If Comedy Central’s Larry Wilmore bombed at the White House Correspondents Association Annual Dinner then it’s because he targeted the media for his jokes, barely touching on Obama’s near eight-year presidency.
Wilmore avoided any serious pokes at the President, instead saying he voted for him because he was black. “As long as he keeps being black, I’m good.” And finishing up with, “I’m going to keep it 100. Yo Barry, you did it my n—a.”
While last year’s comedian SNL’s Cecily Strong went for President Obama’s jugular with non-stop one liners such as this one:
“You know, even us at SNL got criticized for making fun of ISIS. Now I think that’s unfair. I mean, if anyone is guilty of taking ISIS too lightly, it’s him. You know.”
Wilmore seemed to be in search of a Presidential Medal of Honor, throwing his harshest punches at TV Networks and the print media.
The late night comedian drew some of the deepest groans and a few hisses from the crowd of political reporters with this line about print media, “that industry’s been dead for a while.”
Wilmore took particularly harsh jabs at CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, “How is he still on television?”
“Hey Wolf, I’m willing to predict a winner. Anyone who isn’t watching ‘The Situation Room.”
Wilmore described anchor Don Lemon as an “alleged journalist,” to which the news anchor flipped the bird in response.
In reality, the two had been hanging out together Friday night at a party held by UTA which represents them both.
CNN boss Jeff Zucker wasn’t around. He just had knee surgery skipping the weekends festivities.
“I haven’t watched CNN in a long time. I used to watch it when it was a news network,” joked Wilmore.
“The Nightly Show” host also got in a jab at Fox News viewers, “They have no idea what shade means.”
One NBCer confessed that at one point he was anxious that his network would get left out of the monologue.
Oh no. Wilmore took aim at “Morning Joe,” saying the show is “so far up Donald Trump’s ass, it bumped into Chris Christie.” That one got a few whistles and claps from the crowd.
To be fair, doing stand-up comedy and following the President is no easy task, and Wilmore said in interviews that he was “nervous and excited.” Still, the endless jokes about an internet meme suggesting Republican hopeful Ted Cruz is the mysterious Zodiac Killer went on too long and seemed not to connect with most of the audience.
Will and Jada Smith were at a table, just in front of Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, who was stone-faced at every Clinton jibe.
“Hillary Clinton was flustered when a “black lives matters,” protester challenged her. Man, whoa, I haven’t seen a white lady being that upset about being blindsided by a black person since Kelly Ripa,” joked Wilmore.
Smith enjoyed a shout out about his upcoming movie, “Suicide Squad,” before Wilmore joked about a new Jeb Bush documentary, “Suicide Watch.” The joke fell flat, “Groans are good,” responded an unruffled Wilmore.
In the audience were two first-time attendees, Vice President Joe Biden and model Kendall Jenner, there to promote “Rock the Vote.”
Sitting at a CBS News table, Bernie Sanders had a good laugh at Wilmore’s joke that he was surprised to see Sanders at the event. “He usually goes to the early bird dinner.”
But not so much, the line that Sanders is so old his first campaign slogan was “fire” from the caveman era.
Perhaps the hour was getting too late, or she needed a bathroom break, or she hated the jokes, but The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, exited the Hilton ballroom just as Wilmore’s routine was getting into full swing.