Wanda Sykes sees the humor of 9/11; White House not

Everybody's a comedian until they have to actually be funny. And that is an awful lot harder.

As The Ticket noted here with a full transcript, President Barack Obama pulled off his written jokes Saturday night at the White House Correspondents dinner with near-perfect timing. Some with real barbs.

Wanda Sykes was the hired jokester for the evening of topical humor and as often happens when such personalities venture out of nightclubs and into hotel ballrooms, many watching in tuxedos or on TV thought she might have gone too far with a couple of her lines.

(UPDATE: Sykes in an interview with Extra says she was warned not to use any F-bombs or the N-word and she was insulted by the suggestion she might.)

But she did take on a favorite Democratic target, the conservative Rush Limbaugh, and his previous substance abuse as the most listened-to and talked-about radio talk show host. Fair enough perhaps. He's taken on the president.

But to top it off, Sykes then tied Limbaugh to the tragedy and mass murders of 9/11.

"I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker. But he was so strung out on Oxycontin that he missed his flight ... I hope his kidneys fail. How about that?"

Limbaugh said he had no comment.

But today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, as he knew he would, was asked about the reaction of the president, who also spoke at the annual banquet, but as another invited guest of the correspondents association.

To protect the president, no doubt no fan of Limbaugh, Gibbs said he had not talked to Obama specifically about the "joke." And the White House had nothing to do with booking such celebrities, risky or not.

But Gibbs put the White House down firmly on the side of Sykes' critics, saying some things should be subjects of serious reflection and not comedy and he felt the president would list 9/11 as one of them.

Watch the president in this video; see if you think he disagrees with Sykes at that moment. So, hoping Obama fails is outrageous, but hoping someone dies from kidney failure is funny.

Then watch how Gibbs puts it today in the second video below.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[Wind2Energy]

If the White House is so God damned respectful of 9/11, why not have an actual forensic investigation instead of a White House White Wash.

The more I see of Obama, the more he looks like Wall Street's pet president. It's a shame.

[voter69]

For those of you who think the jokes on Limbaugh were rude or insensitive, remember Rush is a grown man who puts himself into situations where he knows he's at the very least going to take some heat.

Back in 1993 Columnist Molly Ivins reported (Arizona Republic 10/17/93) this incident from Limbaugh's TV show--"Here is a Limbaugh joke: Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?" Limbaugh then puts up a picture of Chelsea Clinton. At the time, Chelsea Clinton was only 13 years old.

I have no sympathy for him. He's a drug addict who makes millions spouting political gibberish to ignorant saps, making rude jokes and comments about anyone he chooses.

He's a hypocrite and you are too if you think Wanda's jokes went overboard on the big weasel.

[Mirimichi]

There is NO humor in wishing bad health or even death on someone. That is the lowest of the lowest.

[Douglas]

There is no responce needed to this piece of human garbage!

[Dustoff]

voter69....

This is the best YOU have...

By the way, not that it matters. Rush said he was sorry.

How funny how you libs push the word sorry SO often, yet when someone other than your group who say's it. It means zip!
So much for caring.

PS.. nice try

[charlie carter]

Dave Letterman siad there was a new restaurant for dogs... and it's name was McDonalds; Chelsea Clinton is Web Hubbel's daughter; Hillary Clinton is a lesbian and Bill Clinton is a rapist. Methinks Rush can take care of himself but when inappropriate comments come from or in front of a President there needs to be a denunciation.

[Gayle]

For Voter 69:

I don't think the jokes about Limbaugh are insensitive - he gets these constantly from liberals. You're missing the point - jokes about 9/11 are as funny as D-day jokes, or Holocaust jokes - classless

[Bruce]

QUOTE: "I have no sympathy for him. He's a drug addict who makes millions spouting political gibberish to ignorant saps, making rude jokes and comments about anyone he chooses.

He's a hypocrite and you are too if you think Wanda's jokes went overboard on the big weasel."

And you're a moron. Rush is not a "drug addict". At least he didn't do coke and weed like your messiah has admitted to. Rush took prescription drugs for a severe medical condition - not a rare occurrence - especially among the "hollywood elite" who hate him so much they can joke about him dying of kidney disease. Real class that..

Perhaps your problem with him is the fact that he makes millions? Why don't you ask how much this idiot so-called comedian Sykes makes a year for not being funny (unless you're a racist). Ask her for some cash and see how far you get with the redistribution of wealth garbage.

He's a hypocrite too? Learn to read - Rush has not said a word about the Sykes "joke". Hypocrisy is liberals complaining about being "attacked" by conservatives merely stating the truth and then lying about how they conduct themselves. Joe the Plumber, anyone? Illegal personal records searches anyone? Bill Maher saying Cheney should be stoned to death along with his family?

Yeah right, moron.

[Alfonso]

For all you dem/libs out there, I have a couple of questions:

1. You seem to use Rush's tasteles humor, some of it even going back 16 years, to excuse Syke's low life classless remarks. So you think two wrongs make a right? (Oh, so you dem/libs claim the mantle of compassion!!!)

2. How do you think the press and everyone else would have reacted had a white male made similair comments about a black female?

Your hypocrisy was never more apparent, especially the man you elected as our nation's leader who laughed at that garbage.

[zjackiez]

Rush was not and is not a drug addict. He took a medication, a very addictive medication, for pain associated with an injury. Very different from someone who seeks a "high" from a substance.

[Boris Badenough]

It seems that the Negro race is the coddled race in the
U.S. who can do no wrong. Whatever tasteless, rude, crude, or prejudicial remarks a Negro makes is accepted as , "Oh, well"!
Should not the same standards of good taste be applied to all, regardless of race, color or creed?

[TexasSlim]

And you, voter69(?), vomit the lib/left mantra at the drop of a hat. Sooner or later it's going to leave a bad taste in your mouth. We have that day to look forward to. You have only disappointment and misery.

Got anything new that's not a lie or obscene???

Ta-Ta

[dg31]

Hey voter 69, I hope your kidney's fail! Oh just kidding. I hope you never have back problems and get addicted to a pain killer! That would be a shame, hypocrit. You know if a Republican made those remarks he would be strung up. It is appearing that the left are the mean sprited one's out there. Obama shows his lack of class once again.

[Whatever]

If Rush Limbaugh were to say he wished Obama were dead, or would die, he would probably be arrested.

I can't wait until this horrible presidency is over.

[hurr]

hurr, 9/11 is comedy, get over it

[alex mccartney]

Wanda Sykes is a funny commedian. Her joke about Rush Limbaugh being the 20th hi-jacker was ill advised. The events of 9/11 should not be used as joke material.
Also, her wishing the death of Rush Limbaugh was in equally poor taste. If at a conservative function, a comedian wished for the death of a leading Liberal, would it be taken as a joke?

[PatBattle]

Of course, the Rush makes fun of Chelsea story is a complete and total fabrication, but don't let that get in the way of your little witch hunt...

[outlaw33]

voter69. Just the kind of comment one would expect from a devout lib. It is a shame that anyone, regardless of political affiliation, would stoop to such valueless comments that make no substantial point. The kind of typical double standard one might expect from a morally bankrupt society. What kind of logic uses the bad conduct to justify more bad conduct?

[Larry]

So Limbaugh is guilty of "treason" because he believes Obama's policies are bad for America and hopes they fail, but lefties like Wanda Sykes - who spent the past 8 years not only hoping the war in Iraq would fail, but actively propagandizing for the enemy - THEY aren't guilty of treason.

Liberal hypocrisy knows no bounds.

[lemmus]

...voter69 ...if ignorance is bliss you're in heaven ...that entire story about Limbaugh is an Al Franken originated lie repeated endlessly by left-wing mavens like Ivins ...and long proven to be so ...try fact checking your posts before you spread more filth like this ...really, you shouldn't believe everything you read on huff or kos.

...and just to point out how far off base you really are, it was Al Franken and the SNL crew he was a star of that was the primary public source in 1993 for humiliation of Chelsea re her appearance.

...go ahead, fact check it.

[Marie Clough]

The White House says 911 is nothing to joke about? Then why did Obama get such enjoyment out of the racist so called commediens comments? They complain about everyone, and get away with anything. And....to say the Rush Limbaugh's kidneys should fail, and have everyone laugh, shows just how inconsiderate and evil the Democratic party is.

[wallace]

Voter69,

Or, just maybe, they were BOTH tasteless jokes.

Ever consider that? I bet you didn't.

Get off your moronic partisan horse and see the world through an independent's eyes. You'll do yourself some good.

[Vink]

Obama is a failure as a leader and POTUS, worse than GWB on a bad day.

[Gregorovich512]

Voter69 seems to think if one person makes a joke then that person is fair game for any kind of retalitory joke. If that is correct, then I recall that Obama has made some ill-informed jokes of his own. Does that mean I can wish he has kidney failure? I might wish for brain-failure, but you can't wish for something that has already happened.

Then you go into the standard liberal mode of name calling and degredation. So much for tolerance! I'm not ignorant, nor am I a sap. I am college educated and I think for myself. I may not agree with every utterance by Limbaugh, but I do agree with his conservative argument. I do so because I have studied the issues and I have seen what does and does not work. Socialism is NOT what this country was founded upon.

Nice try - but your liberal labelling of "hypocracy" is baseless and demonstrates your own ignorance..

[Chris]

who cares if she made fun of Limbaugh? i think it is extremely poor taste to make a joke about 9/11 in front of the president