My day just got made! A one hour, primetime special on….wait for it….ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX
In an hourlong televised event airing May 16, Obama will congratulate graduating high school seniors and “reflect” on the COVID-19 pandemic. The special, titled Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, will air on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC at 8 p.m. EST. It will be streamed on multiple platforms, too.
Notable celebrities will also join in, including Lakers’ forward LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai, The Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Bad Bunny, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Megan Rapinoe, H.E.R., and Ben Platt. The event will be hosted by the LeBron James Family Foundation, as well as the XQ Institute and Entertainment Industry Foundation.
Seriously, can you imagine the temper-tantrum in the Oval office when Trump finally finds out? (I’m sure they’re doing their best to hide it from him while they hide the good china).
Graduate Together:
America Honors the Class of 2020As coronavirus has prompted the cancellation of high school graduation ceremonies across the country, The Entertainment Industry Foundation, The LeBron James Family Foundation, XQ Institute, and a broad coalition of partners are coming together to pay tribute to millions of high school seniors, their extraordinary teachers, and their families, as we rally everyone around a message of hope and unity.
Graduate Together: America Honors the Class of 2020 will air simultaneously across ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as a broad alliance of social media and streaming platforms. The one-hour primetime special airs on Saturday, May 16, and will honor the more than 3 million high school seniors across the country.
Artists, athletes, musicians, commencement speakers, influencers, and cultural icons will show their support with performances and messages featuring students, teachers, and their families from coast to coast.
This will be a moment to come together—as one nation—to applaud this rite of passage. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the Class of 2020’s achievements.
We’ve been coping with this crisis together. Now it’s time to look ahead together. Let’s start by celebrating the graduates of the Class of 2020 and the pivotal role they will play in rethinking and reshaping the path forward.
And then an online party:
Obama will also participate in an event for HBCU institutions called Show Me Your Walk at 2 p.m. on the same day. On June 6, he will give a Dear Class of 2020 Commencement Address at 3 p.m. EST via YouTube.
Open thread
Zzyzx
You know you’re old when you have no clue who half the notable celebrities are. Outside of the sports stars, these could be made up names for all I know.
feebog
Wait, Bad Bunny?
Barbara
What a sweet thing to do. Good for all of them.
zhena gogolia
@Zzyzx:
Okay, let me try. LeBron James I know and anyway he’s identified there. Yousafzai got the Nobel Prize, heroic Pakistani women’s rights advocate who was nearly killed. Jonas Brothers, inexplicably persistent pop group. Yara Shahidi I think is on Black-ish or something. Bad Bunny, no clue. Lena Waithe is a writer, director, I think. Pharrell Williams “Happy,” source for Al Yankovic’s “Tacky” is how I think of him. Megan Rapinoe plays soccer. H.E.R. no clue. Ben Platt is a Broadway star, Dear Evan Hansen. I’m old too but I read People magazine.
Gin & Tonic
Stolen valor? Or just par for the course?
Jeffery
@Zzyzx: I stop following pop culture almost 50 years ago. I find out about “Stars” and their careers when they die or do reunion tours.
SiubhanDuinne
FOX? That’s … unexpected.
dmsilev
Fox, huh? What’s the Latin->Trumpish translation for “et tu, Brute?”
(“No dictator has ever been treated as unfairly as me! Fake Scrolls!”)
Zzyzx
Bad Bunny and H.E.R. were the big ones for me that reminded me that I have no clue.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Oh, man. talk about tic.. tic.. tic….
Think he’ll demand equal time when he gives a commencement talk to the combined web traffic of Liberty, Regents, Bob Jones U and Sarah Huckabee’s proud alma mater, Waxahootchie College of Embalming Arts, Confederate History and Creation Science
ETA: @SiubhanDuinne: someone speculated yesterday that Fredo fronting a move to buy OANN is shot across Uncle Rupert’s bow. I’d love to see them go to war
Cacti
Didn’t even see this yesterday, but I’m all smiles.
NBC News President and MSNBC Chairman Andy Lack resigns on the heels of flogging “Tara-Reade’s” borscht-scented fabrications against Joe Biden.
Laughing at you, Andy. Not with you.
Mikeindublin
No doubt Fox News will be running Rev Wright and weather underground documentaries all day.
Calouste
What are the odds that the shitgibbon is going to demand to be in there as well and make a complete ass of himself? (Ok, chances of the latter are 100%).
The Thin Black Duke
Donnie’s mad that he doesn’t get invited to the cool parties anymore.
Brachiator
Yeah, but Obama won’t be serving hamburgers, so there!
Is Trump still speaking at the military academy, or did that get cancelled? Or already happen?
Jinchi
Trump prefers the poorly educated, so he’ll probably counter with a special on FOX congratulating all the high school students who recently dropped out and joined right wing militias to go storm state capitol buildings across the country.
dexwood
Any chance the Orange Plague will try to hijack the networks at that time with an important address to the nation?
SiubhanDuinne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Rooting for injuries and ordering all the popcorn.
Steeplejack
@zhena gogolia:
Look at clued-in you! So you’re not just Russian lit and genteel murder. Well played. ?
Mezz
I audibly gasped when President Obama popped up in the Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls documentary (The Last Dance — really good.) I was SO excited to see him, to hear his voice, to hear some competent communication.
I got f***ing teary. It was 5am and I was watching it by myself.
So obviously most of us here will be super excited. What will Trump do to sabotage it? Turn off the Internet? Cancel graduations?
Jinchi
@dexwood: Odds are high.
But instead of the expected coronavirus update, it will be a report that Bob Barr has found proof that Obama personally installed listening devices in Trump’s microwave.
When asked for evidence, he’ll claim that it’s secret intelligence that he’s prohibited from revealing, just like the evidence that corona was deliberately created in a lab in Wuhan China.
Kay
We delivered signs to the high school graduates yards and it was just so great. They were so cute- they came out and were really excited, like all out of proportion to what we did – I think the shut down has been hard for them. I love kids that age and I got all choked up. You have to bring a fire truck for extra pizazz.
I just wish we had done a better job taking care of the country for them. We did a bad job. No dodging that, I don’t think. Handing them a big fucking mess, really.
Steeplejack
@SiubhanDuinne:
Fox the big-four network is somewhat apart from Fox News.
trollhattan
Ben Platt will get my class of 2020 kid squealing. That’s my report from observation of the post-millennial cohort.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Zzyzx:
Don’t feel bad, I don’t know who hald of these people are either and I’m young. The only names aside from LeBron James I recognize are the Jonas Brothers
Hildebrand
H.E.R (aka Gabriella Wilson) is a phenomenal young R&B talent – and a killer guitar player. I love watching her performances.
Zzyzx
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I definitely knew Megan too, but that was it… Jonas Brothers I would have vaguely known if I had thought about it.
SiubhanDuinne
@Steeplejack: Thanks. Hadn’t made that distinction. Try to avoid both.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Brachiator:
God that shit still pisses me off over a year later. The sycophantic need to defend Trump for every little fucking thing drives me crazy. I mean, criticizing Trump over serving fast food slop to college athletes is not controversial and it’s not being elitist. It was Trump being a cheap ass during the shutdown who couldn’t go the extra mile and buy real resturant-quality burgers and fries. I’ll never understand why he couldn’t have just gotten his nearby Trump Hotel (which probably had a resturant in it) to cater the damn thing. Probably no money in it for him
The Moar You Know
@SiubhanDuinne: Not at all. Fox is owned by Disney. Fox News is still owned by Murdoch. Two completely separate companies at this point.
This won’t be getting carried on Fox News for any number of reasons, lol
Be interesting to see if Trump knows the difference.
NotMax
Gee, wonder what day and time the FCC will suddenly announce for a “test of national broadcasting emergency lockdown.”
//
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Test
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@The Moar You Know:
I did not know that. I think I knew it at some point and forgot, but there’s isn’t a twenty-five year-old joke about a long-dead comedian to express that.
rikyrah
@Kay:
Awe, Kay??
So sweet.
Kent
Very nice of Obama to step up and show us what a REAL president looks like and how a REAL president acts in times of crisis.
The contrast helps remind us of how infinitely far from ‘normal’ we are with Trump.
And if it reminds a few more voters who still haven’t figured it out yet so much the better.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@The Moar You Know:
That got me to thinking: is it possible to buy out Fox News and deliberately run it into the ground?
FelonyGovt
Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican (I think) reggaeton singer.
Look at me! And I’m 66!
ETA interesting to see Condoleeza Rice among the speakers.
rikyrah
Can’t wait to hear from a coherent President
Omnes Omnibus
@feebog: Reggaeton and Latin trap star from PR. https://youtu.be/GtSRKwDCaZM
Steeplejack
@The Moar You Know:
Oh, yeah, I forgot about Fox getting sold to Disney. Completely separate now.
different-church-lady
Michelle looks so great with un-straightened hair.
Amir Khalid
@zhena gogolia:
A correction, if I may: Malala Yousafzai is from Afghanistan.
Jeffro
Um, I know who Alicia Keys is…and the Obamas too, of course ;)
Other than that? I got nothin’…
/didn’tthinkIwasthatold
JMG
@The Moar You Know: I think Fox the TV network is still owned by Murdoch. Disney bought 20th Century-Fox, to get the movies and TV programs it produces.
Jeffro
@Hildebrand: She was spectacular in that Prince tribute concert a week or two ago!
germy
@FelonyGovt:
Biden’s VP!
(just kidding)
Gravenstone
@SiubhanDuinne: @dmsilev: Fox entertainment, not Fox News. Still, anything that adds insult to Trump’s (emotional) injury is all good.
zhena gogolia
@Amir Khalid:
Oh, thank you. I doubted myself as I typed it but was too lazy to google.
Miss Bianca
@Zzyzx: Right? I was thinking that myself. Thinking, “oh, I could love a band called Bad Bunny – wait, is that a band or a person?
ETA: Person, got it!
Gravenstone
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Not much of a war, one upstart US hard right cable channel versus an (unfortunately) worldwide empire of broadcast and cable networks, as well as myriad newspapers. Murdoch probably wouldn’t even deign to sniff dismissively at them before crushing OANN.
Frankensteinbeck
Trump is already throwing a tantrum. Some polite racists – um, moderate Republicans, aired a commercial against him. In return, he called George Conway ‘Moonface’, which is an ethnic slur against Asians. I was unaware that Conway was half-Fillipino, but a white supremacist like Trump pays a lot more attention to these things.
Steeplejack
@JMG:
Clarification:
cain
It’s always fun watching you olds trying to figure out the guest list ;) [runs]
Gravenstone
@Miss Bianca: I can introduce you to a band called Ironbunny. But I doubt you are in the market for kawaii metal.
ET
Twitter raging and whining are going to be EPIC. Lots of capitalization and incoherence.
kindness
Without thinking very hard about the Obama show, what you bet Trump schedules a ‘News Conference’ during that exact same time?
Whocouldaknown?
HumboldtBlue
For some adult fun just imagine Michelle Obama reading a reacharoundbooks book such as Spank the Monkey Lends a Hand or Brenda’s Beaver Neds a Barber
Booger
@cain: Hey, it doesn’t count if it doesn’t feature Joey Heatherton.
Another Scott
@dmsilev: Fox and Fox News are different outfits.
Fox gave us The Simpsons.
Fox News gave us Trump.
Grrr…
Cheers,
Scott.
Hildebrand
@Jeffro: Yes she was! I love watching her play – her ability to (seemingly) effortlessly move from guitar to piano and back is just jaw-dropping.
Miss Bianca
@Gravenstone:
And *why* the hell not?//
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@cain:
Who are you calling old ; )
zhena gogolia
@Frankensteinbeck:
Conway is lapping it up. It’s all over his twitter.
Gravenstone
@Another Scott:
This has not been a positive for 20+ years now…
Gravenstone
@Miss Bianca: Sarcasm or no, if you’ve ever heard Babymetal, you’ve heard an example of kawaii metal – typically cute (kawaii in Japanese) girls fronting typically male metal musicians.
Gin & Tonic
@HumboldtBlue: Wow. I learned something today.
HumboldtBlue
@Gin & Tonic:
About Brenda or about yourself?
@Gravenstone:
Babymetal is a musical term I am unfamiliar with until now.
I prefer the 5,6,7,8s
Miss Bianca
@Gravenstone: I *LOVE* Babymetal!! I introduced a Babymetal video to this forum one time on a music thread just to make some heads melt down – so I’m surprised I have’t heard of Ironbunny. Off to Le Google…
JPL
@dexwood: You betcha!
japa21
Well, just fund out my oldest grandson will have an actual commencement ceremony at his private HS near Fort Lost in the Woods Missouri on the 17th of this month. We are invited. Normally we would go a day or two ahead but if we go it will be drive the 6 hours there, attend the ceremony heavily masked, go to my son’s house for a small celebration and drive the 6 hours back. That’s if we go.
Some other things are happening from a medical standpoint with Mrs. Japa which may impact the decision. Although she really wants to go bad and see her grandchildren.
BruceFromOhio
That is absolutely fabulous! Can’t wait to see who says what!
The Pale Scot
@Gravenstone:
They could give Nyango Star a run for his? money
Jeffro
MITCH DANIELS IS ALREADY AT IT WITH THE LOOK FORWARD NOT BACK CRAP AND WHERE. IS. MY. BAT???!!!!?
THEY DID LIE YOU ASSHOLE
THEY AREN’T DOING THEIR BEST, YOU ASSHOLE. THEY’RE CONFISCATING PPE, JARED HAS NO FUCKING CLUE WHAT HE’S DOING, AND THEY’RE ABOUT TO WRAP UP THEIR STUPID TASK FORCE.
Oh HELLLLLLLL no
Anya
I am so glad. Generation Z deserves a lot of praise and attention. Old cranks keeps shititng on them and calling them spoilt and constantly comparing them to the “greatest generation” or whatever, meanwhile mistaking them for my generation. I am pretty sure President Obama will be inspiring.
The only negative thing that might come out of this is Trump will get jealous and insist to speak at the military academy.
Anya
@Frankensteinbeck: He’s a genius. He knows all the esoteric racist words.
Anya
@dexwood: I think they can refuse to air his deranged modified rally. I vaguely remember the networks refusing to air an Obama address or am I miss remembering this?
zhena gogolia
@Amir Khalid:
Hmmm . . .
Gravenstone
@The Pale Scot: You’re an evil person.
The Moar You Know
@Anya: you are not.
JPL
@zhena gogolia: Doesn’t she graduate too?
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
Bernie woulda graduated
glory b
@Hildebrand: She plays piano and drums too, from what I understand. She had a few Grammy nominations I believe, but they got swept by Billie Eilish (sp).
glory b
@The Moar You Know: Yes, in his first year he wanted to give students a “Welcome back to school, study hard and do great things” address, but a bunch of Tea Party flavored parents went crazy, even though he gave all of the networks the speech in advance. The networks declined to air it.
There was another time he asked for prime time air time for an address to the country and was declined, I don’t remember the subject.
SiubhanDuinne
@The Moar You Know:
I honestly had no idea. Thanks.
SiubhanDuinne
@Amir Khalid:
Wikipedia says Pakistan.
zhena gogolia
@JPL:
I don’t know.
Mikefromthehammer
@zhena gogolia: You did better than this old goat. lol
HeartlandLiberal
What would really put the icing on the cake as far as making Trump explode, would be for Obama and Michelle to invite Joe Biden to make a guest appearance and speak to the graduates. Please, oh please, oh please.
The Lodger
@HumboldtBlue: Sounds inspired by the Chuck Tingle, uh, backlist.