Comedian and former late-night host Conan O’Brien criticized comics who are more focused on “screaming” about President Donald Trump than on being funny.
During an interview with the Oxford Union on Tuesday, O’Brien was asked about Trump’s impact on comedy.
He disagreed with the idea that Trump as president was good for comics, claiming that Trump’s habit of “talking crazy” made it difficult to pin him down for satire or parody.
He added that the opposite position, constantly attacking Trump for his comments, also undermines comedy.
“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…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 continued, “And that person or any person like that would say, ‘Well, things are too serious now. I don’t need to be funny.’ And I think, well, if you’re a comedian, you always need to be funny. You just have to find a way. And you just have to find a way to channel that anger into a way…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 was less upfront about whether he believes comedians need to use comedy to address political issues, calling it a “tricky” situation.
“I have very strong political feelings and views, but my comedy is something that I don’t have that kind of control over,” O’Brien said. “In a way, it is there’s so much of what I’ve done in my life that’s impulse.”
O’Brien expressed some strong political feelings during the interview by accusing FCC Chairman Brendan Carr of “putting his hand on the scale” to have Jimmy Kimmel briefly suspended.
He also mocked Trump’s efforts to construct a ballroom, joking that he’s planning on tearing down half the White House to make a new Mar-a-Lago.
The former “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show” host previously called out modern political comedy for focusing too much on saying Trump was an “a–hole” over being funny in 2023 and blamed Trump for ruining the field.
“I’m really going on a limb here saying that’s his greatest crime. I think he’s hurt political comedy by being so outlandish himself. I think the January 6 thing is a blip compared to how much he’s hurt comedy,” O’Brien said.
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