Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“I love Larry Wilmore. I’ve been a guest on his show. He could not be nicer,” CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield told Hollywood on the Potomac at the CNN’S Political Hangover brunch at Long View Gallery about WHCAD comedian Wilmore over which there was much controversy. “He’s smart, talented. The only thing I didn’t like was his hitting on my bestie Wolf Blitzer. But it’s all in fun and everybody is a big boy and a big girl. We’re all good. I think he’s the greatest and I wish him the best.”
Ashleigh Banfield
“A struggle….just a struggle, just that easy. A struggle for him and a struggle for the audience. It’s was a struggle,” money guru Suze Orman added to the already piling up comments against Wilmore.
Suze Orman
Up or down on Wilmore? “I think it was a dud. Big down. The President was extremely funny; the President did the job that Larry Wilmore should have done last night,” said a guest who wished to remain anonymous. “The President found a really good balance, Wilmore is a little sick. They should have ended with the President. Wilmore was horrible.” This, of course, is pretty much a standard fare reaction to the WHCAD comedians. Think Stephen Colbert or Don Imus.
There were lots of Wilmore jokes at the media’s expense, sparring no one, including swipes at Wolf Blitzer and Don Lemon. Fortunately, Wilmore ended on a high note, kinda. “But behind that joke is the humble appreciation for the historical implications for what your presidency means,” Wilmore wrapped up at the dinner. “When I was a kid, I lived in a country where people couldn’t accept a black quarterback. Now think about that. A black man was thought by his mere color not good enough to lead a football team. And now to live in your time, Mr. President, when a black man can lead the entire free world.” Ok, so we cheated and dropped the closing line. Look it up.
CNN Bureau Chief Sam Feist and his wife Danielle chat with director-producer Jay Roach
We especially loved Don Lemon’s physical response to Wilmore’s joke about him: You can look that one up too!
