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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAhead of the Pacers’ Eastern Conference Playoffs battle against the Knicks, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” poked fun at Indianapolis’ star power compared to its big-city competitor.
“And giving everyone a little Indiana fever,” a narrator says in a fake advertisement that features a silhouette of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, “County Treasurer Barbara Lawrence!”
The Lawrence mention comes at the end of a list that includes former Vice President Mike Pence, his wife Karen Pence, former congressman Greg Pence, retired WTHR meteorologist Chuck Lofton (who acknowledged it on X) and “a spare tire from the Indy 500.”
Lawrence was elected as Marion County treasurer—a largely non-controversial position that rarely makes headlines—in 2020. Her life in politics and government includes work for Frank McCloskey for Congress in the 1980s, under Gov. Evan Bayh and a number of positions at the city of Indianapolis under former Mayor Bart Peterson. Lawrence was also the town manager of Speedway for six years.
She talked to IBJ about her 15 minutes of national fame.
What has it been like since that clip aired?
Surreal. It’s hilarious, completely unexpected. Quite frankly, I’ve been having a lot of fun with it.
How did you first hear about it? You probably weren’t watching when it aired on Monday night?
I was not. I have a tendency to go to bed earlier than the late-night talk shows come on.
I did get a text at about 11:40 p.m. from a high school friend of mine who saw it from Louisville, Kentucky. But really, my phone started blowing up at about 6 a.m. that next morning. I’m getting these weird texts about Jimmy Fallon last night, and I’m thinking, “Oh, good grief, what’s going on?”
And a friend of mine had sent me the clip, and I was aghast. I mean, I literally gasped out loud, just because it was so unexpected. And it was like: I made Jimmy Fallon.
I’m sure the answer is no, but I was curious: They didn’t have to ask you for your permission or anything to just mention you?
No, because the photo and the information were in the public domain. So it was completely unexpected, and I had no heads up that it was coming.
I think it’s interesting, too, because if you think about Indianapolis politicians or Indianapolis government officials, you don’t cause a lot of controversy that would be on the news.
(Laughs) Outside of a disgruntled property taxpayer, I don’t make many headlines and don’t get in the news often. So it has been pretty fun.
Is there anything else you would say about this experience?
You get to a point in your career where you think, “I’ve done it all, I’ve seen it all, I’ve been through it all.” And then Fallon mentions your name on national television. It’s something that doesn’t happen every day.
Obviously, the setup of the joke is that they’re going to say Caitlin Clark, and then it’s you. Are you a fan of basketball?
Yes, I’m a fan of basketball. So that’s easy. I made it to the Fever game, the season opener, and loved it.
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For those of us in Community Development, or in community work at all, Barb is a local hero and superstar! She has gone to bat for the common man for the 20 years or so that I have known her. So while Jimmy may have been having a bit of fun, what he didn’t know is that he is correct. Star power for sure.
We love Barb!