{
  "id": 313494,
  "title": "HBO sketch actor Barack Obama apparently has a very Larry David ketchup vendetta",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/hbo-sketch-actor-barack-obama-apparently-has-a-very-larry-david",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-08T02:19:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/barack-obama-larry-david-ketchup-vendetta"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During the final episode of HBO sketch series Life, Larry, And The Pursuit Of Unhappiness, a largely untested actor named Barack Obama made an appearance opposite Larry David. Obama, known for his other work, had previously appeared in the series but this time, he was in a sketch with David. The show's producers praised Obama's comedic skills, but revealed a surprising fact about their time together on set.\n\nAccording to series co-creator Jeff Schaffer, the more time Obama spent with David, the more his speech began to resemble the famed comedian's. Schaffer recalls Obama saying during downtime, \"I have fun being annoyed by Larry\" and that their conversations led him to realize he was starting to sound like David. One particularly bizarre moment revealed in behind-the-scenes examination was Obama's strong opinions on condiments. Schaffer reported that Obama declared firmly, \"No one should be using ketchup after age 12. That's a child's condiment. It's just sugar. Use mustard! Use an adult condiment!\"",
  "summary": "\"That's a child's condiment,\" the former leader of the free world reportedly opined during the filming of Life, Larry, And The Pursuit Of Unhappiness. \"Use mustard!\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Consequence",
        "title": "Larry David Takes the Blame for Barack Obama’s Tan Suit on Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/larry-david-takes-the-blame-for-barack-obamas-tan-suit-on-life-larry",
        "published": "2026-08-08T01:31:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Variety",
        "title": "Behind the Scenes of Obama’s Acting Cameo in ‘Life, Larry’: Blaming Larry David for His Tan Suit Debacle, Improvising Lines and Ranting About Ketchup",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/behind-the-scenes-of-obamas-acting-cameo-in-life-larry-blaming-larry",
        "published": "2026-08-08T01:35:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}