There's no better time for some laughs than when the economy is
tanking, and comedian Dana Carvey had distressed-company lawyers and
bankers laughing in the aisles last night at the end of Hall of Fame
inductions at the Turnaround Management Association annual convention
in New Orleans.
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The "Saturday Night Live" alum came on stage at the end of a night that saw the induction of the first 10 members of the Turnaround, Restructuring and Distressed Investing Industry Hall of Fame.
Speaking for the group, senior inductee and legendary bankruptcy
attorney Harvey Miller of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP got in his own
zinger: "How often will I get to be inducted into a hall of fame with
my father, Henry [Miller of investment bank Miller Buckfire & Co.
LLC]?"
Still, Miller's partner at the firm, Kenneth Buckfire, got
more of the night's ribbing from Carvey, who segued from riffs on the
economy ("All I know about finance is Jimmy Stewart" in " 'It's a
Wonderful Life' ") to impressions of Tom Brokaw, John McCain, Bill
Clinton, Ronald Reagan and other public figures to comments on the
names of the convention sponsors adorning the banners lining the hall.
That gave Carvey a launching pad for some rapid-fire Buckfire jokes:
"Miller Buckfire -- that's not a real name, is it? Buckfire. That's kind of what Dick Cheney did to that guy in Texas."
Then, mimicking Andy Rooney: "A small raccoon lives in my left eyebrow. I call it Buckfire."
Imitating
North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Il, riffing about President Bush's
twisted English: "You better call Miller Buckfire, set you straight." And Carvey didn't let it rest there. After impersonations of
Al Pacino talking to his kids and the obligatory nod to the long day of
attendees ("I thought I'd be playing to six people at this point"),
Carvey unleashed on Buckfire again. In a closing TMA-themed song,
Carvey sent up the French-sounding name of Deloitte (& Touche LLP)
but concluded, in a French accent: "It's better than Buckfire." - David
Elman
