Gaffigan presented it is exactly how many people outside the sport see horse racing:

The sport is dated, no one thinks about it outside of 3-4 days a year, it's just an excuse to gamble, events like the Derby are far more style than substance. And yes, to many people, whipping is borderline animal abuse.

We can nitpick each of these statements in our echochamber, and dismiss Gaffigan as an unfunny hack. But imo the headline here is not "comedian doesn't get racing", it's "the general public doesn't get racing", and it's a clear example of just how miserably the industry has failed to market itself and educate people.

[Inner Dirt]

Geez, I was not offended in the least, I just thought he wasn't funny.

[clocker7]

The fake PETA-underground horse racing fans sure came out on this thread.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by clocker7

The fake PETA-underground horse racing fans sure came out on this thread.

English please...