Comments on: Memo to Press: Barack Obama is NOT running for Entertainer-In-Chief

By: TRW

TRW — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:12:58 +0000

When he did that “lay off my wife” line I nearly fell out of my chair, because you knew he was playin' but not really. The smile said yeah, you think I'm joking but I'm not. So I agree. People just want to push his buttons and since its hard to figure him out and get him flustered they are literally throwing every attack at him that they can.

I hope and pray that they do not go after the weeMichelles. That would be too much. I would only march on the rarest of occasions, but a march against attacking those girls would have my name all over it.

By: PTCruiser

PTCruiser — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:23:55 +0000

bison1 -

You did mean “self-deprecating humor” didn't you? (:~) Self-defecating humor would have caused a real mess. (:~)

By: PTCruiser

PTCruiser — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:20:40 +0000

Yeah, Rikyrah, I think you and folks on this thread have nailed it down. I have read that folks in the Secret Service who guard Obama, for example, like working for him. I don't think this sort of relationship would be possible if he did not have a sense of humor. I read Dowd's piece with a growing sense of dismay. What's next? Tap dancing on the roof of a car?

By: TRW

TRW — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:12:58 +0000

By: PTCruiser

PTCruiser — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:23:55 +0000

bison1 -

You did mean “self-deprecating humor” didn't you? (:~) Self-defecating humor would have caused a real mess. (:~)

By: PTCruiser

PTCruiser — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:20:40 +0000

By: bison1

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:10:41 +0000

thank you for the correction

By: bison1

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:08:30 +0000

In the New Hampshire primary when he wittingly said that “Hillary was likeable enough,” it was turned in to a misogynistic comment. What the dry witty statement was actually inferring was that it was self evident that quite a few people liked her because she was very hard to defeat. If she weren’t likable, he would not have had such a ruff time defeating her. To him, her likeable was not in question, because he was feeling the love for her at the polls. The humor, the satire, the wit was lost.

By: KXB

KXB — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:00:40 +0000

I think you mean “self-deprecating”. I'm sure Obama has control over his bodily functions. :)

By: bison1

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:57:29 +0000

During the debates with Hillary, he cracked on Hillary for calling all of his supporters delusional. He responded with humor, he did not verbally assault Hillary.

By: bison1

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:52:42 +0000

He and everybody laugh about his bowling score.

By: bison1

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:51:35 +0000

Do you recall that during the primary debates with Hillary and Edwards and they were asked about one of their personal shortcomings, and Obama was the only one of the three to give an honest answer? He said something about wanting his staff not to give him any papers, things too early, because he might misplace them. Afterwards he realize that he didn’t answer the question appropriately and made jokes about it —-saying that he should have said something about not helping little old ladies enough. It was clearly self defecating humor.

By: Town

Town — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:33:04 +0000

I can imagine because “Muslim” and “Arab” have been the boogeymen (right alongside black people) for the past 30+ years. If you have the name “Hussein” you're automatically deemed to be one of “dem terr'ists” even though one of our allies in the Middle East was King HUSSEIN. Heck, Rachel Ray can't even wear a scarf without it “meaning something” (even though Megan McCain wore the same scarf with no backlash. Cindy McCain probably has one of those scarves tucked away in her closet somewhere).

By: Leila Abu-Saba

Leila Abu-Saba — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:22:46 +0000

Early on Michelle was making jokes at Barack's expense - and in that interview with the daughters they made fun of his shoes and his pants for being too old and beat-up. He took it very well.

And thanks for reminding us about the shoulder brush and the HIlary remarks. I don't watch TV and ignore the debates as much as possible (that's just me) so I missed a lot of that. I did watch the shoulder brush on Youtube and thought it was pretty good even though I am a middle-aged white lady and did NOT get the reference at first. Even without knowing about the song, his timing and delivery made me laugh. All I saw was him brushing it off and that was funny on its own. Then I watched the music video and made the connection. I call that a universal laugh moment if you didn't have to know the reference to find it funny. He then bent over and brushed off his shoes - I thought that was great.

Re: humorlessness and being "angry." This whole conversation reminds me of how much I keep myself in check about MIddle East issues, because if I so much as list a few Israeli atrocities in a calm voice, I get called angry. The only thing more dangerous in America than an Angry Black Person is an Angry Arab. We Arabs have to step very very carefully around non-Arab people (that includes my African-American sisters and brothers, too) lest our talk of oppression make people uncomfortable.

Angry Arabs are scary to Americans. The US public has been brainwashed for two generations to believe that angry Arabs are going to come and get their mamas. 9/11 made it all too real. Yep. Can't have any Arab anywhere say anything angry because maybe they'll KILL YOU RIGHT LIKE THAT. Because only Arabs kill thousands of people by bombing with airplanes...

By: GreenLadyHere

GreenLadyHere — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:20:41 +0000

lene: Great post!!! I love his subtle humor!

By: GreenLadyHere

GreenLadyHere — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:17:26 +0000

town: tru dat!!!!

By: GreenLadyHere

GreenLadyHere — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:16:17 +0000

Big Man: Co-signing – BIG TIME!! That NYKer cover created the biggest, supportive response from Mr. Obama's “peeps” than any other. WE have his back!!!! ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

By: blacksmythe

blacksmythe — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:52:54 +0000

So he isn't expected to make us laugh...and that makes folks mad that they think he is.

But he IS expected to tell "uncomfortable truths" to the black community?

I'd rather him crack jokes and be that funny guy, than speak about issues he's got no technical business talking about (black fatherhood has about as much to do with the energy crisis as eating trix does with the space shuttle).

By: Town

Town — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:54:54 +0000

I don't see anyone asking John McCain why can't HE be more entertaining. Because Lord knows the jokes he's got ain't funny.

By: KXB

KXB — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:46:43 +0000

As I recall, Obama made appeared on SNL – kinda stiff, but it looked like he was having fun. He did an intro to Monday Night Football where he seemed to enjoy himself. During the primaries, he joked about how he took the question, “What is your biggest weakness?” way too seriously. His answer – he needs to be better organized. Clinton and Edwards answered they care too much. And when showing up late to a black organization rally, he cracked one about being on CPT.

Obama is funny – the media is just not listening.

And keep in mind, he was a law lecturer for a good chunk of his career – not exactly a profession known for hilarity. I don't see anyone asking Alan Dershowitz why he can't be more like Jerry Seinfeld.