Conan O’Brien on Trump’s Impact on Comedy

Conan O’Brien Warns anger Over Trump⁤ Is Hurting Comedy

Conan O’Brien expressed concern that the intense political polarization surrounding Donald⁢ Trump has diminished‍ humor in ​comedy.​ Speaking at ⁢the Oxford Union this week,⁤ O’Brien reflected on ⁢how strong feelings toward the current ⁢political ⁣climate have led to more outrage than laughter.

“Comedy ​needs a ‌straight line to go⁣ off of,” he said.”Adn we don’t have a ⁢straight line right‌ now. We have a very bendy, rubbery ‍line. We have a Slinky. We have a​ fire ‍hose that’s whipping around, spewing water at 100 miles an hour‌ or something else. ‌So,⁣ comedically, it’s been very challenging.”

O’Brien argued ⁣that some ⁤comedians have fallen into‌ the⁤ trap ‌of ⁢simply repeating anti-Trump sentiments. “I‌ think some comics go the route of ‘I’m going to just say F Trump all the time,’ or that’s their⁣ comedy. ⁣And ⁢I ⁢think, well, now a⁢ little bit you’re being co-opted because you’re so angry. You’ve been⁣ lulled. It’s like a siren ⁢leading you into the ‌rocks. You’ve ‌been lulled into just⁢ saying,’F Trump. ⁢F Trump. F trump. Screw this guy.’ And I think you’ve now put down your best weapon, which is being funny, and you’ve exchanged it for anger.”

He dismissed the idea that current events are simply too serious for humor.”I think, ⁢well, if you’re a comedian, you​ always need to be funny,” he said. “You just have to find a way.And you just have to find a way to channel that anger. Because good art will always be a ⁢great weapon, will always be ‌a perfect weapon ​against power, but if you’re just screaming and ‍you’re just angry, you’ve lost⁣ your best ⁢tool in the toolbox.”

O’Brien​ recalled a memory from his ‍time‍ at The Harvard Lampoon, noting that the National Enquirer was impossible​ to parody. “There was one magazine we coudl never do a parody of, which is the National Enquirer,” he ​said. He described the magazine’s⁢ outlandish stories, like “Elvis found in Titanic lifeboat 105 years after sinking. ⁢He is now a woman, and he’s married a giant peanut ⁤butter sandwich.”

He drew a parallel to the current comedic landscape with Trump. “How do you parody that? you can’t. ⁣With Trump, we⁤ have a similar situation in comedy, which is people saying, ‘We’ve got a ​great ​Trump sketch for you. In this one,​ he’s kind of talking crazy… and he tears down half the White house to build a giant ballroom, and⁣ he says it’s going to be the new Mar-a-Lago.’ ‘Yeah, no, that happened ​yesterday.'”

Despite his concerns,O’Brien has publicly criticized the ‌Trump management’s actions.⁣ Last year,he voiced support for Jimmy Kimmel after ⁤ Jimmy Kimmel Live was temporarily suspended.

“The suspension of @jimmykimmel and the promise to silence other Late Night hosts ⁤for criticizing the administration should disturb‍ everyone on the Right, Left, and Center,” he wrote on social media. “It’s wrong⁤ and anyone‌ with a conscience knows ⁢it’s wrong.”