While comedian Conan O'Brien has addressed many gatherings in his lifetime, the recent gathering at the John F. Kennedy Center of Arts would be a memorable one for him.
The comedian was recently presented with the award for lifetime achievement in comedy on Sunday night while the future of the popular cultural center in the capital city is still under the shadows. While half a dozen people joked about this event being the last one, people were curious about how O'Brien would handle his designation.
As per Forbes, after accepting the award from Letterman, the comedian decided to speak a few words about Mark Twain, to whom the award is named. O'Brien called Twain America's greatest humorist and a man of principles:
"Yes, he is America’s greatest humorist but his enduring power springs from his core principles. First and foremost, Twain hated bullies and he populated his works with abusers, such as Huck Finn’s abusive father, and he made his readers hate those characters. He punched up, not down and he deeply, deeply empathized with the weak."
O'Brien said that one cannot invoke Twain without knowing about him:
"One cannot invoke Twain without understanding who he was and what he stood for.” He continued by emphasizing that "Twain was alive, vibrant and vitally relevant today."
Conan O'Brien who is now 61 was selected for the 26th Mark Twain Prize in the middle of January. During his speech, O'Brien also extended his gratitude to former president Deborah Rutter former chairman of the board David Rubenstein, and all the staff members of the Kennedy Center, who were worried about what the future might hold for them. He received the biggest round of applause when he took Rutter's and Rubenstein's names:
"And a special thanks to all the beautiful people who have worked here at the Kennedy Center for years and who are worried about what the future might bring. My eternal thanks for their selfless devotion to the arts," said O'Brien.
Conan O'Brien further emphasized that the life and history of Mark Twain are resonant with American history and that Twain loved America with all his heart despite its flaws.
The event was a glorious night full of jokes and light-hearted roasting. It was attended by some renowned comics such as Nikki Glaser, Adam Sandler (who also had a dance with O'Brien that night disguised as Mark Twain), David Letterman, Kumail Nanjiani, Stephen Colbert, Tracy Morgan, Bill Burr, and more.
Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center of Arts
After starting his second tenure as the president, Donald Trump named Richard Grenell, one of his loyal men as the interim president of the John F. Kennedy Centre of Performing Arts, one of the most prestigious cultural and art centers in the United States of America.
Trending
Trump ousted Deborah Rutter, the longtime president along with David Rubenstein, chairman of the board. The president also removed the board of trustees and replaced them with loyalists. The loyalists then collectively elected Trump as their chairman.
The Kennedy Centre was opened in the year 1971. It is supported by government funds and donations, attracting millions of art and music lovers from across the globe. Apart from being home to the Washington National Opera and the National Symphony Orchestra, it all dance, ballet, vocal music, contemporary dance, chamber music, jazz, opera, and comedy.
Love movies? Try our Box Office Game and Movie Grid Game to test your film knowledge and have some fun!
Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation
