To Convey A Serious Message, Al Franken Taps The Brakes

When you’re a smart person who’s made a high-profile career as a funny, caustic performer, how do you recalibrate your tone for a serious setting? It’s a question celebrities have long confronted, and Al Franken faces the same problem as he gears up for his maiden speech in the Senate. The issue isn’t only what he says; it’s that his audience has been conditioned over decades to expect humor from him.