Nobody’s laughing: A few years back, when progressive political activist Arianna Huffington was asked about the fact that she had once been a Gingrichite Republican, she would often respond, “When I was a Republican, Dennis Miller was still a liberal and still funny.”
Last week, Miller was the keynote speaker in Boca Raton, Florida, for the annual meeting of the the Securities Industry Association, which is the financial industry’s top professional organization, where he managed to offend quite a few fiscal conservatives:
Comic Dennis Miller managed to offend more than a few of the country’s financial elite Wednesday night at one of Wall Street’s most prestigious gatherings.
In a performance littered with expletives, the conservative political humorist ran down a list of raunchy jokes on his usual topics from Viagra to former President Clinton’s sex life.
Despite explosions of laughter from most of the audience, several attendees left steak and potatoes half-eaten on their plate and took off outraged…
“One woman at my table just got up in the middle of dinner and said ‘I’m offended’ and walked out,” said one investment guru at the meeting.
Dennis’ routine was suited for bachelor parties of ex Fido traders, perhaps but not for securities industry execs. I think Dennis forgot where he was. Perhaps he thought he was entertaining some of the bucket shops and boiler rooms who are HQ’ed in Boca Raton.
Let’s hope he doesn’t get invited back next year.
One more comment, Daniel J. Ludeman did the right thing by making a public statement about how offended he was and apologizing the next day. It’s too bad the incoming Chairman of the SIA, James Gorman (ex MERrill, soon to be with Morgan Stanley as soon as his 6 month non-compete is over) didn’t have the backbone to do the same. I pity John J. Mack for hiring him.