A funny thing happened on the way to the Dalai Lama
Karl Stefanovic's attempted gag with the Dalai Lama has now attracted international attention.
- Published by David Knox
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Karl Stefanovic’s attempted gag with the Dalai Lama has now attracted international attention.
Stefanovic’s joke was: “The Dalai Lama walks into a pizza shop … and says ‘Can you make me one with everything?'”
His Holiness was politely perplexed by the attempted humour and looked to an interpreter for help.
The Today show interview has aired on CNN, Fox TV and featured on the New York Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post and Newsday websites.
“Why would you even attempt that?” a perplexed GMA host Robin Roberts asked.
“Why would you even try?”
Roberts’ co-host, George Stephanopoulous, described it as “the perils of live TV” and wondered why Stefanovic, after losing the Dalai Lama in the first telling of the joke, tried a second time.
Another GMA host, Josh Elliott, known for his sense of humour, went to Stefanovic’s defence and declared: “You had to go for it.”
The New York Times headlined its story: “How Not To Tell the Dalai Lama a Joke” while London’s Sun wrote: “So is Stefanovic embarrassed by the gaffe? You’d Buddha believe it.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfZYt4haTDo[/youtube]
Source: News Limited
38 Responses
Don’t ever watch morning TV, nor would I want to. So I just viewed this for the first time and was stunned! I’ve never had feelings for Karl one way or another, but this appalling display is absolute proof that the man is a prize idiot. I was bewildered as to why he would choose to tell a complicated (and not terribly funny) joke to someone who, deserves much more respect, speaks English as a second language and is probably not all that familiar with pizzas or the different ways of ordering toppings! Makes the joke about his wife’s derriere seem hilarious in comparison! If he’s TV’s best, heaven help us all…
sorry but the gold logie has gone to his head. ABC news breakfast for me, thank you!
I didn’t get the joke at first, but I do now and thought it was funny. The Dalai Lama cracks jokes all the time. It wasn’t Karls fault that he didn’t get it.
@A, I don’t think any of us think the joke is particularly funny. It is meant to be an ironic word play, likening the Buddhist State of Enlightenment, something very religious and metaphysical, with something as mundane and ordinary as a pizza. It’s an old joke, been around for a while. Massive fail by Karl, though, as it was very ill-judged to tell a joke like that to someone who should be treated respectfully, and who has English as his second language, so would struggle with the ironic meaning behind the punchline. To use another faith’s metaphor, he deserves the crucifixion he’s currently getting. And I don’t know about anyone else, but I have never asked for a pizza that has one with everything, I ask for pizza that has one with the lot.
Apologies, @A, that was a vent at Karl, not you!
Why would Karl be replaced. Today rolled Sunrise last week for the first time since Howard was Prime Minister. Might not hit the mark with majority but it’s morning tv… anyone who expects depth within interviews obviously has never seen Sunrise or Today. Want a serious interview with Dalai Lama, then flick to Trioli on Aunty….it’s like chewing a dry weetbix.
Stefanovic is the joke, always has been. What a dork. And what an insult to the Dalai Lama’s intelligence. Maybe now we will finally see a replacement?
LOL at Secret Squirrel – very funny in a Zen kinda way!
Who was the idiot that thought that Karl telling that *ahem* joke would be a good idea? It is not only cringe provoking in the extreme, but the Dalai Lama is a very holy man and a spiritual leader of millions, so deserves utmost respect. Would Karl make a joke about errant priests if he met Pope Benedict XVI? Would he crack wise about suicide bombers if he interviewed a Muslim cleric? Tell Monica Lewinsky jokes if he interviewed Clinton He wouldn’t dare to. And this guy was the recent recipient of the highest TV honour in this country?
When Karl Stefanovic won the Gold Logie this year it made me lose respect for the entire Logie Award concept. Seriously, this guy is the best Australian TV has to offer? L.O.S.E.R…..
The only one who think Karl is funny, is Karl himself. 😆
@ Mac
Agreed! 🙂
@ Secret Squirrel
LOL
@ Trix
I didn’t think you thought it was funny. I just was trying to understand how it was meant to be funny.
Clarity is the secret to inner peace.
@A, please don’t be under the misapprehension that I in any way, shape or form found the “gag” amusing. It’s not. It doesn’t even really make sense, when you think about it. Apparently the Dalai Lama has an excellent sense of humour so if there was any to be found in that gag, he would have spotted it. So yeah … epic fail by Karl.
@Secret Squirrel … now that’s wit 🙂