Obama Collectibles - Own a Piece of Modern History With Obama Memorabilia
We have just witnessed one of the most exciting presidential campaigns in modern history. The 2008 campaign for United States President had many ups and downs, and some surprising twists. The most surprising was the amazing rise of a little known senator from Illinois named Barack Obama, who in mere months went from underdog to front runner.
Along the way, people began to hear his message of hope and change and realized that America could be great again, if we all just worked together. Barack Obama created a movement that is still going strong today. Of course, with any movement of this size, there's a lot of history being made and we all want to own a little piece of it for ourselves so that we can always remember this special time.
Barack Obama's popularity has created a growing demand for all sorts of Obama collectibles of every size, shape and form. If you supported Barack Obama during the campaign, then you probably already own some campaign memorabilia like buttons, pins, hats, posters, yard signs and t-shirts.
Fortunately, there are now many more Obama related things to collect besides campaign items. Some of these items may grow in value over time, while others are just keepsakes for you to treasure forever.
Barack Obama Commemorative Coins - Barack Obama coins are one of the hottest selling items right now and there are several ads on TV offering a selection of colorful coins with his image on them. Here are some facts about Barack Obama coins:
The coins being advertised the most are U.S. Mint coins that have been colorized with a special coating.
There is some controversy as to the real value of these coins. If you intend to purchase these coins, be aware that even though they are currency, their value has been greatly diminished by the colorization process. Meaning, they're pretty to look at, but won't grow in monetary value over time.
The U.S. Mint has issued a warning concerning these colorized coins stating that they do not endorse, sponsor or authorize any coin that has been altered or defaced for commercial purposes. Therefore, if you buy them for a keepsake that's fine, but don't buy extra sets counting on being able to resell them for a profit later on. Colorized coins are worthless.
Having said that, there are some very nice sets out there that can be displayed and even used as educational pieces. If you see any coin set that is being advertised as going up in value, do your research before buying.
Barack Obama Commemorative Plate - Obama plates are also being heavily advertised on TV and elsewhere as high-quality collectibles. A ceramic collector plate of Barack Obama usually is the size of a normal dinner plate and features an official looking color picture of Barack Obama. Some plates are done by independent artist and can feature embossed photos of Obama or the first family.
An Obama plate may or may not come with a display stand, which is a small stand that you can sit the plate on top of to display it on a shelf, or inside a glass cabinet.
Barack Obama Poster Art - This has been one of the most popular items during the campaign and has now branched out into the post election era. The most famous of all Barack Obama posters is the Obama hope poster done by artist Shepard Fairey. This iconic poster was originally hung around Chicago and other urban cities as a cool way to promote the change candidate.
After the election, this particular poster has only grown in value and popularity. It is a physical reminder that in these stressful times, there's always hope for a better tomorrow. In addition to the Shepard Fairey Obama poster featuring the words hope or change, there's another popular one that says progress.
There are two versions of the Obama progress poster. One created by Fairey, and another rarer one created by an artist named Scott Hansen. Hansen's poster differs from Fairey's in that it has a more retro vibe and features the images of people surrounding a large tree. The Obama symbol is in the middle and the word Progress is written in large letters on the bottom. There are also other unique posters created by a variety of talented artists.
Barack Obama Tee Shirts - Creativity abounds when it comes to t-shirts featuring the image of Barack Obama. There are the official tees created by the campaign, but many people love the uniquely original versions that can only be found from creative artists of many stripes.
There are cheap Obama t shirts and nicer urban Obama shirts like the powerful Obama MLK t shirts featuring the likeness of our 44th President and Martin Luther King, Jr. I've also seen some cool ones commemorating the inauguration.
Newspaper Cover with Obama - There are a lot of people who like to own a copy of big city newspapers that feature a major event on the cover. A newspaper shows off an important story like no other periodical can. The bigger the city, the better. Many people are now seeking copies of New York newspapers with Obama election results, or Obama newspaper headlines. This is because The New York Times is read by people around the world.
The Chicago Sun Times and USA Today covers are examples of other newspapers that are highly collectible. Obama's historic election and inauguration are captured in exciting detail by these daily papers.
Barack Obama Commemorative Magazine - Obama Time magazine covers are in high demand due to the popularity of both Obama himself and Time magazine. Time has been documenting important world events for decades and seems to be a collector favorite for this reason.
There are other great Obama magazine covers like that cool one from Ebony that features Obama wearing sunglasses and exiting his ride. Another great one is the recent Rolling Stone magazine cover with the blue background. There will be many more of these - count on it.
Barack Obama Buttons - Because they're so easy to make, there are hundreds of buttons featuring the likeness of Barack Obama. Many people already have official campaign buttons. However, there are many more created by independent artists with all sorts of designs and colors. If you're collecting Obama memorabilia, you've got to have at least one cool Obama button.
Barack Obama Mugs - There are black Obama coffee mugs and white obama coffee mugs with all kinds of cool artwork. Buy one to drink out of and one just for display. The more unique the design is, the more you'll treasure it.
Obama Comics - Yes, there is already a comic book that features Obama on the cover (Amazing Spiderman #583 Variant Comic Book). It's a special edition Marvel Spiderman Comic where our superhero, Spiderman, saves inauguration day. This is very limited and highly collectible. The creators of the series found out that Obama collected Spiderman comics when he was a kid. I'm sure there will be more Obama comic book fun in the future.
Barack Obama Shoes - Believe it or not, you can buy Obama shoes or Obama sneakers that have unique Obama graphics on them. These aren't official shoes made by famous name brand manufacturers, but they sure are super cool.
Using Comic Books to Illustrate Political News
Some say that "Captain America" and "Superman" were little more than symbols of American patriotism, calling citizens to accept the call of duty for their country and do something larger than life. Superman fought the Japanese during WWI and Captain America punched Hitler in the face during WWII. However, today's political news resounds through the comic graphic novels world in an entirely different way now. Some dark comics came out of the Reagan years, but superheroes have been plunged into all-out civil warfare against their own governments.
On October 8th, 2008, just before the November elections, John McCain and Barack Obama starred in their own comic books published by IDW Publishing, only it was nothing like you would think. Even though "Savage Dragon" publicly endorsed Barack Obama in a recent issue, the IDW publications were presented as objective, illustrated, political news biographies of the two nominees. It has been described as "heavy on the facts, light on opinion." The McCain book featured art by Stephen Thompson and writing by Andy Helfer (who also did "Road to Perdition" and "A History of Violence") and the Obama book was illustrated by Tom Morgan and written by Jeff Mariotte (who has done Superman, Spider-Man and Star Trek comic book series).
"We didn't do anything that is sensational here," said Scott Dunbier from IDW. "We're stuck to the facts." Dunbier added that graphic novels have proven extremely effective in reaching and educating people. "We're not in the business of doing textbooks," he clarified, "But I think comic books really do have the great potential to inform and teach and do more than just standard superhero comics." Fans can pre-order the books through their website or visit Uclick to view the comics over their cell phones.
Political news isn't always so directly reported through comic book art, though. Sometimes, events in modern life are paralleled through events in the comic book heroes universe. For example, Marvel Comic's "Civil War," released in 2007, introduces an epic battle following the passage of "the Superhuman Registration Act" (much like the Patriot Act in our world), which asks that people trade in some of their liberties for security.
The Registration, more specifically, requires all costumed heroes to be licensed and trained, disclosing their secret identities to the government. While some characters in the DC Universe, like Fantastic Four's Reed Richards and Iron Man support the registration, others like Captain America develop an underground resistance. Spiderman initially supports the idea so much he unmasks himself on live television, but later recants when he sees the Abu Ghraib-like prisons. Whether these obtuse allegories are an effective way of making a political statement or not remains to be seen.
There are also political news people like K. Thor Jensen and Jenny Gonzalez who focus on war stories. In "House of Twelve Goes To War," the depictions focus on little-known aspects of the War on Terrorism. "Some sad, some action-packed, some unfathomable, but I promise you each and every one is 100% true," the website declares. "Team 12 was drafted by the government and forced into working towards its war effort. When we returned, we decided the truth must be told in the most effective way possible; auto-bio comics! These are our stories of our experiences during the Great War."
Nerd Halloween Costume
Finding your Halloween costume doesn't have to be a frustrating event. If you're bored of the traditional costumes found at the local retail outlets, you can find some good costumes on-line. A nerd Halloween costume is one that never fails to be a success. It is a unisex costume that has the advantage of not requiring make up, masks or cumbersome parts. You can wear comfortable clothing, and it doesn't take much work to assemble the costume. Because the nerd costume isn't meant to be scary, it can be worn in almost any environment, including parties, at the office or at school. It's a popular and easily recognizable costume made even more fun if you choose to act the part. Joking in your nerd costume is an easy icebreaker that can keep the social atmosphere light and fun. Halloween is a great time to let your silly side come out. Portraying a nerd is simple. Just remember to be clumsy and a little awkward.
There are plenty of celebrities to model your Nerd Costume after. Most famous actors have portrayed a nerd on film or claim to have been one before being famous. Some memorable examples on film include, Noah Wyle acting as Steve Jobs, in Pirates of the Silicon Valley, Angelina Jolie acting as Kate Libby, in Hackers and of course, the actors portraying the nerds in The Revenge of the Nerds. Famous TV characters, Steve Urkle, Kramer, George, Jerry Seinfed, Ugly Betty, and famous people like Lady Gaga, Howard Stern, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Albert Einstein have set the trend for making Nerd Costumes fun.
There are many famous people you wouldn't necessarily think of as nerds, but who have "nerd behavior". Off-screen, Natalie Portman was a research assistant at a psychology lab, went to Harvard, and was published in two science journals. She was invited to speak to a class at Columbia on terrorism and anti-terrorism. Kate Beckinsdale wrote award winning poetry and short stories, she won two awards. Nicolas Cage, and Barrack Obama are admitted comic book nerds. With all the famous nerds out there, you'll be in good company if you choose this for your Halloween costume.
When it comes down to selecting your nerd Halloween costume, if you want to avoid the hassle of creating your own costume, you can easily find what you're looking for online. You can select a simple costume like Harry Potter, Where's Waldo or Ugly Betty, or opt for a generic one and add your own flair to the nerd costume. Whatever you choose, it is sure to be a hit because Halloween is the time where everyone loves a nerd.
The Unmockable Obama
Recently, American television host Larry King interviewed comedian Joy Behar. When he asked if the current administration was hard to make fun of, she replied that it was difficult to mock the Obamas "because they're really - they're kind of really perfect, aren't they?".
This provoked a deluge of derision in the blogosphere, mainly because it encapsulated an attitude that has been widespread in the media and entertainment industries since Barack Obama began his campaign for the White House. Many mainstream journalists and editors were openly barracking (Baracking?) for Obama from the start and are still reluctant to criticize him. Famous actors, singers and directors continue to fawn over him in a way that has been hard to believe and difficult to stomach. The fact that Behar is a comedian makes her observation even more cringe-worthy.
In an ideal world, comedians are to politicians what Hamas is to Israel: hell bent on their destruction, relentlessly firing salvos, and determined never to make peace. In the real world, however, comedians do have their prejudices. They tend to lean left the world over for various reasons. Yet as often as not they don't let their politics get in the way of a good joke. Even though they overwhelmingly voted for his party, American stand-ups mercilessly and hilariously mocked Bill Clinton for years. Obama is clearly in a different league, however, and is perceived to be an almost Christ-like figure by otherwise determinedly cynical people.
While Behar's comments were the most adulatory, other well known American comedians have expressed similar sentiments. Bill Maher, host of Real Time, has been quoted as saying: "It's always better if the president is stupid, or fat, or cheating on his wife, or angry, or a phony. This guy is none of those things. And that is really unfair." Tonight Show host Jay Leno quipped: "I'm going to miss President Bush. Barack Obama is not easy to do jokes about. He doesn't give you a lot to go on. See, this is why God gave us Joe Biden."
Needless to say there is much to mock in President Obama - the vagueness of his rhetoric, for example. And he obviously has a huge ego. Then there's his pompous, declamatory oratory, which his gullible supporters mistake for profundity. The more star-struck satirists should remember their Monty Python and understand that he is not the Messiah, he's just a very smart, charismatic dude.
And American comedians are making fun of him. But even if they do find something to mock, there are other factors that restrain them to some degree. Many are reluctant to humorously deride a black man for fear of being seen as racist. (Bush was easy. They never had to worry about mocking a Texan for fear of being, er, Texist.)
Impersonating Obama can be problematic, particularly if you're white. For a year, versatile white comic actor Fred Armisen has been the resident Obama impersonator on Saturday Night Live. Unlike his co-star Tina Fey, who struck gold with her Sarah Palin impersonation, Armisen has been widely panned for his work - even by Obama himself. Much of the criticism has focused on the quality of his performance, with many pundits saying he hasn't quite captured the President's mannerisms; that he's just not funny. But the decision to cast him instead of more accurate black impersonators has attracted accusations of racism as well.
This is understandable as political correctness is a major barrier for American comedians. There are few successful ones there who are openly right of center. However, some have managed to subvert the dominant paradigm. Dennis Miller, a former SNL comic and now popular political pundit and talk show host is the most well known. While his provocative rants flay liberals, particularly on matters of national security, he did begin his career as one and still holds some of their positions - on abortion, for example. He only veered noticeably to the right after the attacks on the World Trade Center. "9/11 changed me," he said.
Sadly, there is much less comedic diversity in Australia. Aussie comics generally are so relentlessly, drearily "right on" it's just not funny! Which is why it will be interesting to see how they continue to deal with "The One" in the coming months.
Last year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival featured many shows with environmental and climate change themes, several of them Australian. Examples included Rod Quantock's 2050 - The Musical, a show about humanity's relentless pillaging of the planet's resources, and the Dave Callan offering Daylight Savings for the Doomsday Clock. Rather than being skeptical - something humorists used to be - they overwhelmingly promoted the worst case scenarios of the green high priests of doom. It was as if the festival had gone from the satirical to the liturgical!
Perhaps the only overt dissent from deep green dogma occurred when comics were told of the plan to turn the lights off in the Melbourne Town Hall for Earth Hour. This provoked much outrage in many of those performing at the venue. It was ironic that performers were preaching that the Earth was doomed unless billions made major lifestyle sacrifices. But when some of them had to make just one minor compromise for a mere 60 minutes? Not a chance! Sadly, this farce occurred entirely offstage, so paying audiences were deprived of many quality laughs.
This recent history gives clues as to what we might expect this April. Now that Obama - widely believed by his acolytes to possess mystical powers that will heal the planet - is in the White House, I suspect these gloomy offerings will be replaced by joyous presidential themed entertainments. But there will be no derisive President Obama gags, of course. The pervasive Behar-like fawning might just make 2009 the least funny comedy festival yet.
We have just witnessed one of the most exciting presidential campaigns in modern history. The 2008 campaign for United States President had many ups and downs, and some surprising twists. The most surprising was the amazing rise of a little known senator from Illinois named Barack Obama, who in mere months went from underdog to front runner.
Along the way, people began to hear his message of hope and change and realized that America could be great again, if we all just worked together. Barack Obama created a movement that is still going strong today. Of course, with any movement of this size, there's a lot of history being made and we all want to own a little piece of it for ourselves so that we can always remember this special time.
Barack Obama's popularity has created a growing demand for all sorts of Obama collectibles of every size, shape and form. If you supported Barack Obama during the campaign, then you probably already own some campaign memorabilia like buttons, pins, hats, posters, yard signs and t-shirts.
Fortunately, there are now many more Obama related things to collect besides campaign items. Some of these items may grow in value over time, while others are just keepsakes for you to treasure forever.
Barack Obama Commemorative Coins - Barack Obama coins are one of the hottest selling items right now and there are several ads on TV offering a selection of colorful coins with his image on them. Here are some facts about Barack Obama coins:
The coins being advertised the most are U.S. Mint coins that have been colorized with a special coating.
There is some controversy as to the real value of these coins. If you intend to purchase these coins, be aware that even though they are currency, their value has been greatly diminished by the colorization process. Meaning, they're pretty to look at, but won't grow in monetary value over time.
The U.S. Mint has issued a warning concerning these colorized coins stating that they do not endorse, sponsor or authorize any coin that has been altered or defaced for commercial purposes. Therefore, if you buy them for a keepsake that's fine, but don't buy extra sets counting on being able to resell them for a profit later on. Colorized coins are worthless.
Having said that, there are some very nice sets out there that can be displayed and even used as educational pieces. If you see any coin set that is being advertised as going up in value, do your research before buying.
Barack Obama Commemorative Plate - Obama plates are also being heavily advertised on TV and elsewhere as high-quality collectibles. A ceramic collector plate of Barack Obama usually is the size of a normal dinner plate and features an official looking color picture of Barack Obama. Some plates are done by independent artist and can feature embossed photos of Obama or the first family.
An Obama plate may or may not come with a display stand, which is a small stand that you can sit the plate on top of to display it on a shelf, or inside a glass cabinet.
Barack Obama Poster Art - This has been one of the most popular items during the campaign and has now branched out into the post election era. The most famous of all Barack Obama posters is the Obama hope poster done by artist Shepard Fairey. This iconic poster was originally hung around Chicago and other urban cities as a cool way to promote the change candidate.
After the election, this particular poster has only grown in value and popularity. It is a physical reminder that in these stressful times, there's always hope for a better tomorrow. In addition to the Shepard Fairey Obama poster featuring the words hope or change, there's another popular one that says progress.
There are two versions of the Obama progress poster. One created by Fairey, and another rarer one created by an artist named Scott Hansen. Hansen's poster differs from Fairey's in that it has a more retro vibe and features the images of people surrounding a large tree. The Obama symbol is in the middle and the word Progress is written in large letters on the bottom. There are also other unique posters created by a variety of talented artists.
Barack Obama Tee Shirts - Creativity abounds when it comes to t-shirts featuring the image of Barack Obama. There are the official tees created by the campaign, but many people love the uniquely original versions that can only be found from creative artists of many stripes.
There are cheap Obama t shirts and nicer urban Obama shirts like the powerful Obama MLK t shirts featuring the likeness of our 44th President and Martin Luther King, Jr. I've also seen some cool ones commemorating the inauguration.
Newspaper Cover with Obama - There are a lot of people who like to own a copy of big city newspapers that feature a major event on the cover. A newspaper shows off an important story like no other periodical can. The bigger the city, the better. Many people are now seeking copies of New York newspapers with Obama election results, or Obama newspaper headlines. This is because The New York Times is read by people around the world.
The Chicago Sun Times and USA Today covers are examples of other newspapers that are highly collectible. Obama's historic election and inauguration are captured in exciting detail by these daily papers.
Barack Obama Commemorative Magazine - Obama Time magazine covers are in high demand due to the popularity of both Obama himself and Time magazine. Time has been documenting important world events for decades and seems to be a collector favorite for this reason.
There are other great Obama magazine covers like that cool one from Ebony that features Obama wearing sunglasses and exiting his ride. Another great one is the recent Rolling Stone magazine cover with the blue background. There will be many more of these - count on it.
Barack Obama Buttons - Because they're so easy to make, there are hundreds of buttons featuring the likeness of Barack Obama. Many people already have official campaign buttons. However, there are many more created by independent artists with all sorts of designs and colors. If you're collecting Obama memorabilia, you've got to have at least one cool Obama button.
Barack Obama Mugs - There are black Obama coffee mugs and white obama coffee mugs with all kinds of cool artwork. Buy one to drink out of and one just for display. The more unique the design is, the more you'll treasure it.
Obama Comics - Yes, there is already a comic book that features Obama on the cover (Amazing Spiderman #583 Variant Comic Book). It's a special edition Marvel Spiderman Comic where our superhero, Spiderman, saves inauguration day. This is very limited and highly collectible. The creators of the series found out that Obama collected Spiderman comics when he was a kid. I'm sure there will be more Obama comic book fun in the future.
Barack Obama Shoes - Believe it or not, you can buy Obama shoes or Obama sneakers that have unique Obama graphics on them. These aren't official shoes made by famous name brand manufacturers, but they sure are super cool.
Using Comic Books to Illustrate Political News
Some say that "Captain America" and "Superman" were little more than symbols of American patriotism, calling citizens to accept the call of duty for their country and do something larger than life. Superman fought the Japanese during WWI and Captain America punched Hitler in the face during WWII. However, today's political news resounds through the comic graphic novels world in an entirely different way now. Some dark comics came out of the Reagan years, but superheroes have been plunged into all-out civil warfare against their own governments.
On October 8th, 2008, just before the November elections, John McCain and Barack Obama starred in their own comic books published by IDW Publishing, only it was nothing like you would think. Even though "Savage Dragon" publicly endorsed Barack Obama in a recent issue, the IDW publications were presented as objective, illustrated, political news biographies of the two nominees. It has been described as "heavy on the facts, light on opinion." The McCain book featured art by Stephen Thompson and writing by Andy Helfer (who also did "Road to Perdition" and "A History of Violence") and the Obama book was illustrated by Tom Morgan and written by Jeff Mariotte (who has done Superman, Spider-Man and Star Trek comic book series).
"We didn't do anything that is sensational here," said Scott Dunbier from IDW. "We're stuck to the facts." Dunbier added that graphic novels have proven extremely effective in reaching and educating people. "We're not in the business of doing textbooks," he clarified, "But I think comic books really do have the great potential to inform and teach and do more than just standard superhero comics." Fans can pre-order the books through their website or visit Uclick to view the comics over their cell phones.
Political news isn't always so directly reported through comic book art, though. Sometimes, events in modern life are paralleled through events in the comic book heroes universe. For example, Marvel Comic's "Civil War," released in 2007, introduces an epic battle following the passage of "the Superhuman Registration Act" (much like the Patriot Act in our world), which asks that people trade in some of their liberties for security.
The Registration, more specifically, requires all costumed heroes to be licensed and trained, disclosing their secret identities to the government. While some characters in the DC Universe, like Fantastic Four's Reed Richards and Iron Man support the registration, others like Captain America develop an underground resistance. Spiderman initially supports the idea so much he unmasks himself on live television, but later recants when he sees the Abu Ghraib-like prisons. Whether these obtuse allegories are an effective way of making a political statement or not remains to be seen.
There are also political news people like K. Thor Jensen and Jenny Gonzalez who focus on war stories. In "House of Twelve Goes To War," the depictions focus on little-known aspects of the War on Terrorism. "Some sad, some action-packed, some unfathomable, but I promise you each and every one is 100% true," the website declares. "Team 12 was drafted by the government and forced into working towards its war effort. When we returned, we decided the truth must be told in the most effective way possible; auto-bio comics! These are our stories of our experiences during the Great War."
Nerd Halloween Costume
Finding your Halloween costume doesn't have to be a frustrating event. If you're bored of the traditional costumes found at the local retail outlets, you can find some good costumes on-line. A nerd Halloween costume is one that never fails to be a success. It is a unisex costume that has the advantage of not requiring make up, masks or cumbersome parts. You can wear comfortable clothing, and it doesn't take much work to assemble the costume. Because the nerd costume isn't meant to be scary, it can be worn in almost any environment, including parties, at the office or at school. It's a popular and easily recognizable costume made even more fun if you choose to act the part. Joking in your nerd costume is an easy icebreaker that can keep the social atmosphere light and fun. Halloween is a great time to let your silly side come out. Portraying a nerd is simple. Just remember to be clumsy and a little awkward.
There are plenty of celebrities to model your Nerd Costume after. Most famous actors have portrayed a nerd on film or claim to have been one before being famous. Some memorable examples on film include, Noah Wyle acting as Steve Jobs, in Pirates of the Silicon Valley, Angelina Jolie acting as Kate Libby, in Hackers and of course, the actors portraying the nerds in The Revenge of the Nerds. Famous TV characters, Steve Urkle, Kramer, George, Jerry Seinfed, Ugly Betty, and famous people like Lady Gaga, Howard Stern, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Albert Einstein have set the trend for making Nerd Costumes fun.
There are many famous people you wouldn't necessarily think of as nerds, but who have "nerd behavior". Off-screen, Natalie Portman was a research assistant at a psychology lab, went to Harvard, and was published in two science journals. She was invited to speak to a class at Columbia on terrorism and anti-terrorism. Kate Beckinsdale wrote award winning poetry and short stories, she won two awards. Nicolas Cage, and Barrack Obama are admitted comic book nerds. With all the famous nerds out there, you'll be in good company if you choose this for your Halloween costume.
When it comes down to selecting your nerd Halloween costume, if you want to avoid the hassle of creating your own costume, you can easily find what you're looking for online. You can select a simple costume like Harry Potter, Where's Waldo or Ugly Betty, or opt for a generic one and add your own flair to the nerd costume. Whatever you choose, it is sure to be a hit because Halloween is the time where everyone loves a nerd.
The Unmockable Obama
Recently, American television host Larry King interviewed comedian Joy Behar. When he asked if the current administration was hard to make fun of, she replied that it was difficult to mock the Obamas "because they're really - they're kind of really perfect, aren't they?".
This provoked a deluge of derision in the blogosphere, mainly because it encapsulated an attitude that has been widespread in the media and entertainment industries since Barack Obama began his campaign for the White House. Many mainstream journalists and editors were openly barracking (Baracking?) for Obama from the start and are still reluctant to criticize him. Famous actors, singers and directors continue to fawn over him in a way that has been hard to believe and difficult to stomach. The fact that Behar is a comedian makes her observation even more cringe-worthy.
In an ideal world, comedians are to politicians what Hamas is to Israel: hell bent on their destruction, relentlessly firing salvos, and determined never to make peace. In the real world, however, comedians do have their prejudices. They tend to lean left the world over for various reasons. Yet as often as not they don't let their politics get in the way of a good joke. Even though they overwhelmingly voted for his party, American stand-ups mercilessly and hilariously mocked Bill Clinton for years. Obama is clearly in a different league, however, and is perceived to be an almost Christ-like figure by otherwise determinedly cynical people.
While Behar's comments were the most adulatory, other well known American comedians have expressed similar sentiments. Bill Maher, host of Real Time, has been quoted as saying: "It's always better if the president is stupid, or fat, or cheating on his wife, or angry, or a phony. This guy is none of those things. And that is really unfair." Tonight Show host Jay Leno quipped: "I'm going to miss President Bush. Barack Obama is not easy to do jokes about. He doesn't give you a lot to go on. See, this is why God gave us Joe Biden."
Needless to say there is much to mock in President Obama - the vagueness of his rhetoric, for example. And he obviously has a huge ego. Then there's his pompous, declamatory oratory, which his gullible supporters mistake for profundity. The more star-struck satirists should remember their Monty Python and understand that he is not the Messiah, he's just a very smart, charismatic dude.
And American comedians are making fun of him. But even if they do find something to mock, there are other factors that restrain them to some degree. Many are reluctant to humorously deride a black man for fear of being seen as racist. (Bush was easy. They never had to worry about mocking a Texan for fear of being, er, Texist.)
Impersonating Obama can be problematic, particularly if you're white. For a year, versatile white comic actor Fred Armisen has been the resident Obama impersonator on Saturday Night Live. Unlike his co-star Tina Fey, who struck gold with her Sarah Palin impersonation, Armisen has been widely panned for his work - even by Obama himself. Much of the criticism has focused on the quality of his performance, with many pundits saying he hasn't quite captured the President's mannerisms; that he's just not funny. But the decision to cast him instead of more accurate black impersonators has attracted accusations of racism as well.
This is understandable as political correctness is a major barrier for American comedians. There are few successful ones there who are openly right of center. However, some have managed to subvert the dominant paradigm. Dennis Miller, a former SNL comic and now popular political pundit and talk show host is the most well known. While his provocative rants flay liberals, particularly on matters of national security, he did begin his career as one and still holds some of their positions - on abortion, for example. He only veered noticeably to the right after the attacks on the World Trade Center. "9/11 changed me," he said.
Sadly, there is much less comedic diversity in Australia. Aussie comics generally are so relentlessly, drearily "right on" it's just not funny! Which is why it will be interesting to see how they continue to deal with "The One" in the coming months.
Last year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival featured many shows with environmental and climate change themes, several of them Australian. Examples included Rod Quantock's 2050 - The Musical, a show about humanity's relentless pillaging of the planet's resources, and the Dave Callan offering Daylight Savings for the Doomsday Clock. Rather than being skeptical - something humorists used to be - they overwhelmingly promoted the worst case scenarios of the green high priests of doom. It was as if the festival had gone from the satirical to the liturgical!
Perhaps the only overt dissent from deep green dogma occurred when comics were told of the plan to turn the lights off in the Melbourne Town Hall for Earth Hour. This provoked much outrage in many of those performing at the venue. It was ironic that performers were preaching that the Earth was doomed unless billions made major lifestyle sacrifices. But when some of them had to make just one minor compromise for a mere 60 minutes? Not a chance! Sadly, this farce occurred entirely offstage, so paying audiences were deprived of many quality laughs.
This recent history gives clues as to what we might expect this April. Now that Obama - widely believed by his acolytes to possess mystical powers that will heal the planet - is in the White House, I suspect these gloomy offerings will be replaced by joyous presidential themed entertainments. But there will be no derisive President Obama gags, of course. The pervasive Behar-like fawning might just make 2009 the least funny comedy festival yet.
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