Buffoon of the Week Staff
Welcome to the debut of Buffoonology 101, where political absurdity meets comedic critique—and where your favorite hosts go head-to-head to crown the Buffoon of the Week.
In this newly launched format, Gene Berardelli and Ross Galloway deliver a weekly face-off packed with satire, spirited debate, and audience participation. This week, the old Hack—Chris Matthews—takes on a new Hot Mess—Rep. Brittany Pettersen.
So… who ya got?
The Rules of Buffoonology 101
In each episode, Ross and Gene nominate one public figure for Buffoon of the Week, and YOU decide the winner via online voting—right here, on social media, and on YouTube.
Each host gets two minutes to present their case, followed by open debate. Then comes the rating via the Sharpton Buffoonery Matrix™, which measures each nominee’s:
- BuN: Buffoonish Nature
- BAM: Buffoonish Action Magnitude
For more on how the scoring works, check out our breakdown [here].
Ross’s Pick: Chris Matthews’ “Wooden” Performance
Ross kicks things off by nominating former Hardball host Chris Matthews for a bizarre appearance on Morning Joe, where he questioned whether the U.S. could “create more wood” if tariffs were imposed on Canadian lumber.
Yes, really.
Matthews seemed to forget that wood literally grows on trees, prompting confused looks from the MSNBC panel. Ross highlights this as a classic case of outdated punditry—and nominates him as a fossilized example of political buffoonery.
After Ross made his case, Gene evaluatedMatthews using the Sharpton Buffoonery Matrix™:
- BuN Score: 58 (waning relevance, but still kicking)
- BAM Score: 350 MegaSharptons™ (a solid lumberjack-level buffoon move)
Gene’s Pick: Rep. Brittany Pettersen Uses Her Baby as a Prop
Gene counters with Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), who recently introduced a bill to allow remote voting in Congress—a move inspired by her experience as a new mom. While the bill has bipartisan support, Speaker Mike Johnson quickly shelved it.
Gene’s critique? The congresswoman’s use of her baby in both her press conference and follow-up social media post struck him as emotionally manipulative. He argued the visual spectacle undercut the very point she was trying to make: balancing motherhood and public service. Not to mention that remote voting invites questions of what it means to represent a constituency and concerns about the securing of members of Congress voting remotely.
When Gene was done, Ross rated Pettersen’s performance as follows:
- BuN Score: 55 (a new face who’s more messy than malicious)
- BAM Score: 250 MegaSharptons™ (lower impact, but high drama)
Now It’s Your Turn: Vote for the Buffoon of the Week!
Selected poll is not defined.
Buffoonology 101 has officially kicked off with a bang—and now you get to decide who wins the crown of disgrace!
✅ Vote now! Comment below, or cast your vote on YouTube or social media. Vote early and often – no one is checking IDs!
Whether you’re here for the insight, the laughs, or the absurdity, this weekly competition brings the buffoonery leaderboard to life.
🔔 Subscribe to Buffoon of the Week and never miss a chance to rate the ridiculous. Who’s climbing the ranks of political nonsense? You’ll find out every week, right here.
