"The Daily Show": Week of 12/15/14

[trow125]

12/15: Tim Burton (director – promoting movie “Big Eyes”)
12/16: Paul McCartney (promoting his single "Hope" from the new video game "Destiny")
12/17: Anna Kendrick (actress – promoting movie “Into The Woods”)
12/18: Chris Rock (comedian/actor/director – promoting movie “Top Five”)

Weeks of 12/22 & 12/29:  DARK!

[Victor the Crab]

All entertainers for the final week of 2014. Rock is who I'll be looking forward to the most, with Sir Paul coming in at second.

[Fremde Frau]

I want him to ask Tim Burton to do something about Johnny Depp (or, perhaps more accurately, to stop doing whatever he's doing about Johnny Depp), but I don't know how to find the words that express this particular blend of nostalgia, regret, embarrassment, and exhaustion that I feel whenever I catch a performance by Depp now.

 

Chris Rock is the only interview I'm looking forward to.

[trow125]

Chris Rock is the only interview I'm looking forward to.

 

As usual, TDS is the last stop on the Promotional Express. I swear Chris Rock's been interviewed everywhere from "Fresh Air" to my local supermarket advertising circular by now.

[stillshimpy]

Chris Rock is the only interview I'm looking forward to.

 

I've heard Anna Kendrick being interviewed before and I think she stands a good chance of being interesting too.  Paul McCartney is actually sort of fun interview, but hardly anyone ever asks him anything interesting, because he's Paul McCartney.  He has certainly earned all the deference and respect that comes his way, but that hardly makes for a gripping interview.  

[peeayebee]

I didn't know Tim Burton directed Big Eyes.

[solotrek]

I hope Jon covers the hostage situation in Sydney and talks about how good a job the major Australian media outlets did (Murdoch newspaper aside). A lot of restraint and trying to broadcast only confirmed information from NSW police: refusing to publish the name of the gunman until near the end even when they knew it very early on; still keeping the names of the hostages for the most part quiet; refusing to make assumptions; refusing to make it an anti-Muslim broadcast; refusing to put on air any of the phone calls from the hostages to media outlets to make the guy's demands; refusing to put up facebook pages or twitters that the hostages had to update; refusing to air the youtube videos etc...I was very impressed.

Edited December 15, 2014 by maculae

[stillshimpy]

I agree, maculae, the Australian authorities did such a remarkable job in Sydney, but there's not a lot of satire to be had in a job done professionally, responsibly and well when it comes to TDS.  Maybe in the contrast to the countless times we've acted like the dog from Up, but then that involves dragging out those examples and usually there are real life victims attached to those incidents.  

 

It would be nice to see some U.S. entity give the Australian media much deserved praise, but I don't think TDS is likely to be the right venue for this one.  Maybe when John Oliver returns they will do something having to do with it?  He has a more international focus on Last Week Tonight.  

[solotrek]

but there's not a lot of satire to be had in a job done professionally, responsibly and well when it comes to TDS.  Maybe in the contrast to the countless times we've acted like the dog from Up, but then that involves dragging out those examples and usually there are real life victims attached to those incidents.

 

I have complete faith that when it hits (if it hasn't already) the US 24 hour networks, Jon will have plenty to work with. Or even how we have 24 hour news networks but they won't break from the pre arranged programming when international news breaks.

Edited December 15, 2014 by maculae

[ABay]

Hell, yeah. CNN was appalling. "This a baaaaad guy." STFU. I switched to MSNBC and Andrea Mitchell's far saner coverage.

[stillshimpy]

I have complete faith that when it hits (if it hasn't already) the US 24 hour networks, Jon will have plenty to work with. Or even how we have 24 hour news networks but they won't break from the pre arranged programming when international news breaks.

 

Very good point!  

[purist]

I live in Australia (in Melbourne) and agree that most of the media did a pretty good job on the siege. Regarding material for Jon and TDS, OF COURSE Faux News in the US has found and interviewed one of the only idiots in Australia who will blame our strict gun laws for this tragedy and who would prefer we loosen them so they are more like those in the US. There was also this disgusting tweet from Rupey (one of the only cases in which it is OK to relax the 'Never read the comments' rule).

 

[Victor the Crab]

Wow Dick Cheney. You've got a fuck of a nerve to use 9/11 to justify your acts of evil. Especially when there were thousands of U.S. men and women who died on the fields of Iraq and hundreds of thousands more who's lives are sorely fuck up from serving over there all because of the blatant lies you and your cronies sold to America. You deserve a violent end to your life for all the despicable acts you've committed, Dick Cheney you walking pile of shit you!

 

Perhaps Tim Burton should invest in a comb and hairbrush.

[peeayebee]

The segment on Cheney was fantastic. I mean, of course Dick "the Dick" Cheney is repulsive and abhorrent, but the segment was great.

[Qoass]

I was disappointed that they didn't show Dick claiming "We got Bin Laden" because of the torture.  1.  Whether torture helped is questionable at best.  2.  You were most certainly not part of that We.  He really is the scum of the earth.

[attica]

"So evil his own heart ran away from him!" was my favorite line of the night. I really feel that he should not have qualified for a transplant; there's enough evil in the world. (Can you imagine being the family member of the organ donor whose heart he's using now? What anguish that must be!!)

[dubbel zout]

"So evil his own heart ran away from him!"

 

If there's a better description of Cheney, I don't know what it could be.

[ganesh]

I don't know if Cheney is some master manipulator, since he was in government for so long, or just flat out delusional. I can actually buy him sticking to his guns, but what got me was the "well, yeah that innocent guy died, but the bad ones that got away are the real problem." I mean, that's stone cold. 

 

I don't know if I'm still sour on Jordan trolling the atheist, but the segment with the Swedish PM was kind of disjointed and flat. 

[A Boston Gal]

Has Tim Burton always looked like Beetlejuice?

[trow125]

Here's a backgrounder on the Swedish political situation, in case anyone's interested. (I was born in Sweden, have family there, and visit every year or two.) The prime minister was a good sport to go along with the IKEA jokes.

[alexvillage]

 

I don't know if Cheney is some master manipulator, since he was in government for so long, or just flat out delusional.

No, he is just plain evil. I know people who have been called delusional. They are quite nice and good. They have mental illness but are not mean, let alone evil.

[Toaster Strudel]

Another shit piece by Jordan Klepper making fun of the Swedish prime minister who showed a lot of class.  Talk about making fun of the wrong people again.  I'm in Canada, and I'd move to Sweden.  Jordan Klepper can go away.

[ChelseaNH]

I don't think he was making fun of the prime minister of Sweden, who came across as a very nice, reasonable person.  I think it was more along the lines of Colbert's "Better Know a District" series.  Not one of the better entries, though.

[trow125]

My impression was that the piece on the Swedish prime minister was supposed to be a favorable comparison about how Swedish politics work (compromise!) vs. here in the U.S., and then after the segment was taped, that initial concept was completely blown to shreds by the recent developments there. Rather than scrap it, they probably just threw it on as a pre-Xmas break placeholder. Lofven's visit to New York (where the interview was taped) took place in mid-November; he was in town for the 25th anniversary of the Unicef Convention on the Rights of the Child, which took place about a month ago.

[alexvillage]

 

and then after the segment was taped, that initial concept was completely blown to shreds by the recent developments there.

It is the second time, I think, in a very short time, that I hear this possible explanation for something TDS aired and did not go well. That is not a very good sign

[Latverian Diplomat]

My impression was that the piece on the Swedish prime minister was supposed to be a favorable comparison about how Swedish politics work (compromise!) vs. here in the U.S., and then after the segment was taped, that initial concept was completely blown to shreds by the recent developments there. 

Except, not really. There will be a snap election in March, and a new government will be formed. That's a pretty common occurrence in parliamentary democracies. I suspect Sweden will have a working government long before the US does. Our problems will persist until the 2020 reapportionment, and/or the filibuster is completely scrapped in the Senate, because our problems are deeper than something one election can fix.

 

It was a shit piece in general, because the jokes about Sweden (or technically, American ignorance of Sweden) were hacky and unfunny, and the material about how sucky the US government is were addressed to someone who could only be politely sympathetic.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Latverian Diplomat

[ganesh]

There will be a snap election in March, and a new government will be formed. That's a pretty common occurrence in parliamentary democracies.

 

e.g., Japan, literally days ago. Which made the coda to the piece just ignorant. 

 

I mean, it's hard to craft Sweden jokes, but IKEA? Come on. Unless it was the schtick to play the ignorant American, which isn't a good play.

 

Babylon 5 did a fantastic Swedish joke and that was in the 90s. 

[Victor the Crab]

Perfect computer graphic stuff of making Lindsey Graham look like a cold blooded reptile snatching a fly with his tongue over his condescending and hypocritical snark on Elizabeth Warren. Wouldn't surprise me the least if that lizard breath was the one sneaking in awful add ons to that bill.

 

They really couldn't wait to do that Don't Jerk and Drive bit so that they could unleash their inner adolescents. Great seeing Aasif back on as well.

 

Jon had great chemistry and rapport with Paul McCarthy. One wonders if Sir Paul talked with Ringo about what Jon is like before he went on.

[bluepiano]

 I suspect Sweden will have a working government long before the US does. Our problems will persist until the 2020 reapportionment, and/or the filibuster is completely .

 

Exactly, because parliamentary governments actually allow people to be represented in something approaching one person = one vote. America is the only "democracy" in the world where you have the insanity of tiny or under populated states like North Dakota or West Virginia having the same number of senators as New York or California. (Can't remember what comedian I heard say it recently, but do we really need two Dakotas?)

 

And Ikea jokes? Is that the best you can do? Way to go in reinforcing the idea that Americans are a bunch of idiots whose ability to understand other countries is limited to grasping one stereotype at a time. Apparently Ikea has now replaced sexy blondes or dull Ingmar Bergman movies at the "go to" stereotype for Sweden.

 

As for Dick Cheney, all I can think of when I hear him speak is that he has the same absolute certainty in his positions, and therefore the belief that anything done in the name of his positions is justifiable, that made Nazi Germany possible. (Or other genocidal, despotic regimes). When I watch and listen to Cheney I have no problem seeing him as someone who would order a mass murder to advance his persona agenda, and not lose a minute's sleep over it.

 

Bertrand Russell once said something like (paraphrasing), "the problem with the world is that the fools are always so certain of themselves, and the wise people so full of doubts." It seems that similarly, evil people are certain of themselves, and good people have doubts.

 

And oh yeah, Haliburton made a $47 billion dollar profit in Iraq. That should be brought up by newsperson who interview Cheney, but almost never is.

Edited December 17, 2014 by bluepiano

[shok]

 

When I watch and listen to Cheney I have no problem seeing him as someone who would order a mass murder to advance his persona agenda, and not lose a minute's sleep over it.

 

Pretty much exactly what happened with the Iraq war.

[Latverian Diplomat]

Bertrand Russell once said something like (paraphrasing), "the problem with the world is that the fools are always so certain of themselves, and the wise people so full of doubts." It seems that similarly, evil people are certain of themselves, and good people have doubts.

 

Or, as Yeats put it in "The Second Coming":

 

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

[peeayebee]

Isn't there some way to stop members of Congress from adding stuff to bills? I know that's a naive question, but it's so frustrating and infuriating when unrelated items are stuck in bills. They're nonsequitor bills. Grrr.

 

Love Aasif. I'm not a 13-year-old boy, but I surprised myself by laughing out loud when he said the real problem was "the dangers of masturbating while driving." I don't know why that cracked me up so much.

 

I should have paid more attention to the interview, but what I heard sounded kind of charming.

[alexvillage]

 

Isn't there some way to stop members of Congress from adding stuff to bills?

But then how would they get the payback from the people represented by the lobbyists? 

[attica]

When Jon showed the clip of that video game, I was like, hey, wait, is that the Moody Blues? I hope I'm not the only one who thinks that Paul's vocals were tweaked into a Justin Hayward-esque sound...

 

Also, if you haven't seen the whole clip that the MoZ was taken from, it's on the PTV home page. You will not regret it. It's archetypal Parent-Embarrassing-Grown-Kids-in-Public, and it's awwwwwesome.

Edited December 17, 2014 by attica

[The Luvly Junkie]

#DontJerkAndDrive, (mwah) just magnifique. Whoever came up with this campaign, bless you. I needed a palette cleanser after hearing about Congress' 'progress'.

[gesundheit]

I love that Jon talks to musician guests instead of having them perform (or just having them perform). I also love that Paul McCartney freely admits that he can be bought now. I find it refreshingly honest.

 

And Ikea jokes? Is that the best you can do? Way to go in reinforcing the idea that Americans are a bunch of idiots whose ability to understand other countries is limited to grasping one stereotype at a time. Apparently Ikea has now replaced sexy blondes or dull Ingmar Bergman movies at the "go to" stereotype for Sweden.

I admit that it didn't land at all comedically (the whole thing really fell flat), but the whole point was exactly that: Klepper playing the ignorant idiot American who can only understand other countries based on one stereotype. (And of course also getting it mixed up with other countries.) The argument of the package was that Sweden's government is superior to the United States.

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the responses, but it just seems like a lot of people are taking offense on Sweden's behalf when in fact the piece was very pro-Sweden and anti-US. But again, maybe I'm misreading the reactions.

[dubbel zout]

When Jon showed the clip of that video game, I was like, hey, wait, is that the Moody Blues? I hope I'm not the only one who thinks that Paul's vocals were tweaked into a Justin Hayward-esque sound...

 

I thought the new McCartney song was terrible. It sounded as if it were written in about five minutes. (It probably was.) 

 

I love the MOZ clip. The brother who immediately recognizes his mom's voice and puts his head in his hands, groaning, "Oh, God, it's MOM," is priceless. And the mom is a badass, reading them the riot act on air. LOVE.

 

it just seems like a lot of people are taking offense on Sweden's behalf

 

I take offense on comedy's behalf. 

Edited December 17, 2014 by dubbel zout

[Ankai]

It is not in the rest of the song, but that little melody in the "bridges" segment that was shown reminded me way too much of "Trapped in the Closet" by R. Kelly.

[stillshimpy]

Whenever I see Dick Cheney, in any capacity, I end up feeling like a terrible person for all the bad things I wish would happen to him.  That is just not my style, so I will see him, find myself wishing a terrible fate upon him or the space surrounding him ( the floor beneath him, the ceiling above, increased flammability for his chair...bad stuff, really) ...really wish that I could stop thinking "I wish a stage hand would jump out with a bucket of water and cause him to dissolve shrieking about his wickedness and cursing little dogs..."  and I will almost talk myself out of wishing it.  Then he speaks again and the cycle begins all over.  

 

Jesus, Cheney, one huge problem with your entire "Terror to me is _________ " comparisons is that those were evil acts enacted upon people by terrible deluded, evil people.   This is not an "Everyone in the (cess) pool!" situation where we are all supposed to join in on the abandonment of all things good in the name of a cause.  You fucker.  

 

So, I'm a day behind.  The Swedish piece just didn't work for me because I'm not digging watching Jordan act like a buffoon.   Anybody remember John Oliver's piece in Switzerland?  "Is that neutral anger?"  Now that was funny stuff.  Biting, smart.  Klepper's piece on Sweden didn't need to be biting, but wow it could have used an injection of IQ points. 

 

So....Cuba! Whee!!! I don't know what Jon will have to say about it, but I can't wait to see. 

Edited December 17, 2014 by stillshimpy

[ganesh]

^I don't wish bad things on Cheney, but I do want him to live long enough to be shown that he was utterly wrong and ruined much of global politics for the last generation. 

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the responses, but it just seems like a lot of people are taking offense on Sweden's behalf when in fact the piece was very pro-Sweden and anti-US. But again, maybe I'm misreading the reactions.

 

It just wasn't funny. A swedish fish and ikea joke is something I could come up with. And I've never heard anyone confuse Switzerland and Sweden before.

[alexvillage]

 

^I don't wish bad things on Cheney, but I do want him to live long enough to be shown that he was utterly wrong and ruined much of global politics for the last generation.

I do wish bad things to Cheney. Very bad things, a lot of suffering. I don't wish him to realize anything because I am convinced he is not capable of empathy or remorse. 

 

 

And I've never heard anyone confuse Switzerland and Sweden before.

Me neither, but hasn't Sarah Palin confused Sweden with "Norwegia"? 

 

 

So....Cuba! Whee!!! I don't know what Jon will have to say about it, but I can't wait to see.

I am sure he can find something showing Rubio having a tantrum. I know they are having those in Miami

Edited December 18, 2014 by alexvillage

[Victor the Crab]

To those who have issue with Andrew Hawkins T-shirt and his words - as well as the people marching in the streets demanding justice against unnecessary brutality against the police - kindly plug your pea sized brains into the wall socket so that they can be recharged and used properly for one in your useless lives. I liked that Jon didn't say anything else after Hawkins speech.

 

Preach it Jessica! Preach it to the clueless dildos at Fox News! Not that they'll learn anything from it, mind you.

[ruby24]

Has Jon not mentioned anything about the Sony hack and North Korea being behind it yet? After what just happened today it's become an even bigger story- I'm surprised he hasn't talked about it yet.

Edited December 18, 2014 by ruby24

[jjj]

At the end of the Anna Kendrick interview, he made a loaded comment about "Into the Woods" opening on Christmas Day, and "I hear that's going to be a big day for movies".  The Sony withdrawal of "The Interview" must have happened very close to air time.

 

By the way, I smiled the whole way through the Anna Kendrick interview.  Jon really seemed to enjoy her, and she was just self-aware and snarky enough to offset her chirpiness.  Even though I know they all have their talking points, she came across as quite fresh. 

[s-k-s]

God I love Jessica Williams. She's the best find the show has had in years. She has gone a long way to fill the void left by John Oliver.

Great snark involving the hypocrisy of Fox anchors and their personal lives in general last night - loved the snide LeBron / Giraldo family role model comparisons as well.

[peeayebee]

Andrew Hawkins. Talk about eloquent. Applause indeed.

[attica]

I'm totally adopting 'stay in your lane' as of today. Handy! Thanks, Jessica! Also: I love your ties.

[trow125]

 I've never heard anyone confuse Switzerland and Sweden before.

As someone who was born in Sweden and grew up in the U.S. Midwest, I can tell you that it happened all the time. There were two reactions when people heard the word Sweden: (a) they confused it with Switzerland or (b) they said "bork bork bork." I'd rather have IKEA jokes, frankly.

 

With only one show left before the break, I hope Jon & co. will tackle both Cuba and the Sony hack. If you are at all interested in the latter topic, there is tons of fascinating reporting being done, and a lot of it shows that there is little evidence that North Korea was behind the hack, despite what some officials believe. Whatever coverage it may get on TDS tonight, it's likely to be brief, so I can't imagine they'll be able to do a really deep dive into the issue.

[attica]

they said "bork bork bork."

 

I can see how this would annoy a better person than I am, but holy smokes, I just snorted.  (in my meager defense, after seeing Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Wallender, Sweden's totally on my see-before-I-die list.)

[solotrek]

I've never heard anyone confuse Switzerland and Sweden before.

 

I'd say a lot of the same people who confuse Austria with Australia. World geography or geography in general is not the strong suit of most people I've come across.