Welcome to the official hub for Buffoonology 101, a program that is not only a competition between our co-hosts Gene Berardelli and Ross Galloway, but is also shows you how to use the principles in Gene’s award-winning, Amazon best-selling book, Schnooks, Crooks, Liars & Scoundrels: A Field Guide for Identifying Political Buffoons.
Here is everything you need to know about our new show, Buffoonology 101. Here’s what it’s about, where we’ve been, and where we’re going.
First, let’s explain how we got here. What is Buffoonology 101?
In this quick intro above, Gene walks you through the core concept behind Buffoonology 101—a weekly face-off where public figures compete for the ultimate dishonor: Buffoon of the Week. From political absurdities to media hypocrisy, this is where accountability meets comedy.
Developing The Sharpton Buffoonery Matrix™
The origins of how we evaluate our nominees on Buffoonology 101 have humble beginnings. The basic framework were the inspiration of the Right and Honorable Matthew Fairley who first articulated the original framework of what we now call the Sharpton Buffoonery Matrix™. Since then, many certified Buffoonologists have added their contributions to the lore behind the first ever measuring system for political buffoonery.
Today, when it comes to the Sharpton Buffoonery Matrix™, it’s about two things: BuNs and BAMs! BuN (Buffoonish Nature) measures the inherent absurdity of a nominee’s behavior. While BAM (Buffoonish Action Magnitude) assesses the impact and reach of the nominee’s actions.
To paraphrase Orwell, all Buffoons are created equal, but some Buffoons are more equal than others. If you doubt this, you needn’t look further than our political class in America, which contains a disproportionate number of Buffoons within it as compared to society in general. This makes political Buffoonery fertile ground for field study.
And study we will each week on our show!
Now For the Fun Stuff! Gene vs. Ross!
Now that you know about the “science” behind the show, let’s get to the main event where accountability meets comedy. Each week, our resident Buffoonologists, Gene Berardelli and Ross Galloway will come armed each week with their choice for Buffoon of the Week.
Here are the rules they’ve agreed upon.
The best part of it all? Each week, YOU, the viewers, vote to help crown the biggest political clown and, more importantly, bestow bragging rights for Gene or Ross!
So not only will Buffoonology 101 be educational, but it’s sure to be very entertaining as each week, you will decide who among Gene and Ross will be victorious. Speaking of which, here’s what has happened to date.
The Official Buffoonology 101 Tally Board
| DATE | NOMINEE / HOST | SUMMARY | BuN | BAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04-18-2025 | Sen. Michael Bennet (Ross) | Went on CNN to call out billionaire donors, but stammers about his own donors! | 72 | 74.9 Giga-Sharptons™ |
| 04-18-2025 | Letitia James (Gene) | After prosecuting Trump for loan fraud, DOJ investigating her alleged mortgage fraud? | 80 | 100 Giga-Sharptons™ |
| 04-11-2025 | Chris Matthews (Ross) | Worried that wood doesn't grow on trees! | 58 | 350 Mega-Sharptons™ |
| 04-11-2025 | 🏆 Rep. Brittany Pettersen (Gene) | Brought her baby to Congress to complain she can't bring her baby to Congress. | 55 | 250 Mega-Sharptons™ |
As things stand, Gene leads Ross 1-0. But there’s a lot of game left to be played.
So there it is! Keep coming back every week as we update our rankings, and refine our standings. If you have suggestions for making Buffoonology 101 better, drop us a line. And, as always, don’t forget to like and share everything we do, subscribe and follow us on social media, and buckle up! There’s a lot of political buffoonery to come!
