White House Correspondents Dinner

[TrackDaddy]

As is the custom, jokes abound(ed?). I thought Pres. Obama had remarkable comedic timing and told some very funny jokes aimed at a few people in BOTH PARTIES including himself (very important).

I guess the controversy came because of jokes Wanda Sykes told about Rush Limbaugh.

Here are excerpts:

WANDA SYKES, COMEDIAN: "Rush Limbaugh, one of your big critics -- boy, Rush Limbaugh said he hopes this administration fails. You know, so you're saying, I hope America fails. You're, like, I don't care about people losing their homes or jobs or our soldiers in Iraq. He just wants the country to fail. To me, that's treason. He's not saying anything different than what Usama bin Laden is saying. You know, you might want to look into this, sir, because I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker, but he was so strung out on Oxycontin, he missed his flight."

SYKES: "Rush Limbaugh! I hope the country fails? I hope his kidneys fail, how about that?"

Rush Limbaugh has said that he's not going to respond.

Did her jokes cross the line?

Some people are upset because the President laughed at the kidney joke.

[jazzcyclist]

I guess comedy is a subjective thing. As long as people laugh, I guess it can be considered within bounds. Years ago during the Clinton years, when Rush Limbaugh had a TV show, he told this one:

"Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?" (At that point he displayed a photo of 13-year-old Chelsea Clinton.)

Even Limbaugh's audience of dittoheads didn't find his humor funny and they let him know it when they started booing him.

A young Eddie Murphy once came to Richard Pryor for advice regarding criticism he got from Bill Cosby about the vulgarity of his routine. Pryor asked Murphy if people laughed to which he answered yes. He then asked him if he got paid to which he again answered yes. Pryor then advised Murphy to ignore Cosby.

[TrakFan]

A young Eddie Murphy once came to Richard Pryor for advice regarding criticism he got from Bill Cosby about the vulgarity of his routine. Pryor asked Murphy if people laughed to which he answered yes. He then asked him if he got paid to which he again answered yes. Pryor then advised Murphy to ignore Cosby.

Based on the type of movie Murphy is known for now (PG/geared towards families), I'd say he has been most successful when ignoring Pryor's advice.

[BillVol]

Obama may the the most charismatic president we've ever had. Anyhow, Sykes may have crossed the line, but nothing wrong with Obama laughing IMO.

[bad hammy]

Obama may the the most charismatic president we've ever had.

Speaking of Prez's in our lifetimes, fans of JFK, Reagan and Clinton may argue otherwise, but I agree that Obama is very good.

Reports have it that Bush II was very charismatic one-on-one, but in public it was never evident. (The documentary movie Journeys with George, directed by the daughter of every Rep's nightmare, Alexandria Pelosi, showed this one-on-one charisma for much of the movie.)

[TrackDaddy]

I guess comedy is a subjective thing. As long as people laugh, I guess it can be considered within bounds. Years ago during the Clinton years, when Rush Limbaugh had a TV show, he told this one:

"Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?" (At that point he displayed a photo of 13-year-old Chelsea Clinton.)

Even Limbaugh's audience of dittoheads didn't find his humor funny and they let him know it when they started booing him.
.

I remember Rush's T.V. show and that incident.

I had forgotten about the T.V. Show.

[BillVol]

Speaking of Prez's in our lifetimes, fans of JFK, Reagan and Clinton may argue otherwise, but I agree that Obama is very good.

I used to think nobody could ever top Reagan as a "communicator." But then Clinton came along. And he had great charisma to boot. I figured nobody would ever top Clinton in this department. But here comes Obama. Just walks into a room and floors everybody. He may be just what our nation needs at this time. NO president will ever top Clinton as a communicator, but just maybe Obama has more charisma.

[Friar]

Did her jokes cross the line?
No. Just keep the jokes--or worse-- away from kids. I don't listen to Rush but I've heard he tried to get to Clintons kid with some ugly rumors. If true, that crosses the line.

[gm]

NO president will ever top Clinton as a communicator...

I will politely disagree.

[BillVol]

NO president will ever top Clinton as a communicator...

I will politely disagree.

So who was better? I never voted for him, but he was the best communicator, politician to ever hold that office IMO.

[jazzcyclist]

NO president will ever top Clinton as a communicator...

I will politely disagree.

So who was better? I never voted for him, but he was the best communicator, politician to ever hold that office IMO.

I think it depends on the setting. When it comes to giving speeches before large crowds, I would give the edge to Obama. On the other hand, Clinton is better in more intimate settings. I noticed that during the campaign, Obama struggled whenever he was put in smallish settings like restaurants and diners in the rural parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio. He didn't seem too comfortable whenever he had to converse with everyday blue collar folks on a one on one basis, while Clinton thrives in settings like that. Of course Obama is very good in urban settings, such as Black churches and schools, but Clinton can hold his own in those settings too. I also think that Clinton is a little better in debates and interviews. Obama can come off as a little too professorial in those settings. And I don't recall Clinton ever struggling to find the right word to complete a sentence the way Obama does some times.

[Marlow]

Re: White House Correspondence Dinner

WANDA SYKES, COMEDIAN: " He just wants the country to fail. To me, that's treason

As The Aristocrats proved, pretty much nothing is off-limits, but accusing one of treason, which she really sorta was, IS over the line IMO. I personally detest the guy, but he does not want the country to fail, and his freedom-of-speech rights are as sacred as hers are. She committed a greater 'wrong' than he did.

[gm]

NO president will ever top Clinton as a communicator...

I will politely disagree.

So who was better? I never voted for him, but he was the best communicator, politician to ever hold that office IMO.

Read what you wrote again, Bill.

[SQUACKEE]

Re: White House Correspondence Dinner

WANDA SYKES, COMEDIAN: " He just wants the country to fail. To me, that's treason

As The Aristocrats proved, pretty much nothing is off-limits, but accusing one of treason, which she really sorta was, IS over the line IMO. I personally detest the guy, but he does not want the country to fail, and his freedom-of-speech rights are as sacred as hers are. She committed a greater 'wrong' than he did.

And correct me if im wrong but didnt Rush say or imply he wanted Obama and his programs to fail, not the country. Does anyone really believe that Rush, who am not a big fan of, wants the U.S to be destroyed. Doesnt make sense. Rush wouldnt have any food and i think he likes food.

[jazzcyclist]

Re: White House Correspondence Dinner

WANDA SYKES, COMEDIAN: " He just wants the country to fail. To me, that's treason

As The Aristocrats proved, pretty much nothing is off-limits, but accusing one of treason, which she really sorta was, IS over the line IMO. I personally detest the guy, but he does not want the country to fail, and his freedom-of-speech rights are as sacred as hers are. She committed a greater 'wrong' than he did.

Limbaugh did say he wanted Obama to fail. And I can't imagine a scenario in which the country succeeds (peace and prospeiry in abundance), while the President fails. If the President fails, the country fails.

I was against the Iraq War from the beginning, but prior to the invasion I was hoping the Bush would succeed in this adventure. I prayed that history would be turned on its ear and we would be greeted as liberators, with Iraqis greeting our soldiers with flowers and candy, instead of IED's and RPG's. I hoped that when our soldiers arrive in Baghdad, Iraqis would line the streets yelling "USA, USA USA" while Iraqi schoolkids rode on top of American tanks waving American flags, in a scene reminiscent of Paris in the Summer of 1944 when our soldiers marched down the Champs-Elysees. I hoped that all the neocons were right in their predictions that Bush would have Iraqi roads and buildings named after him in a few years and the removal of Saddam would cause Israelis and Palestinians to spontaneously join hands and sing "Kumbaya".

DId I really believe that Bush's Iraq War would go the way he planned it? No. But I hoped that it did, for the sake of our soldiers, the innocent Iraqi people and my country. I can't imagine a person who loves this country, and mankind in general, being happy that the Iraq War went the way it did.