George W. Bush may have his critics, but comedians should not be among those eager to have him leave the public stage, especially if the un-funny Obama becomes president.
Bill Clinton's womanizing, Al Gore's monotone persona, and George W. Bush's trouble with words define them in "funny" terms. But no one can seem to pin down what defining characteristic makes Obama funny. Jon Stewart shared what his team has come up with: “Our take is that he’s positioning himself to be on a coin.” Um, ha ha?
Others think political correctness has killed America's sense of humor, along with the candidate's. Rumor has it that Obama told Maureen Dowd of the NY Times that he is hypersensitive to remarks about his ears. And of course there is the "race factor" — white writers and comedians tend to stay away from that subject.
Perhaps comedians have gotten lazy over the last eight years. After all, you just have to roll a tape of Bush talking to, or dancing with, a foreign leader to get outbursts of laughter. You might remember the 2004 lampoon of Bush and Kerry by the Jib Jab team — the parody of This Land is Your Land? Well, they're baaa-a-ck! Check it out and see if this is the way to funny up '08.
La Redoute
1Funny is subjective! I find Obama to be funny! Not intentionally of course...
2I know! I never noticed how unfunny Obama is - at least Kerry and Edwards gave us the "lovers" and they hug too much stuff!
They could always mock his optimistic style - but that isn't funny, that's just critical, makes us look "bitter."
By the way, I absolutely love the clip where John Stewart shows some Bush clip dancing or mixing up his words or something and then says, "Mr. Bush, I don't need your charity" - which goes to prove your point that with him comedians only had to wait for the joke to write itself.
3
um, who cares?!! I want to know the real issues. 
4I think the comedians are just lazy!
There was a guy in a skit I saw (it was on a montage, so I don't know where it came from), and this guy did a VERY funny impression of Obama. Obama has a distinct talking pattern...slow...slow..thenhecramsallofhiswordstogether. This guy I saw in the skit was really funny because he used what was there.
And Obama makes fun of his ears all the time, so I don't think I would say he is hypersensitive about it.
5You really can't get better comedy than Bush though... so I see where they're coming from.
OH SY! This month's Details with James McAvoy on the cover has a good story about Bobby Jindal, I read it last night and thought of you! He seems awesome!
6I'm okay with my president not being funny. I think the last funny president we had was JFK. Oh, and Chester A. Arthur apparently did this amazing imitation of Supreme Court Justice Blatchford while, although unflattering, had many in stitches.
7"You really can't get better comedy than Bush though..."
Agreed. He will be hard to top!
"I'm okay with my president not being funny."
Yes, I sincerely agree with you.
8Anyone who can't laugh at himself and allow others the same privilege has a fatal character flaw and has a psychological disorder.
Laughter has been proven to be good for ones mental health, heart, blood vessels, reduces stress, can bring healing from disease, wards off depression, and is good for a person's general overall well-being.
For Barry Obama to claim "hypersensitivity" to having jokes made about him is just so much elitist snobbery. This is the USofA, and we make fun of everyone. No one is above our humor. No one.
And if Barry Obama thinks he's going to be POTUS and deny us our humorous moments, he needs to step down NOW. Because there's more of us than there is of him, and we will have our laughter, no matter what he says.
BTW, have you noticed that Muslims restrict laughter and jokes about themselves, preferring jihad to a heart-healthy guffaw? Think about it. When was the last time you laughed at a joke about the Saudi Royal Family? When was the last time you laughed at a joke about the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe? When was the last time you laughed at a joke about Hamid Karzai? We laugh about Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but we do it in the USofA and not somewhere he could order us killed. When was the last time you made a joke or laughed at one about President Bush? When was the last time you saw someone parody President Bush to his face? Any of the others mentioned above ever had a comedian "roast" him? No? WHY?
Laughter IS the Best Medicine!
9Come on guys..you all laughed! This is what we need..Obama could be an amazing president if you give hime a chance. I can totally picture him on a coin or bill. Plus he has a body like me!
10"BTW, have you noticed that Muslims restrict laughter and jokes about themselves, preferring jihad to a heart-healthy guffaw?"
Wow.
I think Barack Obama has a sense of humor - he danced on the Ellen show and the "I inhaled... that was kind of the point" comment? I know he's made me laugh on more than one occasion.
11"For Barry Obama to claim "hypersensitivity" to having jokes made about him is just so much elitist snobbery."
Once again, Auntie takes an exaggeration and runs with it! At least you are consistent.
Obama has joked about his ears quite a bit (I think he once compared his ears to Mickey Mouse and Dumbo, he has joked that Will Smith could play him because they have the same ears, etc.). He has also laughed about himself with his wife and kids (but then extremists said that Michelle was emasculating him).
In his book "Audacity of Hope", he has this funny bit about moving to Washington while his wife stayed in Chicago. He said at first he tried to embrace the bachelor life with tons of take out food and late night basketball games on tv...but then realized that he was in for a wake up call when he found out that he didn't have a shower curtain the first morning on the job. His description of huddling against the shower wall during the early morning hours was quite self depreciating and silly.
12that's awesome cab - sorry for delayed response.
13Maybe he has lost his sense of humor because he is too busy trying to prove that he can be a serious leader. Maybe his keepers want to have an image good enough for a saint? Do saints have a sense of humor?
Self deprecating humor helps in politics:
Cheney tells about holding his hand on his heart during the National Anthem only to find every doctor in the audience rushing towards him with a defibrillator and McCain likes to say that he is "older than dirt and has more scars than Frankenstein".
It helps us relate. He is becoming a person who or his people take too seriously. That never works.
14We're electing a president, comedians have to do their own work. I thought Obama was pretty funny doing Hillary as Annie Oakley. Elect the next president and the material will come.
15I may be missing something, I don't think Obama has no sense of humor, but I do think he doesn't have a lot of qualities that comedians can make fun of - totally different things.
I think Obama has a very laid back sort of charming sense of humor, not elitist in the least.
As for Aunti Coosa's comment, it's wonderful to judge a billion people based on the actions of dictators, makes very logical sense.
16I think Obama has a sense of humor on the stump, but I agree with the comedians who say it's tough to come up with a caricature so far, at least.
17Yes, the comedians will have to work a little harder because Barack can give a speech without made up words and "Bush-isms," but come on! How is this even an issue?
18re: "um, who cares?!! I want to know the real issues." and the snoozing pictures...
Oh, I wish I were too cool for this story. But I'm not. If all you want is serious, hard-hitting news, why are you on this site?
Anyways.
One, they're not saying he has no sense of humor, just that he has no obvious mockable qualities. He doesn't say made-up words, he didn't claim to invent the internet, etc.
Two, this is definitely something I've thought of before and considered! SNL is going to have to hire some extra writers or something.
19Comedians have gotten lazy since they've had 16 years of ready material from the easily mockable Clinton and Bush.
20Comedians have not gotten lazy they are in fear of being called racists.
21Oh, I wish I were too cool for this story. But I'm not. If all you want is serious, hard-hitting news, why are you on this site?
wake up on the wrong side of the bed this mornin'?
22Do you think black comedians are afraid of being called racist? The Daily Show? Larry Wilmore hasn't shied away from poking Obama. Comedians weren't afraid of Jesse Jackson, why Obama? As long as it's humor and not simply falling back on sterotypes, there shouldn't be a problem for an actually funny comedian.
23Black comedians have been treading lightly on him and Jackson is not taken seriously to begin with so joking about him & his nuts is nothing. People fear if you are black and make a crack you are going against your own and if you are white and make the crack you are a racist. He has been treated with kid gloves by the press and the entertainment industry.
24Jackson has been taken seriously in the past, and has been the butt of many jokes by black and white comedians. I don't think Dave Chappell, Bernie Mac or Chris Rock are afraid - this is from Mercury News.com last month:
"The quips range from mild-mannered lines about how Obama's suspect bowling skills prove his blackness to Chris Rock's bit about how the politician would be more electable with a compliant white wife rather than the assertive - and black - Michelle Obama.
Ralphie May, a white comedian who is among the few crossover acts popular among black audiences, said comedians are doing a disservice if they ignore Obama's ethnicity... And indeed May can't resist making an Obama joke, noting that he used to think the politician was Latino rather than black. "Obama sounds kind of Spanish," the hefty funnyman said in his Arkansas drawl, "Like, 'CĂłmo se llama, Obama?' El Presidente!"
W. Kamau Bell, the San Francisco: I'm voting for Barack Obama," he says in his show. "Not for the reason you expect. I did it because he's black. Not because he's intelligent, or well spoken or represents hope. Nope. You had me at Negro."
"We've always had to say, does this white man like us?" said Mooney, who's writing the memoir "Too Black for Hollywood." "We've always had to think race. And this is the first time white people have had to think race."
"Recent jokes involving Barack Obama and race:
• "These pundits can be very unfair. They always ask Barack Obama if he's black enough. Nobody asks Mitt Romney if he's white enough. Well, I guess he is white enough." - Jay Leno
• "As if Obama doesn't have enough problems, he's being accused by members of the African-American community of not being black enough. What the hell does that mean? As your designated cracker for this evening, let me just say we don't make those kinds of distinctions. Trust me - he's plenty black." - Will Durst
• "If white people think that black people in America reacted to the O.J. verdict, if Obama gets into White House house, we're going to go crazy. We'll be partying like we're in the Mardi Gras and screaming out 'Obama beat yo' Mama!' The first thing I'm going to do is get on the first public bus and tell white people, "Get in the back where you belong. Obama is president!" - Paul Mooney
• "Senator Hillary Clinton has now lost eight primaries in a row to Barack Obama. Hillary dismissed Obama's success by saying, 'He's only winning states with a huge African-American population - like Maine.' " - Conan O'Brien, during the primaries
• "Barack has a handicap the other candidates don't have: Barack Obama has a black wife. And I don't think a black woman can be first lady of the United States. Yeah, I said it! A black woman can be president, no problem. First lady? Can't do it. You know why? Because a black woman cannot play the background of a relationship. Just imagine telling your black wife that you're president? 'Honey, I did it! I won! I'm the president.' 'No, we the president! And I want my girlfriends in the Cabinet! I want Kiki to be Secretary of State! She can fight!' " - Chris Rock
Several comedians were asked to comment on what sort of changes would come to the White House if Barack Obama is elected president. Here is what they said:
• "They'll be painting the White House black. And I hope white folks don't burn it down. It will be the first president living in a trailer" - Paul Mooney
• "Less Van Cliburn, more Stevie Wonder. Gets rid of the poached salmon on bruschetta rounds; brings out the braised catfish on beds of mustard greens. White House now refered to as 'The Big Crib.' When papers talk about 'Obama's Posse,' they mean his cabinet." - Will Durst
• "In mid-January, there is going to be helluva good barbecue. And I think that 'Hail to the Chief' will get an update and maybe a DJ will skip it a little bit." - Ralphie May
• "His presidential limo will have spinning rims and the secret service will all have bow ties. And the Washington Monument - they're going to add a couple of feet to it." - Blaine Capatch
• Racists are "afraid that the moment he takes that oath of office, he's immediately turning into (Flavor) Flav...And from now on there's gonna be Newports and grape drink served in the Rose Garden." - Robin Williams on "The Tonight Show," June 24
• "Can you imagine how many times the presidential motorcade is going to get pulled over for, DWB - driving while black? And he'll have to retrain the Secret Service to stop getting nervous every time there's black guy around." - W. Kamau Bell
25Samantha- you sound bored darling.
26Stephy those made me chuckle, thanks. I love Chris Rock, I can't help it.
This one almost got me in trouble in the office: ""...And the Washington Monument - they're going to add a couple of feet to it." - Blaine Capatch"
27"Comedians have not gotten lazy they are in fear of being called racists."
Yes, because the only thing you can make jokes about have to revolve around race!
There are plenty of things you can make fun of someone for that doesn't involve race.
I find it funny that people are so worked up about Obama's perceived "hypersensitivity", when McCain got all worked up when Obama innocently said he had "lost his bearings"...which is a nautical term meaning you have lost your direction.
28*sorry, meant to write Stephley
29I know I plan on votingfor the next president based on how many jokes can be made at their expense.
30wake up on the wrong side of the bed this mornin'?
No, I just get exasperated when a comment is just an eye roll or just, "This is stupid, why are we even talking about this?" It's citizensugar. Not cspan.
31Very funny, Undave!
32http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlzFohgYbnA&feature=related
33http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlzFohgYbnA&feature=related
34Ugh Jazz Z - two of him!
35I thought we could just enjoy the comedy our current President provides.
I don't know what the big deal is. If you're really that interested, the first time I posted it, it didn't post so I sent again and it didn't post. Apparently it had to be approved first.
36I meant at the podiums.
37Good point.
I must say I thought the one on the right appeared the most
genuine.
38sorry, from here on out I will only write novels.
39
40Anything beyond an emotion might be novel to you.
41The last time America prioritized funny, we ended up with George Bush.
42I don't think we prioritized funny, per se. There was a lot of chatter about voting for the candidate you'd most like to have a beer with, but not who you'd most like to see parodied on SNL.
43Ok, then let me rephrase: The last time America prioritized issues that were trivial (a.k.a voting for a candidate you'd most like to have a beer with), we ended up with George W Bush.
44I can't comprehend people who think Barry Soetoro-Obama is "black" enough. Black? He's got Kenyan ancestors not black American ancestors. He's not related in any way to the Civil Rights movement, other than that he used Affirmative Action to get into colleges and universities. He's never been on an anniversary march from Selma to Montgomery. He wasn't a member of any Black Civil Rights organization that I've read of.
Barry Dunham was adopted by Indonesian Lolo Soetoro who married Barry's mother and was made an Indonesian Citizen. His original birth certificate was sealed at the time of that adoption. His legal father is Lolo Soetoro, not Barack Obama, Sr. But he writes a book about the Absent Father as if the man was a near-perfect hero and ignores the man who raised him and adopted him. No wonder he has no sense of humor, the way he treated his adopted father wasn't humerous, it was cruel. Obama wears his "feelings" on his sleeve and anything negative is taken as a person affront. So why not make jokes about his integrity (give examples), his honesty (give examples), his experience (he even said he didn't have any and you can find the speech he gave at you tube), his patriotism (if you can find any, he's known for not holding his hand over his heart or singing the National Anthem, and not reciting the pledge of allegiance), or his modesty (let us know if this even exists), and his ability to laugh at himself.
While you are at it, find his verified certified birth certificate and his legal papers verifying his name change from Barry Soetoro to Barack Hussein Muhammad Obama, Jr (or II as was on the fraudulent birth cert he put up at "stop the smears." Oh, there's fodder for some jokes: his stop the smears site is garnering more smears because he put up a fraudulent birth certificate and claimed it was his. Heck, you can go to any major city in the USofA and pay to buy a birth certificate that looks real if your name is Jose' or Jesus.
For laughs, list ten things Obama has done for this Country. Now THAT would be good for a laugh.
45Wow auntie...you are so sadly misinformed on so many different levels...You should get your facts straight before you leave people as miserably confused as you are.
"I can't comprehend people...blah blah blah...Black Civil Rights organization that I've read of.Black Civil Rights organization that I've read of" = totally irrelevant
You do not know the relationship b/t BO & adoptive father, and since the book was expressive of his sentiments toward his BIOLOGICAL father, (not his legally adoptive father) there was no point in BO telling us about Soetero. His mother chose to keep alive the memory of the man whose DNA runs through his veins, whose name he holds, which is honorable. "No wonder he has no sense of humor..." Once again your irrelevance and inability make a relative point amazes me.
"For laughs, list ten things Obama has done for this Country... good for a laugh."
I started to make that list then realized (at number 12) how ignorant i would feel to dignify YOUR ignorance with the answer to that so i decided to give one that a repub friend of mine actually mentioned to me:
46He hasn't been POW or enlisted in any realm of the forces, but this man is putting his life, as well as the lives of his 2 beautiful daughters and wonderful wife on the line all for the POSSIBILITY (not even the guarantee) of having the chance to make a much needed change in this country - FOR this country.
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