Why Obama Needs A Tina Fey

Newsweek:

If self-sacrifice is the mark of a true patriot, then Mike Barker is an American-flag pin incarnate. Barker is an executive producer of "American Dad," Fox's animated sitcom featuring Stan Smith, a xenophobic, far-far-right FBI agent--the type of Republican who believes we're winning in Iraq because the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner said so. "Dad" derives much of its humor from Stan's slavish adherence to cultural conservatism and President Bush's cowboy diplomacy, so attendees at this year's Television Critics Association press gathering wondered aloud how a Barack Obama presidency might affect the show. Could it benefit more from a McCain upset? Barker put any questions of his allegiance to rest: "I think we have to put the needs of the country ahead of the show." McCain might be hogging the slogan, but sometimes even Hollywood liberals put country first.

Read the whole story: Newsweek

Comments

[DebbieinPhx]

I have every confidence in American comedians to get past the obvious and come up with something funny with regards to our next commander in chief. I think he's the perfect straight man, frankly. The best comedy duos ever had a straight man... I'm just saying.

Bill Maher hit on this as well. He suggested that Barack install a shark tank at the White House, or a revolving bed... anything to give the comedians something to hold onto. Americans have proven that they can laugh about pretty much anything (not everything though). But if making Barack Obama funny is the biggest problem we have, I'd say we're doing pretty well.

One last note, does anyone notice how Obama laughs at his own jokes? It's cute really. He has a fun sense of humor for such a serious guy.

[irishgawdess]

"... all humor finds its root in truth."

From the 'The Daily Show' on April 21, 2008, http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=166515&title=Barack-Obama-Pt.-1:

Via satellite interview w/ Obama, Jon says (and I paraphrase), "... cutting through the spin, the Rev. Wright controversy, the flag pin controversy... I can tell you what the real concern is." Jon asks Obama, "Sir, we are concerned that ultimately, at the end of the day, if you are fortunate to become president of the United States, will you pull a bait-and-switch, sir, and enslave the white race? Is that your plan?"

TDS mined the depths of racism and pulled this gem out to poke fun at Obama. It took a few seconds for the audience to really start guffawing. But it was true and it was funny.

On June 16, 2008, TDS did "Baracknophobia, the irrational fear of hope." "Behind the mild-mannered facade, Barack Obama is intent on enslaving the white race. It's true, wake up white people! The sickness manifests itself mostly through rumor, often in the form of the only email your grandmother has ever been able to successfully forward."
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=173522&title=Headlines---Baracknophobia

The humor in the second clip spoofed the right-wing media's (FOX) use of internet and email rumors to smear Obama as if they were news, e.g. like his early education in a madrasa, etc.

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[lippy33]

I think Biden, in relation to Obama, will provide the most revealing and humorous moments of an Obama/Biden administration.

there will be plenty of time to find something funny about Obama. I did like him making fun of himself at the roast a couple weeks back. He was pretty good.

The problem is, his personality is rather....dry and normal. Roaring speeches aside, he's not really the life of the party. Bill and Hillary had big personalities. Palin is a nut. McCain has temperament issues and his old age lends itself to old Reagan jokes. But, Obama is pretty close to "normal" as a politician can get. It won't be until later that we can see any personality traits that can be exploited for laughs.

[NTO08]

I heard some comedians say they didn't think Obama would be a President they could make fun of...I beg to differ...

What is up with DL Hughley's AWFUL CNN Show? They don't need to emulate the childishness of John Stewart, OK?

The most offensive sketch I have ever seen on a comedy show:
As an answer to Sarah Silverman (booed off the stage in London because she sucks) having young Jews supporting Obama visit their grandparents in FL so as to get them to vote for Barack, Hughley had a segment whereby AA maids of Jews would do the same in Florida...deeply and outrageously offensive on multiple levels...the laughing from the audience when he said the word "Jews" was repellent. Shame on him...Shame on CNN.

[LoathingandFear2]

The Way We Should See McCain And Palin From Now On:
Maverick Personality Disorder: A New Diagnosis
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/10/maverick-personality-disorder.html

[CoulterIsASuccubus]

I don't think that Obama needs a Tina Fey. She has almost single-handedly (with some help from Palin) made Sarah Palin a horrendous punchline.
A problem with comedy is when people like Joshua Alston, who aren't funny, attempt to influence it. He should leave the humor to the humorists and do whatever it is he does.

[JGxHitzert]

My coworkers and I were talking about the poor work SNL has done satirizing Obama. I think the problem is the dearth of talent, especially African American, on the show. Obama would be easy to satirize as most people who have such effortless charisma are easy to satirize. Fred Arnisen is really playing one note role, hitting on the professorial without approaching the charm.

Hell if you had a talented black actor play a square jawed all American figure, say the way they lampooned Don Draper in last nights episode, and alternate that with wonky policy positions that people pay little attention to while they swoon, you would have a pretty good skit. Who knows though why they don't do it? Maybe it's just that they haven't been doing the hard work building a talent pool of young comics, especially African-American, that could easily step into the role.

They are in trouble though. When the guests leave the show just falls on its ass. I think it is as much the writing as anything though because their are moments that the current cast has show brilliance. The inabililty to sustain that is usually do to leadership, sound familiar.

[NTO08]

Obama would be easy to satirize as most people who have such effortless charisma are easy to satirize.

I don't find Obama's charisma "effortless" at all...completely contrived.

[lippy33]

Well, the 100,000 today and last weekend in MO sure seem to find him charismatic. lol

Got hope?

[Ides]

There's a simple problem here. Tina Fey has had entire skits where all she does is repeat the words coming out of Palin's mouth. The best Armisen could do as Obama was look stoic and frustrated while everyone around him was being ridiculous.

Armisen does a good impersonation of stoic Barack and has nailed many of his mannerisms. The problem? It's not funny.

Keegan Michael Key does a great impersonation of friendly Barack. The problem? It's funny, but it makes Obama extremely likeable.

The problem with Palin is, she's just not likeable. Even if you take the exact words out of her mouth as Tina Fey has done before (Hardball actually put video of Tina Fey next to Palin during a sketch to prove the point), it makes you laugh but not in a way that makes you like Palin.

Clinton had the same issue with SNL. The jokes were at his expense, but Phil Hartman and Darrel Hammond always made him likeable. The essence of it is because Bill Clinton is inherently likeable.

Likewise, Obama is inherently likeable, and if you play him for laughs instead of as the straight man, you just make him even more likeable.

[OrbitOfOurOwn]

The funny thing is that years ago (about 9) Mc.Cain was likeable as well. Then he got old and mean and put himself before the good of America. And he is completely transparent in that regard.

Pa.lin is the same way. She just comes off as a self-promoting, don't-have­-the-skill­s-but-I-de­serve-this­-position sort of person. Anyone with her lack of intellectual capacity - and with any sense of self-awareness - would realize she didn't belong. But charge ahead she did in spite of the risk she would put us all in.

That sort of self-centeredness is a large part of her dislikableness (to create a word).

[ConcernfromCanada]

Agree that at one time McCain was likable but his bullsh*t couldn't outlast his charm. After W, I think most see that the man who can only strive for mediocrity is not presidential material. Its the most common trait between them, taxes not withstanding.

[jdmba]

I don't get what the problem is, then. If you can satirize the extremely likeable Bill Clinton, then why not do an extremely likeable Obama? Its still funny, just likeable.

[NTO08]

Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds?

[imsosure]

I think SNL is the one in need of an Obama more than the other way around.

[lovethesinner]

What an idiotic premise. I'm sorry, I don't mean to disparage the author, but... there's a very OBVIOUS reason why no one is finding a path to being comical about Obama.

In Greece, (some thousands of years ago) the difference between tragedy and comedy was explained:

Tragedy is uplifting, comedy is demeaning.

Comedy requires that some sort of degrading behavior or character defect be present in the subject. Think about it. What demeaning thing could be said of Obama?

He loves his grandmother so much he flew to be with her during her possibly last days?

He went from Harvard law to community organizer?

Even his looks are mostly impenetrable until you look at the pictures of all the greatest presidents in American history and notice that their ears are big, too.

What's wrong with having our first non-lol president in forty years? (yes, I dare you find any comedians who made fun of JFK: THERE WE'RE NONE)

Maybe it will be nice if comedians went back to writing their own material for awhile, and let's leave the JOKES OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE.

Please.

Obama-Biden '08

p.s. Do you think maybe the reason they don't make jokes about Obama is his age demographic is EXACTLY the same as the largest advertising demographic? (18-25)

[brynn6]

There was a wildly popular album (vinyl) "The First Family" that satirized JFK and his family. Everyone loved it and I kept it until it disappeared a few years ago during a move. I remember lots of TV satirists and impersonators as well.

I found this link in this thread and have sent it out as a bulletin in MySpace. This guy is impersonating Obama and really funny. I say the more the merrier!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0D1w2mjqzk

[NoneyaBizniss]

I remember the "Wild Thing" impersonation of Robert Kennedy. Great record, really funny ("... Ethel on the macarena"), but it disappeared after Bobby Kennedy was a.s. s. asi. na ted.

There was also a Caroline Kennedy impersonation record, with this opening: "My Daddy is President. What does my Daddy do? We live in a big White House. Pennsylvania Avenue ..."

Those records were great. Hilarious, yet respectful. Obama will get the same funny-yet-­respectful treatment.

[terkid]

I agree totally. Obama lacks the stuff from which comical farce is mined.

That's one of the refreshing things about this man-- for a politician,
he's rare bird... earnest, gentlemanly, fair-minded, good-spirited.
No joke.

[SOLERSO68]

someone will figure him out. impressions are about the person doing them. thats why its funny when tina fey does it and not sarah palin. we are amused and delighted by her skill.

[NTO08]

You people are truly out of your minds.

[SOLERSO68]

are you a fan of umberto eco? he wrote a novel called "the name of the rose" that deals with your premise. good book. so is "baudolino"

[honestpolitician]

Go VOTE....!!! We need a landslide so there are no excuses of a recount or any other scam that Mccain tries!!

NEW POLITICAL TV AD ATTACK'S http://politicaladattacks.blogspot.com/

[Annette truth teller08]

I second that..

[Antifascist-08]

SNL is already in a world of hurt. When you have to get Palin on your show and then do lame skits, you are in trouble.

I haven't watched SNL a lot in the last few years because they are so juvenile and obvious in their humor. Of course i grew up on the original SNL so it would follow that I would be disappointed in what occurs today, but the skits that were on the "Palin show" were horrible.

it isn't too hard to satirize a Palin. She provided Fey her own lines from actual interviews.

Jon Stewart is funny. Colbert is funny. Jack Benny was funny. SNL is not funny.

[NTO08]

Excellent point..the show has been useless for years...

[AZterritory]

With Amy Poehler gone and Tina Fey only moonlighting, after the election SNL is going to be in a world of hurt.

[JonStewart4President]

Oh, and I get really tired being told that it's white guilt that makes people not satire Obama as much. I think it's a.) Obama is harder to satire as he doesn't have a lot of obvious characteristics (beyond his uhhhh habit) b.) the only guilt I think any "Liberal," writer feels is one where they helped create negative media narratives against people like Gore and Kerry. I think they might be tired of helping the Right destroy the Left with their ideas and images that don't mean anything, but can be used by people like Rove. Hence the whole "elitist" thing by this writer about "Greek columns" and "seals." See? He plays right into it and I think Liberal writers and comedians aren't going to play along as much before the election is over. Not this time. If Obama is elected, than of course people will and should, start skewering him. Though again, SNL needs to find someone better than the atrocious Fred.

[Diogenis]

Hmm, you have a problem with Greek columns....! Enuf already! They are a classic symbol all over the world...as is Obama!

Obama/Biden 08

The Greek gods approve this message.

[DCCommuter]

You are right. Obama doesn't have exaggerated characteristists. He doesn't talk funny with a regional accent or lisp or with "black" preacher talk (like Jesse Jackson like he used to talk in rhymes.). Obama is very understated. That is why it is hard for the Right to make him seems real scary. Obama looks and sounds more like part of the Rat Pack than he looks or sounds like a black military or preacher.

I think you are also correct: the comedians on SNL are probably sick of Republicans and want Obama to win.

[brynn6]

These columns will be returned or donated to charity. I wanted my son Barack to pay homage to his other ancestry. My other son Hercules agrees completely.

My name is Zeus and I approve this message

[NTO08]

Hence the whole "elitist" thing by this writer about "Greek columns" and "seals."

BTW: How much did those colums cost...?
Just wondering, since we are worrying so much about Palin's wardrobe...

What does it say about the obvious comedic qualities of those who obsess about Palin? They are way funnier than she is, or Tina Fey.