The President of Hollywood | FrontPage Magazine
Ben Shapiro On April 30, 2013 There was a time when the artistic community felt an obligation to speak truth to power. It was called the Bush years. Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central hosted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner back in 2006, and proceeded to blast President George W. Bush repeatedly, suggesting that “reality has a well-known liberal bias,” that Bush was responsible for “the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world,” and that the administration was “rearranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg!” For such quips, the media quickly labeled him a hero; his media admirers actually blasted other media members for not giving him enough plaudits. Washington Post columnist Dan Froomkin slammed what he called the “Colbert Blackout,” referring to the media’s non-coverage of Colbert’s remarks. Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism professor Todd Gitlin called the performance “absolutely devastating.” New York magazine called it “brilliant.”New York Times columnist Frank Rich called it a “defining moment” in the 2006 midterm elections.
Now, however, Barack Obama is president. And that means that no one will have the gall to either pan his performance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner or make jokes about his performance as president. The left got Stephen Colbert during the Bush years. The right got Conan O’Brien planting a sloppy kiss on Obama’s posterior last weekend.
Never mind that Obama left himself wide open for some kill shots. The overweeningly arrogant president opened by hopping onstage to DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” then celebrated himself from the first word: “How do you like my new entrance music? Rush Limbaugh warned you about this – second term, baby.” He added, “Actually, my advisors were a little worried about the new rap entrance music. They are a little more traditional. They suggested that I should start with some jokes at my own expense, just take myself down a peg. I was like, guys, after four and a half years, how many pegs are there left?” Then he attacked the media: “The fact is I really do respect the press. I recognize that the press and I have different jobs to do. My job is to be President; your job is to keep me humble. Frankly, I think I’m doing my job better.”
So naturally, when Conan got his shot, he promptly pulled his punches.
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Never mind that Obama left himself wide open for some kill shots. The overweeningly arrogant president opened by hopping onstage to DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” then celebrated himself from the first word: “How do you like my new entrance music? Rush Limbaugh warned you about this – second term, baby.” He added, “Actually, my advisors were a little worried about the new rap entrance music. They are a little more traditional. They suggested that I should start with some jokes at my own expense, just take myself down a peg. I was like, guys, after four and a half years, how many pegs are there left?” Then he attacked the media: “The fact is I really do respect the press. I recognize that the press and I have different jobs to do. My job is to be President; your job is to keep me humble. Frankly, I think I’m doing my job better.”
So naturally, when Conan got his shot, he promptly pulled his punches.
-go to link-
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