I was forwarded another email last week I want to share.
The subject line is “UPDATE! Obama is on a Roll!!!” The email is a humorous look at Barack Obama, touting all the awards he’s been effortlessly raking in lately. It proclaims Obama has won the Heisman Trophy for watching a football game, the Country Music Entertainer of the Year for apparently doing nothing more than wearing a cowboy hat, the Stanley Cup for attending Disney’s Little Mermaid on Ice. He also victoriously took the NASCAR Sprint Cup as he was driving to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize, the Super Bowl as the quarterback of the Kenyan Unicorns, the Tour de France while bicycling to get a cup of coffee, and (my favorite) the Imperial Poobah of the Loyal Order of Water Buffalos. Though I’m disappointed Fred Flintstone is nowhere to be found in the accompanying photo.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
If you are going to Poobah...
Do it right!
Is the email funny? It has its moments - though it really lacks comic rhythm. Its creator (who remains anonymous) shouldn’t quit his or her day job. The only reason the Country Music entry seems to be included is to show the picture of Barack in a cowboy hat. And the way the Super Bowl entry is written, you could argue that he actually deserves this honor. (He throws 984 touchdowns!) No reason is given for his Imperial Poobah win.
When it comes to comedy, there’s nothing like a funny hat!
The funniest thing about the email to me is the point behind it. Obviously, it is a criticism of the fact that Obama was awarded this year’s Nobel Prize for peace. Some people, not mentioning any names (neoconservatives?), really seem to be bent out of shape that he’s receiving this honor. Of course, it is arguable that there is a faction out there who gets upset when a Democrat wins anything. And perhaps this is their way of venting what is really bothering them -- that Obama won the election last November.
The contention is that Obama doesn’t deserve the Nobel Prize. He didn’t do anything to earn it. The email also fuels the feeling that things get handed too easily to Obama. (As opposed to those out there, former presidents included, who have the “disadvantage” of being born into privilege.) And if anyone feels that way -- so be it. I will not begrudge someone his or her opinion. But “non-begrudging” is a two-way street. And it just so happens that I’ve got a few “deserving” opinions of my own.
- I don’t think Paris Hilton deserves to be famous.
- I don’t think Shakespeare in Love deserved to be given a Best Picture Oscar in 1999 over Saving Private Ryan.
- I don’t think Levi Johnston deserves to be given a lot of money for posing nude in Playgirl.
- I don’t think 13 year olds deserve to be the target audience of the U.S. film industry.
- I don’t think David Letterman deserves to get laughs for jokes about his having sex with an employee.
- I don’t think Ron Burris deserves to be the junior senator from Illinois.
- I don’t think the average salary of a professional athlete deserves to be more than 100 times the average salary of a teacher, police officer or firefighter.
- I don’t think any elected official deserves to have the right to argue that government shouldn’t be involved in health care when he or she enjoys the lavish benefits of a health care plan paid for by the U.S. government.
- I don’t think George Bush deserved to be declared the winner of the 2000 presidential election.
- I don’t think almost 3,000 people deserved to die in the 9/11 attacks.
- I don’t think several hundred thousand Iraqis deserved to die in the Iraq war.
- I don’t think over 4,300 U.S. soldiers deserved to die in Iraq - and, as one who works with the Paralympics - don’t get me started about all the veterans with disabilities from that war.
So in the scheme of things, I don’t think anyone should be losing all that much sleep worrying about the President’s Nobel Prize-worthiness? There are far more serious things deserving of worry.
