The Blaz: "Why so serious?"

 

NY Daily News 

 Hizzoner has been in such a good mood recently, he’s been making numerous wisecracks and puns at public appearances.

The attempts at showmanship make for a strong contrast with his mood at events through the end of last year, when New Yorkers were wondering whether the COVID-19 pandemic was spiraling out of control.

But with a historic vaccination campaign underway and infection numbers down, Mayor de Blasio has been on much more jovial.

In his latest gag during a briefing, he cut to a video feed from the Shack Shake in Madison Square Park in Manhattan, where the chain’s CEO Randy Garutti touted an offer of free burgers and fries for people who get vaccinated.

By the time the video jumped back to the mayor in City Hall’s stately Blue Room, he had a Shake Shack meal in front of him.

“Did you say free fries when you get vaccinated?” he said playfully before he stuffed a handful in his mouth. “I got vaccinated.

“You’re saying I can get this — delicious fries — wait a minute, but there’s also a burger element to this?” de Blasio said with a mischievous smile.

“If this is appealing to you, just think of this when you think of vaccination,” he said before chomping down. “Mmm, vaccination! I’m getting a very good feeling about vaccination right this moment.”

The silly streak comes with just over seven months left in the de Blasio administration. During the mayor’s tenure, headlines have been dominated by the scandal over the Campaign for One New York — his nonprofit that nearly got him indicted — his humiliating 2020 presidential run and the coronavirus pandemic.

None of that made for an atmosphere of levity at City Hall and Gracie Mansion.

But with COVID-19 numbers improving, the mayor has been promoting the coming months as the “Summer of New York City,” expressing a love of the Big Apple long absent from his administration, according to his critics.

It probably doesn’t hurt that Hizzoner’s main nemesis, Gov. Cuomo, has been reeling from scandals over allegations of sexual misconduct and his handling of coronavirus deaths at nursing homes.

Asked why he’s been so upbeat at a recent press conference, de Blasio shied away from mentioning his arch-rival’s crises.

“There’s a lot of good stuff happening and a lot of people are working together. Those are the kinds of things that make me happy,” he said on April 22.

Admin note:

What I really like about this Daily News article is how it's similar to my post about how the Blaz and his media management monkeys have been slicing up their press briefing uploads, cutting out reporters questions and also the responses by the Mayor and his health commissioner. Which they did again in the most recent video where the joke from Park Slope was scarfing down fries and a burger like a degenerate slob. Most of all, I appreciate the Daily News for posting those briefings in full, because while I am still deplatformed on Twitter, I bombed the hell out of the comments section on those videos, so my voice will still be heard by the masses. (Well, maybe hundreds) Ciao, baby.