Light-hearted moment at Sunday’s Kennedy Center Honors, President Joe Biden unintentionally contributed to the internet’s treasure trove of memes and jokes. While praising 2023 honoree Queen Latifah at the prestigious awards ceremony in the White House, Biden misspoke, saying, “She’s earned a Golden Globe and a Primetime Enemy,” instead of the intended “Emmy,” as reported by Newsweek on Monday, December 4, 2023.
Caught in the slip, the 81-year-old president paused, humorously quipped, “Enemy?” and added, “That’s me,” eliciting laughter from the audience.
The incident quickly went viral after RNC Research posted a video of the gaffe on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The clip amassed over 33,000 views, triggering a flood of responses and creative jests from users.
“Biden now available to emcee your next event,” playfully suggested X user Jay Baker in response to the video.
Others joined in with lighthearted commentary, such as John OD’s quip, “Talk about a Freudian slip,” and JJ’s humorous take, “Better than saying Enema!”
“Primetime Enemy. Soon to be someone’s rap name,” joked Porvata, showcasing the internet’s knack for turning unexpected moments into meme-worthy material.
Meanwhile, @SecritSqrl envisioned Biden’s future reminiscence, “‘I knew her way way back when she was just Princess Latifa…’ – Joe Biden (probably).”
Criticism and defense for Biden’s verbal misstep ensued in the comments. RA224 humorously suggested, “Will someone please get him reading glasses?” While Babs diverted attention with, “Let’s hear you talk about Trump gaffes,” Tee CJ brought up a past quote from the former president about injecting bleach as a COVID-19 cure.
Despite Biden’s occasional verbal missteps, he remains a frontrunner in the Democratic primary, polling at 67 percent according to FiveThirtyEight. However, critics have raised concerns about the president’s cognitive abilities, citing a series of mistakes during public appearances.
Biden faces scrutiny, including comparisons to his predecessor, as the expected Democratic nominee. Former President Donald Trump, anticipated to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 general election, also finds himself under the spotlight for recent errors, mispronunciations, and geography mix-ups.
The Kennedy Center Honors, aside from the Biden incident, recognized other luminaries in 2023, including actor Billy Crystal, theater star Renée Fleming, Bee Gees frontman Barry Gibb, and singer-actress Dionne Warwick.
Biden’s speech gaffe at the Kennedy Center Honors has become a moment of collective amusement, demonstrating the social media landscape’s ability to turn political slips into online entertainment, in the world of internet humor.
