Conan O’Brien shared an insightful perspective on how comedians utilize figures like Donald Trump for comedic inspiration.
Having a president like Trump could arguably simplify the work of comedians, given that the current president often makes bold statements and has made controversial decisions during his term in office.
For humor to be effective, it typically needs to address significant matters for comedians like O’Brien to comment on. However, when something is already inherently absurd, it can pose a challenge to comedians.
The esteemed television host recently visited Oxford University in the UK for a nearly hour-long dialogue with its union, during which Trump naturally became a topic of discussion.
“Comedy needs a straight line to go off of,” O’Brien stated. “And right now we don’t have a straight line. 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).”
Illustrating his ‘straight line’ concept, O’Brien described a scenario where a comedian might want to create a fictional story about the president demolishing parts of the White House to construct an unnecessary giant ballroom, but faces difficulty parodying it because it mirrors reality.
O’Brien discussed how some comedians have adapted to this situation, noting that political comedy in the U.S. is particularly ‘challenging’ at the moment.
He noted: “Some comics go the route of, ‘I’m gonna just say F Trump all the time,’ or that’s their comedy. Now, a little bit, you’re being co-opted.
“Because you’re so angry, you’ve been lulled into just saying ‘F Trump, F Trump, F Trump, screw this guy.’ I think now you’ve put down your best weapon, which is being funny. And you’ve exchanged it for anger.”
O’Brien continued: “That person, or any person like that, will 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. You just have to find a way to channel that anger… because good art will always be a great weapon. It will always be a perfect weapon against power.”
The host of Late Night with Conan O’Brien also emphasized that ‘if you’re just screaming and you’re just angry, you’ve lost your best tool in the toolbox’.