I know, I know. I'm a conservative columnist. I'm supposed to hate this. I'm supposed to write a hit piece telling about you that this is grotesque pandering from a President who's running out options to sell his signature law. If I was doing what I was supposed to do, I'd remind everyone that this is un-presidential, desperate, and "beneath the dignity of the office." I'd spend some time on the notion that this clip is an incredible waste of time, especially when our planet's geo-political situation seems shaky at best. Then I'd talk about our dismal economy, the President's disastrous fiscal record, and the nation's rampant joblessness. Finally, I might spend a few minutes discussing the idea that Barack Obama is obsessed with his personal celebrity and loves to hob-nob with Hollywood.
If that's the story you want to read, you'll have to look elsewhere. I'm not going to do it, because I think Barack Obama's appearance on "Between Two Ferns" is pretty funny.
Sure, most of the above is probably true but, if you're going to go out and shill for your trainwreck healthcare law, this is the way to do it. Unlike Michelle Obama's horrifically unfunny Tonight Show interview, this is quality pandering.
If you're not in on the joke, "Between Two Ferns" is a faux talk show hosted by comedian and Hangover star "Zach Galifianakis." It appears regularly over on the Funny Or Die site. Basically, it's like the world's most atrocious public access cable show, featuring an uncomfortable (often-hostile) host who's prone to asking the absolute worst possible questions. Think Wayne's World, but with better guests and a funnier emcee. If you like the "discomfort" brand of humor, it's generally pretty great.
Barack Obama quietly filmed his appearance sometime last month, and it was released this morning.
Without further setup, I'm going to do something I rarely do. I'm going to say that Barack Obama has done a good job. Yes it's a bit over scripted, and yes, he's still relying bogus statistics and the anemic "stupid millennials think they're invincible" line, but I'll be honest. I laughed quite a bit. So.... Kudos to the President for turning in a solid comedic performance.
Besides, as long as he's busy making clips like this, he's not actually in the Oval Office "being President." That's good news for everyone. As they say in Hollywood, "Please, quit your day job." ...They say that, right?
Oh, and by the way, how sad is it that a comedian named Zach Galifianakis is the only "journalist" who's asking the tough questions?
