'Late Late' Host Craig Ferguson Dishes At The White House Correspondents Dinner

15 Comments »

1. He was tougher on the press, but I think that’s because he knew that the other speakers would be tough on the President.

   I think he handled it fairly well, kept it moving, and made sure that everyone got a good piss-taking as some call it.

   Comment by Furious D — April 27, 2008 @ 11:59 am

2. Craig, you lost us with the tiresome Clinton jabs.

   Obama not squeaky clean as Ferguson fantasizes. We’ll see more and more truth as the honeymoon period ends, and as Obama spends more time in the big leagues:

   Obama donor received a state grant

   http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-killerspin27apr27,0,6789688.story

   Comment by Whatevuh — April 27, 2008 @ 12:03 pm

3. A little soft . . .

   Comment by ekeby — April 27, 2008 @ 12:24 pm

4. Funny!!! LMAO so many times. Thx for posting, Nikki.

   Comment by robert b. — April 27, 2008 @ 4:07 pm

5. Rough room but Ferguson killed! That was just awesome.

   Comment by Elzer — April 27, 2008 @ 8:21 pm

6. Craig was perfect. Perfect. He was not there to insult his host and spill blood all over the dias yet he walked the fine line between respectful entertainment and trenchant commentary brilliantly. And disarmingly. Only Craig could smile and call Cheney “pervy” and make the vice president smile.

   Comment by Suzanne — April 27, 2008 @ 11:30 pm

7. His nightly show is much better but this is a tough gig. While he didn’t match the heights of Colbert, he clearly wasn’t going for something that cutting. He did a good job. Thanks for posting it, Nikki.

   That said, the Colbert performance two years ago was the greatest and bravest moment of American comedy of the decade, if not the greatest and bravest moment of American comedy since Richard Pryor was at his peak. For those who haven’t seen it, track it down ASAP!

   Comment by George Glass — April 28, 2008 @ 12:50 am

8. These White House correspondent’s dinners have turned into a huge farce. Not because of the comedians, that’s been a long tradition. But the onslaught of the 15 minutes of fame crowd that for no apparent reason are invited to attend this. This year among the losers, were Ashlee Simpson, the Jonas Brothers, and the Hills idiots. I’m sure next year Miley Cyrus will be invited.

   Comment by Arrested Development Fan — April 28, 2008 @ 3:40 am

9. The Colbert performance was the “greatest and bravest” comedy moment of the decade?? Right, and I’m Bugs Bunny. It is soooo brave to make idiotic, vicious swipes at the President when you know all your buddies in Hollywood will be back-slapping you later. Oh, yes, sooo brave indeed. Colbert hardly had any audience to speak of before, and hardly has any now - coincidence? I think not.

   Comment by Amelia — April 28, 2008 @ 12:33 pm

10. It just can’t get any better than that subtle and yet to the point…too funny, Ferguson ROCKS!!!

    Comment by Paul — April 28, 2008 @ 4:09 pm

11. You’re Bugs Bunny!?!?! Awesome!

    The Colbert Show’s recent stint in Philadelphia was the highest ratings they’ve gotten thus far. It’s a very successful show (as far as basic cable/Comedy Central) goes and is pulling in over 1.5 million viewers a night. He seems to have SOME sort of audience, but maybe I’m crazy…

    Comment by ckn8 — April 28, 2008 @ 5:37 pm

12. Hey, CKN8 - I’d rather be Bugs Bunny than an idiot who thinks that Colbert pulling in 1.5 million viewers is so fabulous. Even “Smallville” pulls in more viewers than that! Like you said yourself, “as far as basic cable/Comedy Central”. I’m sure people are signing up to cable by the droves just to see Colbert!! What a dweeb. Can’t you come up with an argument less pathetic than that?

    Comment by Amelia — April 28, 2008 @ 7:20 pm

13. The ‘other speakers’? What other speakers?

    I think some of the comments are from viewers who don’t know the intent/purpose of the dinner.

    It’s isn’t sponsored by the press to skewer the president, the government, or anyone else.

    It’s a celebration of the fact - almost 100 years of it - that we can criticize the government and not end up dead or in Siberia for it.

    Comment by Mary Davis — April 28, 2008 @ 10:20 pm

14. Amelia- As you have aptly demonstrated, it is easy to “make idiotic, vicious swipes.” The difference is that you do it from behind the safety of your computer screen and Colbert did directly to the President’s face! That’s called speaking truth to power and in a political climate where any sort of dissention has branded as “unpatriotic,” “Anti-troops” or with some other intellectually disinegenuious slur, it was a brave act to do. Check out the outrage from the usual Right-wing punditry in the days after Colbert’s performance. So what if his ratings went up or not? Perhaps he said those things because he thought they were important enough to be said, not because he wanted a ratings boast.

    Comment by Rich D — April 30, 2008 @ 9:31 am

15. What prompted me to seek this link to Ferguson out was the high praise given to his performance by Dennis Miller on his radio show on Monday. Dennis could not have been more effusive in his praise. It was well-deserved.

    Ferguson: Scottish immigrant high school dropout, who at the start of the Bush presidency was still putting on a British accent on the Drew Carey Show and has since become one of the great new talents of late night network TV - AND a new American citizen. Only here, folks. Only here.

    Loved the bit about the thwarted airport car bombing in Glasgow.

    Comment by Captain Scarlet — May 1, 2008 @ 4:37 am

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