Barack Obama walks into a bar…
January 30, 2009 at 11:45 am by Debbie Michaud in A&E, NewsFrom the New Haven Advocate:
On the eve of his inauguration, painting walls at a Habitat for Humanity dwelling, Obama joshed that this was good practice as he was moving into a new house the next day.
But that MLK Day event also emphasized the critics’ worst fears: Sure, he can make fun of himself, but how easy is it for anyone else to mock a guy who’s out helping the homeless the day before one of the most jam-packed weeks of his life? Where’s the opening for humor there?
A president who takes too many vacations, or mangles speeches, or starts international conflicts when he’s barely traveled out of the country — that’s a guy ripe for the plucking. But Obama’s “no drama” persona translates to “no huma” as well.
The cartoon-Teflon concern is hardly a new one: jokesters have had two years (and Illinois newsies even longer) to come up with Barack characteristics they can exaggerate and crack wise about. All they’ve located so far is his ears.
What are Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to do now?
January 30th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I like what Chris Rock said about making jokes about Barack Obama: “He’s just one of those guys, you know, like Will Smith. There’s no Will Smith jokes,” the funny man says. “There’s no Brad Pitt jokes. You know, what are you going to say? ‘You used to have sex with Jennifer Aniston. Now you have sex with Angelina Jolie. You’re such a loser.’ What do you say? ‘Ooh, your movies are big. You make $20 million.’ There’s nothing to say about Brad Pitt.”
“(With Obama) it’s like, ‘Ooh, you’re young and virile and you’ve got a beautiful wife and kids. You’re the first African-American president.’ You know, what do you say?” Rock adds.
January 30th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
It’s just hard to be funny and not violate the PC rules and be instantly called a bigot or racist.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:11 am
If it’s THAT hard and you fall back on bigotry and racism, then you aren’t quality to begin with.
January 31st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I didn’t say they would actually be bigoted or racist, but that they would be called such, much the same way that opponents of Sen Clinton were called mysoginist or sexist.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:37 pm
It can be done, if the cartoonist WANTS to do it
drawing of Obama – http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2009/01/04/
words and deeds – http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2009/01/04/