Coco should know better than to try matching wits with a world-class diplomat.
O’ Brien brought the heat against longtime non-nemesis Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State, and he did so using the most joke-friendly medium of them all.
His friendly jibe:
I picked out my Halloween costume. I’m going as “Slutty Madeleine Albright.”
— Conan O’Brien (@ConanOBrien) October 23, 2014
Well. There is perhaps something of a passing resemblance, yes….But Conan is well-known for making fun of his super-pasty, super-Irish goofball appearance. Nonetheless, Albright countered:
.@ConanOBrien I’m considering going as hunky Conan O’Brien – but that might be too far fetched.
— Madeleine Albright (@madeleine) October 23, 2014
It’s nice to see what Albright’s wits remain as sharp as the time she kept us out of an international embarrassment after President Clinton broke a Kremlin vase. (“Yes,” she famously pointed out, “but, in the President’s home state, tacky vases are a dime a dozen.”)
Conan, rather than letting things escalate, chose to back down and enjoy the laughter.
.@Madeleine YES – My first twitter war with a former Secretary of State! You’re next, George P. Shultz!
— Conan O’Brien (@ConanOBrien) October 23, 2014
To which Albright, with a smile in her tone of voice, left the comedian with a warning:
.@ConanOBrien Never get into a word war with a diplomat. We talk even more than comedians.
— Madeleine Albright (@madeleine) October 23, 2014
Stay sharp, James Baker. Patton Oswalt is gunning for you.
