On Monday's NBC Today, co-host Ann Curry could barely contain her glee
over President Obama's comedic performance at Saturday's White House
Correspondents' Dinner: "I mean, he is Shecky, Shecky Obama. I'm telling you, he knows about timing. He's terrific." Curry was referring to famous stand-up comedian Shecky Greene [1]. [Listen to the audio [2]]
Fellow co-host Matt Lauer asked Curry and weatherman Al Roker about being guests at the event. Roker declared: "It was a good time, it really was. I thought the President did fantastically. Jimmy
Kimmel, I think was a little nervous, but boy, he delivered." Curry
replied: "It would be hard not to be nervous following the President."
Lauer chimed in: "[Obama's] very good, there's no question."
In the prior report on the dinner, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd touted how, "The President used his stand-up time to take plenty of comedic shots at his opponent Mitt Romney....Mr. Obama made plenty of dog jokes, showing this parody ad mocking Romney's decision to transport his Irish setter on top of his car during a family road trip in 1983."
Here is a full transcript of the April 30 segment:
7:19AM ET
ANN CURRY: President Obama showed off his lighter side this weekend at
the White House Correspondents' Dinner. An annual gathering of who's who
in Washington and Hollywood. NBC's chief White House correspondent
Chuck Todd was there. Hey, Chuck, good morning.
CHUCK TODD: Good morning, Ann. Well, the President headlined his final
Correspondents' Dinner of his term. Of course he hopes to be back for a
second. In fact, that was the main theme of Washington's most glitzy
weekend of the year.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Comedian-in-Chief; Laughs Served Up At W.H. Correspondents' Dinner]
Take some Hollywood glamour, mix it with Washington power and you've
got the White House Correspondents' Dinner. An annual weekend of parties
that some insiders mockingly call D.C.'s "Nerd Prom." President Obama
dominated Saturday's black tie dinner as comedian-in-chief. At the same
dinner one year ago, unbeknownst to most of the audience that night, the
Osama Bin Laden raid was quietly in the works. An anniversary the
President had some fun with.
BARACK OBAMA: Last year at this time, in fact, on this very weekend, we
finally delivered justice to one of the world's most notorious
individuals.
[PICTURE OF DONALD TRUMP ON SCREEN]
TODD: But for the most part, election year politics were on full
display. The President used his stand-up time to take plenty of comedic
shots at his opponent Mitt Romney.
OBAMA: It's great to be here this evening in the vast, magnificent
Hilton ballroom, or what Mitt Romney would call a little fixer-upper. We
also both have degrees from Harvard. I have one. He has two. What a
snob.
TODD: Mr. Obama made plenty of dog jokes, showing this parody ad
mocking Romney's decision to transport his Irish setter on top of his
car during a family road trip in 1983.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Join Mitt Romney in sending a message this November. I'm an American, and dog gone it, I ride outside.
TODD: The President didn't spare himself on the canine front, mocking
his own experience eating dog meat when he was a child in Indonesia.
OBAMA: My stepfather always told me it's a boy eat dog world out there.
TODD: And Mr. Obama even had this zinger for his secretary of state.
OBAMA: Four years ago I was locked in a brutal primary battle with
Hillary Clinton. Four years later, she won't stop drunk texting me from
Cartagena.
TODD: The Secret Service scandal was fodder for comedian Jimmy Kimmel,
who was unsparing. He rattled off a slew of jokes in quick succession,
many which lampooned the President.
JIMMY KIMMEL: Mr. President, I know you won't be able to laugh at any
of my jokes about the Secret Service, so, cover your ears, if that's
physically possible. You know there's a term for guys like President
Obama, probably not two terms, but – Mr. President, remember when the
country rallied around you in hopes of a better tomorrow? That was
hilarious.
TODD: Well, it's never easy for a comedian to have to follow a sitting
president at that dinner but President Obama got a little bit of a taste
of his own medicine. He had to follow President Clinton last night. The
two of them are doing three joint fundraisers to benefit President
Obama's re-election campaign. Well, the first one was last night in
Virginia. The next two, Ann, are going to be in New York City and
probably, of course, Hollywood.
CURRY: Alright. Chuck Todd this morning. Thank you so much. It was a fun – you were there, too, Al.
MATT LAUER: Well you talk about a who's who of Hollywood and, you know, the media. You both were there.
AL ROKER: Well-
CURRY: Well, we're nobody compared to half the people – yeah, it was fun.
AL ROKER: It was a good time, it really was. I thought the President
did fantastically. Jimmy Kimmel, I think was a little nervous, but boy,
he delivered.
CURRY: It would be hard not to be nervous following the President. I mean, he is Shecky, Shecky Obama.
LAUER: He's very good, there's no question.
CURRY: I'm telling you, he knows about timing. He's terrific.
-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here [3] to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.