NYT: Want Obama in a Punch Line? First, Find a Joke

[Pirate Smile]

Want Obama in a Punch Line? First, Find a Joke

By BILL CARTER
Published: July 15, 2008

What’s so funny about Barack Obama? Apparently not very much, at least not yet.

-snip-
Comedy has been no easier for the phalanx of late-night television hosts who depend on skewering political leaders for a healthy quotient of their nightly monologues. Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien and others have delivered a nightly stream of jokes about the Republican running for president — each one a variant on the same theme: John McCain is old.

But there has been little humor about Mr. Obama: about his age, his speaking ability, his intelligence, his family, his physique. And within a late-night landscape dominated by white hosts, white writers, and overwhelmingly white audiences, there has been almost none about his race.
“We’re doing jokes about people in his orbit, not really about him,” said Mike Sweeney, the head writer for Mr. O’Brien on “Late Night.” The jokes will come, representatives of the late-night shows said, when Mr. Obama does or says something that defines him — in comedy terms.

“We’re carrion birds,” said Jon Stewart, host of “The Daily Show” on the Comedy Central channel. “We’re sitting up there saying ‘Does he seem weak? Is he dehydrated yet? Let’s attack.’ ”
But so far, no true punch lines have landed.

Why? The reason cited by most of those involved in the shows is that a fundamental factor is so far missing in Mr. Obama: There is no comedic “take” on him, nothing easy to turn to for an easy laugh, like allegations of Bill Clinton’s womanizing, or President Bush’s goofy bumbling or Al Gore’s robotic persona.
“The thing is, he’s not buffoonish in any way,” said Mike Barry, who started writing political jokes for Johnny Carson’s monologues in the waning days of the Johnson administration and has lambasted every presidential candidate since, most recently for Mr. Letterman. “He’s not a comical figure,” Mr. Barry said.

-snip-
When Mr. Stewart on “The Daily Show” recently tried to joke about Mr. Obama changing his position on campaign financing, for instance, he met with such obvious resistance from the audience, he said, “You know, you’re allowed to laugh at him.” Mr. Stewart said in a telephone interview on Monday, “People have a tendency to react as far as their ideology allows them.”
Despite audience resistance, Mr. Stewart contended, his show had been able to develop a distinctive angle on Mr. Obama.
Noting that the senator seems to emphasize the historic nature of his quest, Mr. Stewart said, “So far, our take is that he’s positioning himself to be on a coin.”

-snip-
Mr. Sweeney said, “We’re hoping he picks an idiot as vice president.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/us/politics/15humor.html?hp

As a Democrat, this has been very disconcerting - so unusual - but I've adapted. :)

[Skittles]

1. you should not adapt n/t

[Pirate Smile]

3. I'll enjoy it while it lasts. It certainly wont last forever.

[DFLforever]

2. The Republicans are having the same problem

trying to find something that will stick.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Well, MSNBC tried to help them out with that today. During EVERY hour today from when Morning Joe

ended until the late afternoon, they had a segment with two Republican strategists (or just one if it was Pat Buchanan) and the anchor (NO Democratic strategists or counterparts at all) to discuss and strategize "How To Attack Obama". The Republicans are having problems with this supposedly - they had two articles they would reference (one David Broder and I can't remember the other) about how the Republicans were struggling with this.

SO the three of them would strategize about the best way to go after Obama - rattling off how he has flip/flopped on Iraq (he hasn't), abortion (he hasn't), faith based initiatives (he hasn't), etc. and that they should attack him there OR he is substance-less, or untrustworthy, blah, blah, blah.

The segment would end and then during the next hour, they would do it again - whoever the current anchor was along with usually two Republican strategists (who it was varied quite a bit).

Was there ever a Democrat to disagree with any of the false charges or Republican talking points? NO

Here is the thread I started after they did it again for the second hour. It was really kind of crazy - yet normal for our sh#$ty-ass press.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6498377

:wtf:

[DFLforever]

5. They're having problems when they have to brainstorm

on TV. I suppose they figure something should eventually work.

[Liberty Belle]

6. complain to the networks, over and over about this stuff.

With a cc to the FCC and ask that the station's licensed be yanked for this blatant bias. Whether there is grounds or not, that should get their attention.

[Patsy Stone]

8. They're still doing it.

I'm watching now, and they keep repeating the percentage of people who think he's Muslim. On a positive note, Joe just mentioned Mika received thousands of hate e-mails for mentioning "all of Obama's flip flops" yesterday. So, at least they know people are paying attention and calling them on the crap they're trying to peddle.

[Bucky]

7. Well, I think the way he says "uh" and "um" a lot when he's thinking is funny

But that doesn't make for a very good set up + joke humor.

The "supporters thinks he's Jesus" stuff is about as funny as it's gotten so far. If we could catch him smoking cigarettes, the problem would be solved.

[high density]

9. I've noticed that

I remember those jokes Jon Stewart tried on Obama which bombed. I didn't laugh either, mostly because I just thought they weren't funny.

Conan does attack McLame's age a lot. They've also done better satire than the NY Post could ever believe to achieve with Robert Smigel voicing Jesse Jackson or Rev. Wright.

[Pirate Smile]

10. I love the McCain old jokes. Their explanation for why they haven't found a decent line of

humor attack on Obama makes sense yet cracks me up (He isn't a buffoon, he doesn't seem to have any noticeable flaws). "Mr. Burnett of the Letterman show said, “We can’t manufacture a perception. If the perception isn’t true, no one will laugh at it.”'

[ErinBerin84]

11. Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic posted last night on his site

something like "Ok, so late night show hosts are allowed to make fun of McCain, but not Obama? Discuss." Dude, could you show your bias a bit more? I remember the public finance joke about Obama on the Daily Show, I think people didn't laugh because it wasn't funny. I have seen him do funny Obama jokes, but this wasn't one of them. Sometimes I think John Stewart does really cheap shots too, when people were all in a kerfluffle over the Obama bowling, he did a segment of people ridiculing it, and said "That's kind of...racist" when Howard Fineman said "He should stick to shooting hoops!" I mean, it's pretty well known that Obama likes to play basketball. And last night he played the clip of Wes Clark (to even it out with the Gramm and Carly Fiorina w stuff) and edited out the question to him (the "riding in a fighter plane question") and I was kind of pissed off about that. I generally think he's pretty good though.

[Pirate Smile]

12. kick

[NatBurner]

13. good read

and having a prez that isn't an international joke is gonna be great

[Pirate Smile]

14. I know. I enjoyed it. They can't get a take on him because he isn't a buffoon.

The Daily Show's coin angle is pretty funny.

[davidpdx]

15. They make an interesting point

it is difficult to find anything to make fun of Obama, even in jest.

[NattPang]

16. That's because he is as serious as a heart attack

in winning the office.
There is nothing funny about saving the world,
until after it is done.

[TheDonkey]

17. I think they are right that they haven't found anything "buffonish" about him and

that makes it hard to make fun of him. He doesn't really do anything or have a shtick that is funny to poke at. The only thing I can think of is how he speaks of "hope" and "change" and acts like a savior for America. If I were a comedian I would make fun of that.