It's Going To Be Tough For The Daily Show and SNL If Obama Becomes President

[THUNDER HANDS]

he's not an easy guy to make fun of. And if they do make fun of him, ridicule him, they'll be making fun of 'hope' - and that just sounds cruel.

How do you make fun of someone who's leading a movement? How do you ridicule someone who so many people believe can change this country for the better? How do you lampoon someone who's drawing crowds unheard of in size for a primary? Who has more interest in them than any candidate ever? Who reminds people of the great leaders of this country's past?

How is Jon Stewart, Dave Letterman, Jay Leno, and the SNL crew (especially the SNL crew since they don't even have a skinny black cast member) going to parody him?

With Hillary its almost too easy, and it's been done a million times before. With McCain it'll be easy, he's a regular old white male politician, a dime a dozen.

But Obama is something completely different, and is going to make it difficult for these comedians to get something to hold on to.

As much as I love those comedians, I won't be sorry if they'll have to work a little harder for their humor.

Just another reason to vote for Obama.

[maximusveritas]

1. They'll just focus more on Congress

You know the Republicans will be trying to pull some stupid stunts if the Democrats end up with control of the Presidency and Congress.

[kid a]

2. don't you mean..."when" he becomes president

[THUNDER HANDS]

4. well, i wanted to be nice

for a change. :evilgrin:

[lisa58]

3. remember election night 2004?

Jon Stewart ended the show with, "make my job difficult".

I think they'll still find plenty to laugh about.

[loveangelc]

I'm sure they'll find a way. the first thiing they'll have to do is find a

skinny, light skinned african american to add to their cast though, because none of their black male cast look anything like him lol.

[Evergreen Emerald]

5. ohmygod! You are scaring me!

--Rezko and the lies about his connections to them
--His refusal to take a stand on anything and then claim everything
--the fact that as a democrat he constantly attacks Clinton and then says she should not be attacking Bush
--his attacks on universal healthcare using right-wing talking points, thereby guarentiing no universal healthcare
--his use of code words regarding racism and sexism
--his calling the Clintons racist to gain votes
--the media propaganda machine giving him a leg up while attacking Clinton constantly
--his inexperience
--his lobbyist connections while attacking Clinton for having them
--his claim of "anti-war" when he has done NOTHING to stop it, since having the senatorial power to do something and using a silly speech he gave in 2002 as his campaign foundation
--his hords of masses who are just repeating the media talking points and following him when he has nothing to offer as President.

to name a few.

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. and there's humor in that...where?

[Evergreen Emerald]

11. The funniest of all...

..is the masses falling for it. Loads of fodder for the irony if nothing else.

And what is so scary is that someone actually thinks that Obama could never be made fun of because he is so perfect! That just is...stunning and scary.

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. well, if you think he's so ripe for satire

tell me what you think you could make fun of him for?

I mean, what do you think you could say that would make people laugh.

[Evergreen Emerald]

20. this thread for one.

[Libby2]

31. You said it!

If this is another reason to vote for Obama, it's downright scary.

Sounds like the Bushies.

[NastyRiffraff]

6. Trust me, they'll find a way

Yes, I realize that it's "difficult" and even forbidden, to make fun of Obama, while Hillary is, as Rove put it about another woman "fair game." It's not only accepted, but even required to make fun of Hillary. Fair enough; as Hillary herself has said, "been there, done that." But if you think that this dream-haze will last IF Obama becomes president and he has to make difficult decisions that people don't like, you're living in fantasyland.

Obama doesn't react well to any criticism, funny or not. We'll just have to see how it plays out when he gets some serious attacks. It'll come if he's the nominee, and it'll come if he's president. It'll come from the media, Democrats, Republicans, and yes, comedians. Deal with it, or not.

[nomorewhopper]

7. which snl actor plays obama?

i really like kenan thompson but hes a little chunky to play obama

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. maybe fred armisen

or maya rudolph, if they don't get anyone else.

They had another black cast memeber, Finesse Mitchell, but he left the show last year.

[tridim]

18. They need to bring back Tim Meadows, "The Ladies Man".

No way the Goodburger guy can pull it off.

[Enrique]

10. if he becomes president, he won't be about hope and change anymore

he'll be about governing, making decisions, making compromises, making mistakes.

[ericgtr]

17. And he's openly admitted that

has Hillary?

[stellanoir]

12. You know

the closest thing Jon ever did to an endorsement was shortly before "indecision '04" and he pleaded with his viewers. . ."Please make our jobs harder for us."

Well I'll still believe that without Rovian tactics, optical scanners, touchscreen machines, firing of judges, purging and caging of voters, disproportionate voting places, and Faux News, we would have.

[babylonsister]

22. I do remember that! I remember the blogs also bemoaning the fact

(lightheartedly) that they'd have to close down (especially ones w/* in their name).
Sigh.

[blogslut]

13. You know what's even scarier?

WHEN a Democrat is elected president this time, the wingnut media will have plenty to blather about. Fact is, those lunatics need a Democrat in office or they got nothing to present as "content".

[Araxen]

14. Obama's ears will be prime for comedy

by all the shows.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rug]

16. How is he not easy to make fun of?

[THUNDER HANDS]

19. he's good looking, likeable, speaks well, is inspirational, and he's winning

I don't see a lot of stuff there to make fun of.

[TheDonkey]

34. They'll be able to make fun of him. It won't be as skewering as Bush but they'll find jabs

just like they did Kerry. It was mostly good natured ribbing because the writers of SNL and the DS are clearly liberal.

[jlake]

21. Yeah, it will be real tough.

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[The_Casual_Observer]

23. Sort of like making fun of Mother Theresa?

Oh brother.

[calico1]

24. I've been watching SNL ever since

the beginning with Gilda Radner and the rest of that very talented first cast.

No one is untouchable, believe me. They will make fun of him just like they have everyone else.

[JimGinPA]

25. There Certainly Will Be Humor To Be Found...

He's pretty witty himself though:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=129775&title=barack-obama

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=91960&title=barack-obama-pt.-1

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=91996&title=barack-obama-pt.-2

[NashVegas]

26. Are You Kidding?

All it's going to take is for any Daily Show correspondent to fall in love with Obama, because he's "all about hope."

Instant laughs.

[I Vote In Pittsburgh]

39. You must be over 30...

Nobody in my generation (the demographic that the Daily Show is aiming at) would laugh at that.

[NashVegas]

43. Doubtful

The median age viewer is 35. If TDS was aiming for 18-34 YOs, they'd be way more dumbed down. As it is, they don't seem to be aiming at an age, but an education level.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

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[ruggerson]

28. Humor relies on generalizations and stereotypes

And there is a lot there to satirize.

Note: OP asked how Obama will be made fun of. I don't necessarily agree with these caricatures, but this is how comedians will do it.

A wife who makes fun of him in the press, tells how he "stinks" in the morning and is very vocal and opinionated. (Humorists will cast her as the emasculating wife and him as the meek, you-know-what husband).

Women swooning at his events, where he conveniently "rescues" them. (Comedians will characterize him as something of a phony gospel preacher, whose shtick is "hope" when he's really all about politics as usual).

His halting speech pattern. Replete with long "uhs" in every sentence. (Comedians will have a field day with this.)

His oratory. If he becomes president, after his first misstep, his oratorical style can, and will, be used against him. (Comedians will mimic his soaring style, which will seem funny in contrast to whatever disastrous mistake he first makes).

His need for teleprompters. This is one that could sink into the national consciousness very quickly. (I could write a skit for SNL this afternoon about him being inspirational and slick when the teleprompters are working and then, when they fail, he becomes angry, disjointed and bumbling.)

The list is endless, I could come up with a dozen more.

(of course, Hillary is just as ripe, if nor moreso, for the same type of skewering).

[mondo joe]

30. It'll only be hard on the Obama fanatics who will say "they got to Jon Stewart!

and "Colbert truly is a NeoCon after all!"

Ordinary dems will be able to take the jokes - but the fanatics will flip.

[andym]

32. Jimmy Carter

SNL portrayed Carter as a super technical fix-it/problem solving kind of guy. Respectful and funny too.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

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[ruggerson]

36. Rightwing radio is already going after her

they are going to turn her into Theresa Heinz Kerry. I listen to that idiot Hugh Hewitt occasionally on the drive home from work the other day and he had an entire segment devoted to what a "shrew" Michelle Obama is. It'll be sadly ironic if she suffers the same treatment that Hillary has gotten.

[Unsane]

35. mark me down as one who doesn't entirely care about this issue

[Altec]

37. They've managed to make fun of every president....Plus, there's plenty to make fun of

These shows will find a way to make fun of everyone in power. Except for maybe SNL (they can't make fun of everyone). Do you really think that an Obama Administration won't give them plenty of material just like every administration.

Besides, there are already plenty of things to make fun of. His rhetoric, his inexperience, his bumbling at debates when he's not performing a stump speech, his catchphrases, the comments/support coming from younger voters. Unfortunately, they'll probably resort to racially charged jokes as well.

Believe me, Obama is no saint. He's not perfect. There will be things to make fun of.

[rjones2818]

38. They'll rehire Eddie Murphy and

portray Obama as the various Murphy characters.

Heheheehehe!

:evilgrin:

[shayes51]

40. You can't govern on hope.

If he's the president, he will have to produce results. Governing is difficult, and I suspect that if he is the president, he will give them material.

[housewolf]

41. Don't worry, they'll find stuff

It's their job, you can count on it, they'll find stuff to lampoon.

[VotesForWomen]

42. yep; whatever will they do? O's one of their buds. nt