Mindy Kaling, Stephen Colbert Deliver All Kinds of Cringe at Biden Fundraiser

I miss the days of comedians roasting and critiquing politicians—especially those responsible for so much mass death—instead of embarrassing themselves with fluffy, friendly jokes.

By Kylie Cheung  |  March 29, 2024 | 2:41pm
Photo: Shutterstock Politics
Mindy Kaling, Stephen Colbert Deliver All Kinds of Cringe at Biden Fundraiser

On Thursday night, President Biden and former Presidents Obama and Clinton convened at New York’s Radio City Music Hall for a star-studded political fundraiser that raked in over $25 million in a single evening. And as protesters outside sounded alarms about Biden’s ongoing, horrific policies in Gaza, comedians Mindy Kaling and Stephen Colbert palled around with Biden and co. on stage in a uniquely egregious display of cringe. 

As one of the hosts of the evening—which was moderated by Colbert—Kaling explained that she supports Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ reelection bid because of her three and five-year-old children: “Not just because I want them to have reproductive rights and drinkable water but also, a true story—one time when my daughter was 2 years old, she saw Kamala Harris on TV, and she thought it was me.” She continued, “I have never felt so hot or that my daughter was being a little bit racist. It’s fine.”

Kaling’s comedic reference to her daughter seems to be a nod to her and Harris’ shared South Asian heritage but I’ll say it: It’s just… weird to see anyone laugh and joke around with people in positions of vast power, who are responsible for using our taxes to help Israeli forces kill well over 30,000 Palestinians in the span of about five months. Harris’ continued support for Israel in its ongoing war crimes against Palestinians also effectively dispels with the idea that surface-level, identity-based representation in politics translates to progressive or more humane policy outcomes. So, any joke centered around their identity as women of color as a way of being relatable is pretty hard to laugh at! 

At one point Colbert excitedly had Biden put on his signature Ray-Ban sunglasses, as Biden declared, “Dark Brandon is real,” in reference to the famous and deeply fucking annoying meme. The meme reclaims the right’s “Let’s Go Brandon” code that translates to “Fuck You Biden,” and characterizes Biden as a progressive rebel “Dark Brandon” to celebrate policy achievements from the Biden administration. It’s become not only meaningless but wildly tone-deaf given the administration’s handling of Gaza. Watching a comedian like Colbert, who became a vocal voice against political extremism in the Trump era, joke around with Biden and tout him as a progressive icon in front of a room of donors who paid at least $500,000 per ticket feels like staring into another dimension.

It all just leaves an awful taste in your mouth and truly makes me miss the days of comedians actually roasting and critiquing politicians—especially those responsible for so much mass death—instead of embarrassing themselves with fluffy, friendly jokes and helping them further enrich their campaigns. Where is the critical thought? The punching up? The humanity? When other comedians and people in the entertainment industry are incurring significant risk to speak up for what’s right, it certainly stands out for stars like Kaling and Colbert to use their platforms and influence to back a presidential administration that’s participating in what South Africa, Ireland, and other countries call a genocide in Gaza.

In addition to Kaling and Colbert, Biden and the former presidents were joined by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes to record a podcast episode right before the fundraiser, while Lizzo also performed at one point in the evening. But most of the night was just the presidents having a conversation with each other about their experiences in the White House.

“It’s a lonely seat,” Obama said of the presidency during the moderated conversation between him, Biden, Clinton, and Colbert. People “understandably, oftentimes, want to feel a certain purity in terms of how those decisions are made,” he continued. “But a president doesn’t have that luxury.” 

Actually, the suggestion that using your power to stop sending bombs to a foreign government as it reigns terror over a starving population is some sort of luxury was probably the funniest joke of the evening!

 
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