EPISODE NUMBER: 5059 (April 30, 2009)
GUEST: Jonathan Alter, Ethan Nadelman
SEGMENTS: President Obama – The First 14 Mondays
VIDEOS: Thursday, April 30, 2009
It’s Thursday, which means the sleep deprivation is kicking in for those of us who stay up late to watch the show and go to our 8a-5p jobs the next day. Which means that my creative banter about my amusement over the show has just grinded to a screeching halt. I remember hearing about the First 14 Mondays from the Military.com interview we featured a couple of days ago, but the first interview felt a little flat to me. I’m guessing it’s hard to revolve comedy around a president that served 80 years ago. And then the drug interview also seemed to be … I don’t know, off, I guess.
I’m so into being a big ol’ cheerleader for the show, that sometimes when a show doesn’t ring my bell, I’m at a loss as to how to discuss it. Last night’s show was a bit of a struggle to write about, too. (*sigh*) You know I absolutely love the show, and the writers and staff. I adore Stephen enough to have dedicated a huge portion of my life over the past three years to chronicling his life and career. But tonight’s show? Meh.
Does anyone else have any comments about the show that aren’t as bland as cardboard? Please don’t bash the show too much in the comments – remember that writers have the Internet too, and so do their moms. Thanks.
- You’ll notice I’m wearing a single Windsor knot. Pretty racy, especially because I’m wearing a single Windsor thong.
- These days, it’s pretty hard to keep a job for 100 days.
- Oh my God, now there’s a horse flu!
- Now despite the risk of contagion, some reporters neglected to wear a face mask when kissing the President’s butt.
- Only profoundly impressed and grateful?! Our military is the most enchanting in the world! How dare the President insult the magical men and women in uniform!
- You’ll never stop the news, Fairness!
- To be followed by another special – “Wait, I think we missed a day. Can we go back and count all the days to make sure we got all 200 days? Thanks.
- President Obama – The First 14 Mondays. One of those Mondays had a trip wire.
- Now, reviewing the first 14 Mondays of a presidency has been a time-honored way of judging a new administration ever since I yanked it out of my ass 15 seconds ago.
- By the way, totally worth it.
- The true test of a president’s metal is running the country when you’re living Garfield’s worse nightmare.
- I can’t blame him for that one – he is desperate to find a cure for whatever’s wrong with Joe Biden.
- [Biden] went on to say “I have had it with these motherf@#king sneezes on this motherf@#king plane!”
- Why seven? No reason.
- Okay, Day 1 [FDR] completely pussies out.
- Really? The same day he panicked is the same day he said, “Gang way, I’m coming through”?
- Those guys are impressive, I saw Murderball.
- Or whatever? Or freebase monkey brains, what do you mean?
- If you’re right, then that clapping means nothing. They just saw some flashing lights and went “Pretty!”
- I can’t believe this is about the taxes for you, this used to be about the weed, you have sold out!
- You mean on *my show*, right?
Oops I meant to post about Edson who wrote the letter to Stephen, I will do it over there :)
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I thought bits and pieces were off – like the last line of the interview – but the episode as a whole was alright (for Larry – aight). First 14 Mondays probably lost a bit of the effect as we had heard him talk about it before, and it went on for awhile, but it was still a well-done segment.
I really liked the second interview. I thought it was entertaining and well reasoned discussion, but I’m still curious what crossed Stephen’s mind to bring torture in at the last second (maybe a too-veiled dig at Jon’s interview from the other night?).
My guess is that he’s really gearing up for the Persian Gulf trip, and between preparations for that and any other events he’s got going on (like Donors Choose), he’s about as exhausted as some college students I know who’ve got papers and presentations and finals (oh my) on the horizon. Like me. But really, the only episode this week that struck me as sub-par was Monday’s. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!
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I haven’t watched the show yet, but whats with the lack of TDS/TCR tosses?? :-(
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I agree that the writing was a little blah this week, but there’s not much going on news-wise. I think there are only so many jokes about swine flu and Obama’s first 100 days that people are willing to tolerate. But when Nadelmann made that Freudian slip, my mind went to a very dirty place not suitable for a family blog such as this one… ;)
reCAPTCHA: history setters (note to self: put in “Colbert”-themed poem to rhyme with “it-getters”)
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This was my favorite line from the show: “I have had it with these motherf@#king sneezes on this motherf@#king plane!” I also thought it was funny when Nadelman made the comment about being “on” Stephen and Colbert asked him to clarify his statement.
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The sneezing was my favorite joke too. There’s something about Stephen swearing on camera that just gets me every single time. : )
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Last night was not the best but not the worst. It has got to be close to impossible to keep up the comedy pace they have been consistently achieving since, in my opinion, January! But they have been! It is incredible. So, if every once in a while there is an episode that is good but not great–that is fine by me. I like that they are trying new segments, too.
But…can a girl get a Toss?!? I hope Stephen and Jon aren’t in a fight?! :)
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I know, right?! It’s going on a month with no Tosses here. I’m getting worried…
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I think the media coverage of the swine flu and the first 100 days of Pres. Obama (fancy graphics and John King’s magic touch screen and the other giant screen used by Wolf Blitzer and the news networks telling the viewers how to grade the president, among other things) has completely saturated us all that when carried over to the late night comedy shows it became a bit blah. At least the media has stopped saying that Obama is the first African American president to do this or that.
I think Joe Biden’s humanity is unfortunately so much ridiculed because of his position as vice president, but I agree with Jenny with a Y. My favorite line is also about the Sneezes on the Plane. :)
And I thought the second interview was slightly better than the first. And Stephen’s line about the audience applauding because they saw pretty lights had me laughing.
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I enjoyed the show and esp. Nadelman’s interview which made some great points (although I’m not sure what Stephen was getting at with the torture comment). Plus his suit/tie combo rocked, it was gorgeous.
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I also felt this episode was a little flat. But they’re entitled to that once in awhile. :-) I loved the sneeze comment and I also enjoyed the second interview. Nadelmann does make some valid points and the comment about the audience clapping because they saw flashing lights and thought, “Pretty!” was very funny.
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ahhhh I thought the pot guest was very funny! “you mean on my show” that whole moment was pleasantly drawn out. I clap like that and say “pretty” every time I watch the show although there are no as of yet illegal substances involved.
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I thought tonight’s show was just fine! (Monday’s seemed a little off to me, but hey, I’m not complaining!)
I loved the first 14 Mondays – what a great random way to look at history, that actually managed to show up some interesting info. Wasn’t Obama’s first Monday the one when something like 40,000 US job losses were announced? It kindof reminds me of when baseball stats get all crazy-detailed: “this batter has an average of .214 with runners in scoring position after a rain delay” or something like that – it’s amusing, and also somehow manages to tell you *something* if not something of consequence.
I kindof liked the last line of the interview, though it was a bit of an abrupt way to end the conversation. Right now part of the major discussion of whether or not torture was justified, is basically a discussion of decriminalizing or legalizing torture (which is currently illegal under a UN Treaty signed under Reagan). So, it has some surprising (and maddening) parallels to the drug debate. A lot of people are more up in arms about whether or not we should decriminalize/legalize marijuana than whether or not we are in effect decriminalizing/legalizing torture. They’re both important issues. I think Stephen was pointing out that people are calling for open debate on one, and open debate should happen on the other too. Or not that, exactly, since there *is* debate on the torture issue; but maybe pointing out that most people would rather smoke pot than think hard about our responsibilities as a nation re: torture. wow, how did he pack so much into one line that it took me that long to explain it?! (he’s good!) soapbox off.
on a shallower note, yes, I too adored the suit/shirt/tie combo. :) sigh. And I agree we are long overdue for a toss!
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Thanks for the torture comment explanation and the swim in the sartorial side of the pool. :)
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I thought tonight’s episode was quite good. I enjoyed the “history lesson” through the 14 Mondays and guest interview. I particularly liked the deregulation discussion on pot and Nadelmann’s premise that drug violence could be lessened if we take such steps. Thought Stephen’s scripted jokes and comments for the rest of the episode on Obama and Biden, etc. were funny. In brief, really enjoyed the Thursday show.
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