Comedian Don Rickles speaks the 40th AFI Life Achievement Award honoring Shirley MacLaine held at Sony Pictures Studios on June 7, 2012 in Culver City, California
*Don Rickles took the stage at American Film Institute’s tribute to Shirley MacLaine on Thursday night at Sony Pictures Studios and did exactly what he’s done his whole career – unleash a torrent of insults.
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Living up to his name as “Mr. Warmth,” he unloaded on famous people in the room, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and the honoree herself. But according to the Hollywood Reporter, it was his joke about President Obama that took the room by surprised.
“I shouldn’t make fun of the blacks,” Rickles said, and then proceeded to do just that: “President Obama is a personal friend of mine. He was over to the house yesterday, but the mop broke.”
The black-tie crowd, gathered to celebrate MacLaine, the 40th recipient of the AFI’s Life Achievement Award, “alternately gasped at the 86-year-old comic’s various put-downs and then found themselves laughing and applauding,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“Shirley,” Rickles continued as he rose to his feet from a table near the center of the room. “I never read your books, and I don’t plan to.”
Turning to MacLaine’s brother Beatty, he continued, “I know your brother very well, and I never liked him.”
Shifting his focus to Nicholson, who also was present, Rickles cracked, “He’s not here tonight – he’s with the Lakers, oiling their jocks.”
Taking aim at Jennifer Aniston, one of the actresses who shared the main table with MacLaine, Rickles claimed she “took my table at the Tower Restaurant one night because she was in heat with some guy.”
Surveying the celebrity-packed room, Rickles wondered where all the stars were, saying, “If Sidney Poitier hadn’t shown up, they’d be nobody.” Spotting Dennis Haysbert, on whose series “The Unit” Rickles had appeared, he shouted, “Oh, there’s the black guy from ‘The Unit’,” adding, “now he works for Allstate.”
Before he sat down, though, Rickles mellowed. Recalling how he and MacLaine’s friendship dates back to the days of the old Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas, where she hung out with the Rat Pack, Rickles finally testified: “You have a charm and a warmth and class. I’ve known a lot of people in showbiz, but I’m so proud that you asked me to be here tonight.”
Don Rickles is old and played out. He’s never been that funny. this joke ( and I use that term loosely) is in bad taste. He should know better.
ITA
yeah, don is old and played out but, honestly the joke wasn’t even funny no matter who it was aimed at, just like joan rivers and her ‘whitney”.
This ol’ grand dragon is in his 80′s. Still going strong. What a big phat meat head.
i thought he was dead
I wish you were bitch
Oh my goodness gracious alive! And may God bless you.
Oh come on stop acting like Don Rickles has been the only one to stun a crowd of white people or people in generally speaking. Since Obama has been in office, people have been making jokes, or
taking nasty shots at Obama to degrade and humor. There’s a mixture of people disrespecting Obama constantly and will make sure color issue is properly noted on record. Obama is the 1st US Black President and I’ve witnessed race at another level etc. Unfortunately, you are born a certain color that you had no control of in the begining, and is later hated for life due to color of skin.