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Working the big room
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In the comedy business there are a couple of important rooms where you want to do well to get noticed…the IMPROV in Los Angeles and Caroline's in New York are a couple of good examples. In global politics there is just one. The big room ... the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
I mention that because if you think about it, there isn't really a huge difference between politicians and comedians. As proof of that, you only needed to be in the audience at the UN this week.
At times it was hard to tell if these were statesmen or tummlers. Let's look at a couple of the acts that played the big room this week.
Far and away, the biggest hit was Libya's Muammar Gaddafi. He did 96 minutes! And only left the stage when his own delegation passed him a note telling him to get off. I can just imagine THAT conversation.
"You tell him."
"No YOU tell him."
"No way. I like having the use of my legs."
Gaddafi has an interesting act. It's hard to describe but, "stream of unconsciousness" is a good place to start. I mean this guy can ramble. And at 96 minutes, he is the Dave Chappelle of global statesmen.
He went so far over his time limit that he bumped Iran's Ahmadinejad into the evening hours, denying him a chance to make the evening news. And you know Mahmud was not happy about that.
Ahmadinejad brought his usual act to the UN, and if you ask me, needs some new material. Most folks have heard his act and so he walked a good portion of the room.
Israel's Netanyahu went on and totally went after Ahmadinejad, and beat up the audience for giving Ahmadinejad any time at all.
Everyone was eager to see what Venezuela's Hugo Chavez was going to do. Folks still remember his "It smells like sulphur up here" bit and wanted to see what he was going to do this time. And he didn't disappoint. He got a good laugh when he said that it didn't smell like sulphur anymore. Proving once again that callbacks are always a great comedic tool.
So there you go. Each of the world leaders might be a headliner in their own country, but they all know that if you really want to be noticed, ya gotta work the big room on the East River.
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