# President Obama on "Between Two Ferns". **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2014, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430 "2014-03-11T14:18:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/21 "2014-03-11T23:34:00Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > “You know what I would do if I was president? Make same sex \*divorce \*illegal, and see how bad they want it.” That one killed me. I thought Obama was terrific. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/22 "2014-03-11T23:54:48Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Am I the only one who thinks this looks like a hoax? The camera kept cutting from Obama to Galli/whatever, never portraying them both onscreen together while they were “zinging” each other. It came off as very staged/stilted/weird to me. Uh… it is very staged and scripted. It’s kind of the point. Or are you saying that there’s stock footage of Obama out there taking about the Hangover that got re-edited? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/23 "2014-03-12T00:09:59Z")
Very good! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/24 "2014-03-12T00:14:41Z")
[Burns voice]Excellent![/bv] “I’m not letting Michelle anywhere _near_ you.” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/25 "2014-03-12T00:57:36Z")
Mostly meh, although it got funnier at the end. This is still my favorite Obama gag: [Steven Spielberg's "Obama" - 2013 Correspondents' Dinner Comedy Video - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-52sM4DYdBc) What’s the white thing on the President’s right lapel? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/26 "2014-03-12T01:11:13Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Uh… it is very staged and scripted. It’s kind of the point. Uh… well, no, that’s not the point, actually. A talk show is two people, y’know, talking to each other. In the same room. Maybe even spontaneously! This segment looks mostly like each party taped their piece alone and it was pieced together in post-production… no spontaneity whatsoever, and most of the camera shots are of one party or the other as if they were completely alone. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/27 "2014-03-12T01:15:14Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > What’s the white thing on the President’s right lapel? I’m pretty sure that’s tape holding on his microphone. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/28 "2014-03-12T01:20:24Z")
Another one chiming in to say that was high-larious. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/29 "2014-03-12T01:25:24Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Uh… well, no, that’s not the point, actually. A talk show is two people, y’know, talking to each other. In the same room. Maybe even spontaneously! This segment looks mostly like each party taped their piece alone and it was pieced together in post-production… no spontaneity whatsoever, and most of the camera shots are of one party or the other as if they were completely alone. It’s not a real talk show. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/30 "2014-03-12T01:33:38Z")
It was certainly smart of Obama to do it. The video’s been a huge success and is currently the [top referrer for healthcare.gov](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/11/between-two-ferns-obama_n_4943694.html?utm_hp_ref=politics). ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/31 "2014-03-12T02:31:43Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Uh… well, no, that’s not the point, actually. A talk show is two people, y’know, talking to each other. In the same room. Maybe even spontaneously! This segment looks mostly like each party taped their piece alone and it was pieced together in post-production… no spontaneity whatsoever, and most of the camera shots are of one party or the other as if they were completely alone. And when they shook hands? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/32 "2014-03-12T02:47:30Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Am I the only one who thinks this looks like a hoax? The camera kept cutting from Obama to Galli/whatever, never portraying them both onscreen together while they were “zinging” each other. It came off as very staged/stilted/weird to me. Wait, are you trying to tell me that Zach Galifianakis isn’t actually secretly hosting a talk show from the diplomatic room in the White House? Naw! ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/33 "2014-03-12T03:14:12Z")
I liked it. In this and other things, Obama is weirdly good with comedic delivery. At a few of the WH Correspondant Dinners, he’s been better at reading his lines then the professional comedian speakers. > [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Am I the only one who thinks this looks like a hoax? The camera kept cutting from Obama to Galli/whatever, never portraying them both onscreen together while they were “zinging” each other. It came off as very staged/stilted/weird to me. It was weirdly edited. I suspect someone (presumably Obama) had trouble keeping a straight face. Since the whole gimmick relies at making it look like he’s really serious, they kept having to edit out the bits between lines. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/34 "2014-03-12T03:48:06Z")
That’s just the style of these things. They’re directed by Scott Aukerman (of Comedy Bang Bang and Mr. Show) and he and Zach share a love of absurd humor. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/35 "2014-03-12T03:56:35Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > It was weirdly edited. I suspect someone (presumably Obama) had trouble keeping a straight face. Since the whole gimmick relies at making it look like he’s really serious, they kept having to edit out the bits between lines. That is confirmed. Obama kept cracking up, so they had to edit that part out. 1. Wheee. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/36 "2014-03-12T04:00:01Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > It was weirdly edited. I suspect someone (presumably Obama) had trouble keeping a straight face. Since the whole gimmick relies at making it look like he’s really serious, they kept having to edit out the bits between lines. It’s supposed to look cheesy like a cable access show, viz the huge blocky lettering. Very amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/37 "2014-03-12T05:00:51Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That is confirmed. Obama kept cracking up, so they had to edit that part out. That sounds like something it’d be very interesting to read about, if only there were something in your post I could click on that might take me there… ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/38 "2014-03-12T05:02:26Z")
Is this completely scripted line by line, or just staged with the two participants able to ad lib a lot? If that was Obama ad libbing, then serious, serious props! ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/39 "2014-03-12T06:18:19Z")
And of course, the Republicans are having conniptions. Because, Benghazi. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430/40 "2014-03-12T06:25:26Z")
Funniest presidential bit since Richard Nixon said “Sock it to me?” on Laugh-In. (Before he became president, of course.) Obama was on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me before he announced, and he was great, so he does have the comic chops. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-on-between-two-ferns/683430.md?page=3)