Obama Lets Springsteen Know Who’s “Boss”

Bruce Springsteen, 60, was bestowed a Kennedy Center Honor alongside Mel Brooks, jazz artist Dave Brubeck, and Robert De Niro on Sunday night in Washington.

“I’m the President, but he’s The Boss,” joked a humble Barack Obama, in front of an audience that included Jack Black, Edward Norton, Matthew Broderick, and Ben Stiller (who does one of the all-time great Bruce Springsteen impressions).

“We worked really hard for our music to be part of American life and our fans’ lives,” said Springsteen. “So it’s an acknowledgment that you’ve kind of threaded your way into the culture in a certain way. It’s satisfying.”

Said comedian Jon Stewart, who was on hand to help honor his fellow New Jersey native, “When you listen to Bruce’s music, you aren’t a loser,” he said. “You are a character in an epic poem about losers.”

CBS will air highlights from the ceremony Tuesday, December 29.