Posted on 01/16/2009 10:10:41 AM PST by Lucky9teen
Writers for late-night television shows, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, have lamented recently that they would love to bust President-elect Barack Obama's chops more. But fear of a politically correct backlash and a lack of major stumbles to date on Obama's part make him a tough topic.
Stand-up comedians, though, say Obama is fair game.
''Those TV writers have to worry about ratings. They don't like boos or groans from the audience. We thrive off of it,'' said Lisa Lampanelli, a comic famous for her no-topic-is-off-limits policy, and her obsession with black men.
''I'm not scared to make fun of anything,'' said Lampanelli, who is scheduled to perform at the South Beach Comedy Festival in two weeks. "And I don't think any comic should be. The fact is Barack Obama is never going to invite me to the Kennedy Center Honors, so what do I have to lose? In the future, he's going to make a big mistake. And when he does, the fodder on him will be easier.
"But let's be bluntly honest: We'll never have the material to go after him as hard as we did Bush, because people get made fun of over how they talk as much as how they look. . . . It's been much easier to pick on his speech. It's not political -- not for us comics, anyway.''
In her first one-hour HBO special, Long Live the Queen, which premiers Jan. 31, Lampanelli calls Obama just white enough to do a good job and show up (to work) on time.
''It's a joke,'' Lampanelli said. "It's what we do. We make fun of people, and we exploit stereotypes. I've been brutal toward Sarah Palin and all the hype about her good looks. I said in the regular world she's not hot. She's a two when you put her next to even Pam Anderson.
"In the world of politics? She's a 10. But look, she's up against the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt. If we don't give Obama the treatment, too, then . . . well, we have to. It's called equality!''
Miramar-based comedian, author and actor Finesse Mitchell agrees with Lampanelli about Obama.
''Politics is hot right now,'' said Mitchell, a former cast member on Saturday Night Live. "So, it's open season on everyone in politics. He's no exception. The thing is, you don't need to worry about political correctness. You just need to do your jokes from the right angle. I've noticed more experienced comedians are doing Obama jokes on what might happen with him in office. The good comedians are being clever about it.''
Comedy Central Director of Talent JoAnn Grigioni says she sympathizes with comics who haven't yet found Obama's soft spots, but believes it's only a matter of time before the comedy world figures him out.
''I think people who may be having a hard time skewering Obama are experiencing that because right now his flaws, those that would be comedy fodder, are not so obvious,'' Grigioni said. 'I'm not sure it's a PC thing as much as it's not so organic to different comics' styles to work with the types of things they might have on him right now.''
Grigioni says that Obama aside, comics at the South Beach Comedy Festival have plenty more to choose from, including the recession and the entire election season.
''The question came up: What's on the minds of the comics?'' she said. "A lot of comics these days tend to do stuff about their own lives. I'm noticing they're asking what's on the minds of the audience. They're still talking about themselves and their own lives, but more and more they're working topical stuff like the economy and war into their routines.''
pfffftttt.....
These comedians are oozing fear and mendacity in equal measure.
Try to make fun of Hussein ? he will sue you for racism and islamophobia.
Are you kidding? No wonder that fat skag thinks another disease-riddled skank is better looking than Sarah. She would rate about a -25 on that scale.
But fear of a politically correct backlash and a lack of major stumbles to date on Obama’s part make him a tough topic.
No major stumbles??? You not been listening?
Hope these libtard comedians go broke for lack of fodder. Musicians and actors, too.
Zero
Precedent Obama
Obama Bin Laden
These people have no imagination.
They are right! It’s difficult to errr, uh,uhmmm, hmmmm, errr, find anything, errr, to uhmmmm, errr.. make fun errr uhmmmm of him.
His errrr, uhmmmm, hmmmm, speech uhmmmm, errrr, is perfect, errrr, hummm...
... if you're afraid of what might happen.
He can try......
Try “empty suit.”
Thats odd...I find I can make fun of The Messiah in almost any given situation....(chuckle)
Here’s hoping a strong breeze isn’t present when he takes the oath, those ears might carry him off into the Atlantic.
Damn, even Lisa Lampinelli is caving. There is plenty to work with regarding zero; she just doesn't see it.
Only because the Democratic “rescuers” can’t laugh at themselves, they take themseves waaaaaaay too seriously
That clip where his teleprompter broke and he painfully stumbled his way through the topic of “breathalyzers” for children with asthma is comedy gold. That’s just one small example. We know the truth is that they just don’t want to piss off their Messiah.
Yeah, sure. They don't know fair...and they ain't got game.
Haven't heard anything funny come out of any of their mouths for quite some time now ... shrug!!!
Bingo! Obama is easy to rip on. They all are just chickens.
And when people become THIS freaking STUPID and inattentive to their freedoms, THIS is the PRESIDENT they deserve.
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