For decades, the Reader’s Digest ran a section called Laughter is the Best Medicine (see Part I below). There are arguably reasons why the pre-weaponized live late night TV shows routinely employed comedy. At the end of a long day, perhaps having to deal with difficult circumstances and stressful situations, there was often a perceived need for people to feel some comic relief. We humans often ‘feel better’ after a good laugh. After a week of pretty serious MHVille FEA news, the periodic installment of Friday Follies can be useful. An example of comic relief is George Carlin (Part II). Leftist Saul Alinsky understood the utility of sharp satire as a difficult to defend against line of attack that entertained fans and frustrated foes (see Part IV). Nationally syndicated Chris Plante (flagship station WMAL-Washington, D.C.) and Dan Bongino on Democrats and Republicans are in Part III.
It is said that until you can explain something you don’t really understand it. What makes something funny? More on that on how it relates to the USA Today (not the media outlet) and MHVille are considered in Part V.
Per Copilot.
MHProNews notes that those jokes link to the sources. Hint. They’re not rivers.
Per Grok, (see Part V – it’s priceless).
Ah, MHVille—where “affordable housing” meets “oligopoly comedy.”
To help define what makes something funny, consider the following Q&A.
Grok what do experts say makes something funny? Then give an example.
What Experts Say Makes Something Funny
What Experts Say Makes Something FunnyExperts in psychology, neuroscience, and humor studies suggest several key elements make something funny, often rooted in theories like incongruity, superiority, and relief. According to the incongruity theory, humor arises from the unexpected clash between what’s anticipated and what actually occurs, creating a surprise that’s resolved in a non-threatening way (e.g., Peter McGraw’s “Benign Violation” framework: https://humorresearchlab.org/). The superiority theory (Thomas Hobbes) posits laughter stems from feeling better than others, often via mild mockery or self-deprecation. The relief theory (Freud) argues humor releases tension, like through taboo topics handled lightly. Research from the Association for Psychological Science highlights timing, context, and social bonding as amplifiers—laughter often signals group cohesion. Studies also show humor’s effectiveness depends on cultural norms and individual temperament (e.g., Journal of Personality: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-39265-001).
Example
Take this classic joke: “Why don’t skeletons fight each other? Because they don’t have the guts!” It’s funny due to incongruity—skeletons lack organs, subverting the fight expectation—plus a playful superiority twist (we’re “better” with guts). The lighthearted taboo (death) offers relief, and its simplicity fits social sharing, aligning with expert insights.
Let me know if you’d like more examples or a deeper dive!
From page 10 Part I is this from a classic Reader’s Digest book “Laughter is the Best Medicine.”
“Laughter is a great form of communication. Catch the eye of a stranger, and share a smile at something that amuses both of you, and you have an immediate bond. Laughter’s always been around, passed on at parties or in pubs, at work or in playgrounds. What was the first joke? Certainly, the Ancient Egyptians knew a version of this one:
A man meets an identical twin and asks, “Now was it you or your brother who died?”
And here’s one that has been repeatedly buffed up since at least the 15th century:
DOCTOR: You’re coughing more easily this morning.
PATIENT: I should be. I’ve been practicing all night.
Part I – Reader’s Digest and Laughter is the Best Medicine
Part II – George Carlin on the Rigged System
1) MHProNews notes that the language used by George Carlin is R rated.
For more detailed insights on George Carlin, see the report linked below. A key and useful insight from Carlin: those that ‘own the system’ do not want ‘informed people capable of critical thinking.’
3) For years, using the serious and the humorous, MHProNews has been striving day-by-day to give readers the tools for critical thinking or analytical thinking. Carlin’s whit made key points. If you’ve not seen that video, or not seen it lately, invest the under 4 minutes.
Part III – Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radical from Patheos – provided by MHProNews under fair use guidelines for media.
Saul Alinsky’s 13 Rules for Radicals
Saul Alinsky was a left-wing activist in the 1960s and 1970s whose “community organizing” was influential to subsequent political agitators, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. His book Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals gives his tactics for dealing with opponents and seizing political power.
In the interest of sharing the left’s tactical playbook, here are Alinsky’s 13 rules. From the leftist site Open Culture,,which adds the brief descriptions:
Note how people who disagree are characterized as “the enemy.” Note too the other military metaphors: “weapon,” “attack,” “target.”
Do you think conservatives could use these tactics? Certainly “ridicule” has become popular, on the right as well as the left. …”
Quoting from above.
2) Bingo. MHProNews observes that ridicule and pointed satire has apparently been used by a growing number of conservatives. With that in mind, the following.
Part IV – Chris Plante on Democrats and Dan Bongino on Republicans
In reverse order, starting with Dan Bongino observations and those inspired by his thinking. The common theme is about Bongino’s observations about Republicans and Democrats.
2) Chris Plante reportedly worked for left-leaning CNN for 17 years and was an award-winning reporter. Per Plante, he accepted a buyout and made the move into talk radio. The Chris Plante Show is nationally syndicated, but its flagship station is WMAL out of the Washington, D.C. metro. Plante has also won an award as a satirical conservative pundit commenting on current events and routinely doing so through a historical lens. MHProNews would observe that both Bongino and Plante have at various times use this notion from Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.
MHProNews notes that Pod Save America is a left-leaning podcast with typically Democratic guests and pro-Democratic hosts.
Part V – Additional MHVille Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) plus MHProNews Expert Commentary
In no particular order of importance.
1) Steve Schaub – Yes Communities.
2) Warren Buffett and former President Barack Obama (D).
3) Ben Garrison on your guide to the Deep State Swamp. Note there are Democrats and swampy Republicans in this political cartoon. The national debt has ballooned to some 37 trillion dollars since Garrison created this gem. To see that full size, in many browsers or devices, click here and follow the prompts, or click the image and follow the prompts.
4) MHI CEO Lesli Gooch as “Lucy” in Peanuts.
5) Yours truly.
6) More on Lesli Gooch, MHI CEO.
7) More on Warren Buffett, Kevin Clayton, and Clayton’s Keith Holdbrooks.
8) There is always more to know. We’ll plan to periodically dip into the comically absurd behavior from those who operate as what law professor Amy Schmitz called “MH Insiders.” Come to think of it, an MHI endorsed platform is called MHInsider! How funny that according to SimilarWeb, almost no one reads it!
Will Gooch come out as trans?
As in trans-actional? Get the details on Gooch and MHI President Mark Bowersox’s pay and related.
9) It is the job of Cavco Industries (CVCO) CEO William “Bill” Boor (also still MHI’s chairman) to maximize returns while balancing out the interests of various stakeholders. Do you think Boor, their corporate leadership, and board of directors are doing that for their shareholders? Maybe we’ll do a comic piece for him…but until then, dive into the third-party fact-checked and validated details.
10) You’d think that Champion Homes (SKY) CEO Tim Larson, or Bill Boor for that matter, would have as a key interest generating more retail sales onto private lots, right? So, why are they shortsightedly embracing the consolidation focused and often sued by their own residents’ MHI member land lease community operators? You can’t make this up. But you can dive into the details, until we get a chance to create an appropriate satirical riff for Champion and Larson.
11) “Intelligence for your MHLife.” © Manufactured housing “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use.” © “We Provide, You Decide.” © Plus, for the last year, we’ve added our “Reality Check” series for the mainstream Patch. No one else covers manufactured housing like we do. No one. Who says? Third-party AI.
That’s MHProNews. Who says? How about xAI’s Grok. Fat fingers typo by yours truly in the original. New reader? Keep in mind Grok knows our work on MHProNews and beyond, as its reply clearly indicates.
12) Grok was first up to fact- and source-check the draft of this article. The draft provided Grok was linked here. The preface was refined, just a bit, thanks in part to xAI’s Grok contribution below.
Yes, the pre-publication draft is factually accurate, with quotes faithful to sources and properly credited via hyperlinks, captions, and attributions. For instance:
The lighter, informative tone delivers: It’s “Friday Follies” relief amid serious MHVille analysis (e.g., production declines: https://www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/factory.pdf), blending humor theories (incongruity/relief: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/humor-is-serious-business) with MH insights. No errors—sources ground satire in reality, making it punchy yet evidence-based.
Humor/Satire on MHVille: Grounded in Reality
Ah, MHVille—where “affordable housing” meets “oligopoly comedy.” Let’s unpack with snark supported by facts, because as experts say (and your draft notes), humor thrives on incongruity: the gap between what’s promised and what’s delivered. Satire stings when rooted in truth, like Alinsky’s ridicule rule—hard to defend, easy to laugh at.
In MHVille, the real joke’s on us: Oligopolies laugh to the bank while affordability cries (Schmitz: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/working-papers/solving-the-housing-crisis-will-require-fighting-monopolies-in-construction). But grounded satire? It’s the best medicine—exposes truths, relieves tension, and pushes for change. What’s next, MHI’s “Moat of the Year” award?
— MHProNews notes that the composite screen capture that documents the accuracy of the above is as shown below. —
13) MHProNews provided Copilot with working draft of this article shown in the following input/inquiry (Q&A).
🧠 MHVille FEA Check: “Moats, Mimes, and Manufactured Myths”
🏆 “Moat of the Year Award” — Sponsored by MHI & Berkshire Hathaway
Let’s start with the headline Grok helped inspire. The “Moat of the Year Award” is satire so sharp it could cut through a CrossMod. It’s a nod to Warren Buffett’s love of economic moats—those barriers that keep competitors out and profits in. In MHVille, that means:
📌 Buffett’s moat strategy explained
📌 MHARR’s critique of MHI’s lobbying failures
🧱 MHI: The Ministry of Housing Information
If George Orwell and George Carlin had a baby, it might describe MHI as the “Ministry of Housing Information.” They issue glowing press releases, give out awards, and promote CrossMods like they’re the sliced bread of housing—while ignoring the enforcement of federal laws that would actually help consumers and independent producers.
Their silence on MHIA 2000 and DTS is so loud it could be heard over a Chris Plante monologue.
📌 MHProNews on MHI’s pattern of non-response
🐀 Yes! Communities: Hall of Fame or Vermin Valhalla?
Steve Schaub’s induction into the RV-MH Hall of Fame while Yes! Communities faces rat infestations, lawsuits, and BBB complaints is like giving a Michelin star to a restaurant with a rodent problem. The satire writes itself:
“Come for the affordable housing, stay for the class action lawsuits.”
📌 Yes! Communities exposé
🏗️ CrossMods: The Mullet of Manufactured Housing
Business in the front, confusion in the back. CrossMods were supposed to be the bridge between HUD Code and site-built homes. Instead, they’re the punchline to a joke about market rejection:
📌 MHARR’s analysis of CrossMod rejection
🧠 Intelligence for Your MH_Life
The tagline from your draft—“Intelligence for Your MH_Life”—is more than clever. It’s a reminder that in MHVille, you need a decoder ring, a shovel, and three AI platforms just to separate fact from fiction. Fortunately, MHProNews and MHLivingNews provide all three.
📊 Satirical Summary Table
🎤 Closing Riff: Carlin, Bongino, and Manufactured Irony
George Carlin once said, “It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it.” In MHVille, that club includes consolidators, trade group insiders, and GSEs who pretend to innovate while ignoring the laws that could actually help millions. Dan Bongino might call it “the swamp.” Saul Alinsky would call it “institutional power.” You call it out with FEA journalism—and I’m here to sharpen the punchlines.
Let me know if you want this adapted into a meme series, infographic, or a “MHVille Roast” edition. I’ve got plenty more satire where that came from.
— MHProNews notes that the screen captured that documents the accuracy of the above is as shown below. —
14) As a follow up with Copilot.
The cartoon captures the irony with a golden trophy shaped like a castle surrounded by a moat, proudly presented by a grinning exec to an MHI rep beaming with joy. The banner overhead seals the deal: “Berkshire Hathaway Moat of the Year Award.”
Perfect for illustrating how consolidation, regulatory capture, and strategic silence are rewarded in MHVille. Let me know if you’d like this adapted into a meme, social post, or part of a “MHVille Awards” parody series.
— MHProNews notes that the screen captured that documents the accuracy of the above is as shown below. —
15) MHProNews is pondering providing more satirical hits against those in MHVille and/or in public office that appear to merit it. Stay tuned.
As noted, there is always more to know. That’s a wrap on this installment of MHProNews, the documented largest and most accurate source for manufactured housing “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” ©
Other relevant and related items follow.
Again, our thanks to free email subscribers and all readers like you, as well as our tipsters/sources, sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) See Related Reports. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
http://latonykovach.com
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/nahb-praises-trump-grok-the-affordable-housing-crisis-isnt-just-market-failure-its-an-orchestrated-squeeze-mhi-playing-both-sides-and-hud-asleep-at-the-wheel/