By Jim Buie
I am vice president of Carolina Health and Humor. Like someone once said of Walter Mondale, I “have the soul of a vice president.”
We’re hosting “Hillaryious Obamanations: Primary Daze in
North Carolina” at 7:30 Thursday, May 1, at the Center for Conscious Living, 4900
Waters Edge Drive, Suite 250 in Raleigh, just off the 440 Beltline east of Crossroads of Cary. Expect surprises because the presidential candidates have been
invited. Wine and cheese will be served and a $5 donation will be encouraged.
The idea is to make Carolina HAHA North Carolina's version of the Gridiron Club, yet open not just to an exclusive Washington elite but to everyone.
HAHA President Rog Bates, a comedian and singer/songwriter, will be master of ceremonies for a fast-paced 90 minutes of satiric fun and raucous reverie.
I’m putting together a multimedia presentation on the history of political humor since 1960, with audio and video clips from impressionists Vaughn Meader as the Kennedys, David Frye as Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and William F. Buckley, Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford, Dan Ackroyd as Jimmy Carter, Rich Little as Ronald Reagan, Dana Carvey as Ross Perot and George H.W. Bush, Phil Hartman as Bill Clinton, and Will Farrell as George W. Bush. I’ve also collected the best political video clips from Saturday Night Live’s spoofs of the 2008 campaign, and some YouTube video spoofs of the campaign and the voters.
These will be interspersed with skits from Carolina HAHA
members: Ann Loomis of Chapel Hill will portray Hillary Clinton, taking questions from the audience, I’ll do an impression of Bill Clinton, Bob Loomis
will play the Pennsylvania polka on his accordion, with original lyrics, and
“Nothing Could Be Finer than to be in Carolina in the Morning,” also with
original lyrics. Other HAHA members will portray John McCain and Barack Obama
and audience members will be asked to share their best political jokes.
We’re working on skits about Hillary and Barack going door to door in NC neighborhoods, which one would be best able to answer the 3 AM phone calls. This contest has been great for puncturing racist, sexist and age-ist stereotypes, and for making unconscious decisions conscious.
If Hill, Bill, Chelsea, Barack, Michelle, John or Cindy show up, we promise to keep our act clean, not insult them, give them the floor for a few minutes, and invite the television crews so they can look like they have senses of humor on the evening news as they commune with the common people. What better way to improve their likeability quotient?
If you have suggestions, brainstorms or ideas for the event, post them here. This is a CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS. Or post a video to YouTube and post the link here. We might show it. And join us on May 1!
If you can’t make it on May 1 but are still interested in the topic, or in Carolina Health and Humor, post your regrets and we’ll let you know about our next event. You can RSVP for the event here.
Drill Deeper:
Wow! That sounds like quite a show. I'll give you one idea maybe you could use (or that might jog your brain for a better idea): How about a 3 a.m. phone call FROM HILLARY CLINTON TO OBAMA, in which she's going to tell him she's pulling out of the race & endorsing him - but he's so groggy he doesn't get the point & she decides to go forward in the race, as he may not be up to it, & turns to an aide & says, "Gee, think maybe we could figure out a way to do an ad based on what just happened?" Just an idea...
Given the intensity of the presidential race, probably generating far more heat than light over the next few weeks, I'd say the Comic Relief you're about to get from the whole thing could be very welcome!!
Posted by: Bruce Johnson | 04/23/2008 at 12:50 PM