Columnist John Katsilometes: We’re still sustained by humor

Monday, Nov. 20, 2000 | 11:06 a.m.

John Katsilometes is the Sun features editor. His column appears Mondays. Reach him at kats@lasvegassun.com or 259-2327.

The best advice for anyone is, "Keep your sense of humor."

It comes in handy in uncertain times, which is why we shouldn't be overly concerned with the presidential race being tied up in Florida. As a whole, Americans have an acute sense of humor. We're funnier than any country. Remember years ago when comic Yakov Smirnoff brought his act from the Soviet Union to the U.S.? Once the novelty wore off -- after about five episodes of Smirnoff's 1986 sitcom "What a Country" -- Americans intuitively determined we have a much higher humor threshold than anyone.

Most Americans, in fact, are funnier than Yakov Smirnoff. At least three members of the Accent department are funnier than Yakov Smirnoff. Jimmie "J.J." Walker is funnier than Yakov Smirnoff, and he can't even get a show.

Our collective humor is a vital reason why we can ride out any crises, including the absence of a president-elect several days after half the nation's eligible voters have voted. What's not to laugh about? On one side we have the son of a president who was cast aside eight years ago, and whose brother is governor of the state where the whole mishmash is taking place. The brother divorces himself from the process because of a conflict of interest, yet leaves his subordinate secretary of state to control key issues such as the counting and receiving of votes.

Yep, that's fail-safe.

Any baseball fan can see what's happening (and the baseball analogy fits because George W. Bush once ran the Texas Rangers and had the foresight to trade Sammy Sosa, but anyway ...). Whenever a manager is tossed from a game, he is required to leave the field but not the stadium. He usually covertly calls the shots from the clubhouse. Jeb Bush has not left the stadium.

We also have George W. making claims that education is his top priority, but struggling mightily to speak properly -- or as he'd say, "propily" -- and not bothering to know many details crucial to running the federal government. It's still unclear if he realized until very recently that Social Security is a federal program, not an independently operated entity such as the Texas Rangers.

And Al Gore has hardly been free of comedic scrutiny, either. Here's a man whose debate strategy was forged, in part, after he watched a parody of himself in a "Saturday Night Live" skit, then retooled his debate style accordingly. Who knows what would have happened if he'd been forced to watch an old John Belushi "samurai" skit, or Bill Murray's lounge-singer act. Gore's political career would be ruined, but he might very well be headlining at Top of the Riv.

I feel sorry mostly for the people of Florida, particularly the confused souls in Palm Beach County who miscast their ballots for Pat Buchanan. What do you say to these people? It reminds me of playing Monopoly with my grandmother when she accidentally pulls a Community Chest card after landing on Chance. It could mean the difference between Jail and Go, and I'm going to let the woman have her Chance. If not we could end up in Monopoly Court.

There should be concern, yes, but no one has yet made a convincing claim that this is no laughing matter. At least not yet. But as they say, I love political jokes -- until they get elected.