Last week, the Mark Twain Prize for Comedy was presented to Conan O’Brien at the aforementioned Kennedy Center.  John Mulaney kicked things off by saying, “Welcome to the Kennedy Center – or as it will be known next week, the Roy Cohn Pavilion for big, strong men.”  Ouch (that’s what he said!).  Many quipped this could be the last Mark Twain presentation – certainly one of the last we’ll see on TV (last year, the awards signed a deal to telecast on Netflix).  This year, the rights for The Kennedy Center Honors telecast are up for renewal with CBS – which has aired every installment since its inception.  However, the ratings have always been disappointing.  Throw in the possibility of the evening being hosted by El Presidente himself, and it may not be worth the trouble.

As if to underscore the changes in our government, the White House Correspondents’ Association has cancelled the tradition of having a comedian at its annual dinner, which takes place on April 26^th.  “The WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year.  At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,” said WHCA president Eugene Daniels.  I hope Amber Ruffin had a “pay-or-play” contract.  Since they’ve had comics during worse moments (wartime, attack, recession, etc.), it seems to me the focus is on censorship and fear.