O’Brien, who rarely gets political with his comedy, struck a sometimes serious tone as he lauded the Mark Twain Prize’s namesake: “First and foremost, Twain hated bullies. … He punched up, not down, and he deeply, deeply empathized with the weak.”
“Twain was suspicious of populism, jingoism, imperialism, the money-obsessed mania of the Gilded Age, and any expression of mindless American might or self-importance,” O’Brien said.
“Above all, Twain was a patriot in the best sense of the word. He loved America, but knew it was deeply flawed. Twain wrote, ‘Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time, and your government when it deserves it.'”
“Some of you might be thinking, what does this have to do with comedy? It has everything to do with comedy. Everything!” O’Brien exclaimed.
“Comedy that I have loved all my life: comedy that is self-critical, deflating and dedicated to the proposition that we are all flawed, absurd and wallowing in the mud together,” he said.
“When we celebrate Twain, truly seeing him for who he was, we acknowledge our commonality and we move just a little closer together,” O’Brien told the audience.
Twain was a true American. Learn form him, MAGAts.
“Twain was suspicious of populism, jingoism, imperialism, the money-obsessed mania of the Gilded Age, and any expression of mindless American might or self-importance,” O’Brien said.
“Above all, Twain was a patriot in the best sense of the word. He loved America, but knew it was deeply flawed. Twain wrote, ‘Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time, and your government when it deserves it.'”
“Some of you might be thinking, what does this have to do with comedy? It has everything to do with comedy. Everything!” O’Brien exclaimed.
“Comedy that I have loved all my life: comedy that is self-critical, deflating and dedicated to the proposition that we are all flawed, absurd and wallowing in the mud together,” he said.
“When we celebrate Twain, truly seeing him for who he was, we acknowledge our commonality and we move just a little closer together,” O’Brien told the audience.
Twain was a true American. Learn form him, MAGAts.
