Barack Obama stormed the annual White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday with a 16-minute set that contained more gags, better delivered, than any president has ever mustered. It brought tears of relief to everyone who had forgotten that there were still world leaders who could read and talk at the same time, let alone do so with comic timing.
But across the pond – dark news. Ken Dodd received word that his Christmas show, which has been a staple of Nottingham's seasonal festivities for 55 years, would not be staged at the Royal Concert Hall there because of complaints received last year that he had not been funny enough. Is the new comic on the block really better than the octogenarian Doddy? Below, we compare and contrast.
Bespoke routines
Obama's material was neatly tailored to the Washington crowd. But could he cope with a summer season in Bridlington? No, he couldn't. Ken Dodd? Yes, he can.
BO ★ ★
KD ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
What if the autocue broke down?
Obama would be sunk. Doddy can famously machine-gun out the jokes for hours once he gets up on stage. And then he goes home and annotates his card-index system built up over the years, recording how well each joke has gone and any new ones that have emerged. Obama probably just went home, did a bit more presidenting and went to bed.
BO ( no stars)
KD ★ ★ ★ ★
Appearance
In many ways Obama has it over Knotty Ash's favourite son here. He is a slim, suave sophisticate and a paean to American orthodontistry. But Ken Dodd's chipmunk teeth are a paean to the lost world of music hall, when a physical feature that made you stand out could be cultivated rather than wrenched out with pliers by a marketing team. So Doddy still wins.
BO ★ ★ ★ ★
KD ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Props
The tickling stick can be put to a variety of comic uses, while both children and Portuguese water dogs are hedged with all sorts of moral and ethical considerations. And I'm not even sure that's a real dog anyway.
BO ★
KD ★ ★ ★ ★
