Bernie makes off-colour joke at Obama funder

CHICAGO – Comedian Bernie Mac endured some heckling and a campaign rebuke during a surprise appearance on Friday night at a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Toward the end of a 10-minute stand-up routine at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago, the 50-year-old star of ‘The Bernie Mac Show’ joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. “My little nephew came to me and he said, ‘Uncle, what’s the difference between a hypothetical question and a realistic question?’” Mac said.”I said, I don’t know, but I said, ‘Go upstairs and ask your mother if she’d make love to the mailman for US$50 000’.”As the joke continued, the punchline evoked an angry response from at least one person in the audience, who said it was offensive to women.”It’s not funny.Let’s get Barack on,” a man shouted from the crowd, which paid US$2 300 each to support the Illinois senator.About 15 minutes later, Obama tried to smooth things over with a joke of his own.”We can’t afford to be divided by race.We can’t afford to be divided by region or by class and we can’t afford to be divided by gender, which by the way, that means, Bernie, you’ve got to clean up your act next time,” Obama said.”This is a family affair.By the way, I’m just messing with you, man.”The incident drew response from Obama’s campaign, which criticised Mac for his choice of material.”Senator Obama told Bernie Mac that he doesn’t condone these statements and believes what was said was inappropriate,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement after the event.Mac, a Chicago native, said he’s a longtime Obama supporter and called the presumptive Democratic nominee a “man’s man”.Mac’s appearance was Obama’s first celebrity event of the evening.Nampa-AP”My little nephew came to me and he said, ‘Uncle, what’s the difference between a hypothetical question and a realistic question?’” Mac said.”I said, I don’t know, but I said, ‘Go upstairs and ask your mother if she’d make love to the mailman for US$50 000’.”As the joke continued, the punchline evoked an angry response from at least one person in the audience, who said it was offensive to women.”It’s not funny.Let’s get Barack on,” a man shouted from the crowd, which paid US$2 300 each to support the Illinois senator.About 15 minutes later, Obama tried to smooth things over with a joke of his own.”We can’t afford to be divided by race.We can’t afford to be divided by region or by class and we can’t afford to be divided by gender, which by the way, that means, Bernie, you’ve got to clean up your act next time,” Obama said.”This is a family affair.By the way, I’m just messing with you, man.”The incident drew response from Obama’s campaign, which criticised Mac for his choice of material.”Senator Obama told Bernie Mac that he doesn’t condone these statements and believes what was said was inappropriate,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement after the event.Mac, a Chicago native, said he’s a longtime Obama supporter and called the presumptive Democratic nominee a “man’s man”.Mac’s appearance was Obama’s first celebrity event of the evening.Nampa-AP