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Comedy Writers: “Nothing Buffoonish About This Guy!”
By Kyle | July 17, 2008
Day Five since Barack Obama’s camp revealed he has suffered an acute humorectomy and the New York Times is weighing in. Maureen Dowd suggests he lighten up. Jimmy Kimmel says comedy writers refuse to make fun of Obama because he’s black: “There’s a weird reverse racism going on.” Others vow that, gee, they’d be wiling to make fun of Obama but, damn, he just hasn’t done anything worthy of making jokes about yet.
Naw, nothing funny about being the first admitted coke user to be nominated by a major party. Nothing funny about palling around with a member of the Weather Underground. Nothing funny about spending 20 years going to the church of a psychotic rage-a-holic preacher who makes Jerry Falwell look like St. Augustine. Nothing funny about having a wife who said she had never felt proud of her country before. Nothing funny about flippity-flopping on your no. 1 issue–campaign finance–or voting for a surveillance bill you vowed to fillibuster. His problems with quitting smoking alone would be the subject of a million late-night riffs if he were a Republican.
Comics insist they’re equal-opportunity offenders but they’re really not. When they talk about making jokes about Obama, they shy away from anything whose punchline implies some failing and go off-roading into neutral comedy territory like his father’s goat-herding or his habit of tying everything into his talking points. Kimmel suggests going for laughs by making fun of Obama’s ears. Hard-hitting stuff, James. A writer for Letterman suggests that the audience won’t go for any racist stuff. True, but so what? There’s nothing racist about mocking cokeheads or wobbly principles.
Topics: Barack Obama, Comedy, News, Politics, TV |
July 17th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Jon Stewart is actually finding a few creative ways to lampoon Obama, but the response he’s getting doesn’t encourage further ridicule. The late night talking heads refuse to get edgy with their Obamanating jabs because of incidents like the New Yorker debacle. If a visual depiction is so heavily scrutinized, then there’s no doubt a verbal reference will be met with even more disapproval.
By the way, Stewart did go after Obama for flip-flopping (or wobbly principles, as you stated). It was during that same routine that he stared into the audience and announced, “You know, you’re allowed to laugh at him.”
July 18th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Unlike the buffoon currently occupying the White House, Obama is respected and admired: respect and admiration are hard things to get a belly laugh out of.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Nothing funny about two millionaires fist bumping like they’re from the ghetto.
Obama is respected and admired: respect and admiration are hard things to get a belly laugh out of.
Well, Hunter seems to have got religion! An American religion to boot.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Hunter jumps the shark … again. Please try rereading Kyle’s post, Hunter. This time with your eyes - and mind - open. Works wonders.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Jimmy Falwell = Jerry Falwell? Jim Bakker? Jimmy Carter? Maybe I don’t know who Jimmy Falwell is …
July 18th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Great article. Thanks for pointing out that comedians, as well as the mainstream media, are giving Obama a pass that’s wider than the Grand Canyon.
July 18th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Actually, Jimmy Falwell would be a cool portmanteau for Jim Bakker and Jerry Falwell.
July 19th, 2008 at 1:36 am
I’m an Obama supporter but this is a great article as was your piece on the New Yorker. I take back my previous comments about you.