Torture is still hilarious, though. (ap photo)
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs today criticized the comedic stylings of Wanda Sykes, the entertainment from Saturday’s White House Correspondents Association annual dinner. Gibbs, who has made some jokes about torture, said Sykes 9/11 jabs were definitely a joke too far:
“I think the president — I haven’t talked specifically with him, but…I think there are a lot of topics that are better left for serious reflection than comedy,” Gibbs said. “I think there’s no doubt that 9/11 is part of that.”
Sykes did a bit about Rush Limbaugh being the 20th hijacker, speculating he was too addled by prescription drugs to make his flight. There was more — in any case, it offended some who believed her jokes were unfunny. Gibbs made a point of noting that the correspondents association books the talent, not the White House.
Some reports about the event noted that Obama laughed at Sykes’ routine. From Fox News:
“Rush Limbaugh, ‘I hope the country fails’ — I hope his kidneys fail, how about that? … He needs a good waterboarding, that’s what he needs.”
Obama joined the crowd in laughing at the crack about Limbaugh’s “kidneys.”
