- Conan O’Brien honored at the Kennedy Center amidst political turmoil over its future under President Trump.
- Comedians used the event to roast both O’Brien and Trump’s recent takeover of the institution.
- O’Brien’s career highlights and comedic legacy were celebrated, while artists expressed concerns over the center’s new direction.
Washington — On a night when half a dozen people made jokes about this being the last-ever Mark Twain Prize, Conan O’Brien made sure the ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ended on a high note. O’Brien accepted the award for lifetime achievement in comedy Sunday night while acknowledging the backstage turmoil that hangs over the future of the cultural center in Washington.
O’Brien, 61, was named the 26th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize in mid-January. Last month, Mr. Trump dissolved the Kennedy Center’s board of directors and named himself chairman. The new board includes political allies like White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, longtime senior Trump aide Dan Scavino, second lady Usha Vance, and Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
On Sunday, O’Brien specifically thanked Rubenstein and Rutter — drawing an extended round of applause — as well as Kennedy Center staffers who, he said, were “worried about what the future might bring.” He said the example of Mark Twain’s own life and career was particularly resonant at this moment in American history. “Twain hated bullies. … He punched up, not down, and he deeply empathized with the weak,” O’Brien said. “Twain loved America, but he knew it was deeply flawed.”
That musical ending capped off a night when the uncertain fate of the Kennedy Center itself was woven through the multiple tributes and testimonials to O’Brien. “I think it would be insane not to address the elephant in the room,” comic Nikki Glaser said on the red carpet before the ceremony. “It’s in the air tonight. This night is about Conan, but it can be both.”
Once the festivities began, Stephen Colbert joked that the Kennedy Center had announced two new board members: Bashar Assad, the ousted president of Syria, and Skeletor, a fictional supervillain. John Mulaney quipped that the entire building would soon be renamed “the Roy Cohn Pavilion” after one of Trump’s mentors. And Sarah Silverman made multiple Trump jokes that were too vulgar to print.
Mr. Trump, in announcing the Kennedy Center changes, posted on his Truth Social social media platform that those who were dismissed “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.” How that vision takes shape remains to be seen, but Mr. Trump has spoken about wanting to book more Broadway shows there and floated the idea of granting Kennedy Center Honors status to actor Sylvester Stallone and singer-songwriter Paul Anka.
Into this maelstrom stepped O’Brien, whose comedic persona has rarely been particularly political. The comic has always tended more toward goofiness and self-deprecation. But he has also leaned into sensitive societal issues at times. In 2011, O’Brien officiated a gay wedding live on his show, overseeing the marriage of his longtime costume designer Scott Cronick and his partner David Gorshein.
O’Brien vaulted into the spotlight from near-total obscurity in 1993 when he was chosen to replace David Letterman as host of “Late Night” despite no significant on-camera experience. The former Harvard Lampoon editor had spent the previous years as a writer for “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons,” appearing on camera only as an occasional background extra in “SNL” skits.
He went on to host “Late Night” for 16 years, longer than any other host. O’Brien was later tapped to replace Jay Leno as host of “The Tonight Show,” but that experiment ended in public failure. After seven months of declining ratings, NBC executives brought Leno back for a new show that would bump “The Tonight Show” back. O’Brien refused to accept the move, leading to a public spat that ended with a multimillion-dollar payout for O’Brien and his staff to exit the network in early 2010.
O’Brien went on to host another talk show on the cable station TBS, while launching successful podcasts and travel shows. He is currently on a late-career elder statesman hot streak. His travel series, “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” drew popular and critical acclaim, with a second season coming. His recent gig hosting the Academy Awards was so well received that the producers announced they are bringing him back next year.
In the wake of Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, several artists, including the producers of “Hamilton” and actress and writer Issa Rae, announced they were canceling appearances at the venue. Others have chosen to perform while making their sentiments known from the stage. Comic W. Kamau Bell directly addressed the controversy in his performance just days after the shake-up. Earlier this month, cellist Erin Murphy Snedecor ended her set with a performance of the Woody Guthrie protest anthem “All You Fascists Bound to Lose.”
Other comedians receiving the lifetime achievement award include both Letterman and Leno, along with George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, Bill Murray, and Dave Chappelle. The ceremony will be streamed on Netflix on May 4.
As he presented the Mark Twain Prize to Conan O’Brien at the end of a ceremony at the Kennedy Center this evening, David Letterman said to the audience, “I’m not a historian, but I believe that history will show, in history for all time, this will have been the most entertaining gathering of the resistance, ever.”
Letterman was speaking to what was like an act of resistance, given that Donald Trump now controls the Kennedy Center, after ousting the president, firing board members to ensure loyalty and ensuring that he himself would be the chairman of the arts institution.
Throughout the evening, comedians tossed in quips at the situation in their comic roasting and heartfelt tributes to O’Brien. Stephen Colbert: “This is a very different place. Today they announced two board members, Bashar-al-Assad and Skeletor.” John Mulaney: “Welcome to the Kennedy Center, or as it will be known next week, the Roy Cohn Pavilion for big strong men.” Sarah Silverman: “I just really miss the days when you were America’s only orange asshole.”
There were a number of jokes about this being the final Mark Twain Prize, given some of the night’s humor at the expense of the president. Other jokes tended to mock O’Brien’s fair skin complexion, his offbeat humor, his roller coaster of a career, and Jay Leno.
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog emceed the evening, greeting the audience with, “Thank you all for coming, and shame on you for being here.” That was a reference to all of the artists who have canceled shows at the Kennedy Center in protest, including the producers of Hamilton.
Nikki Glaser found herself stopped by a recurring character on O’Brien’s show, the obnoxious man called The Interrupter. “Don’t you have…” Glaser said. “A cabinet meeting to get to?” he interjected. “Great, so you are the new…” she asked. “Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,” he answered. “You are also a…” she said, before he added, “Registered sex offender.” “Which this administration considers…” Glaser said, before The Interrupter quickly responded, “A massive plus!”
Netflix will stream the special later this year. Other comedians didn’t directly address Trump, but surely referred to the political environment. Kumail Nanjiani said that another of the recurring characters on O’Brien’s show, the Masturbating Bear, was his “little introduction to America.” “This is a fitting introduction to America. Nothing represents America better than an unbelievably powerful predator pleasuring himself on television.”
Bill Burr said, “Nothing says comedy like the free-flowing creative vibes of the District of Columbia. I don’t know what it is. There’s something about starting and prolonging wars while crushing the working man for your own self interest that really inspires all who gather on this crew.”
The event was the first major fete since Trump took over the venue, but O’Brien was selected by the previous regime, then led by its chairman, David Rubenstein and president, Deborah Rutter, both ousted by Trump. When O’Brien mentioned their names, he got a big ovation, before he quipped, “Honestly, I don’t know why they are not here tonight. I lost Wifi in January …” The quip got laughs.
Then O’Brien thanked those who have worked 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.” His comment drew a long