Picture: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Conan O’Brien won what many joked used to be the remaining Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night time. He used to be feted through such comedians as David Letterman, Sarah Silverman, and John Mulaney. “Welcome to the Kennedy Heart,” Mulaney mentioned, “or as it’s going to be identified subsequent week, the Roy Cohn Pavilion for giant sturdy males.” That shaggy dog story, and extra, will air on Netflix later this yr.
Till the night time of, it used to be unclear who can be appearing on the embattled Kennedy Heart to honor O’Brien. Trump did a opposed takeover of the appearing arts middle, and lots of celebs canceled their displays in reaction. But extra displays have been canceled through the brand new admin for being too woke. Now not Cats, although. By no means Cats.
Talking of woke, O’Brien famous in his acceptance speech that Mark Twain held traits many would classify with that phrase at the moment. “Twain used to be allergic to hypocrisy and he loathed racism,” he mentioned. “Twain used to be suspicious of populism, jingoism, imperialism, the cash far more than the Gilded Age and any expression of senseless American would possibly or vanity. Above all, Twain used to be a patriot in the most productive sense of the phrase. He beloved The us however knew it used to be deeply unsuitable. Twain wrote, ‘Patriotism is supporting your nation always, and your executive when it merits it.”
O’Brien thanked former Kennedy Heart chairmen David Rubenstein and president Deborah Rutter, who have been fired through the president this yr. “In truth, I don’t know why they don’t seem to be right here this night. I misplaced Wifi in January,” he mentioned. O’Brien then thanked the Kennedy Heart workforce, “for years, and who’re fearful about what the long run would possibly convey. My everlasting thank you for his or her selfless devotion to the humanities.”
