Canada's Lorne Michaels, Frank Gehry receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
WASHINGTON — The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016 4:05PM EST
Last updated Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016 5:16PM EST
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Barack Obama expressed praise for the individual work of Frank Gehry and Lorne Michaels on Tuesday as he presented the Canadians with America’s highest civilian honour: the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Toronto natives were among 21 new honourees recognized by the U.S. president at the White House, with Obama describing the star-studded list of recipients as “a particularly impressive class.”
Gehry is a world-renowned architect whose best-known buildings include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague …show more content…
“The idea of what architecture could be, he decided to upend; constantly repurposing every material available from titanium to paper towel tube.... Frank’s work teaches us that while buildings may be sturdy and fixed to the ground, like all great art they can lift our spirits. They can soar, they can broaden our horizons.”
The commander-in-chief received many laughs from the assembled audience as he turned his attention to Michaels, praising his work in launching the influential “SNL.”
“On ‘Saturday Night Live,’ he’s created a world where a band of no-names become comedy’s biggest stars; where our friends the Coneheads and cheerleaders and land sharks and basement deadbeats and motivational speakers and an unfrozen caveman lawyer show up,” said Obama.
“After four decades, even in this fractured media culture that we’ve got, ‘SNL’ remains appointment-viewing.”
Following the president’s remarks, citations were read for each individual honouree, with Gehry described as an “exemplar scholar of American innovation,” and Michaels hailed as “one of the most transformative entertainment figures of our
WASHINGTON — The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016 4:05PM EST
Last updated Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016 5:16PM EST
0 Comments 5
5
0
AA
Barack Obama expressed praise for the individual work of Frank Gehry and Lorne Michaels on Tuesday as he presented the Canadians with America’s highest civilian honour: the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Toronto natives were among 21 new honourees recognized by the U.S. president at the White House, with Obama describing the star-studded list of recipients as “a particularly impressive class.”
Gehry is a world-renowned architect whose best-known buildings include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague …show more content…
“The idea of what architecture could be, he decided to upend; constantly repurposing every material available from titanium to paper towel tube.... Frank’s work teaches us that while buildings may be sturdy and fixed to the ground, like all great art they can lift our spirits. They can soar, they can broaden our horizons.”
The commander-in-chief received many laughs from the assembled audience as he turned his attention to Michaels, praising his work in launching the influential “SNL.”
“On ‘Saturday Night Live,’ he’s created a world where a band of no-names become comedy’s biggest stars; where our friends the Coneheads and cheerleaders and land sharks and basement deadbeats and motivational speakers and an unfrozen caveman lawyer show up,” said Obama.
“After four decades, even in this fractured media culture that we’ve got, ‘SNL’ remains appointment-viewing.”
Following the president’s remarks, citations were read for each individual honouree, with Gehry described as an “exemplar scholar of American innovation,” and Michaels hailed as “one of the most transformative entertainment figures of our