The Nobel as Comedy

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 was awarded to...Barack Obama. [Insert Laughter.] You couldn't make this up if you tried. To advance Peace around the world, Obama has accomplished many fine things like...hmmm.

The Prize Committee cites his outreach to the Muslim world--he gave a speech in Cairo--and his attempts to end nuclear proliferation--which has certainly halted the nuclear programs in...where exactly? The head of the Nobel Prize Committee noted that while Obama hasn't actually brought peace anywhere yet, he has changed the climate so that peace is now possible.

If SNL did a skit mocking the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, they wouldn't have done something as silly as this.

This is seriously funny. It is right up there with TIME magazine's announcement some years ago that it's Man of the Year award for the year was...well, The Planet of the Year: Earth.

My sober analysis: The Nobel Prize Committee really wanted to give the Prize to Obama. Normally, they would have waited at least a year to be able to point to something he has actually done. But, they too look out at the world and see the deteriorating situations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, the former Soviet Republics, Central America, South America, and the High Seas. The Nobel Committee was afraid if they waited even a year to give this prize, then giving it to Obama would be an even greater joke. So they rushed to give the Prize before it becomes too obvious that Obama is not bringing peace on earth. In some ways it is pretty sad to see the Nobel Peace Prize committee lose faith in their Messiah.