When Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien made a joke that Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Brooker’s way to improve the health care of New Jersey citizens “would consist of a bus ticket out of Newark” on 23 September, a buzzing conflict sparked between the mayor and the comic.
The mayor fired back at O’Brien on Youtube stating that the comedian is no longer welcome in Newark. Booker quipped, “I’m officially putting you on the Newark, NJ, no fly list — try JFK, buddy.”
The verbal conflict did not stop as O’Brien came out to even the score, sarcastically stating Newark as “one of America’s greatest cities” while exhibiting an image of a graffiti-ridden wall to represent the “thriving arts scene” and a Dunkin Donuts sign as an “exciting regional cuisine”. The retaliation was followed by the banning of the Mayor from a Burbank, California airport.
Booker on 1 October posted another video outlawing O’Brien from the entire State of New Jersey stating, “Now listen, you may like Boardwalk and Park Place, but the only way you’re going to get to them is on a Monopoly board.”
O’Brien’s latest response on Monday revealed a letter welcoming him to New Jersey neighbour Elizabeth city. The comic then joked about adjacent towns forming a “geographic toilet seat around the city of Newark” as a form of “campaign to surround and crush” Newark and the “drunk on power” Mayor Booker. The mayor has not released any statement so far in response to the latest O’Brien gag.
