EPISODE NUMBER: 5132 (October 13, 2009)
GUEST: David Javerbaum, Sylvia Earle
SEGMENTS: Miley Cyrus deleted her Twitter account, The WØRD: Symbol-Minded, David Javerbaum, G.E.D.
VIDEOS: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
My husband and I were eating dinner last night when he turns to me and says, “Did you hear that Miley Cyrus deleted her Twitter account? She made a video about it.” We discussed it and laughed at how such a non-news item was making such as splash. So when Stephen started off his show with the discussion of Miley’s Twitter account, we both laughed quite heartily. The introduction of Jermaine Maine was a thing of beauty, and I hope that somehow they find an excuse to drag that character (and that horrid wig) back another time or two.
I actually stayed up and watched the show last night, which is a rarity for me – I normally call it a night early and get up to watch the show around 6a. But I was really looking forward to the Javerbaum interview, and it did not disappoint. I think the most amusing part of the whole interview was watching my own Twitter follow feeds explode with the chorus of “I didn’t know Javerbaum was so CUTE!” His segment was very amusing as well. My favorite part was the highlighting of the author picture on the book. That is so very wrong, yet at the same time so very, very right. I’m definitely going to be picking up What to Expect When You’re Expected this weekend!
Sylvia Earle was a very unique guest. Her demeanor was one of someone who was intelligent and gentle and like the ultimate grandma. It was an interesting character study to see Stephen seriously dial “Stephen” down for this interview with this quiet soul. And let me give some serious props to the person who chose to show a very bad 5-gallon tank with tetras and other hobby fish in the background – a subtle but brilliant set move.
What did you enjoy about the episode tonight?
- Folks, this is a twagedy.
- Miley has always been my favorite rapper. She stays away from violent messages, foul language and rappers.
- The real fun for Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana fans will be wondering if the tweets are from me or from my fun loving, pop-star alter ego Jermaine Maine – a totally, totally famous rock star who for no legally actionable reason, knows a ton about Miley Cyrus.
- You will be avenged, Archduke Ferdinand! What? We were on the other side? You had it coming, buddy!
- This is a war memorial, not a box of Lucky Charms. [Cross Far More Nutritious]
- If it helps, don’t think of it as the cross that Jesus died on, think of it as a giant T, for “thanks, Jews”!
- China has a fifth of the world’s people, and many of them are not on death row.
- And a new Pew research report claims that nearly one in four people in the world are Muslim. And if you consider that the world is 70% covered by water, that can only mean one thing – aquamuslims.
- Stephen: You know, what might have thrown me was your author photo. You look a little like Antonio Banderas from “The Mask Of Zorro.”
Javerbaum: Yeah, I get that a lot. - Javerbaum: But never forget you are a miracle. A miracle that makes mommy vomit.
- For instance, I am 45, and I’m not even close to being weaned.
But that Ashton Kutcher is still doing it, right? Then I’m in!
Jermaine Maine should have a sitcom on Comedy Central. Can’t stop laughing at that screen cap. It reminds me of the Vanity Fair pictorial segment heh.
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Usually any mention of Miley Cyrus makes me want to vomit, but this was funny. And you know he probably has a Hannah/Miley fan in his household. The Javerbaum interview was hilarious. I love how Stephen played it straight faced like he’d just met him. They are both geniuses. I was disappointed with Sylvia Earle. She wouldn’t play along & I hate that. It makes Stephen seem like a bully. Good show but did it seem a little light?
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I definitely agree with you about the Sylvia Earle interview – I was thinking the same thing last night. It’s not that what she was saying wasn’t interesting, but Stephen was really having to find questions to get her engaged. So it was a one-sided interview on Stephen’s end, which is awkward to see :(. He was still great, though. :)
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Jermaine Maine, definitely
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If he made Jermaine Maine a recurring character on the show, I would be infinitely happy. That wig is ridiculously hilarious!
Really enjoyed the David Javerbaum interview – I’m looking forward to reading his book. :)
But my favorite part of the show was definitely The Word. I just love that Stephen covered that issue, and I actually couldn’t tell his true opinion on it for once, which I guess is what he’s really aiming for. So with that said, Nicely done, Sir. :P
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Nice use of the Nicene Creed in The Word! I found myself saying it along with him. There is just something about hearing it that makes you have to recite it…must be the 12 years of catholic school! :)
I love the ongoing joke that Stephen’s time at The Daily Show was so miserable he had to block it out. David Javerbaum was great and I want to pick up his book now, too.
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I just might have to do that too. It will help with creating my Xmas list. It’s rather short at the moment.
I do agree that the Sylvia Earle interview was not that great. What she talked about was interesting, but she made Stephen look like a bully. He had to think alot and be a little harsh. I love it when there is lots of interaction between him and his guest.
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The WORD was pretty deep, so it gets my vote. Having been on both the Catholic and nonbeliever side, I can safely say that I appreciated every part of it, from the ‘Smug Look?’ dig to the Nicene Creed. Also, when the line came up that said ‘Constitution only gave blacks 3 x 5′ my jaw dropped a good 12 inches. I was like, “OOOOHHHH, they really went there!”
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OMG, meeee too. D: See that? That was my face.
On a lighter note, was it just me, or did David Javerbaum remind you vaguely of Tom Hanks? Maybe it was just me…
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I loved the interview with David Javerbaum and that got my vote. The book sounds hilarious and I enjoyed the play between him and “Stephen”. The Word came in a close second. Funny and thought-provoking. I hope we see Jermaine Maine from time to time. That wig is hilariously bad! I enjoyed the interview with Sylvia Earle. Yes, it was lower key than usual but I found the topic very interesting.
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I enjoyed the interview last night. I’m glad to know that individuals other than PETA are so concerned about overfishing (and pollution) to advise not eating wild-caught fish. I’ve felt guilty eating fish (and my favorite food, sushi) for some time now, and I thought I was just kind of a weirdo and over-guilted. ;)
The caviar issue is especially bad. The best classic caviar comes from the oldest sturgeon, fish more than 20 years old. Because most of these fish have already been harvested, younger and younger female sturgeon are being taken not for themselves (although smoked sturgeon is also a delicacy) but because humans want to eat the eggs they carry that would have been the next generation of sturgeon. If Stephen still wants to eat caviar, there in fact is a carp caviar called taramosalata (Greek).
So what should people eat instead of fish protein? The answer is what it’s always been: “soybeans.”
It works for the Chinese and Japanese!
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True about soybeans as an alternative. But China and Japan actually have the highest seafood consumption in the world, both total and per-capita (China is #1 by total, Japan is #1 per capita – not including small island nations, etc.). The US is #3 on both measures. So they’re not really the best examples for reducing demand on fisheries ;)
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I knew about fish consumption in Japan but was not aware of China. Wow/yikes. In China is it predominantly farmed fish or wild-caught?
Thanks for the info.
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Hmm, I don’t know. The data was from NOAA, and they didn’t break down the international data by species or source. (Though they did give some more info on US habits – apparently our consumption of fish-sticks has been on the decline ;) )
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Ooh, close call. The Word was so well-written, right on that thin line where it’s both funny and pointed. But DJ Javerbaum’s interview got my vote – he was really funny. And as someone who’s got those “What to Expect” books on the shelf, I was cracking up so hard at the illustrations from his book! What a riot, I’m definitely going to have to get it.
Oh, and wow, was that Miley Cyrus “rap” ever bad!
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Ooh. I loved last night’s episode. The Word is always a joy for me. LOL’d for most of it. Stephen’s disappointment of Miley’s Twitter page made me laugh. (Plus, that wig was funny and disturbing.) That interview with David was freaking hilarious. I mean those pictures really added onto the humor.
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I voted for the Miley Cyrus part…dunno why exactly. I followed her, because I like following way too many accounts on Twitter. I think it was the revelation about Jermaine Maine that really capped off that segment.
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The Wørd segment from this episode is so good, so cleverly done about an 8 foot cross that has been standing for 75 years in the Mojavi National Preserve as a memorial to fallen soldiers of WWI, which presently is being questioned in court as to its appropriateness.
Stephen’s character is so “in character” for this segment. When first trying to make his point, he’s not sure whether we fought on assassinated Archduke Ferdinand’s side or not in WWI, first choosing the wrong side, then saying, “You had it coming, buddy!” He then takes issue with everything he believes is the stand of the liberal left concerning the court case: “Oh sure, the presence of the cross might offend an agnostic reptile,” is just one example.
But what the segment actually does do “behind the scenes,” so to speak, is to attempt very fairly to show how the presence of the cross meant honestly to honor the dead of WWI as a memorial, also honestly ends up “dishonoring,” in a way, those that it doesn’t represent, with Scalia defending the presence of the cross. However, in the process of doing so, Scalia ironically ends up denigrating it by simplifying its meaning, even almost nullifying it – as Stephen’s character puts it for Scalia: “Just two pieces of wood nailed together at 90˚ angles.”
The true climax of the segment, the biggest irony of all, is that it’s Stephen’s character and not Scalia the Supreme Court Justice who comes closest to showing everyone what the cross is actually supposed to mean for those who believe in it, by reciting almost all of the Nicene Creed – very funny because Stephen goes on and on reciting so much of it (when everyone in the audience, figuring he has already proven his point, expects him to stop after almost each sentence of the prayer).
So, just a wonderful segment, so funny yet informative, presenting so many points of view for everyone to think about. It’s what The Wørd always seems to gives its audience as the show heads to a commercial break.
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I find it funny and ironic that Miley deletes her account to regain the privacy she lost and then releases a video explaining her need for privacy, thereby putting herself back in the public limelight.
I don’t think we were ever taught the Nicene Creed in church or in Catholic school. People reciting the Apostles’ Creed instead of the Nicene Creed is almost the norm in masses in the Philippines.
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