LSSC: Season One All Episodes Talk

[LADreamr]

I can't wait to see him with Malala.

[possibilities]

nothing again for the real Beiber-loving set

Aren't the kids who like Bieber asleep by 12:30 am on a school night?

 

 

 

The only person I'm looking forward to Stephen interviewing this week is Malala

Malala is always great.

 

The interview with the Archbishop might be interesting. Stephen has a genuine interest in Christianity and has been willing in the past to ask real questions of Church officials, unlike most others who either have no interest or tend towards overly scripted deference in interviews.

 

In the same vein, I wish Stephen had commented on Sanders' visit to Liberty University, as it might have led to an interesting conversation about how Sanders views his campaign, and any possible winning coalition he hopes to build, instead of the more or less rote conversation we actually got. There's a lot of lip service out there, about working together and about defining policy instead of focusing solely on image. So let's see interviews reflect those concerns instead of sticking to the standard PR memes already glutting the conversation:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/19/1422943/-Bernie-Sanders-Gives-Speech-at-Liberty-University-Looking-for-Common-Ground

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/16/1421659/-An-Evangelical-responds-to-Sanders-speech-at-Liberty-U?detail=emailclassic

 

It looks like Thursday shows are scheduled to start at 11:50 (but might start even later, as happened this past week), due to football.

Edited September 21, 2015 by possibilities

[formerlyfreedom]

Just a heads up, since music has become such a major topic in the show, there's a brand new topic to discuss it in!

[StatMom]

I enjoyed the American in Paris dance, but I HATED the direction. It's a pet peeve of mine. I want the camera to stay put so I can see the whole dance. I don't need or want a closeup of their hands or faces. I don't need an overhead shot or a shot from the left or right. Just let me watch them dance so I can see their whole bodies move. That's the point. Grrrr.

You are not a crackpot.

[stillshimpy]

But to separate music groups by generation also suggests those group are monolithic in their tastes. I'm in my 40s, but my musical interests range from long before I was born to current music.

 

That's a fair point too.   I think the show is skewing older with the guests as well.  But I've just noticed that there's now a music topic.  So I'll take the bulk of my response of there, Kromm.  

 

 

I enjoyed Bernie Sanders interview and considering who we've got coming up this week, I'd better make that enjoyment last as long as humanly possible. Trump and Cruz.   

Edited September 21, 2015 by stillshimpy

[peeayebee]

You are not a crackpot.

Thank you. That's always good to hear.

 

I saw Don Henley on CBS Sunday Morning, and his voice sounded just the same, so I'm looking forward to his appearance on the show. He also seems like a nice guy, though I doubt Stephen will interview him.

[LADreamr]

Scott Walker's out of the race. I hope Stephen continues the Hunger Games theme.

[Victor the Crab]

Some great guests next week. But all I have to say is OLLIE NEXT WEDNESDAY!

[mtlchick]

Is it wrong that I see Scott Walker dropping out of the race means it's another Hungry for Power Games moment?

[StatMom]

Much as I don't care for Cruz, I'm glad Stephen hushed the audience. All that woo'ing was getting annoying. It halts the flow of the conversation.

[Curio]

If Stephen goes after Trump the same way he interviewed Cruz, tomorrow should be very entertaining.

[Padma]

I wish he'd gone more after Cruz than he did (so far, only half way). But what happened to TC's hair on (his) left side? He was lucky to turn from the camera but it was like some angry barber who couldn't stand him just shaved a random hunk of it off. Weird looking. I wanted to see more.

 

I must say, I hope the audience is as good with Trump as they were tonight. When Cruz gave his fake-sincere, "...we have 175,000 donors..." and paused for applause -- and there wasn't ANY -- I loved that.  Likewise, when he continued "....and I think that's inspiring..." --and got nothing there, too. He is so fake, ugh.

[amsel]

I wish Colbert hadn't mentioned gay marriage, if he wasn't willing to argue Cruz's bullshit answer about the role of the Supreme Court (which is even more astounding considering he's a lawyer and should know better). It ended abruptly after that. Or maybe it was just a bad edit. The stuff about Reagan was good, though. It's one of the many inconvenient truths about Reagan that conservatives want to forget. And another thing they keep ignoring is that Reagan wouldn't have won the presidency today even with the so-called Reagan Democrats (many of whom are Republicans these days), due to significant demographic shifts. They need to add large numbers of Hispanics just to have a chance. But I don't want to make this too political. I agree that the audience didn't act appropriately at times, and Colbert handled that perfectly.

Anyway, another very good show.

Edited September 22, 2015 by amsel

[Ruby25]

I wasn't too impressed with the interview, to be honest. I liked that he tried to challenge him about Reagan, but frankly, the whole need to be polite thing just reminded me what an advantage the Stephen Colbert character was in talking to people like Ted Cruz. He would have torn him apart to his face, using Cruz's own words and his own positions to do so, and it would have been hilarious. And the beauty of it would be that Cruz wouldn't have even caught on, because none of them ever really did.

 

When you're sincere, you're automatically hobbled by the restrictions of being polite. And by the audience, which is always going to interrupt with cheers and boos accordingly, like they do on Bill Maher's show. Cruz was able to get the last word on that complete bullshit answer about the Supreme Court and on TCR that would never happen without a sarcastic barb from Stephen in return.

[StatMom]

Agreed, Ruby; a more pointed response from Stephen would have been nice. And although I don't expect an audience to be completely silent for an interview, last night's reactions were a bit much. I think his audiences are still a bit pumped up, and perhaps some are carrying over the "Colbert nation" culture to this show. I think when an audience is particularly hostile to the guest, Stephen may feel like he has to make up for it by being overly polite and we end up with a toothless interview. That's just a guess, of course, and he's still settling in a bit. It will be interesting to see how the interviewer persona evolves.

[peeayebee]

I didn't think it was a completely toothless interview. I didn't expect a hard-hitting interview, but Stephen didn't just make it all softballs and fuzzy kittens. This sort of venue just isn't the right place for a confrontational interview.

 

Did anyone listen to the Don Henley song? I was surprised it was directed at Donald Trump. Well done.

 

When Stephen did his eyebrow raising thing, the new music just isn't right. I like the two-note thing from TCR much better.

[mtlchick]

 

Some great guests next week. But all I have to say is OLLIE NEXT WEDNESDAY!

I want Jon Stewart to show up for this one then go all Yiddish grandma saying how proud he is of his babies. 

[Milburn Stone]

Much as I don't care for Cruz, I'm glad Stephen hushed the audience. All that woo'ing was getting annoying. It halts the flow of the conversation.

 

That exertion of authority--the clear, non-negotiable demand that the audience's good will toward Colbert be extended like a protective shield to anyone of Colbert's choosing, and the audience's immediate obedience to it--was one of the more memorable television moments I've seen.

[teddysmom]

I just wish someone would go after these guys for the "we want to make America get back to what made it great, a better economy, more jobs, etc."

 

WTF do they think has been going on the last few years? 

 

They keep saying "Obama Hates America", but they're the ones constantly bad mouthing it.   The country has made tremendous progress out of a terrible recession, no thanks to these assholes and their economic policies. 

[Milburn Stone]

I just wish someone would go after these guys for the "we want to make America get back to what made it great, a better economy, more jobs, etc."

 

WTF do they think has been going on the last few years? 

 

They keep saying "Obama Hates America", but they're the ones constantly bad mouthing it.   The country has made tremendous progress out of a terrible recession, no thanks to these assholes and their economic policies. 

 

People have such dangerously short memories.

 

I remember walking into a major department store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago in the last Christmas shopping season of the Bush presidency, and being the only customer on the main floor of the store. For all I know I was the only customer on any floor of the store. 

[sadiegirl]

I don't watch basketball and I have no idea who Stephan is, but I loved that guy.  And I barely made it through Cruz.  He seems so self-satisfied.  Yuck.

[teddysmom]

People have such dangerously short memories.

I remember walking into a major department store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago in the last Christmas shopping season of the Bush presidency, and being the only customer on the main floor of the store. For all I know I was the only customer on any floor of the store.

 

They just think if they repeat the same shit over and over people will believe it.  They know they're lying.  But their audience is people that think because Donald Trump told them America isn't great, and he has a private jet, that he must be right because rich people are the BEST!!!! How can they not be? They're rich, and it's Obama's fault that I'm not. 

 

Jeb Bush and his "my brother kept us safe" bullshit.  I tweeted at him this weekend - "are you crazy or just stupid? Your brother got a PDB stating ALQ wanted to attack us, and they did. Free advice - shut up about your brother". 

I don't watch basketball and I have no idea who Stephan is, but I loved that guy.  And I barely made it through Cruz.  He seems so self-satisfied.  Yuck.

 

Steph Curry is the best thing that's happened to basketball in a long time.  Very down to earth, great family.  Did you see his daughter Riley at any of the NBA Playoff press conferences?  Google it.  She's a riot.  

[BW Manilowe]

I don't watch basketball and I have no idea who Stephan is, but I loved that guy. And I barely made it through Cruz. He seems so self-satisfied. Yuck.

Stephan Curry plays for the current NBA champs, the Golden State Warriors (who play in the San Francisco Bay area). As the other poster said, you should Google/You Tube him from this year's NBA playoffs. He brought his (now oldest) daughter, Riley, with him to the postgame team press conferences & she stole the show every time (you can probably find the cute stuff by Googling/You Tube-ing "Riley Curry" as well as him). His wife was pregnant with their 2nd child during the playoffs & gave birth to their 2nd daughter, Ryan, over the summer.

[Padma]

Thanks, trow125, for posting the schedule for next week. A lot to look forward to!

 

I liked the Reagan part of the interview, but hated that Ted Cruz seemed to feel he was pulling off the fake sincerity thing. Also his annoying confidence that every belief he holds is 100% correct. I don't understand why a Harvard-educated lawyer doesn't understand the Constitution, or doesn't choose to understand it.  I was so hoping Stephen would do as he did on TCR about posting the 10 Commandments in public buildings and ask something specific that exposed the complete ignorance behind what they were advocating for.

 

I didn't understand why the Cruz interview ended with the band basically banging out a huge blast of dissonant noise. I thought they might have been covering up a bunch of boos, but the show could have just edited that out. Maybe they were sneaking in a comment of their own.

 

I think there's something a little intimidating about Trump, unlike any other D or R, so I'm looking forward to seeing how Stephen handles him. However, I think part of the "let's be polite" requirement may come from now being Stephen not "Stephen", but perhaps also from CBS who wouldn't want the audience to only skew liberal.  It's just frustrating when you see presidential candidates just get away with spouting hateful nonsense--and staying so smug about it.  I wish Jeb? had been on the show after telling the world his brother "kept us safe", though. I don't think even very polite SC could have resisted asking him about that one.

[trow125]

I got a big laugh out of the fake "Johns Hotpants" diploma in Stephen's Totally Legitimate Online PhD Program because I have a real B.A. from Johns Hopkins and now I can finally pair it with a PhD.

[Hanahope]

Ok, I admit it, I just watched the Late Show on my computer while eating lunch at my desk.

 

I see the good research from TCR is still around to find the origination of photos from Jeb's commercial.

 

I thought the Cruz interview was pretty luke warm.  There was some effort to get some substance out of Cruz to reach more than just his base, with the questions about compromising as Reagan did, but Colbert didn't press the issue too much, and then he let Cruz walk away with the gay marriage bit without following it up with all the other laws the Supreme Court has enforced over the states.  Some things have to be universal across our country, or our country doesn't really work right.

Edited September 22, 2015 by Hanahope

[possibilities]

The Supreme Court is in the Constitution. That's why we let it decide things. Someone needs to tell Ted Cruz.

[shok]

Has there ever been another candidate as oily and slimy and smarmy as Cruz is? Ewwww. Stephen's awfully smart and I know he could hold his own in a political discussion so I wish he had been a little more confrontational about the bullshit that Cruz was putting out there.

[Kromm]

People of Cruz (and Trump's) ilk don't really give a shit about the Constitution of what it actually says. The name drop and call back to it as a kind of jingoistic rallying point, where the whole context is not about the reality of it, but as a prop to support their point of view. They use it pretty much the same way some of these same shitbags used The Confederate Flag until recently--to tell a story that isn't true and drape a symbol around it. 

[Arcey]

I wish Father Jim Martin (?) would be a regular on this show like he was on TCR. In time, maybe we'll get several recurring guests and/or characters as a regular part of the show. I hope so.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm not really loving the band or their music for this show. They're obviously terrific musicians, but I don't think the style of music works well a lot of the time. It sometimes sounds "mournful" when it should be upbeat. It may just be the sound of the melodia (is that the name of that instrument?). I dont know, maybe it's just me. It would be cool to have Wynton Marsalis on though, as well as other NOLA musicians. Wouldn't mind having Antoine Batiste, er Wendell Pierce, on either. Maybe he can bring his 'bone and jam with the band. :)

I also don't like the dancing or high kicks or the whole opening shtick with SC and JB. It grew old extremely fast for me.

Sorry for being a little negative here. On the plus side, the show has already come a long way in just a couple of weeks, and I may just have to accept that this is CBS, not CC, and this ain't TCR anymore, Dorothy.

Keeping my fingers crossed that either Donald doesn't show up (hardly a chance for that), or that SC wipes the floor with him, in a Correspondents Dinner kind of way.

[FoundTime]

I didn't think it was a completely toothless interview. I didn't expect a hard-hitting interview, but Stephen didn't just make it all softballs and fuzzy kittens. This sort of venue just isn't the right place for a confrontational interview.

 

Did anyone listen to the Don Henley song? I was surprised it was directed at Donald Trump. Well done.

 

When Stephen did his eyebrow raising thing, the new music just isn't right. I like the two-note thing from TCR much better.

I caught the Trump reference in the Henley song too, and then I paid extra-close attention to the lyrics. Well done indeed, Mr. Henley.

 

That exertion of authority--the clear, non-negotiable demand that the audience's good will toward Colbert be extended like a protective shield to anyone of Colbert's choosing, and the audience's immediate obedience to it--was one of the more memorable television moments I've seen.

True confessions: I know (and like) Colbert mostly from his Fresh Air interviews with Terry Gross (and other assorted appearances and profiles here and there) so I'm not coming at this with much TCR background other than a handful of random episodes. But this moment -- especially the way it was framed (be polite, he's my guest) -- was remarkable. Put this together with Colbert's LS interview with Joe Biden, and I'm seeing a distinctly respectful, intelligent perspective I never expected in late-night network TV.

 

I find Cruz very dangerous because he speaks in a way that sounds very intelligent -- so even when he is wrong (which is most of the time), people who don't know any better will accept what he says at face value, because he sounds like he knows what he's talking about and his manner is calm and reasonable. The fact that he's also hanging around The Donald now, hoping to pick up his voters when he leaves the race, is also disturbing. He may be smarmy and slick (and as a Houstonian, I hate that he is one of my senators) but the way he presents himself can be insidiously persuasive to a certain segment of the population. I avoid Cruz whenever possible but I wanted to see what Colbert would do with him, and I look forward to The Donald's turn in the Late Show guest chair.

[Padma]

I think Trump was at the wonderful Colbert-at the WHCD so he may already be prepared for him. But I'm kind of hoping he's stayed away from cable and comedy and that a wonderful blindside is currently in the making. I was disappointed to check yesterday (I'm on PST) and find that hadn't happened to Cruz, whom I dislike equally but is less dangerous because he's so much lower in the polls. Still a strong possibility for VP and of course that means just "a heartbeat away" which is much, much too close.

 

I will be very happy if Trump makes a major blunder tonight with Stephen's help. One can dream!

[KimB]

Sure a lot of guests on Thursday. Hope that doesn't mean less funny stuff:

 

Author Andrew Sullivan; Journalist and Activist Maria Shriver; Comedian Jim Gaffigan; Archbishop Thomas Wenski; musical performance by the YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus (

I was thinking the first 4 guests might be on all at once, as sort of a Catholic Roundtable kinda thing

[Victor the Crab]

I was thinking the first 4 guests might be on all at once, as sort of a Catholic Roundtable kinda thing

 

With Pope Francis in the United States this week, that might make sense.

[Muffyn]

Ok, I admit it, I just watched the Late Show on my computer while eating lunch at my desk.

Fortunately Stephen had your back on this.  Are the head hunters calling you because of your incredible performance? 

[Kromm]

It sometimes sounds "mournful" when it should be upbeat. It may just be the sound of the melodia (is that the name of that instrument?). 

I won't go into detail (since we have a dedicated music topic now) except to say whoa... I can't agree. I think the sound of that band is very high energy (and that was the point of Stephen picking them in fact).

 

Hee. Watching Colbert's Hunger Games thing for Scot Walker now. His bullseye on this bit is big. I laughed the whole way through.  And here comes the Orange Idiot next!

[bmoore4026]

Just watched the opening and "The Hunger Games" send up about Scott Walker, but that's it.

 

I cannot stand Donald Trump and his insufferable and boorish person.

[Kromm]

I find Cruz very dangerous because he speaks in a way that sounds very intelligent -- so even when he is wrong (which is most of the time), people who don't know any better will accept what he says at face value, because he sounds like he knows what he's talking about and his manner is calm and reasonable. 

If you truly want to be terrified, go read the comments on the YouTube posting of the Reagan question on Colbert's channel. All the bullshit where Cruz tries to claim that the role of the Supreme Court ISN'T in the Constitution is being bought whole cloth there.

[Temperance]

I wish Colbert hadn't mentioned gay marriage, if he wasn't willing to argue Cruz's bullshit answer about the role of the Supreme Court (which is even more astounding considering he's a lawyer and should know better). It ended abruptly after that. Or maybe it was just a bad edit. The stuff about Reagan was good, though. It's one of the many inconvenient truths about Reagan that conservatives want to forget. And another thing they keep ignoring is that Reagan wouldn't have won the presidency today even with the so-called Reagan Democrats (many of whom are Republicans these days), due to significant demographic shifts. They need to add large numbers of Hispanics just to have a chance. But I don't want to make this too political. I agree that the audience didn't act appropriately at times, and Colbert handled that perfectly.

Anyway, another very good show.

Not only is Cruz a lawyer, but he used to clerk for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court  William Rehnquist. I originally saw this on Lawrence O'Donnell, and facts checked it on Wikipedia. I wish Stephen had mentioned this to Cruz. 

Edited September 23, 2015 by Temperance

[Kromm]

Okay, after seeming to be easy on Trump for the first part of the interview, Colbert really stuck it to him later on with the immigration stuff. Even down to the little silly Mexican voice. He was mocking him, Trump knew it, and Trump had to play along (digging himself in further and further with the wall talk).

That said, Trump was smart enough to bring that zaniness back to the drug cartels by the end. That's gonna get him some support back after all the wacky shit he said before that about "the wall".

"Trump or Colbert" was cute too.  Yes, in some ways Colbert let Trump get away with a lot, but you can interpret Trump's reactions a few ways (either as him being insane, or him being confident). 

[Kromm]

Okay, this Dept. Of Energy/physicist dude's hair IS spectacular.

 

And unlike a lot of the Smart Guy interviews we've had on the show so far, he's a pretty good speaker/charismatic.  I can't say he's 100% persuaded me, but I was engaged with watching it.  There was some inevitable double-talk, but overall that made for surprisingly good TV.

 

I think tonight's show is gonna cause a lot of disagreement. Some people are gonna really pan Stephen on these two segments, but I thought he did a good job, given two potentially very difficult segments.  You HAD to strike a middle ground with Trump and zing him through comedy rather than arguments. And making the Iran deal interesting and keeping it moving was always going to be a challenge, even with a dude with weird hair and some charisma.

[formerlyfreedom]

Okay, this Dept. Of Energy/physicist dude's hair IS spectacular.

 

And unlike a lot of the Smart Guy interviews we've had on the show so far, he's a pretty good speaker/charismatic.  I can't say he's 100% persuaded me, but I was engaged with watching it.  There was some inevitable double-talk, but overall that made for surprisingly good TV.

 

If only he had worn a cape....

[ebk57]

Okay, after seeming to be easy on Trump for the first part of the interview, Colbert really stuck it to him later on with the immigration stuff. Even down to the little silly Mexican voice. He was mocking him, Trump knew it, and Trump had to play along (digging himself in further and further with the wall talk).

That said, Trump was smart enough to bring that zaniness back to the drug cartels by the end. That's gonna get him some support back after all the wacky shit he said before that about "the wall".

"Trump or Colbert" was cute too.  Yes, in some ways Colbert let Trump get away with a lot, but you can interpret Trump's reactions a few ways (either as him being insane, or him being confident). 

 

Can't it be both? :-)

 

Dr. Moniz is on MSNBC all the time, so he's got a lot of TV experience.  He's very engaging and funny.   And yeah, he's got spectacular hair.  As a matter of fact, when he came on, I asked my husband if he wasn't on MSNBC all the time...who can forget that hair!

[Padma]

Haven't seen it yet and I'm already feeling disappointed just reading about it.

 

Some day, some way, someone WILL take this guy down. Sad that it won't be Stephen (though obviously prudent on his part to not really go after Trump in one of the many ways--even many comedic ways--available to him).  Maybe FOX will host another debate. Because CNN was awful and now Stephen didn't even lay a glove on him (per watching on Youtube). 

[Gemma Violet]

I really enjoyed the Trump segment.  Stephen got in some digs and yet didn't seem to be piling on like he could have.  Just the right mixture.  

[Kromm]

Haven't seen it yet and I'm already feeling disappointed just reading about it.

 

Some day, some way, someone WILL take this guy down. Sad that it won't be Stephen (though obviously prudent on his part to not really go after Trump in one of the many ways--even many comedic ways--available to him).  Maybe FOX will host another debate. Because CNN was awful and now Stephen didn't even lay a glove on him (per watching on Youtube). 

He made Trump look PLENTY foolish on the Wall thing.  The only way Trump saved himself even a little was invoking the Drug angle (which nobody dares mock).

 

The truth of the situation is the same as with Cruz though. People are going to "see" and hear what they want. Anyone looking to buy what these two are selling is going to look right past anything that indicts them and see anything anti-Trump or anti-Cruz as harassment/liberal media manipulation".  The best Stephen could hope for is make it amusing, and hope that he didn't piss off so many Maw and Paw Middle America viewers that they swore off watching his show for good.  And have a few people in the middle who may be undecided hear Trump rant about our country being irretrievably in debt to China, and yet while bankrupt have to build a giant wall to rival the Great Wall of China (or somehow "force" Mexico--one of the poorest countries out there--to pay for it).

Edited September 23, 2015 by Kromm

[Padma]

Trump really is the next best thing the GOP has to Reagan. It actually didn't matter what he said (I just watched the whole thing... still disappointed). He has charm and that Reagan-esque ability to say or believe whatever he wants and still come across as pretty likable if he wants. He has charm and he comes across as sincere.

 

I wish Stephen had gone after him anyway (although I did enjoy the "Trump or Stephen?" segment). He came prepared to charm and not be goaded into saying something offensive and it worked. As Reagan's people said, the image, the likability was the main thing and, like Reagan, Trump has a nice smile. :(

[brgjoe]

Someone also should imform Ted Cruz that just because the majority of the people vote to enact some law, it doesn't make it Constitutional.  We had states under the guise of "States Rights" enact laws that effectively outlawed interracial marriage.  Luckily we have courts (you know, those unelected judges) who strike down those sorts of laws because they violate everyone's equal protection rights.

 

That is one of the job's of the Supreme Court -- to make sure the majority don't trample on the rights of the minority.

[Kromm]

That is one of the job's of the Supreme Court -- to make sure the majority don't trample on the rights of the minority.

Cruz knows this.

 

He just doesn't CARE.

 

His lying mouth will say things that make it seem like he has some secret insight that these "lawyers" in Washington are somehow less essential to the Constitution than pandering to his gay-hating supporters, but his legal training says otherwise. Ergo, he's a liar, and a selfish one--willing to compromise what he knows is the truth to get votes (which is a doubly weird position to have when he should also know he's unelectable--I'm supposing though from how complimentary Trump was about him that maybe a Trump/Cruz joint ticket might be the nightmarish long term plan).

Edited September 23, 2015 by Kromm

[Ruby25]

Well, that was hugely disappointing. Silly me for thinking Stephen wasn't gonna give Trump a simple softball interview, but I guess he's just chasing ratings like everyone else. This and the Cruz interview the other day gives me my answer as to whether he would ever be as biting or edgy as he was in character, and the answer is a definite no.

 

I wasn't sure at first, but now I know this won't be can't miss, cathartic TV for me the way TCR was. He's funny and he'll always be funny, but this really is just another late night talk show, while The Colbert Report was something special. I'm sad about it, but I'm out unless he's got a good guest. So long, Stephen.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Ruby25