Conan O'Brien explained why the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump and the Kennedy Center didn't keep him away from the Mark Twain Prize Ceremony. And in typical O'Brien fashion, he had a thoughtful, measured response.
O'Brien recently received the Mark Twain Prize for comedy, a much-deserved recognition for the comedy legend. Netflix will stream the ceremony in May, which featured appearances by Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, and John Mulaney.
There was an extra layer of media attention on the event that (unfortunately) had nothing to do with O'Brien. The ceremony was the first national event at the Kennedy Center following President Trump's decision to replace the president and chairman with himself.
Trump's decision led to a string of protests. Some artists withdrew from appearing at the Kennedy Center or canceled plans to host events at the Washington, D.C. location.
“Obviously for the last couple of months with the new administration, there’s been some controversial stuff going on with the Kennedy Center,” O’Brien said on Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. “There was a question of, ‘Should I go? Should I not go?’ And I felt like it was important to show up.”
O'Brien concluded that the previous leadership decided to give him the award, so he should honor that decision. The late-night TV legend also thought of everyone else not named Donald Trump when making his decision.
“They don’t know what their future is," O'Brien said of the younger staff members at the Kennedy Center. "I got to talk to a lot of them. I had a great deal of empathy for what’s happening there.”
The ceremony featured a few jokes at Donald Trump's expense. But no remarks where more poignant than O'Brien's acceptance speech. Without naming the president, O'Brien championed democracy, empathy, and character through a masterful use of Twain's own words.
O'Brien's contributions to comedy were rightly recognized during the ceremony. And his words and actions surrounding the event prove the man behind the jokes is also worth celebrating.