Watch Mel Brooks try to pants President Obama at the White House

Mel Brooks makes to pants President Obama — (Image credit: ABC News/YouTube)

On Thursday, President Obama awarded Mel Brooks the National Medal of Arts "for a lifetime of making the world laugh." Immediately, Brooks validated the honor he had just received.

Brooks "pioneered the art of musical comedy in his hilarious, thought-provoking work on film and in theater," the announcer said as Brooks stood next to Obama in the White House. Then, as soon as Obama placed the medal around his neck, Brooks added to his repertoire — in the hilarious, maybe not "thought-provoking" realm. NBC News insists that Brooks "pretends to fall to his knees because of the medal's weight," but come on. The 90-year-old comedy legend made to pants the president of the United States — and he was quick enough that if he'd wanted to do it, 55-year-old Obama probably couldn't have stopped him.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.