Viewers of TV Land will not be able to watch insult comic Don Rickles compare President Barack Obama to a janitor at the recent American Film Institute tribute to Shirley MacLaine when the network broadcasts its shortened version of the evening’s festivities at 9PM ET/PT on June 24. “It’s not going to make it on the air —that’s all I’ll say about it,” says a spokesperson for the cable channel, which presented Rickles with its Legend Award in 2009.
TV Land’s edited AFI program will run 90 minutes. The black-tie evening, which lasted four hours, took place at Sony Pictures Studios on June 7. Rickles’ material also included jabs at Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and MacLaine, although none went viral like the 86-year-old’s comment about the current commander in chief. “President Obama is a personal friend of mine,” said Rickles. “He was over to the house yesterday, but the mop broke.”
Was it racist… or just Rickles? Dennis Haysbert, himself skewered by the comic for appearing in Allstate Insurance ads, carefully tells THR, “I thought what Don said about me was very funny.” (Rickles has appeared with him on The Unit.)
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TV Land to Cut Don Rickles' Obama Joke From Shirley MacLaine AFI Tribute (Exclusive) - The Hollywood Reporter
TV Land’s edited AFI program will run 90 minutes. The black-tie evening, which lasted four hours, took place at Sony Pictures Studios on June 7. Rickles’ material also included jabs at Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and MacLaine, although none went viral like the 86-year-old’s comment about the current commander in chief. “President Obama is a personal friend of mine,” said Rickles. “He was over to the house yesterday, but the mop broke.”
Was it racist… or just Rickles? Dennis Haysbert, himself skewered by the comic for appearing in Allstate Insurance ads, carefully tells THR, “I thought what Don said about me was very funny.” (Rickles has appeared with him on The Unit.)
more
TV Land to Cut Don Rickles' Obama Joke From Shirley MacLaine AFI Tribute (Exclusive) - The Hollywood Reporter