During a conversation with the student union at the University of Oxford in the UK, Conan O’Brien commented on the challenges of doing comedy about someone as absurd as Donald Trump.
“Comedy needs a straight line to start from,” the comedian explained.
“And right now, we don’t have a straight line. We have a very crooked, rubbery line. We have a spring. We have a fire hose whipping around and spraying water at 160 kilometers per hour (or something else),” he continued.
The host of “Late Night” said it is very difficult for a comedian to create an absurd scenario involving Donald Trump.
He cited the episode where the U.S. president demolished part of the White House to build an unnecessary party hall. For him, it’s difficult to parody a situation that’s already happening.
Conan O’Brien said that comedy related to politics in the U.S. is “challenging.”
“Some comedians go down the path of ‘I’ll just trash Trump all the time,’ or that becomes their comedy. Now, in a way, you’re being co-opted,” he reflected.
“That person, or anyone like that, will say, ‘Well, things are way 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,” he said.
“You just have to find a way to channel that anger, because good art will always be a powerful weapon. It will always be a perfect weapon against power,” concluded Conan O’Brien.
Photos: Instagram @teamcoco and @potus. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
