'DA POPE!' Leo XIV's Chicago roots unleash spate of holy humor
A Chicago-born cardinal walks into a conclave. The rest of the joke tells itself.
In the breathless day since Pope Leo XIV's election as the first American pontiff, the memes, doctored images and tongue-in-cheek references have piled up deeper than Chicago's pizza and more loaded than its hot dog, seemingly irresistible to comics and commoners alike.
Stained-glass windows depicting a dunking Michael Jordan? A change in canon law to make ketchup-topped frankfurters a sin? Cameos in 'The Bear'? All of it apparently as tempting as the forbidden fruit.
'You just saw a billion jokes,' says Chad Nackers, who was raised Catholic and now presides as editor-in-chief of The Onion, the satirical site that heralded Robert Prevost's elevation with an image of the smiling pontiff encased in a poppyseed-dotted bun.
'Conclave Selects First Chicago-Style Pope,' read the headline.
The pageantry of the church and the idea of a man who acts as a voice for God, Nackers says, combine for fertile humorous ground no matter the pontiff. Having him hail from the U.S., though, and a city as distinct as Chicago, opens up a whole new world of funny.
'It's just kind of ripe for humor,' Nackers says.
'DA POPE!' blared the front of the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday, one of countless spins on the city's unique accent, immortalized in 'Saturday Night Live' sketches. No matter how Pope Leo XIV actually appears, in this realm of humor, he's a mustachioed everyman who swaps his Ts for Ds and his zucchetto for a Bears cap.
With the Second City in the spotlight, more Chicago tropes were trotted out than even the famed namesake improv troupe could dream up. The popemobile traded for the Dodge Monaco made famous in 'The Blues Brothers'? Check. Twists on city-set shows and movies like 'Chicago Hope,' er, 'Chicago Pope'? Yup. Dreams of Portillo's Italian beef sandwiches and the Chicago liqueur Malört taking the place of the bread and wine of communion? Yes, chef. Over and over again.
In sports-loving Chicago, city teams were spun in a swell of papal humor. Initial belief that the pope's baseball loyalties were with the Cubs led content creator Caitlin Hendricks to muse that Leo ironically hates the Cardinals. As it turns out, though, it appears the man in white roots for the White Sox.
It didn't stop those in Wrigleyville from eating up pope memes and feeling hometown pride. At the Sports World shop, one woman came in asking for a Cubs jersey with Pope Leo XIV's name splayed across the back. Down the street at Wrigleyville Sports, Chad Grant said he wouldn't hate Leo for rooting for the Sox, but that 'I just feel bad, because he's been used to losing for a little while.'
Late-night hosts, too, had a ball with an American's ascension.
Jimmy Fallon mused of 'deep-dish communion wafers' from a pope known as 'Bobby Bratwurst.' Stephen Colbert, a devout Catholic who performs in a studio with nearly as much stained glass to rival St. Patrick's Cathedral, offered patriotic 'Pope-S-A' chants and mentions of 'da prayers' in thick Chicago tongue.
'I'm actually surprised by how excited I am,' Jimmy Kimmel said in his first monologue after the news. 'An American who grew up here, watched all the shows we watched, rooted for teams, is now in Rome at the head of the church … this must have been what it felt like when they opened the first Olive Garden.'
More will come, a cascade of Ferris Bueller jokes and asides on canonizing Mike Ditka. There will be Oprah exuberantly shouting 'You get a new pope! And you get a new pope!' And more memes of the pope in a dyed-green Chicago River or atop its shiny 'Cloud Gate' bean than anyone can count.
'There's just a lot of joy in the city right now,' says Ashley Lenz, a theologian in Chicago who works for the Catholic prayer app Hallow. 'There's a certain delight of seeing something sacred break into the ordinary. The idea of a pope who's stood in line at Portillo's or cheered on the Sox makes it all feel closer to home. It makes the papacy feel human again.'
___
Associated Press writer Melina Walling contributed to this report from Chicago.
___
Matt Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org and https://x.com/sedensky.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Black America Web
an hour ago
- Black America Web
10 Country African American Artists You Should Know
Black Music Month is a time to honor the rich tapestry of sounds and stories woven by Black artists across genres, including the soulful twang of country music. Country music is a very white, male-dominated space, but don't be fooled by what's in the spotlight; many black and brown faces with talent have made big strides laying the foundation of roots and rhythm for the genre. STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. DeFord Bailey started his career as a musician and writer in the 1920s and is considered the first African-American Country music star. Bailey was widely known for his harmonica playing and became one of the first artists to play on Nashville radio station WSM's Grand Ole Opry. It is said that his face was often concealed to hide his skin color/ethnicity during these times of segregation. And then there's Charlie Pride, who started off as a Negro League baseball player but switched careers becoming widely know as country music's first black superstar. Pride had an amazing career, outselling powerhouse stars like Elvis and John Denver. Pride won many awards during his career but in 2000 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. ✕ But we can't talk about African American pioneers in country music without talking about the first commercially successful black woman in the genre, Linda Martell. Martell started her career singing gospel and R&B but soon found her way to country music where her career took off. In 1970 she appeared on many country shows, including the popular Hee Haw, and the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast, becoming the first black woman to perform on the show. From trailblazers like Charlie Pride and DeFord Bailey to modern icons like Mickey Guyton and Kane Brown, these 10 Black country artists have shattered barriers, redefined the genre, and left an indelible mark on music history. Their voices echo resilience, innovation, and a legacy worth celebrating. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE. STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! HEAD TO THE HOMEPAGE The article '10 Country African American Artists You Should Know' was created with the help of
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Country star slams brawling fans at gig, telling them: ‘This is not a Travis Scott concert'
Country music star Cody Johnson berated a couple of brawling concertgoers, telling them 'this is not a Travis Scott concert.' The musician, known for songs including 'Cowboy Like Me' and ''Til You Can't,' briefly stopped his show in San Antonio, Texas, over the weekend, so that the individuals could be removed. 'That's alright, we got all night,' Johnson said from the stage, during a performance of 'God Bless America.' 'I mean, this is not a Travis Scott concert,' he said, 'there's kids in the crowd.' 'There we go, there's the police officers,' he added, as the crowd cheered. Johnson's comment about Scott was a reference to the serious crush at one of the rapper's shows at the Astroworld music festival, in Houston, Texas, in November 2021. Ten people died and scores more were injured following a 'crowd surge' on the first night of the two-day festival, an annual music event hosted by Scott at the site of the former Houston Six Flags park. Following reports of the deaths in the crowd, Scott said that he was 'absolutely devastated' and later said he thinks about what happens 'every day.' Civil lawsuits were later filed by the families of the victims. Earlier at last weekend's show, Johnson told fans that over the past few years he had 'grown tired of ... watching the news media and people in politics try to divide us when we don't need to be divided.' 'Do you know why it's okay sometimes to disagree with your fellow American, on anything?' he asked. 'Because before most of us were born, an American soldier gave his or her life to have the freedom to disagree in the United States.' After the brawling men were removed from the venue, he reportedly quipped: 'Well, there goes my speech about unity.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘The Bear' Emmy odds: How many nominations will the series get?
This week, everyone's favorite summer-time, fine-dining panic attack, The Bear, returns for its fourth season. But in the awards world — thanks to eligibility windows — it's the third season of the FX series starring Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri that Emmys voters are having to consider. The ascendency of Hacks kept The Bear from claiming a second Best Comedy Series last year, but there were still a bevy of acting wins, taking five out of six within comedy, including White winning his second Emmy in a row for playing Carmy. More from GoldDerby How will the Grammys tackle the TikTokers? Alex Warren and Addison Rae look to turn chart success into Best New Artist bids Jensen Ackles on [Spoiler]'s surprise appearance on 'Countdown' and the 'Supernatural' reunion on 'The Boys' Marvel's 'Ironheart' reviews: Critics love Dominique Thorne - the show she's in, not so much But with The Studio's arrival on the scene and Only Murders in the Building still going strong, comedy categories at the Emmy Awards are more competitive than they've been in years. How will The Bear fare? Here are the series' best shots at scoring nominations when they're announced on July 15. Vulture recently reported on the supposed whisper campaign among industry insiders to unseat the highly dramatic The Bear as the dominant comedy series at the Emmys, a trend that could have led to the upset victory of Hacks at the 2024 edition of the award. And a look at the Gold Derby odds for the top prize suggests that those efforts may have doubled. The Bear currently sits in fourth place with combined odds for the category — behind Hacks, The Studio, and Only Murders in the Building. Nipping at The Bear's furry heels are the much beloved Abbott Elementary and another of the season's breakout hits Nobody Wants This. With episodes of The Bear days from debuting, a standout fourth season could give it a boost among voters. But, much like last year, the opposite is also true. The strongest Emmys streak that The Bear has going right now — outside of Chris Storer's directing — is White. The actor has claimed Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for The Bear's first two seasons and could make it a hat trick in 2025. But shockingly, White is currently sitting at third in the combined Gold Derby rankings, behind Seth Rogen for The Studio and current favorite Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building. Short, a three-time acting nominee for the Hulu series, hasn't won an Emmy since 2014. Could this be the year? Will anyone ever beat Deborah Vance? That is the question of the category as long as Hacks stays on the air and Jean Smart is being hilariously mean. Smart has won Lead Actress in a Comedy Series three times — every year that Hacks has been eligible. If anyone has a shot this year, the odds point to Edebiri, who previously won in 2023, when Hacks didn't air within the consideration window. Also in the running, just behind Edebiri, are Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Kristen Bell for Nobody Wants This, and Natasha Lyonne for Poker Face. The only regular cast member for The Bear sitting at the top of the odds for their respective category is Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The two-time winner ranks ahead of Harrison Ford (Shrinking), Paul W. Downs (Hacks), Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), and Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary). It should also be noted that Moss-Bachrach stars in The Fantastic Four: First Steps out this July, which will only help to raise his profile in the midst of voting. The reigning Comedy Supporting Actress winner, Liza Colón-Zayas, is currently sitting in the No. 2 spot behind her competition from The Bear's primary awards rival. Hacks' Hannah Einbinder has two previous nominations in the category, but has yet to take home a trophy. The odds puts her as the current favorite, with Catherine O'Hara (The Studio), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), and Jessica Williams (Shrinking) rounding out the top five. Jamie Lee Curtis is the heavy favorite to repeat in Comedy Guest Actress, but she'll have some tough competition from Julianne Nicholson's wild appearance on Hacks. The Studio brought some serious heat with its guest stars — including current number three in the ranking, Martin Scorsese — but it's Bryan Cranston who is poised to stand (or at least to be propped up) in the way of Jon Bernthal's path to two in a row. In the last two years, The Bear has dominated comedy directing, editing, sound mixing, and sound editing, never losing in any of the four categories. If there are any safe bets for The Bears' nominations, it's right here. Best of GoldDerby Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2 Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, Bridget Everett, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actress interviews Click here to read the full article.
