Over the past four-plus years Barack Obama has promised to heal the planet, addressed a crowd in front of Greek-style pillars, spoke as if he fired the shot that took out Osama bin Laden, slow-jammed the news, mocked Special Olympians, finessed his way into introducing “To Kill a Mockingbird,” inserted himself into the presidential biographies of his predecessors and shown a skin so thin he saw fit to trash a documentary critiquing his formative years.
And that’s just a short list off the top of our heads. Methinks there’s an oversized ego at play ripe for ridicule.
Yet comedy genius Lorne Michaels of “Saturday Night Live” fame still can’t find anything funny about the president.
But Mr. Michaels acknowledged that Mr. Obama has been a challenge. What is his comedy hook? “So far we haven’t found it. My joke is always that he’s the first Canadian president,” said Mr. Michaels, a Toronto native. “He wants to think it through, do it in the fairest way possible and be thoughtful. And be a little distant, which I totally identify with, obviously.”
Naturally, Michaels can’t wait to pounce on Clint Eastwood’s recent “empty chair” speech at the RNC.
“We have at least three different takes on Clint,” he said, referring to Clint Eastwood’s memorable colloquy with furniture. (Bill Hader will play him.)
Today’s liberal comedians simply cannot find any flaws with Obama, which speaks to a vision so muddled it boggles the brain. More importantly, they did see the impact Tina Fey’s impression of Sarah Palin had on the 2008 presidential race. Comedy matters in our pop culture age. And, by golly, comedians don’t want to tell any joke that will endanger the Age of Obama getting a four-year extension.
Follow Christian Toto on Twitter @TotoMovies
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