That's right - I called you a Chucklehead!
Posted on 03/24/2009 4:37:39 AM PDT by Kaslin
Last year during the presidential campaign, some comedians explained the reason there were so many more jokes being made on television about John McCain than Barack Obama was because nothing about Obama was funny. The One was a bit too perfect and free of flaws to provide much fodder for joke writers.
Never mind that he had said there were 57 states. Or that he frequently stammered through sections of speeches when his teleprompter malfunctioned. Or any of the other mistakes he made. Most of them received little media coverage and even less ridicule from comics.
The New York Times even looked into the matter and ran a piece on it. In it Mike Sweeney, the head writer for Conan O'Brien on "Late Night," said the jokes would come as soon as Obama said or did something that defines him in comedy terms, but then admitted another reason Obama was not being made the butt of late night jokes. “A lot of people are excited about his candidacy," Sweeney said. “It's almost like: ‘Hey, don't go after this guy. He's a fresh face; cut him some slack.’” Mike Barry, who writes for David Letterman said, “The thing is, he's not buffoonish in any way. He's not a comical figure.”
Some comedians even talked about a comedy recession. Jon Stewart said, “I agree that Barrack Obama is a good for America and for the world. The problem for us comedians is, he’s just not that funny…He’s smart, a great leader and he has squeaky clean wholesome image. But what are we supposed to make fun of? His ears? I’m scared.”
Many of the jokes that were told about Obama did not target Obama or any of his mistakes, but rather played off his greatness or targeted President Bush or Republicans in comparison to the near perfect Obama.
While many television comedians were blind to the gaffes candidate Obama made, they surely have to see that President Obama is providing plenty of fodder for late night comedy writers today. Those on conservative blogs have certainly not had any trouble finding comedy material before or after the election.
During the campaign there were several occasions when Obama’s teleprompter malfunctioned, resulting in an eruption of uh’s, er’s and ah’s. Obama’s recent “Special Olympics” comment on Jay Leno’s show highlighted the foot-in-mouth problem he often has when he goes off script. Bloggers have used Obama’s Teleprompter (aka TOTUS -- Teleprompter of the United States) as the inspiration for some funny stuff. During the campaign, Iowahawk created a video in which Obama’s teleprompter revolted and threatened to malfunction if certain demands were not met, including being provided with “a new tuffbox case with the velvet egg crate padded lining.” As President, Obama has continued to rely on TOTUS even more. Recently Caleb Howe at Redstate and the blog The Right Scoop (among others) inserted TOTUS into Photoshopped pictures of Obama in various stages of life including photos of him as a toddler, as a high school basketball player and even in the famous “abs” photo of Obama on the beach. Many on the right now refer to TOTUS as President Obama’s BFF (best friend forever).
Those on the right are no longer the only ones finding Obama humor. Late night comedians are now making more jokes about President Obama than they did candidate Obama, but he has yet to get the full out Bush treatment and probably never will. As this David Letterman joke shows, he’s still their guy: “How about President Barack Obama's first primetime press conference last night? He was cogent, eloquent, and in complete command of the issues. I'm thinking to myself, what the hell am I supposed to do with that?”
Maybe comedians have had so much trouble laughing at Obama because he has had a bit of trouble laughing at himself. In August, J. Peter Freire wrote of candidate Obama’s humor, “Obama is not a threat to the Republic because of his radical politics. Rather, his humor is the more clear and present danger. He's as funny as a laser guided toothache. The problem isn't that Obama attempts jokes now and again that don't come off. The problem is that his humor is completely chilly. His repertoire is an awkward collection of self-conscious half jokes. And whenever he thinks on his feet to come up with a quick retort, the results are decidedly sub-sub-par…Generally speaking, there are two themes for Obama ‘jokes’: ‘I'm Great,’ and ‘I'm Only Pretty Great.’”
After spending the first two months of his presidency forecasting doom and gloom, President Obama has been yukking it up lately. As the first sitting president ever to appear on the Tonight show with Jay Leno, he came up with this gem when Leno asked about the White House bowling alley. “I have been practicing… I bowled a 129.” The audience laughed and Leno replied “that’s very good, Mr. President.” Then Obama added his own little punch line saying, “It’s like - it was like Special Olympics, or something.” Unfortunately when he decided to go the self-deprecating humor route, which is generally the most effective, the result was to unwittingly make a joke about people with disabilities.
This weekend on 60 Minutes Steve Kroft asked Obama if he was “punch drunk” because he seemed to literally be laughing out loud about the troubles the country is facing.
“You're sitting here. And you're— you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, ‘I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money—’ How do you deal with— I mean: explain. . .” Kroft asked him, “Are you punch-drunk?”
Laughing, Obama replied, “No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day.”
Ain’t that the truth? I know exactly how he feels. Ever since the election I’ve needed gallows humor to get me through the day, too.
bookmark
I’m telling you - he was high!
Obama doesn’t like life in the fishbowl that is the White House and misses being able to light-up once in a while.
He constantly dissuades people from the kind desire not to deem him a blathering fool. Hey Jon, why'd you dump your true last name and steal one that sounds so very Anglo?
Hah! President Chucklehead!
Chucklehead the Knucklehead!!
If someone, say on 60 minutes (Kroft) asks him about that, he'll laugh his ass off. You see, he really is funny, funny guy.
Seriously though. We have all seen that laugh. That was the laugh of someone that is a part of the “in clique” that laughs at an inside joke at the expense of another. That laugh was based on the humor of the “special-olympics” type.
And that laugh on 60 minutes also told me that he knows there is a much bigger plan that will make all of this seem absolutely trivial.
I'd much rather spend an afternoon at a special olympics competition than hanging out with Obammie the Commie.
That's right - I called you a Chucklehead!
I don't see how it would be possible for a constantly-watched president to get stoned.
...There’s a thread somewhere about the clown Pres. calling the former Pres. of France to say, “We’ll work with you”. Guess that means Obama doesn’t recognize the new French Pres...
And how was is possible for a constantly-watched President to carry on an affair with a young intern? In the Oval Office, no less!
...I dis-agree, He’s an idiot, Sober or stoned...
Let's face it: Obama is a disadvantaged affirmative action president and it is impolite to laugh at him. He deserves pity, not scorn. The guy is simply a looser who was raised to a position far beyond his capability. Just as you don't laugh at the Special Olympics team, you don't laugh at the affirmative action president.
“I don’t see how it would be possible for a constantly-watched president to get stoned.”
The same way it would be possible for one to receive oral sex in the oval office, I suppose.
Remember when he made fun of John McCain because he couldn’t use a computer? This reminded me of a bully who makes fun of a handicapped child in a wheelchair who can’t walk
Who but a sociopath
would giggle at his own gallows humor
in front of the very victims
he is about to sacrifice?
Post Turtle.
How was it possible for a constantly watched President to not have sex with Monica Lewinsky on a number of occasions?
Jon Stewart is talking about someone other than Obomba. Sounds more like RWR.
That being said, Stewart is an ignorant leftist twit who is as funny as the proverbial turd in a punchbowl.
Comedy Channel is America's enemy!
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