Barack Obama v. Larry Wilmore (a win-win)

What happened tonight at the White House Correspondents Dinner... many said Barack Obama outdid Larry Wilmore on the comedy front. Barack delivered a fine performance-- skewering Hillary Clinton, by imagining myself pulling down a much of Harriet Tubman's ($20 bills) by taking Goldman Sachs money for delivering speeches after he leaves office. Barack has been to eight of these events and his experience showed nicely. He knows the journalists well but chose to make most fun of his own kind, politics and politicians, and that focus gave his remarks a certain modesty and self-deprecation. Wilmore, had to find another tact, and made fun of the journalists in the room. He highlighted the struggles of news outlets, the dying print media and brainless CNN reporters, and that proved a trickier endeavor. Wilmore attempted to add comic intensity, but often sounded mean-spirited.  Nothing could be further from this comedian's true colors, Larry Wilmore is by nature an easygoing, amiable personality.

Truthfully, I think Larry Wilmore is too cerebral a comedian, more a comedy writer than a rough and tumble standup, to perform the role of emcee at a Roast. Wilmore strongest performance actually occurred in a non-comic vein when he lauded President Obama's amazing achievement, proving a black man capable for the biggest leadership role in the world.

Wilmore's comment came toward the end of his performance. Wilmore, approximately the same age as Obama, reminded us that years ago many did not believe a black man capable of playing quarterback much less leader of the free world. I found Wilmore's tribute to Obama more significant that any joke could ever be. Wilmore embraced the real truth of Obama-- a miracle in our lifetime, the game changer of an African-American president-- and did a great service in that moment.

Wilmore struggled to get an edge to his performance-- but he seems more capable of provoking thought and quiet laughter in his cerebral comic style. The material was there but maybe the standup's  anarchic personality, the  ..."I don't give a damn 'cause I just walked in off the street" persona is not a natural pose for this nuanced comedian. Wilmore has great comedic skills but the assignment works better for the Stephen Colbert type performer, full of piss and vinegar and loving the attention and the spotlight. We were lucky to have the selfless Wilmore on hand to deliver thanks to Barack Obama, a more important task than "killing" the audience with laughter.