Mike Pence Tries (And Fails) To Shade Disney With Truly Lame 'Dad Joke'
Former Vice President and expected 2024 presidential candidate Mike Pence attempted to show a new side of himself to Fox Business viewers on Thursday: the comic side.
And it definitely inspired giggles, but probably not the kind Pence wants.
Pence’s attempt at being funny happened during an interview with Larry Kudlow over the Disney Co. decision to cancel a $1 billion plan to expand its Orlando, Florida, operations as its culture war with Gov. Ron DeSantis escalates.
The former vice president attempted to sum up his opinion on the battle between Disney and DeSantis with a quip that came off like a truly lame “dad joke.”
“I like Walt Disney, not Woke Disney,” Pence said, before chortling at what his advisers probably assured him was a surefire laugh riot.
"I like Walt Disney, not Woke Disney" pic.twitter.com/cYdqARWl9Z
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 18, 2023
Probably the funniest part of the clip is Pence trying to stop his guffawing after he notices Kudlow hasn’t joined his giggle-fest.
Pence’s punchline did inspire laughs from many Twitter users, but mostly at him, not with him.
How long has he been workshopping that line? Beyond parody. https://t.co/G0uYjWeo5a
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 18, 2023
These Republican clods think they’re so clever with their over use of the word “woke.” But they’re just looking like a bunch sophomoric bigots who are stuck in a time warp. https://t.co/v8gyhaQaBo
— Kenny BooYah! 🖖🏾 (@KwikWarren) May 18, 2023
And with that epic zinger, one 87-year-old Nebraska man changed his mind, moving Mike Pence's GOP presidential primary polling numbers up from 5.7% to 5.700000001%. https://t.co/M9lfd4FvUF
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) May 18, 2023
I demand that Disney add extra gay characters in every movie just to spite this "Release Song of the South on Disney+" dodo bird. https://t.co/PfhQ4iGriS
— Jeremy Fassler (@J_fassler) May 18, 2023
Someone’s writers are crossing the picket lines https://t.co/nNWwD62M7D
— L O L G O P (@LOLGOP) May 18, 2023
Others mocked Pence by turning the structure of his woke joke on its head.
I like the Walking Dead, not the Woke-ing Dead. I like Walk the Line, not Woke the Line. I like Sesame Street, not Wokeame Street. I like a Dairy Queen Blizzard, not a Wokey Queen Wokezard. I like peanut butter and jelly, not Wokeanut woker and wokey. https://t.co/XjaKNEpHkw
— Stephen Robbins (@YakimaAbogado) May 18, 2023
"Also, I like General Motors, not Commissar Motors. Wait, don't go, I got a million of 'em!" https://t.co/gASuEzXT3O
— Mark Pitcavage (@egavactip) May 18, 2023
"I read Walt Whitman, not Woke Whitman." https://t.co/gPN12Qvroc
— Gilbert Garcia (@gilgamesh470) May 18, 2023
But one person thought the best way to respond was with the actual definition of "woke," instead of the bastardized version used by right wingers.
I'll take Woke Disney over Walt Disney every day of the week and twice on Sundays https://t.co/L17s123WJZpic.twitter.com/AtqMBKNNut
— Hopsbride 🌎 (@TheHopsbride) May 18, 2023
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said that Mike Pence was speaking on Fox News. He was on Fox Business.