Jack and Jill Politics - Latest Comments in Memo to Press: Barack Obama is NOT running for Entertainer-In-Chief

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

TRW — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:12:58 -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.

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

PTCruiser — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:23:55 -0000

bison1 -

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

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

PTCruiser — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:20:40 -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?

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

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:10:41 -0000

thank you for the correction

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

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:08:30 -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.

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

KXB — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:00:40 -0000

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

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

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:57:29 -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.

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

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:52:42 -0000

He and everybody laugh about his bowling score.

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

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:51:35 -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.

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

Town — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:33:04 -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).

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

Leila Abu-Saba — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:22:46 -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...

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

GreenLadyHere — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:20:41 -0000

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

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

GreenLadyHere — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:17:26 -0000

town: tru dat!!!!

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

GreenLadyHere — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:16:17 -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!!!!!

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

blacksmythe — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:52:54 -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).

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

Town — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:54:54 -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.

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

KXB — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:46:43 -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.

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

Town — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:32:37 -0000

It will be disguised as "concern" for the girls. Or they will have some reports about black girls/children and somehow tie the Obama girls into it. And they'll get a person of color to do the dirty -- they want their hands clean.

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

Big Man — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:31:57 -0000

I appreciate all the comments on my point and I appreciate the link from JJP.

I"m glad folks pointed out all the times Obama did make jokes. I should have mentioned that in my blog. Like so many of y'all have said, Obama can be funny but it's not that Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy in Norbit funny. He's not going to be grinning and skinning. He's a Harvard-educated lawyer running for president. He's not going to be making fart jokes in public.

A lot of you like point 3 in my blog but I really thought point 2 was the most important. Comedians are whining that Obama and his cult members won't let them joke about him, but the reality is that Obama supporters will not let them make racist, demeaning jokes about him. We will not allow him to be dehumanized for profit. It's happened too many times to far too many black folks in power and we are sick of it.

I'm glad we're taking that stand.

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

CraigHickman — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:28:52 -0000

Very well said.

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

rikyrah — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:26:05 -0000

I have a Sistafriend who said the same thing to me last night. Get ready for the attacks on the WeeMichelles. Oh, I can't wait to hear how those mofos try and justify THAT bullshit.

But, we'll be here, pushing back.

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

roadkill refugee — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:25:26 -0000

This whole sense of humor thing is BS. It's the MSM taking the pose of the school yard bully. The bully does something hurtful and when called on it, instead of being respectful and apologizing, the bully tries to avoid responsibility by blaming his target for not having a good sense of humor.

I'd like to see some of the egocentric national reporters and anchors handle having themselves and their spouse mocked on a major magazine cover surrounded by hateful images and see them laugh it off. Let's start with Maureen Dowd, and surround her with Irish Catholic hateful imagery and mock her miserable love life, and see how much she laughs.

Like others here, I think Obama's got a great sense of humor, a priceless laugh, and a very calm, balanced temperament that will make him a great leader in a time of crisis.

Off-topic, but you may find this newsworthy... Obama hate activist and Georgetown professor Heidi Li Feldman, head of the anti-Obama 527 "Denver Group", is running ads to sabotage Obama's candidacy. Ran one recently in Chicago Tribune and one again today in Congressional Quarterly trying to force an open roll call for Hillary at convention as only way to "insure legitimate selection" of nominee. She doesn't seem to realize primary race is over and Hillary conceded, and Denver Group's efforts are only giving MSM and McCain anti-Obama talking points. Her contact info and more here: http://roadkillrefugee.wordpress.com/2008/07/18...

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

Get Togetha — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:11:35 -0000

Obama is the Matrix. Let the comedians remain in a quandary over what and how to say.

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

bison1 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:45:51 -0000

Should Obama tell more jokes or be a joker?

Many White Americas have much to learn about Black Americans, their culture, and sense of self. I thought the commercial of the car salesman parodying Obama was funny. Obama was being mock. So in answer to Maureen Dowd question, Obama can be mock. Maureen Dowd’s wit works well with main stream White Americas, – and I have no problems with her Bama spoof – but she is out of her element when it comes to having an appreciation for black culture and humor. Black people understand how the vines of twoness wrap around American’s landscape. Black people are often guarded, because we have to be. Not angry, just mindful. We understand how familiarity can breed disrespect and contempt from those who are only vaguely acquainted with you. Many Americas do not know him merely because he has not been on the national political scene for a very long time, they do not know him because many Americans do not really know the nuances and sensibilities of black behavior. The closest many every got to seeing it was from watching the televison show “In Living Color.’

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

Town — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:42:49 -0000

Actually I find Barack Obama to be quite hilarious. He is funny but it goes over most people's heads. I know sometimes during the debates I would see him being grilled and he would break out into this big grin and you could see the wheels turning in his head, like he was thinking "Ok I see what's up, punk." I know I was rolling on the floor when he gave that interview to Robin Roberts about "don't mess with Michelle" and he had this look on this face that looked like "and I mean that," and Robin Roberts was looking kinda uncomfortable and then he broke out that "How ya like me now" grin while Michelle was in the background going "bwahh haa haa." They either want Obama to go into a rage (which is why they keep attacking Michelle**) or they want him to coon and buck dancing. And because he's doing neither they can't figure the man out.

**Once they figure out that going after Michelle is not going to make Obama break down, they will start indirectly attacking the children and they're going to use a Magical Negro to do it. Bet on it.