Mel Brooks' Funny Schtick As He Is Awarded Arts Medal
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Published 2016-09-22
As Mel Brooks once said -- (laughter) -- to his writers on "Blazing Saddles," which is a great film: “Write anything you want, because we’ll never be heard from again. We will all be arrested for this movie.” (Laughter and applause.)
Now, to be fair, Mel also said, a little more eloquently, that, “Every human being has hundreds of separate people living inside his skin. And the talent of a writer is his ability to give them their separate names, identities, personalities and have them relate to other characters living within him.” And that, I think, is what the arts and the humanities do - they lift up our identities, and make us see ourselves in each other. And today’s honorees each possess a gift for this kind of creative empathy – a gift that allows us to exchange a sense of what’s most important and most profound in us, and to identify with our collective experience as Americans.
MILITARY AIDE: National Medal of Arts Recipients:
Mel Brooks. (Applause.) The 2015 National Medal of Arts to Mel Brooks for a lifetime of making the world laugh. As a writer, director, actor, and musician, he pioneered the art of musical comedy. And his hilarious, thought-provoking work on film and in theater have earned him the rare distinction of winning Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy awards. (Applause.)
All Comments (21)
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The first black president giving an award to a guy who made a movie with the first black sheriff. Love it!!
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"Write whatever you want because we'll all be arrested" 🤣🤣🤣 Thank the stars for sending us Mel Brooks to bring laughter and joy into our lives.
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Imagine! The President of the United States, sharing in the joy and the accomplishments of someone else. Wow, those were the days!
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A president who could speak and make it about the person who was getting the award and not himself.
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If anyone deserved that medal he did. Mel Brooks was one of a kind and the world could use that right now.
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A real man, and President who possesses a heart and a brain.
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it's amazing, that at 94 years old now in 2020, mel is STILL working in film and television. the man is a legend.
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Wow, an articulate president who can actually put more than one sentence together.
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Mell Brooks is the only man who could ever get away with pantsing the President of the United States of America. 😂
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Mel Brooks, the funniest man I have ever seen. His movies are brilliant and his antics beyond hilarity. The best sketch has got to be the 2000 year old man.
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I really miss a President who can speak and present awards to those who really deserve the award.
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When people laughed with the President, not at him
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I almost forgot what a role model a president should be.
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How many find themselves going back in time and watching this instead of the garbage we have now?
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Back when we had leadership that respected the arts & humanity.
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There should be so many more responses to this. Blazing Saddles a film that makes fun of the worst part of human nature. PURE GENIUS This will be common knowledge for 100's of years
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When we laughed along WITH our President instead of AT the “president”
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Humor in the White House. I miss that.
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It's nice to see a president smile and laugh and with a good sense of humor
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Love this so much. Brooks making like he's going to pants Obama, and Obama having a sense of humor about it.
