President Obama Sits For Interview On Website Comedy Show

President Obama Appeared On Comedy Show “Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis.” On March 11, President Obama sat for an interview on “Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis,” a show on the comedy website Funny or Die:

Obama Discussed Healthcare.gov And The Need For Young People To Have Health Insurance. As the March 11 edition of The Chicago Tribune explained, Obama “got a chance to plug his signature health care plan” during the Funny or Die interview:

Obama got the chance to plug his signature health care program, but not until he'd been subjected to questions like “What is it like to be the last black president?” and “What should be done about North Ikea?”

[...]

On “Between Two Ferns,” host Galifianakis did not spare Obama from his trademark awkwardness, calling him a nerd and asking him if he's going to put his presidential library in his “home country” of Kenya.

The president appeared to play along gamely and tried to match Galifianakis insult for insult. “When I heard that people actually watch this show, I was pretty surprised,” Obama said.

When Obama was finally allowed to make his pitch about the benefits of signing up for health insurance, Galifianakis sighed, looked at his watch and said, “Is this what they mean by drones?” [The Chicago Tribune, 3/11/14]

Right-Wing Media Criticize Interview As “Inappropriate,” “Gross,” “No Joke” 

Fox & Friends: President Obama's Interview Was “Inappropriate” And “Tragic.” Fox & Friends hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Brian Kilmeade attacked president Obama's interview as “so inappropriate” and “pretty tragic.” Hasselbeck said, “Some would argue that it's inappropriate for the president of the United States to be advertising a law, an insurance plan”:

KILMEADE: It is so inappropriate... for the president of the United States to be sitting down for an interview that's a mock-up

[...]

HASSELBECK: Some would argue that it's inappropriate for the president of the United States to be advertising a law, an insurance plan.

[...]

KILMEADE: I think it's pretty tragic. Whoever recommended that he do that show should be fired. [Fox News, Fox and Friends, 3/11/2014]

Fox's MacCallum Questions Whether Obama's Interview Was “Appropriate.” Fox News host Martha MacCallum took to Twitter to ask whether Obama's appearance on Funny or Die was “appropriate”:

[Twitter.com, 3/11/14]

Brian Kilmeade: President Obama's “Phoney[sic]” Interview Is “100% Inappropriate.” After his Fox program, Kilmeade reiterated on Twitter that Obama's interview was “inappropriate”:

[Twitter.com, 3/11/14]

Fox Deems Appearance: “No Joke.” Discussing Obama's interview with Galifianakis on Happening Now, Fox aired a graphic saying the appearance was “no joke”:

[Fox News, Happening Now, 3/11/14]

Washington Free Beacon: Obama's Interview “Was Just Dreadful” And “Gross.” The conservative Washington Free Beacon described Galifianakis' interview with President Obama as “just dreadful” and “gross,” citing the “utterly unbearable moment” when Obama “hawks the failed social experiment that is Healthcare.gov”:

The Obama interview, however, was just dreadful. After a few semi-unbearable moments during which the president shows he doesn't at all understand the point of the show--the guest is not supposed to get in good zingers; he's supposed to be taken down a peg--there's an utterly unbearable moment during which he hawks the failed social experiment that is HealthCare.gov. It's just gross.

Nothing screams “brave, edgy comedy!” like “I'm here to let The Man sell you on health insurance!” [The Washington Free Beacon, 3/11/14]

The Daily Caller On Interview's Mention Of Healthcare.gov: “OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.” The Daily Caller lamented that Obama's interview with Galifianakis was “going so well” until health care reform was mentioned: 

Turkey pardoning as Obama's biggest accomplishment of 2013? Funny! Saying that Obama is the “last black president?” Hilarious! A birth certificate joke? A classic!

But then about 3:23 in, Obama starts plugging Healthcare.gov. AND OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

It was going so well. It was actually humorous and there didn't seem to be any hidden agenda, but then they had to swoop in there and start trying to get kids these days to sign up for the Affordable Care Act.

Come on. [The Daily Caller, 3/11/14]

Laura Ingraham Reacts To “Humorous” Interview: “Presiding Over America's Decline Is A Knee-Slapper.” Responding to a New York Times headline calling Obama's “Between Two Ferns” interview “humorous,” Fox News figure and conservative radio Laura Ingraham tweeted that “presiding over America's decline is a knee-slapper”: 

[Twitter.com, 3/11/14]

Fox's Katie Pavlich: “I Choose Die.” Responding to Obama's appearance on Funny or Die, Fox contributor and Townhall editor Katie Pavlich tweeted “I choose die”:

[Twitter.com, 3/11/14]

Ben Shapiro: “FDR Regularly Appeared On 'Between Two Ferns' To Push The War Bonds.” TruthRevolt's Ben Shapiro responded to Obama's interview with Galifianakis by tweeting: 

[Twitter.com, 3/11/14]

MRC's Tim Graham: “News Is Doomed.” Media Research Center's Tim Graham tweeted that President Obama's appearance on Funny or Die indicates “news is doomed”:

[Twitter.com, 3/11/14]