Don't diss da man

In an interview in the San Fransico Chronicle comedian Robin Williams talks about performing for the soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. He admits that he had to stop doing his anti Bush jokes because they just weren't going over too well with the troops.

The first time we did and you could make fun of him not being the brightest bulb. We didn't do a lot of political stuff. We'd try and it would be kind of like "Hoooooo," and we'd go, "Hmmm, so: This is a red state." In one place we made fun of Rumsfeld, because it was -- I kind of went off on Rumsfeld, that he kind of sounds like my dad after a couple of gin and tonics. And they would laugh about that. We didn't hardcore bash him. The first time you could get pretty close to the line.

This time I didn't go after it so much. Elections were over, and it seemed like you're here. For me, personally, I kinda find it pretty hypocritical -- (Bush) didn't show up for his unit, but they did for theirs. I find that kind of like, he was in the same National Guard unit as Big Foot and he couldn't show up for his physical but these guys did -- and they're going back. I find that a little hypocritical. But did we do a lot of that stuff? No. Some politics, some. You can talk about the election a little bit, but I think mostly it was just riffing and, I don't know, I tried it a couple of times, and it seemed to be like, "Wooooooo, heeey, easy, (switches to military voice) 'Don't make fun of the MAN.' "
I've never been much of a Robin Williams fan but I respect that he "got it", It's not about him or his politics. The troops knew where he stood on the issue they didn't need or want it stuck in their faces. It's about supporting and giving something back to the men and women who give everything for us.

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