Well America, this might be the best we are going to get in the form of an apology from the Bush Administration. I know that many of us would pay major bucks to see Jon Stewart interview Bush, or better yet Dick Cheney, but the likelihood of that happening is nil. So all I can say is thank God for Will Ferrell's performance in, 'Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America - A Final Night with George W. Bush.' The rebroadcasts of the show are currently on HBO and HBO On Demand. The program itself was filmed live from Broadway on March 14th. I don't care if you don't have cable, if you have cable but don't have HBO, or if you don't even have a DVD player to play the enviable DVD that will come from this show; all I have to say is if there is a will there is a way and this show is a MUST NOT MISS!
I may be going out on a limb, but screw it, I am declaring Will Ferrell an American Institution. He has taken his Bush skits from 'Saturday Night Live' and breathed them into an amazing show that will live on as a modern comedy masterpiece and also as testament to future historians as to the raw feelings that over 70% of the American public share about the end of the Bush Era.
If you are asthmatic be sure your inhaler is handy because there are no slow parts of this hour and a half performance. It simply goes from funny to funnier to 'Help me I can't breathe because this is so damn funny!' I would say 'You're Welcome America' could be seen by the whole family but there are a few snapshots of what is supposed to be Bush's pride and joy and there is also a lewd dance performed by a Condoleeza Rice imitator in a comedy dream version of 'what if.'
Everything is firing correctly in Ferrell's performance from the time he enters the stage (no, I won't tell you how, but suffice to say it starts off with a big laugh) to the time he exits. This stage production feels as if it has been so finely tuned that it has played on Broadway for a decade, but how could it since Bush only left office just over two months ago? Sometimes things just go right for a reason...unlike Bush's 'work' ethic on his Crawford ranch.
Everything that needs to be skewered about the Bush administration is done. Ferrell, the other writers, and the director (Marty Callner who has sharpened his teeth directing other comedy specials) were right to leave Laura Bush and the twins out except for general mention that George W. Bush married and had children. Of course, thankfully, something is said about Barbara Bush to the tune of 'Scary Lady Barbara Bush' which is an observation many, at least I'll fess up to it, have had but until now only ventured to guess others felt the same way.
One of my favorite lines in the play, "Why are you the only one in this family that speaks with a Texas accent?" which does not negate the image of George Bush on a carrier declaring 'Mission Accomplished.' Nor does it diminish the observation that Dick Cheney knows the devil in an intimate manner.
I know I don't have to say it, but I will anyway, if you are still a George Bush fan don't yammer on when others are enjoying the show. 'You're Welcome America' will not do anything but inspire you to make insipid comments about how unfair comedy is...blah, blah, blah. My response to you is, "You know when you are a redneck when..."
If you have an iota of political acumen watch 'You're Welcome America' even if you have to beg, borrow, or steal to do it. Instead of crying over the economy, it will give you something to laugh about. The one thing I will tip my hat to George W. Bush is although he has given the United States much to lament over, at least he left a wealth of material for astute comedians to weave into golden laughs for years to come.
Westerfield © 2009
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Comments: 21
But for anyone else, Bush was an unmitigated disaster. I guess it is healthy to laugh about him now. It doesn't do any good to grieve over the catastrophe of his disastrous Presidency. It's over and we have to move on.
So I guess making a joke out of it is probably the healthiest thing we can do.
APE, it didn’t it make you laugh? Well I guess it did, since you have seen it twice already.
Bert, as I said, we will probably not get an apology from the people who should give it to us so we have to settle for what is possible.
Vicky, you need to get a group together when you watch it.
Astute review of "A Comedy of Errors ~ The George Bush Years".
Ron, thanks. I think that in the long run Bush’s refusal to say anything about what he wishes he did better or admitting his mistakes will haunt him. Listen, I don’t like him, but there is something about acknowledging your flaws that makes someone very human…of course I don’t believe Cheney apologizing for anything would make him seem human, but I think you know what I mean. There are a million different things that I wish weren’t done in the last eight years, although I know that Bush deserves to answer for many things I don’t see that happening. I predict in the end history will haunt will prove to be his worst fears.
Magi, can we send him down Australian way and let you have at him?
Elizabeth, thank you. I couldn’t have written this, or Will Ferrell couldn’t have acted it, without you know who.
Barb, I don’t think the DVD is out yet. Wait for a month or two.
Thank you for posting to this group whose only purpose is to thank you for posting to this group.
It would be more funny if there were not over 4 K of our troops dead in Iraq and some clown on radio saying that's not too many.
I was very upset at the time Bush was joking as he looked under a table "No W M D'S under here"
Our boys were getting blown up over his LIES and he was making light of his lies.
Sorry, laughing at that idiot just doesn't make me feel any better.