EPISODE NUMBER: 6084 (June 28, 2010)
GUESTS: Michael Hastings, John Waters
SEGMENTS: Rolling Stone Article on McChrystal, Doomsday bunkers
VIDEOS: Monday, June 28, 2010
Normally in the guide, I talk about the show first, and if there’s something interesting about the interview I’ll wedge it into the end if I’ve got enough room. But I absolutely adore John Waters, and I loved the interview for so many reasons. So I’m going to talk about that first. When I was growing up in the 80′s, there weren’t many “big” girls on movies. But “Hairspray” was different. Riki Lake was big, and gorgeous, and she knew it. She could dance, and she had the biggest hair, and she got the cutest boy in school. She made a difference in the movie, addressing the issue of integration in a time where integration simply wasn’t happening without brute force. And it meant so much to me that there was a film maker who was willing to take that risk and cast someone pleasantly plump, like me, in a movie, and let her be the heroine no less. I’ve admired John Waters ever since.
It was clear to me with the sparkle in Stephen’s eyes that he knew he could really let his darker side fly free with this interview – he went dry and dark and demented, and it was fabulous. He knew that whatever he could dish out, Waters was going to outweird him. And he did. Those Zoners who read these comments know that Stephen was seriously not kidding with the socks comment. It surprised me that Stephen’s comment about naptime being different seemed to go over the head of the audience a bit, since it was a great line. The delivery of the lines after John Waters mentioned that he is very much against child molesters (“That’s a bold stance, I must say. Bravo, sir. Where do you find the courage?”) was where I felt Stephen really just let completely loose with any self-imposed boundaries that may have been there before. I think that moment was also where John realized he, too, could push boundaries and take the conversation wherever he felt it needed to go. By the end of the interview, when John Waters said “Wouldn’t you rather your kid be a drug dealer than a drug addict?” Stephen had a look on his face like. “Wow. That just happened.” It was positively divine (no pun intended).
In addition to allowing Stephen’s darker side to shine through in the interview, the rest of the show was stellar as well. I have really come to enjoy the desk interviews where the interviewee is encouraged to share their side of the story. In this case, with the interview with Michael Hastings, it was very informative to hear about the actual purpose behind the Rolling Stone article. So much emphasis has been given to the comments of McChrystal that the point of the article, the ground troops’ distaste for the COIN initiative, has gotten lost in the shuffle. Also, I think I’ll skip the Prescott Pharmaceuticals zombie bunker. But now I’m craving a Sloppy Joe.
What did you all think of tonight’s episode?
EDIT:
Also, MsInterpreted reminded me – If anyone from the ColbertNation.com is reading this right now, I would really, REALLY like to see the full Paul Simon/Stephen Colbert duet version of “Sounds of Silence” as one of the exclusive extras on the site please. Thank you.
- You know we’ll have John Boehner around for a long time because he’s clearly been hickory smoked.
- The difference is a mere my entire life.
- Then at the age of 92, that cottage gets hit by a bus and I am gone like that.
- Now this summer the only sounds of silence we’ll here is the actual sound of silence.
- Paul, call me. I look great in a blond afro.
- By the way, if you’d like to see a five star ass, that’s right here on the cover. I don’t know if that close up was necessary.
- Come on! If we can make yogurt taste like Sponge Bob, I think we can make Afghanistan taste like Victory Berry Blast. That look delicious.
- Did you ever call No Backsies?
- Of course, gold and crisis gardens are fine for the run of the mill collapse of civilization into nomadic pelt wearing marauders fighting over the world’s dwindling supply of butternut squash. But what if things get bad?
- Next stop – same place.
- Of course, the term Sloppy Joe takes on new meaning once your tribe has descended into cannibalism.
- Now if Nibiru does strike, you’re going to want to head to the bunker early, because roads will be clogged in that they’ll have a planet on them.
- Little late on the doom, Jimmy.
- Because I have uncovered an even ancienter, Sumarianer tablet predicting Armageddon within the Vivos bunkers. That’s why the Prescott Group has designed an exclusive, highly secure, under-the-bunker bunker where you and your family can safely retreat in the event of intrabunker Armageddon.
- My audiences are huge sock fans. They always notice.
- Most of America would still look at your work and go, “Hide the Children.”
- You can’t really hang around anywhere without looking like a child molester.
- John Waters: Pink Flamingos plays on television now uncut. Things have gone wrong!
- John Waters: You save things for the autumn of your years.
Stephen Colbert: There’s got to be something to look forward to.
What a great show!! Stephen looked like he felt way better and Mr. Waters, well, need we say more … he was MASSIVE!!! … YAAAAA … Funny and outrageous!
The Interview with the RollingStone journalist was fabulous too. All in all, a humongous show!!
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I want to say so much but it’s not coming out right. So I will leave it at I’m glad John Waters was on the show.
And both TDS and TCR had good gets last night with Axelrod and the Hastings interview.
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Last night was a wonderful night for TDS and TCR—I agree. I think Stewart did a good job pressing Axelrod, and I was glad Colbert got the Hastings interview. I would have liked to see Colbert with a longer Hastings interview, but the John Waters interview was so worth every penny.
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Doomsday Bunkers – I bet Glenn Beck has one on standby. I wonder if we can conspire to convince the sort of people who’d buy into these things that an interstellar space goat is going to eat the planet. Then we can lock then in and get on with fixing Earth. Hey, a gal can dream, eh? ;)
So much love for John Waters, he’s a weird and wonderful man. The by-play between the two gentlemen was magical. PLEASE BE CONSIDERING MISTER COLBERT FOR A FILM ROLE, MISTER WATERS!
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I adored the John Waters interview! I was cracking up throughout the whole thing; both Waters and Stephen were hilarious. I laughed at Stephen’s “Nap time is a little different” line, but I think the audience either didn’t hear him, or they were still caught laughing at what Waters said before. But the “Wouldn’t you rather have your child be a drug dealer and not a drug addict” line was the absolute best line to end that interview. I loved the back-and-forth between Waters and Stephen, and it was one of those interviews where you could just tell that Stephen was having fun. Also? That smile that Stephen gave after Waters said, “I look in the yearbook and it says ‘Interests: doing things around the house,’ it’s so depressing” might be the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. :)
The rest of the show was fantastic as well. I love that he got Michael Hastings on the show and I appreciate that Hastings talked about what the actual purpose of the RS article was. Loved the Doomsday bunker segment, too.
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What a fantastic show!! Let me say, though, I’ve never seen that Paul Simon video before in my life! How did that happen?! I must track it down somehow! That snippet gave me almost as much joy as the awesome, awesome John Waters interview!
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Loved the show! And chiming in on the John Waters love! What a fun interview…
And yeah, I don’t remember ever seeing that Paul Simon video before! Checked the site and it wasn’t there, just a video of Paul singing by himself. T_T
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Loved the bunker report, loved Hastings, and really really loved the Waters’ interview. Yes, that final line was priceless.
Was I the only one, though, who cringed just a little when Waters mentioned doing the plane crashes and the 8-year-old boys? I couldn’t help thinking about what the subject meant to Stephen. But he sailed so smoothly through it, not a blip. Probably because he was enjoying the interview so much! It’s wonderful when someone really meets Stephen on his own level.
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No, you were not the only one who cringed at the plane crash scenario. I agree that Stephen didn’t display any apparent discomfort, but he also didn’t pursue the topic. I guess I’m in the minority on the whole Waters interrview. I didn’t hate it, but knowing nothing about Waters before the interview, I felt like I came away knowing less after the interview. I have zero idea what his book is about and nothing in the interview gave me any idea why he was a guest on the show. So it’s interesting to me to see that he has an apparently devoted fan base who really enjoyed the interview. Different strokes…. I did love the Hastings interview, and especially appreciated the discussion of the author’s main reason for writing his article in the first place.
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Oh, and yes PLEASE let’s find that “Sounds of Silence.” I’m longing to hear the full song. I thought it was from an ep I must have missed, but since it’s a surprise to most people here, it must have been done elsewhere.
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It may have been a licensing issue as to why the video never made the site. But yeah, it wasn’t on the show and I’d *love* to see the full video!
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what was the name of the company that was selling those bunkers!! ?? i cant remember?
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That would be Vivos bunkers:
http://www.terravivos.com/home.htm
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What a wickedly, warped, wonderful interview with Waters! More please!
Cute character mini break when Jimmy was late with the “doom”!
The “Lost Segment” showing Stephen singing with Paul Simon makes me wonder about all the goings on behind the scenes and extras that the audience gets the chance to see. Can I have a job working at TCR?! It may just be simpler for Comedy Central to put out a DVD- Best of Part II !!
“Oh, The Places You’ll Hide!” I want a copy of that! I’ll be honest- part of me was hoping that the bunker story would lead to a homemade commercial from the Prescott Group- similar to the Gay Storm parody a while back.
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“part of me was hoping that the bunker story would lead to a homemade commercial from the Prescott Group- similar to the Gay Storm parody a while back.”
Me too! I was hoping to see John Slattery again, this time saying something like, “You’ve already got your gold, your women, and your sheep. Why not hide them all in a state-of-the-art apocalypse shelter from the Prescott Group?” :P
And that Best of TCR Part II DVD needs to happen! There have been so many great segments since the first one came out.
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Such a great episode! Really hard to choose between the doom bunker segment and the John Waters interview, because both were so monstrously funny! Excellent show. :)
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I had a wonderful time watching last night’s episode. I don’t vote for the interview that often, even if it’s a good one, but John Waters was amazing! All that energy and the back and forth between Stephen and John, I couldn’t get enough.
Is it just me or was Stephen more out of character than usual on Monday? Not just during the interview, but even during the bunker segment, he seemed much more himself and not so much crazy “Stephen”.
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Great show all around, but wow, that interview with John Waters was just *sparkling* :D
Add my name to the list of requests (ok, I am absolutely not above begging) for ColbertNation.com to post the full “Sounds of Silence” duet. Or better yet, a DVD of all the musical guest outtakes! Please, oh please!
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Ya, what wren said … pleasssssseeeee *grabby hand*
And while on bended knee … please could TCR tape longer interviews and post them unedited somewhere – here? CN? It just is too much of a tease to see only 5 minutes … Wasn’t his interview with the crazy birther woman really long though in that case, it was fine we only saw a few minutes. But the interview with Mr. Waters longer would be a wonderful gift to all!
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I could happily sit through hours of John Waters and Stephen talking. That interview was just a joy to behold!
reCaptcha: sea-launched disdain. Are they kidding me?
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Me too! John Waters + Stephen = WIN.
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I’ve never seen any of Waters’ movies. I discovered him when he guest starred on The Simpsons way back when, and when I listened to the commentary on that episode on the DVD (nerd, I know) I fell in love! John is awesome…such a naturally funny and chill guy. He seems to take to the camera like a duck to water. And he and Stephen certainly seem to be on the same level in so many ways! Yay for this episode, yay for John Waters, and yay for Stephen feeling better! =D
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What a great show all the way through! Adored the interview w/ John Waters. I’ve never seen any of his films, but he is wicked funny. Wasn’t he interviewed on TDS? I’m sure I’ve seen him before. He’s just so off-the-wall, and the back and forth between him and Stephen was amazing.
The bunker thing was great, and I cracked up at the character break when he talked to Jimmy. And Jimmy said something back! That never happens.
As for the Paul Simon – Stephen duet: We need to see that! Gah! Why do you torment us with these clips, CC/ColbertNation?! I thought I was going crazy, because I didn’t remember it. They’ve kept it from us.
Please, please, please?
Wow, weird recaptcha: Times/Hirotaka cerulean
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