Conan O’Brien and Zach Galifianakis Claim Comedians Challenge All Politicians Equally

Comedians Conan O’Brien and Zach Galifianakis recently discussed comedy's role with politicians during a conversation about Galifianakis' show Between Two Ferns.

O’Brien pointed to Galifianakis' interviews with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as models for how comedians should handle politicians by making them uncomfortable and exposing vulnerabilities. Galifianakis agreed, criticizing podcasters who have hosted President Donald Trump. "Podcasters that have had the president on now, they don’t do their court jester…they don’t do it. They just suck up to him," Galifianakis said. "So the comedians that are podcasters that have had Trump on, they’re not doing their job."

"That’s not the job of a comedian, you are to challenge, you are to make uncomfortable. You are not to sit there and fake laugh, that is not the job of the court jester. Period," he added. Galifianakis said he prioritizes comedy over politics. "I’m more interested in the comedy first…" O’Brien replied, "Me too."

Galifianakis recalled his Clinton interview, where her camp barred mention of the email scandal. He told them no interview would happen then, and they relented. O’Brien said politicians who laugh at themselves become more relatable. "I see this all the time… people not understanding that if they go to the supposedly vulnerable place, and have a sense of humor about it, it is magical for them," O’Brien said.

He praised the Obama interview, where Obama played along with rudeness and ignorance for comedy. O’Brien suggested Trump would benefit from being the butt of a joke to humanize himself. Galifianakis replied, "It’s impossible. You wouldn’t do it with him, it wouldn’t work."

O’Brien said there’s a misconception that media targets only conservatives and that everyone benefits from self-deprecating humor. The article notes shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Daily Show, Saturday Night Live! and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver mostly target the political right and Trump.

It cites Galifianakis' 2016 Los Angeles Times comment refusing to host Trump, calling him mentally challenged. Jimmy Kimmel recently called Melania Trump an expectant widow. Trump has appeared on Saturday Night Live! multiple times. The article claims these shows rarely invite Republicans and ignored the Eric Swalwell scandal, including his Hooters meetings.