Conan O’Brien gets honest about state of comedy

Conan O’Brien doesn't seem over the moon about the current state of comedy, as he believes this art form is becoming weaker.

The late-night host blames this on comedians focusing on clapping back at Donald Trump rather than working on being funny.

"Some comics go the route of I'm going to just say '* Trump' all the time or that's their comedy,” he says in an interview with the Oxford Union.

The comedian further adds that hitting out at Trump took away his colleagues' "best weapon," which is being funny. "And I think well now...you're being co-opted because you're so angry. You've been lulled. It's like a siren leading you into the rocks."

He continues, "You've been lulled into just saying '* Trump. * Trump. * Trump. Screw this guy.' And I think you've now put down your best weapon, which is being funny, and you've exchanged it for anger."

Conan calls on comics to channel their anger for Trump into funniness, no matter how funny they are. "And that person or any person like that would say, 'Well, things are too serious now. I don't need to be funny.'"

"And I think, well, if you're a comedian, you always need to be funny. You just have to find a way. And you just have to find a way to channel that anger into a way."

"Because good art will always be a great weapon, will always be a perfect weapon against power. But if you're just screaming and you're just angry, you've lost your best tool in the toolbox," the 62-year-old concludes.