Conan O’Brien Criticizes Comedians Who Insult Donald Trump

Conan O’Brien critiqued his fellow comedians for spending their time and energy on lashing out at President Donald Trump.

During a conversation with the Oxford Union, O’Brien pointed out that comedians whose work has increasingly focused on anti-Trump commentary were unproductive. The former late-night host explained that by attacking the president, his colleagues in the entertainment industry have compromised their greatest tool, their sense of humor.

O’Brien suggested that some comedians have allowed anger to overshadow their humor, relying heavily on taking the same old jabs at Trump rather than using their creativity. He stressed that entertainers must continue to be interesting, even during dark times. He added that people who just go on stage and say “f*** Trump” or anything similar aren’t funny and that they’re being baited by his antics.

Despite his criticisms, O’Brien did acknowledge that the current state of comedy is lacking a clear line, which makes it more difficult to create new material. The late-night host believes that, because of this, some performers have responded by defaulting to repetitive anti-Trump messaging, relying on anger rather than originality. While he does understand their frustrations, he believes that this approach sacrifices the essence of comedy, which is the ability to surprise, provoke thought, and entertain.

Some comics go the route of “I’m going to just say “F Trump” all the time’… that’s their comedy. And I think well now, a little bit, you’re being co-opted because you’re so angry. You’ve been lulled. It’s like a siren leading you into the rocks. You’ve been lulled into just saying ‘F Trump. F Trump. F Trump. Screw this guy.’ And I think you’ve now put down your best weapon, which is being funny, and you’ve exchanged it for anger.

That person or any person that would say, ‘Well, things are 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. And you just have to find a way to channel that anger into a way…because good art will always be a great weapon, will always be a perfect weapon against power. But if you’re just screaming and you’re just angry, you’ve lost your best tool in the toolbox.

O’Brien, who hosted late-night television for nearly three decades before shifting his focus, generally avoids politics, at least more than others in the industry. He usually relies more on self-deprecating comedy and is more lighthearted. He even mentioned on his podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, that he’s “not a political comedian.”