NOW joins Maher/Palin scene as new comedic genius

When it comes to comedians, I'm a big fan of the old masters: Phil Silvers, Johnathan Winters, Morey Amsterdam and ... well, this could be a very long list. However, if I'm up for a good laugh, there's a new comedic genius who has entered the scene - NOW.

No, they didn't just enter the scene now. I didn't type 'NOW' in capital letters because I was yelling about the temporal aspect of their arrival. I'm talking about NOW, the National Organization of Women.

Consider the comedic timing of this group, the mastery of their delivery, the setup and the punchline. They've got it all down pat. It almost makes a Buddy Sorrel baldy comment at the moment that Mel Cooley steps into the office seem flat.

Oh, you didn't hear their act? I don't want to spoil the surprise so, if you're planning to attend an encore presentation, I advise you not to read on. But, for those of you who don't mind if I spoil the ending, here is a quick summary:

1. A couple days ago, that liberal comedic buffoon, otherwise known as Bill Maher, in another of his addictive assaults on Sarah Palin from that bastion of fair play - HBO - used a derogatory word, usually reserved for back-alley discussion of the female anatomy, to describe Palin.

2. After a couple days of what appeared to be dithering, but which was actually superior comedic timing, NOW, the defenders of women from derogatory female anatomical terminology, suddenly jumped from the wings to administer a duly deserved spanking to the buffoon.

3. Aha, but that was only the setup. Just when you thought the act was over, just as you were saying to yourself, "Well, at least they got around to it," NOW threw the punchline straight to your gut.

4. NOW continues its diatribe by putting the media over their knee, too (not that there aren't enough examples of times when the media should be spanked): "You’re trying to take up our time getting us to defend your friend, Sarah Palin. If you keep us busy defending her, we have less time to defend women’s bodies from the onslaught of reproductive rights attacks and other threats to our freedom, safety, livelihood, etc," said NOW Communications Director Lisa Bennett.

That's the essence of humor - the unexpected. It's not just unexpected because you thought the story was over. It's also unexpected because it's the last thing you expected the comedian to say. I mean, the media's "friend?" It wouldn't have been any funnier if, at that moment, Bennett had ceremonially dumped a bowl of salad over her head and started dancing a little jig while singing, "I'm a little teapot."

I'm sorry. NOW, with their ultra-liberal nonsense, used to annoy me sometimes. Not anymore. Frankly, they crack me up.