MSNBC host Alex Wagner served as master of ceremonies Wednesday night at the Washington Press Club Foundation Congressional dinner, an annual gathering of politicians and journalists for a night of cheap laughs.
And apparently Wagner’s laughs (if you could call a few muffled chuckles “laughs”) were free — in fact, stolen.
Her jokes were tired and unoriginal (Obama’s birth certificate, Mitch McConnell looks like a turtle — hilarious!), but one joke in particular was a clear ripoff from another annual laughfest — last year’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner.
“And I’m feeling sorry, believe it or not, for the Speaker of the House as well,” Obama said last year. “These days, the House Republicans actually give John Boehner a harder time than they give me. Which means, orange really is the new black.”
Wagner on Wednesday, after discussing news that Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., had his office decorated in the style of British period drama “Downton Abbey,” described the inspirations for other Congressional offices.
“Darrell Issa, his office takes inspiration from ‘True Detective’; Nancy Pelosi’s office is inspired by ‘Game of Thrones’; Sen. Ted Cruz is a die hard fan of ‘Sons of Anarchy’ (doesn’t come as much of a surprise); and John Boehner, of course, has taken inspiration decor from ‘Orange is the New Black,’ ” Wagner said.
“It was too easy. It was too easy, I’m sorry Speaker Boehner,” she added.
Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., who followed Wagner, was much funnier, as was Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., who closed the night (though he did have a long, awkward, fake phone call with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that at one point bordered on offensive).
I mean, they were no Jim Gaffigans or Patton Oswalts, but at least their jokes weren’t blatantly stolen from the most famous man in the world.
You can watch video here.
