Victoria Jackson Goes to Occupy Wall Street

[Video Link] (I recommend skipping to the 2 minute mark so you don't have to watch her taking a cab ride into the city.) Former Saturday Night Live regular Victoria Jackson does a fine job of not responding to the people she interviews at Occupy Wall Street. Instead, she sticks to her script of questions and claims. Here are some of my favorites:

"Right now, 50% of people pay taxes and 50% do not. So if everyone gets free stuff who is going to pay for it?"

"Oprah Winfrey had nothing and now she's a billionaire. That's capitalism!"

"If you want everyone to be equal, how are you going to make them equal in good looks and smart brains? Everyone's not created equal."

"I'm in the Tea Party. We're not violent. We don't even leave litter!"

"How come Van Jones is promoting violence for you guys? You know Van Jones is a communist."

"So you don't think Obama is stirring up racial and class warfare and its straight out of Rules for Radicals written by Saul Alinsky?"

"The real issue is, Obama is a Marxist and he's stirring up racial divide and class warfare on purpose!"

I think Jackson deserves to be congratulated for publishing this video, because the people she interviews (particularly the second guy that she spends about 10 minutes with) obliterate every claim and loaded question she delivers. Plus, I like her because she plays the ukulele.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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grimc

A century from now, historians will point to Victoria Jackson as the primary reason America creates the best mental health system in the world.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  A century from now, historians will point to Victoria Jackson as the primary reason America creates the best mental health system in the world.
  
  Yeah, but she’s killing my argument that we had better schools in the 60s and 70s.
  - grimc
    
    But she’s strengthening the argument that you had better drugs.
  - Strato Head
    
    that depends…where did she go to school? Some States/Districts were better than others.
scifijazznik

I think Jackson should invest in one of them there “smart brains” she mentioned.
xenphilos

I honestly can’t tell if she’s serious, satirizing or unintentionally satirizing. Can anyone provide some context?
- http://twitter.com/wi_ngo wingo shackleford
  
  Sadly, I don’t believe the term ‘satire’ applies to poor Ms. Jackson. I’m pretty sure she’s lost her marbles entirely.
- scifijazznik
  
  Unfortunately, she doesn’t just play an idiot on TV.
- http://www.jimdraws.com Thorzdad
  
  Oh, she’s dead serious, xenphi. Victoria is a certified tea-party loon. She truly believes her talking points with an unshakable and simple-minded purity.
- Roman Berry
  
  Victoria Jackson turned into a right wing liberal hating anti-abortion free market worshiping über “Christian” (yes, the scare quotes are on purpose) right after her SNL career was over. She isn’t satirizing intentionally. The satire is wholly unintentional. Ms. Jackson is 100 percent serious.
- balorlives
  
  Nope, no joke. she went down the right wing rabbit hole years ago. Here is a column she writes – http://www.wnd.com/index.php/index.php?pageId=276421
  I have to say I would like to see her on The Colbert Report sometime. Poe’s law might lead to a critical mass of absurdity that would take out 20 city blocks.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_73FYJGZSYKH4FCI4IKUOECH2JA Jagger

Her annoying voice, coupled with her idiotic questions are more than I can bare!!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Oliver-Schmieding/100000452523362 Oliver Schmieding

i’m glad to see that the “american dream” concept is still intact.
if THIS girl can make it, anybody can – no brains nor looks nor wit or anything needed, apparently.
inkfumes

She was always my favorite on SNL…. I thought she was as cute as a button. Now…. she makes me sad. Oh Victoria… at what point did you become a krazy konservative? Who brainwashed you?

Also thanks for reminding me about the twin towers… I had forgotten (sarcasm).
- Senor Schaffer
  
  I suspect it was Dennis Miller who did the brainwashing.
Navin_Johnson

“Oprah Winfrey had nothing and now she’s a billionaire. That’s capitalism!”

Yes and there are 6 black billionaires in the entire world (Winfrey is the only American), out of how many millions of people of color in the entire world? How do you like your chances folks?

Ooops….”That’s capitalism!”
- Mona Morgan
  
  Actually, she’s not the only black American billionaire, but I agree with your overall point.
  - Donald Petersen
    
    Who’s the other one?
    - grimc
      
      Robert L. Johnson, BET founder
  - Navin_Johnson
    
    I’m just going by this Forbes article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2011/03/29/the-black-billionaires/
    
    I don’t think Bob Johnson qualifies anymore: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_billionaires
    
    Even so…
    
    There are about one thousand billionaires (not hardly all self made) in the world vs. nearly 7 billion people…
  - dragonfrog
    
    According to forbes.com, you are wrong – Oprah Winfrey is indeed one of only six black billionaires, and the only American one.
    
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2011/03/29/the-black-billionaires/
    https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Black_billionaires
Brainspore

As a former city laborer I’ll admit her stance on litter is actually pretty reasonable. It’s not the top 1% that has to pick up all that crap, I’ll tell you that.
http://twitter.com/ManekiNico Maneki Nico

If you want everyone to be equal, how are you going to make them equal in good looks and smart brains? Everyone’s not created equal.

Three words: Diana Moon Glampers.
irny

Hello. I live in England, and have absolutely no idea who this Victoria Jackson is.
Am I right in assuming that this is a comedian, using satire to mock the ignorant media coverage of this event? Surely the persona in this video is not her real character? Also, her voice is so unfortunately-pitched that I don’t think I can bear to listen to it all the way to the end of the video. That’s not ideal for a television personality! Actually, if this IS her real disposition and voice, whoever thought putting her on television was a good idea?
- capnmarrrrk
  
  No it’s not satire at all. She’s really coming at it from a Far-Right Wing Perspective that I hear on our local conservative radio station. She’s parroting the talking points that Obama is a Marxist, yet at the same time she’s pointing out the he’s also in bed with GE. The cognitive dissonance this provokes is mind boggling.
  
  I’m glad she picked thoughtful, well spoken people to interview though. I would have just fucked it up.
  - irny
    
    Thanks for the info.
    In conclusion, then, I find her mildly terrifying, and I am also glad that she picked well-informed people to drone at. I think I’d have just gaped at her before promptly beating her and her inaneness away with a fly-swatter.
    
    As an aside, I think the view of Obama in the UK is generally rather positive – I certainly never hear anything like what this woman’s talking about in the mainstream media. Considering that our ‘leading’ politicians are often considered variously dull, smug, ineffectual, bigoted, and/or reactionary, Obama at least sounds educated and dedicated to what he’s doing.
    Actually, can we just have him once your done with him? That’d be great, thanks.
- http://www.facebook.com/adam.philips Adam Philips
  
  She hasn’t been on TV much in about 20 years, and after leaving Saturday Night Live she became a rabid conservative.
- Snig
  
  What the other’s said, she’s really that crazy, and is generally only found on Rupert Murdoch outlets, doing commentary about Obama being a Muslim. I could easily see people supposing that she was a female Stephen Colbert.
http://joewatchestv.blogspot.com/ @JoeWatchesTV

I blame Lorne Michaels.
NegativeK

Poe’s Law is deep in this one.
xzzy

Well, now we know what the female Colbert sounds like.
- Talia
  
  Please don’t slur Mr. Colbert that way. :P
http://twitter.com/chumunculus John

Have any of you guys actually read the list of demands at the Occupy websites? I mean, yea for the spirit of protest and boo on the bad guys (specifically, our institutions of corporatism, which both parties support), but if you really give these guys any more intellectual standing than the Tea Party, you’ve got partisan blinders on.
- grimc
  
  It can be argued whether or not forgiving all student loans is wise. There’s nothing you can do about ‘keep government out of medicare’ except back away, slowly.
- Mark_Frauenfelder
  
  This site is at the top of Google results. The demands don’t seem loony to me.
- zorro869
  
  Why? Have YOU read the demands?
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MLAKC2J76NFB64XLSLUKEHF4J4 Daniel
  
  Did you notice how the “demands” are all still up for a vote? Did you notice how pretty much anyone can recommend pretty much anything as a demand? Maybe you should wait to see what the actual demands are.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PipLagenta Pip_R_Lagenta

You like Victoria Jackson, Mark, “because she plays the ukulele”? Ack! I only say “Ack” because I spend so much of my spare time making ukulele videos for my YouTube channel. I love the ukulele. I know that you are joking, Mark. It is what your joke says about how people perceive the ukulele that makes me say “Ack!” Victoria Jackson? I suppose it could be worse if Dick Cheney took up ukulele playing.
http://twitter.com/TylerTinsley Tyler Tinsley

I think Victoria Jackson is the new Andy kaufman. the only tell is that this video was actually published and appears to be focusing on a fairly well spoken protestor.
- Ramone
  
  You give her WAY too much credit. The other commentors are correct, she’s totally nuts now. As opposed to just pretending to be so on SNL many years ago.
- Cowicide
  
  I think Victoria Jackson is the new Andy kaufman.
  
  For her sake and sanity, I hope you are correct. That would be incredibly brilliant and even put Andy to shame. But, I’m sorry… I think this reality is a sad one.
  
  She’s not an anomaly, there are plenty of people that listen to rightwing radio, etc. and are actually this ignorant of reality and act just like her (without the funny voice).
http://www.facebook.com/ted.mills Ted Mills

This is just sad.
DonnyMac

That voice! It’s like nails on a blackboard!
Strato Head

seriously?! do you need to give that NTAC more exposure?
http://www.somelovemusic.com/ Tuff Luke

wait, Victoria Jackson isn’t kidding?
http://www.facebook.com/ted.mills Ted Mills

I just realized who Victoria Jackson sounds like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2g9RGtt7V0
Lobster

Congratulations, Ms. Jackson, everyone is looking at you again. You have successfully trolled the world.
Teller

It is by will alone I set my mouth in motion. It is by the juice of Jesus
that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire gloss, gloss become a
warning. It is by will alone I set my mouth in motion.
mccrum

Wow. I had no idea she’d gone this batshit insane. Seriously:
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/03/22/Victoria_Jackson_Defends_Glee_Slam/

“Well, it doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is what the Bible
says. And I’m really concerned about our country because immorality is,
well, let’s see: Secular humanism rules the airwaves, and it’s stealing
the innocence away from this whole generation of children. My daughter
is a teenager and I can’t find any show that she can watch.”

I watched her on SNL when I was a teen and somehow came out okay even though she obviously made money stealing my innocence. And I always thought the Bible (well, Jesus at least) kind of wanted you to think, that it wasn’t all right and wrong…
misadventures213

Victoria, if you need a camera-holding-lackey, I’m available!
http://twitter.com/wi_ngo wingo shackleford

The rambling description that goes along with the video is priceless. I love how the Tea Party nuts (of whom, apparently, Victoria is the Queen) keep trying to point to some ‘Communist’ conspiracy (controlled by Saul Alinsky??An activist guy who died 40 years ago?). We all know tons of rabid Communists, right? Damn Marxists running around trying to destroy us! Oh dear.

The most ironic thing is how nuts like her love to complain about how ‘they don’t even know what they’re protesting about’, but *whatever* it is, it’s obviously the exact opposite of what the ‘grassroots’ Tea Party wants. Because Jesus, and the bible. Good times.
Tiest Vilee

I don’t actually understand why she published this. Do Tea Partyers watch exactly the same video and think she ‘won’? I guess they must.
- Mark_Frauenfelder
  
  Take a look at the comments on the YouTube page for this video. The Tea Partiers commenting there indeed thought that Victoria made mincemeat of the interviewees. I’ll admit to having a lot of cognitive bias, but the delusion factor over there is stunning.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_P6BCIF3GKN34ERFDPBBMIDIR24 Jeff

Obama is in bed with the corporations! He’s a Marxist!

Pretty lame Marxist if you ask me.
- ChicagoD
  
  Ah, but that’s the Tea Party secret sauce: they know that the corporations are . . .. wait for it . . . MARXISTS!
http://twitter.com/nekoewen Ewen Cluney

So basically the word “Marxist” means NOTHING AT ALL now. I mean, it sounds like a big scary word and it even has the letter X in it, but it doesn’t seem to *mean* anything the way the likes of Victoria Jackson use it.
BarBarSeven

That Victoria Jackson… WHAT A LOON!!! In fact if you ever hear of someone who made their name in comedy becoming a conservative like this (an oddity in the comedy world) watch out; they are always so much crazier than other conservatives.
Snig

So glad for Weird Al that he didn’t stay with this one.
waldowv

Seriously, boingboing? 75% of your content comes straight from reddit and you can’t reference the “Wadsworth constant”?

http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/kxfxy/and_so_ends_20_years_of_frustration/c2o1cyy
Finnagain

I’m adding her to the “Who?”, tm, list. The stake through the heart for people like this is to ignore them completely.
greatgerbil

I support her. She is as free as the protesters to debate her opinion.
- Mark_Frauenfelder
  
  I agree. The more she talks, the happier I get.
- Cowicide
  
  She is as free as the protesters to debate her opinion.
  
  Yeah, I’ve seen some people on the subway debate their own opinions. It sometimes even builds up to a one-person screaming match. I could definitely see where Victoria is headed in that direction if she doesn’t get help…. soon.
http://twitter.com/magicpeacelove PeaceLove

I just LOVE that ditzy blonde routine of hers! She is sooo convincing!
Red Pill Junkie

That 2nd gentleman made his college teachers at the University of Maryland *very* proud.
miasm

fgfds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RkGm4-KSDU#t=1m37s
edit: click the link, not the thumbnail.
- Halloween Jack
  
  I’m not at all surprised that she showed up to OWS in an attempt to do ambush interviews of the protesters and ended up unable to even hear what they had to say over the right wing talk radio mixtape that plays in her head 24/7. The only reason anyone pays attention to her at all is that she happened to be part of the best SNL cast ever (and, yes, that includes the original one–heresy, I know), but she wasn’t really in the league of people like Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey and Mike Meyers–sometimes it seemed like she had trouble reading off the cue cards. That video that you linked to is basically the same character that she’s been playing for the last twenty-five years, and anything else that she did on SNL was the result of their wonderful writing staff, which ironically included Al Franken, one of the most liberal (and smartest) members of Congress currently.
jimh

I would love to see Ms. Jackson and Senator Franken discuss the issues of the day. I don’t think the glasses make her seem smarter, btw.
voiceinthedistance

What a waste of valuable natural resources. Isn’t there a colony of single cell organisms somewhere that could put them to better use than Ms. Jackson?
WillieNelsonMandela

Good for her for interviewing a smart well-spoken guy and not editing him out. I disagree with many of her views but I have no problem with her playing devil’s advocate at the rally. Maybe some of her conservative fans will watch the video and consider the reasoning behind the guy’s answers. Thank you Victoria Jackson and thank you intelligent interview guy.
http://religionsetspolitics.blogspot.com/ Joshua Zelinsky

You know, there’s a certain point in this video where one feels sorry for Victoria Jackson because she’s just so stupid. Then I get angry at her again. Then I feel sorry for her again. At some level, it isn’t her fault she’s an idiot. There’s a certain point where I have to wonder if critical thinking is simply impossible if one is sufficiently stupid.

But, at some level this video seems to be one of the best things I can imagine for OWS protesters. They get all their talking points out and come across as reasonable and intelligent. Of course it isn’t tough to come across as intelligent next to Victoria Jackson.
- Modusoperandi
  
  Joshua Zelinsky >I>”You know, there’s a certain point in this video where one feels sorry for Victoria Jackson because she’s just so stupid.”
  It’s not stupidity. It’s ignorance. And that level of willful ignorance takes work. Imagine how many calories it takes every single day just to parse all incoming information in a Tribal (“Tribal” being “beyond partisan”) manner, where every speck of data must be sifted, analysed and kept or discarded based almost entirely on its source (the Genetic Fallacy as ideological foundation rather than something to be avoided) instead of whether or not it reflects reality.
jtegnell

Yeah, okay, just one more reason not to automatically like every girl who can half-ass play the world’s easiest instrument.
http://twitter.com/mjfgates Michael Gates

Y’know, I’d watch the video, and decide for myself, except for two things. First, the still frame it catches at the front of the video. That woman is TERRIFYING. The powdery skin, the red lipstick, the bizarre-shaped reflections in the glasses. Can’t play video, clown femme will eat me.

Second… fifteen minutes? On Youtube? The only thing I’ll sit and look at for that long, on that site, is half-episodes of “My Little Pony” or “Invader Zim.” Do a best-of compilation, with two minutes of scary clown femme devouring OWS protestors, maybe speed that up and put the Benny Hill theme in the background… that, I’d watch.
zorro869

I’m confused… Is she playing a character like Stephen Colbert, or is she really, really, really, really dumb?
sdaris

Mr. Frauenfelder, please clarify your take on this for your confused readers. Are you showing this in the spirit of irony/ridonculousness or…well, the other side? (dare I ask).
- SamSam
  
  I don’t think that anyone who’s read BoingBoing for more than two minutes is confused by Mark’s position, and, in any case, he makes it pretty clear with his second-to-last sentence.
Blaine Hofeling

Ha! I met this knucklehead once in SLC, she walked into a Mormon painting and frame shop my girlfriend was working in at the time. She was astonishingly thick and out of sorts, she wanted to buy all the religious prints, framed and numbered. So very random, so very odd.
http://www.commodorecrush.com/ Commodore Crush

Ugggh… I like how the 2nd guy she interviews starts with “I loved you on SNL”, but I think he probably has a different opinion now.
jowlsey

If you can’t decide if she’s trolling or not, take a look at her website. http://www.victoriajackson.com/
It’s been like that for years. She’s either going for an epic L O N G troll, or she has gone off the deep end. I’m leaning towards the latter.
http://www.lightning-rose.com/ LightningRose

“If you want everyone to be equal, how are you going to make them equal
in good looks and smart brains? Everyone’s not created equal.”

Victoria Jackson is one more data point for my conjecture that while not all conservatives are stupid, most stupid people are conservative.
Thad Boyd

Well, I still like UHF.
Teto85

The derp from Ms. Jackson and others of her ilk just keeps on flowing.