EPISODE NUMBER: 6033 (March 8, 2010)
GUESTS: Ezra Klein, Tom Hanks
SEGMENTS: Best Foreign Language Film Category, Action Center: Health Care Bill, Tom Hanks interview (Parts 1 and 2), Sign Off – One Thought
VIDEOS: Monday, March 8, 2010

Greetings and salutations, all! I’m pinch-hitting for DB and I couldn’t get to the episode guide as quickly as she does — mea culpa — but since my doing the guide gave me an excellent excuse to watch the show repeatedly this morning, I hope you’ll allow me my good mood and overlook the tardiness.

Stephen starting off the show with his sound editor’s act of mutiny was brilliant, and I loved that he was able to segue from there into giving a shout out to Juan Campanella for his Oscar win. As some of your fellow Zoners noted, Campanella’s name might be familiar to attentive Strangers with Candy fans, as he directed a number of hilarious episodes. Congratulations again and again, Juan!

Ezra Klein was delightful, as always, and that graphic with Uncle Sam choking on the health care bill as blocked by Mitch McConnell’s head just cracked me up. I’m always amused by a “jam it down our throats” montage (because I’m silly like that), but there have been two of them on The Daily Show lately, so it was that graphic that really put me over the top and prompted the guffaw.

Of course, it was the Tom Hanks interviews that were my favorite parts of the show. It was a bit disorienting for Stephen to do a two-part interview segment, but he clearly enjoyed talking to Hanks so much, and there was a lot to talk about. Watching Stephen slip out of character a bit to thank Tom for Band of Brothers … so moving. I don’t have HBO so I don’t think I’ll be able to watch Hanks’s new series (yet), but I may just have to add another book to my reading list. Those battles in the Pacific were really something else, and I’m always impressed by the passion Hanks brings to his work. (And his ability to make people feel like “big fat pussies”. Hah!)

What did you all think of the episode?

• Last night, Nation, was Hollywood’s biggest strokefest: the Oscars. The one day a year when you have to give a crap what a sound editor does.
• The one thing I don’t understand is, why is there still an award for Best Foreign Language Film? I mean, listen to the winner, writer-director Juan Campanella. This clown’s up there jabbering in Argentinian. Lalalalalalala–empanada!
• Folks, you know the Democrats’ continuing health care fetish is threatening to destroy Congress. And that would come as quite a blow to the 10% of Americans who still approve of Congress.
• Up ’til now, folks, President Obama has shown the kind of leadership I admire in a Democrat: none.
• Those bold words reminded me of when FDR told our troubled nation: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Unless … what do you guys think?”
• His voice really seemed to have changed. Folks, I’m afraid Obama is going through presidential puberty. And the Testicles-in-Chief have descended into Sack Force One.
• Yeah, don’t you know anything about football, Democrats? You don’t score touchdowns against the will of the opposing side. That’s mean! You give them back the ball, then they help you kick a field goal. And everyone gets ice cream. Just not heath care.
• You know, I enjoy your movies, you know I’m a fan. There is one pattern I’ve noticed in your movies … I’m not in any of them.
• Just make me the evil Pope in your next Dan Brown movie.
• When I think of World War II, I’m gonna think of Saving Private Ryan, you know? Because it really felt like I — in the theater — I was there, on Omaha Beach, but with a thirty-two ounce Diet Coke. You know? So … even better.
• Hanks: If you are anywhere between twenty-one and fifty-three, which I am … you will watch this series and feel like a big, fat pussy.
• I’ve got a bumper sticker on my car [Hanks: "Thank God!"] that says “War never solved anything except fascism and slavery.”

• Episode 6039 (3/17/2010)
• Episode 6038 (3/16/2010)
• Episode 6037 (3/15/2010)
• Episode 6036 (3/11/2010)