arts
The Bill Maher Effect
For the past year, Donald Trump has made the Kennedy Center all about him. Last night, the comedian revealed the limits of that approach.
TL;DR
- President Trump has exerted significant personal influence over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, affecting programming and decision-making.
- The White House initially denied that comedian Bill Maher would receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, causing a reversal and subsequent public commentary from Maher.
- Trump has sought to align the Kennedy Center's programming with his personal tastes, including personally approving honorees for the Kennedy Center Honors and influencing renovation decisions.
- Several artists have withdrawn their performances from the Kennedy Center, citing their desire to distance themselves from Trump's influence.
- Maher's award selection and the ensuing controversy illustrate the challenges Trump faces in completely controlling the artistic output of the institution.
- Despite Trump's efforts to make the center his own, the awarding of a prize to a critical comedian like Maher suggests that the center is not entirely censorious.