Conan O'Brien

Stranger to Erin Burnett: You Work for CNN? Yeah, You're 'In the Can for Obama'
By Geoffrey Dickens | October 24, 2012 | 11:51 AM EDT

If you work for CNN apparently your reputation as a liberal journalist precedes you, at least that's what CNN's Erin Burnett revealed to Conan O'Brien on Tuesday night. The OutFront host, appearing as a guest on TBS's Conan, relayed that when she told a passenger, on a recent flight, that she worked for CNN the passenger replied: "Oh yeah. In the can for Obama."

Burnett's anecdote came during a discussion of how she was forced to watch the final presidential debate on her outbound flight to appear on Conan O'Brien's late night talk show. (video after the jump)

Conan O’Brien Calls Romney ‘Adolf Mittler’
By Noel Sheppard | October 24, 2012 | 9:23 AM EDT

Conan O'Brien on Tuesday appeared to want to make up for Bob Schieffer accidentally saying Obama bin Laden during Monday's presidential debate.

To compensate, he referred to Romney as "Adolf Mittler" (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

MSNBC's Wagner: Obama Running for President Because of 'Higher Calling', Romney Because It's 'Next Thing to Do'
By Ken Shepherd | October 18, 2012 | 5:15 PM EDT

President Obama is running for reelection because he feels the "higher calling" of the office, even though it's obvious he doesn't really love the political game, MSNBC's Alex Wagner told Conan O'Brien on his October 17 TBS program. By contrast, Gov. Mitt Romney is running simply because "it seems like the next thing he should be doing with his life."

Wagner made these comments after O'Brien observed that while Bill Clinton quite obviously loves hitting the campaign trail and stumping as a surrogate for Obama, it seems that the president himself would rather be doing something else than campaigning. [MP3 audio here; watch the video below the page break]

Comedian Conan O'Brien Mocks Elisabeth Hasselbeck for Asking Serious Question to Obama
By Ken Shepherd | September 26, 2012 | 2:49 PM EDT

It's no secret that late-night comedians traffic in yukking it up over simple stereotypes about presidents. Clinton was the horndog-in-chief while George W. Bush the bumbling boob. For his part, President Obama could be constantly lampooned as a vapid celebrity, especially given his penchant for skipping hard-hitting media outlets for fluffball interviews with the Miami's own DJ Laz -- aka the  "Pimp with a Limp" -- and Entertainment Tonight.

But in response to Obama's appearance on yesterday's edition of ABC's "The View," comedian Conan O'Brien used a meekly-posed question from co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck on the economy to slam the program's token conservative for daring to ask the president something that rose about the fluff. Noted Mediaite's Alex Alvarez (video embedded below page break):

Morning Joe Chuckles At Conan Spoof Video Of Palin Seeming To Shoot At Cheney
By Mark Finkelstein | July 31, 2012 | 8:40 AM EDT

Imagine that Fox News had run a spoof video of someone seeming to line up a leading Democrat for a high-powered rifle shot. Need we state the obvious? MSNBC and the rest of the MSM would have interrupted all normal broadcasting for at least the rest of the day to condemn the outrage.

But if a liberal late-night TV show runs a clip of Sarah Palin seeming to take such a shot at Dick Cheney?  Well, that's all in good fun.  Conan O'Brien last night ran a spoof video of Palin, reacting to Cheney's recent comment that McCain's pick of her as his running mate was a mistake, seeming to line up Dick Cheney for a shot with a high-powered rifle. Morning Joe replayed the clip this morning and guest host Mike Barnicle pronounced it "pretty good!" as a guest smiled on.  View the video after the jump.

Maher Claims Romney 'Bullying' Worse Than Michael Jackson Molestation
By Brad Wilmouth | May 16, 2012 | 5:33 AM EDT

Appearing as a guest on Tuesday's Conan show on TBS, HBO comedian Bill Maher absurdly suggested that recent allegations that Mitt Romney engaged in "bullying" in high school are worse than being molested by Michael Jackson, and asserted that he would be willing to trade being beat up in grade school for being "gently masturbated by a pop star."

Maher also again attacked Mormonism and religion generally, using uncensored vulgarity, and seemed to hold Romney responsible for the polygamy of his grandfather.

The Real Time host brought up Michael Jackson to suggest that Romney had behaved worse than a child molester:

Hollywood: Driving the Homosexual Agenda for 40 Years
By Paul Wilson | May 10, 2012 | 3:00 PM EDT

Hollywood celebrities exuberantly celebrated President Obama’s recent declaration of support for gay marriage. But Hollywood did not have to come out of the closet and support homosexuality – it has long used its influence to purposely swing public opinion in favor of homosexuality. 

For several decades, Hollywood has shown its overt support for homosexuality. Brokeback Mountain was nominated for Best Picture for its unabashedly sympathetic portrayal of a doomed gay relationship. Newt Gingrich’s half-sister officiated at a gay wedding on “Friends” in the 1990s. More recently, late night talk show host Conan O’Brian officiated at an actual gay wedding.

Conan Repeats False HuffPo Claim That Fox Business’s Bolling Called Muppets ‘Communist’
By Iris Somberg | December 6, 2011 | 10:48 AM EST

A false Huffington Post claim that Fox Business Network’s Eric Bolling called the Muppets “communist” quickly spread to other news and entertainment outlets on Dec. 5. A segment on the latest Muppet villain, oil tycoon Tex Richman, was quickly twisted by the left into an attack on Fox and showed where news organizations and comedy shows get their information. 

In the movie, the Muppets are out to save their studio and prevent Richman from destroying it to drill for oil. “Follow the Money” host Bolling said at the end of his segment, “We’re teaching our kids class warfare. What are we, communist China?” Apparently this expression of exasperation caused HuffPo to say he went “McCarthy” on the movie. 

Media Laud 'Groundbreaking' Gay Wedding on 'Conan'
By Erin R. Brown | November 4, 2011 | 10:44 AM EDT

"Groundbreaking." "Memorable." "Big." "Remarkable." "Intimate." [?] "Wonderful." "Great." "History-making." "Go Coco!"

The above statements were made by various media outlets upon learning of Conan O'Brien's intention to preside over the wedding of a gay couple during the taping of his show "Conan" in New York this week.

O'Brien, who is celebrating his first year at TBS, is back in New York this week (for 16 years his previous show, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" was filmed in New York City). He announced last week that he was going to officiate a gay wedding because same-sex marriages are now legal in New York. The funnyman obtained an online certificate from Universal Life Church Monastery and on Thursday, Nov. 3, married his long time costume designer Scott Cronick to his Cronick's partner in a traditional Jewish ceremony.

Let the media cheerleading begin.

CBS's Rodriguez: 'Young Revolution a la President Obama' Would Boost Conan O'Brien's TBS Show
By Kyle Drennen | April 13, 2010 | 1:05 PM EDT
Maggie Rodriguez and Dalton Ross, CBS On Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez described how comedian Conan O'Brien could attract viewers to his new late night show on the TBS cable channel: "if he can get this young revolution, you know, a la President Obama, to follow him, that could be huge."

Rodriguez made the comment after guest Dalton Ross, the assistant managing editor for Entertainment Weekly, observed that O'Brien was: "now competing with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, he's not expected to have these mass numbers. As long as he brings his younger audience, his albeit smaller, but passionate audience to TBS, it's going to be successful."

Ross thought Rodriguez's comparison of Obama and O'Brien supporters was "exactly right."
Scarborough: 'I Prefer My Dog To Leno'
By Mark Finkelstein | January 15, 2010 | 7:16 AM EST

Ouch.  Joe Scarborough on today's Morning Joe:

JOE SCARBOROUGH: You understand what I'm saying.  I prefer Conan to Leno.  I prefer my dog to Leno. That's just me: well, my dog's very funny.
The irony is that--his personal preference for canine comedy notwithstanding--Joe went on to argue that from a business perspective, it makes sense to replace O'Brien with Leno . . .

CBS ‘Early Show’ Hosts: Palin Could Be Conan O’Brien’s Sidekick on Fox
By Kyle Drennen | January 13, 2010 | 11:03 AM EST
Maggie Rodriguez, Harry Smith, and Dave Price, CBS While speculating that Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien may move to Fox in the wake of NBC shaking up its late night schedule, on Wednesday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez referred to Sarah Palin becoming a contributor for Fox News: “Sarah Palin his sidekick? Because she’s on Fox now, too.”