- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
Conan O’Brien went relatively easy on President Obama but hit the networks hard during his White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech Saturday.
At the Washington D.C. event, O’Brien noted the President has been focused on job creation since his reelection.
“Since he was reelected, the number of popes has doubled and the number of Tonight Show hosts has tripled,” O’Brien said.
PHOTOS: White House Correspondents’ Dinner: Hollywood Descends Upon D.C.
But he also asked why Obama continues to send out email soliciting donations even though the election is over: “You won. Do you have a gambling problem we don’t know about?”
On aging, O’Brien noted the President’s hair was now so white, he could fit right in as a member of his own cabinet.
Turning to the media, the comedian noted that Matt Drudge of the Drudge Report was not in the audience, because he was teaching a web design class in the ‘90s.
O’Brien made several jokes about CNN, which is run by Jeff Zucker, who orchestrated the botched Tonight Show transition that led to him leaving NBC for TBS,
Firs,t he denounced the polarized media landscape we now live in. Fox is watched by conservatives, MSNBC by liberals and CNN by “the people who clean the offices of CNN,” O’Brien said.
“They replaced the popular Larry King with a second footman from Downton Abbey,” O’Brien said in a zinger aimed at Piers Morgan.
O’Brien made light of troubles at his former network, NBC, by questioning the decision to remove Ann Curry from Today, noting that Al Roker was able to keep his post despite admitting to defecating in his pants at the White House.
“He’s the reason there are no more White House tours” O’Brien said.
The comedian also gave faux-praise o Brian Williams’ Rock Center and its ostensibly more serious tone.
“Imagine Brian delivering the evening news on a different floor in the building, a little later, with a slightly different tie,” O’Brien said describing the show’s difference from Nightly News. “It’s a mind blower.”
On Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly, O’Brien congratulated the TV host on his string of successful books, Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. He said O’Reilly’s next book, Killing Jesus will be innovative as it will be the first time Jesus’ death will be blamed on Obamacare.”
O’Brien, a Boston native, took time to acknowledge the tragedy at the Boston Marathon this month. He said his brother raised his family in Watertown, Mass., where one of the suspects was apprehended after a dramatic manhunt. He thanked Obama for visiting the city and sharing inspiring words.
“If you’re going to pick a city to mess with, don’t choose one where 9 out of ten people are related to a cop.”
Related Stories
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day