The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore - General Discussion

[possibilities]

Was that Jordan Carlos doing the Obama impersonation? That was uncannily accurate. I almost wanted to think they got the Prez to record the audio and then dubbed it in.

[wknt3]

Was that Jordan Carlos doing the Obama impersonation? That was uncannily accurate. I almost wanted to think they got the Prez to record the audio and then dubbed it in.

It was a great impersonation. Really made me how bit shine. Almost made the tiresome and clueless bits about Hillary and the emails before it worth it. I still would have preferred to see something about Bernie and reparations or something else fresh and different, but at least there something funny came out of it.

Edited January 22, 2016 by wknt3

[attica]

That was uncannily accurate.

 

Really, the only thing missing was the extra sibilance Bam gives his 's' sounds. "Folksss!"

[marceline]

Was that Jordan Carlos doing the Obama impersonation? That was uncannily accurate. I almost wanted to think they got the Prez to record the audio and then dubbed it in.

 

Obama's so deep into NFTG mode that for a moment I wondered if that was actually him.

 

I cracked up at Larry thinking that Jordan was actually cut from the men's gymnastics team.

[ganesh]

His Obama and Rodman have been spot on.

 

"There shouldn't be BET awards because segregation" is such a massive false equivalency. 

[marceline]

For a panel about sex, they really didn't talk about much. It would have been better if Larry had one or two issues to address. 

 

I think a sex panel should be a regular feature. I love Dan Savage but more importantly, I liked what Grace Parra brought to the table. I've been iffy on her but this panel was the first time I felt like she really distinguished herself from the crowd. 

[AmandaPanda]

As long as Bobby Gaynor isn't a regular feature. He reminds me of an older Guy Fieri.

[ganesh]

A sex panel is fine. Just have a couple of current issues to talk about. They just meandered along. It seemed like they were surprised they got Savage and didn't think much beyond that. 

[ganesh]

Shut up, Rand Paul. And shame on you Larry for riding with his BS. Paul was to deregulate everything. Ask him what his 'government should stay out of people's lives' position is on Flint. 

[Shaynaa]

First he was on the Daily Show and now the Nightly Show.  At least Trevor tried to ask him actual questions.  Really Larry?  You couldn't ask Paul one policy question?  I noticed that when Larry was pressing him to name another candidate who was an ass, Paul kept starting to say something about before he came on the show...so maybe there was an agreement to not discuss any candidates besides his Trumpiness?

[ganesh]

He has a thing about being pro-weed too. He said the same thing to Trevor Noah and Larry when they commented on his drug stance.

[attica]

Sigh. Mike, my dear, the point isn't that all politicians are liars, it's that that smug-assed white boy got up in public and basically called Hillary a liar to her face, which does.not.happen to male candidates. Maaaaybe a reporter will call a male candidate out, but mostly they don't do that either (at least to their faces), see Christie, Chris, who lies every time his lips part. His hometown paper editorializes on the subject, but nobody in the wider media will do it. Anybody tries it at a Trump rally, they get thrown out and/or beat up. Robin was on point, but she ceded the argument too quickly to Mike's #yesallpols derail.

 

I think the black-react bits would be funnier with civilians rather than staffers. it's not funny unless it's spontaneous and genuine.

[ganesh]

I think Yard going ballistic was funny. I don't think Larry thought he would get that nuts.

They covered the same thing on TDS with that kid asking the question and had a funny response, but yeah, I'm not sure someone would ask a guy that same thing. It's a stupid question that should have been screened.

By and large the media has sucked out loud this campaign and had been going for social media moments than actually holding candidates accountable.

Oh and I'm glad they called out Fiorina but they should have been way more harsh.

[wknt3]

I think the black-react bits would be funnier with civilians rather than staffers. it's not funny unless it's spontaneous and genuine.

Have to disagree. It's funny because we know them and their comedic personas. If it was random civilians it would just be a copy of a YouTube video.

[brgjoe]

Loved, loved NdGT's rant!  Great stuff!  And THAT is how you do a mic drop too!

 

There is something I just don't get though, and he did address it in his talk tonight -- just how the heck did we get to the point where anti-intellectualism is almost like a badge of honor of some kind?  LIke, "I refuse to believe these experts in those 'Ivy Towers' who are well educated and know far more about most subjects than I do.  Yep, those are the people I refuse to listen to!  I know best!" 

 

How the heck did we get here?  I know it's not everyone, and (hopefully) not a majority.  But it's still a pretty sizeable number, unfortunately. 

[ganesh]

That's been going on for a while, primarily imo in the push back to climate change. Scientists need to do a far better job at dialogue, and they've been naive to think, "well, I'm telling the truth, and I'm a scientist so people will believe me." 

 

Imo, it also doesn't help that scientific papers are behind paywalls. If I tell you 99% of scientists support something or other, and you ask for proof, and I tell you that you have to pay $35 for each paper to read it for yourself, you're going to think something's up. 

[ganesh]

They really missed the point badly on Cam Newton. We're talking about this over in the NFL thread. 

His dancing, etc., is exactly the same type of stuff that superstars like JJ Watt and Aaron Rodgers do, and those guys, who are white btw, get way way more national level exposure than Cam does by far. Watt is compared to "Captain America" ffs. 

 

There's no way it's more generational than racial, and the panel just came off as massively unknowledgeable of this topic. Especially Marshall. He's played how long? "Race doesn't have anything to do with it?"

 

This was a terrible panel. Sports and social issues are a great great topic, and they just brought nothing to the discussion.

[Hooper]

 

I think the black-react bits would be funnier with civilians rather than staffers. it's not funny unless it's spontaneous and genuine.

 

Have to disagree. It's funny because we know them and their comedic personas.

Viva la difference.  I wasn't all that amused by the "black react" bit the first time they did it, other than by Rory's nonchalance, but Jordan's goofy reaction in black react v2.0 on Wed just cracked me up completely. 

 

And, I thought Thursday's show was sort of so, so but for some reason Rory's delight at being the person Larry would rescue was hilarious.  Still, love you Rory, but personally Mike's the one I would walk through fire for.  Well, not really, because I'm a coward, but in my dreams...

[ganesh]

Rory runs the show though, so he's keeping this all together.

 

I was a little disappointed in the panel. The topic was *great* for the show, but they basically joked about it for the most part. 

 

Grace's facial expressions crack me up though.

[AmandaPanda]

I'm actually starting to like Grace Parra. I think they're figuring out how to utilize her correctly. Grace isn't a super political comedian, so she's a lot better on the pop culture-y topics. I remember when she was on the panel with the grad student from Mizzou who was on a hunger strike and she was just so inappropriate for that topic. 

[ganesh]

I cracked up when Larry made the Washington joke and the crowd groaned. Good reaction shot. *That's* the joke that gets you?

[possibilities]

I watched the Obama speech on whitehouse.gov (all 45 minutes of it), and I really liked it. He was actually being thoughtful and expressing complex thoughts. He managed to cover a lot of different angles. It wasn't just a photo op or a fuck you to the naysayers.

 

 

There is actually quite a bit of research about dolls and child perception. I wish the panel would actually take the time to be thoughtful instead of just displaying their cynicism and ignorance like they did tonight. It isn't funny if it isn't true.

 

 

The whole "Nightly Nightly" gag isn't really funny enough for me, either. It's mocking the entertainment media, which is ok. But it's not really saying anything about the OJ story, which is a lot more interesting subject and deserves to be the focus of a story, not the excuse for a re-tread of the "Nightly Nightly" joke.

Edited February 4, 2016 by possibilities

[attica]

I am older than Rory, so I can faithfully report from experience that back in my day, Barbies were not all named Barbie. I had them! Barbie's friend Midge, for instance. Her little sister Skipper and her cousin Francie. Francie had a friend named Casey (who had a short bob), and in the late 60s, Stacey, the Mod Girl (complete with Carnaby Street duds and a silver side ponytail, so you could tell she was English!)  Even Ken had a buddy named Alan. Skipper and Francie were different doll-molds, Casey shared Francie's. Midge and Stacey were molded a la Barbie. I even had a Julia doll, which was basically a Barbie, but black -- after the Diahann Carroll nurse sitcom character. They didn't all start to be Universal Barbie until Malibu Barbie came along (with a tan), which made all the friends and relations go away.

[ganesh]

Midge. I have got to call someone Midge.

 

I can barely make it through the show because that dude in the audience was laughing so loud. 

[attica]

Midge was marketed as Barbie's down-tier co-star. The Ethel to Barbie's Lucy, if you will. The kind of girl who had a job, not a career. They named her Midge. Her hair was less nice, and she wasn't ever sold with blonde hair. Ginger or brunette for Midge.

[walnutqueen]

attica, on 04 Feb 2016 - 06:34 AM, said:

I am older than Rory, so I can faithfully report from experience that back in my day, Barbies were not all named Barbie. I had them! Barbie's friend Midge, for instance. Her little sister Skipper and her cousin Francie. Francie had a friend named Casey (who had a short bob), and in the late 60s, Stacey, the Mod Girl (complete with Carnaby Street duds and a silver side ponytail, so you could tell she was English!)  Even Ken had a buddy named Alan. Skipper and Francie were different doll-molds, Casey shared Francie's. Midge and Stacey were molded a la Barbie. I even had a Julia doll, which was basically a Barbie, but black -- after the Diahann Carroll nurse sitcom character. They didn't all start to be Universal Barbie until Malibu Barbie came along (with a tan), which made all the friends and relations go away.

 

I remember all those dolls, attica, but my BUSY working single mother (STFU, Wendy Williams) couldn't afford to buy them all.  But she could afford the time to sew Barbie outfits and make upholstered Barbie furniture, and raise me right, despite working grueling hours to support us both.

[attica]

The big pattern makers all had barbie-clothes patterns back then. My mom made a bunch for me as well. I particularly remember a giant circle skirt that matched a blouse mom had made for me. (snif!)

[ganesh]

The picture of Grace and 'petite' Barbie was funny. And WW saying that 'tall' Barbie should be 'meaty'. I think the panel missed the point though. Some kids probably don't care what Barbie looks like, but I would think you'd want to play with some dolls that look like you do, no? 

[Iboatedhere]

 I think the panel missed the point though. Some kids probably don't care what Barbie looks like, but I would think you'd want to play with some dolls that look like you do, no? 

 

This is the whole reason I hate this Barbie debate. Too many adults are weighing in on it. It's not for the adults, it's for kids. Let them decide it they like it. When I was little I didn't even name my Barbie's Barbie. I gave them different names.

 

I was a little thrown by Rory saying it would be lose/lose between Cruz and Clinton. First of all, no. Second, didn't he say a few weeks ago that going by Clinton's resume she was the most qualified person for the job?  Or at least he agreed with someone that did.

[ganesh]

I don't know, there's probably some nonwhite girls who want to play with Barbie and maybe wondering why she's white. It's not that hard of a study to commission. Grace said she always treated her Barbies as imaginary anyway, so it didn't matter to her. 

 

Are you Rory wasn't talking about a Trump/Cruz ticket?

[Iboatedhere]

I hope he was talking about Trump/Cruz but I swear I heard Larry ask Cruz/Clinton, who loses. Maybe I heard it wrong or misunderstood.

[attica]

No, you heard it right. Maybe it was Rory that misheard.

[ganesh]

How come whenever there's a hoo-ha about political correctness, it's always the old white dudes whining about it? "Political correctness is killing people." How raked over the coals would Clinton be if she made a fat joke about Christie or said she'd beat Cruz's ass?

[GHScorpiosRule]

It's official: Rory Albanese and Mike Yard are my favorites and I freakin' love "Pardon the Integration!" Always leaves me laughing hysterically l, especially after the switch!

Mike to Rory: "I can't believe you Stacy-Dashed me!" And the look on Mike's face was priceless!

Edited February 9, 2016 by GHScorpiosRule

[marceline]

It's official: Rory Albanese and Mike Yard are my favorites and I freakin' love "Pardon the Integration!" Always leaves me laughing hysterically l, especially after the switch!

Mike to Rory: "I can't believe you Stacy-dashed me!" And the look on Mike's face was priceless!

 

Same. It's become one of my favorite segments. Rory and Mike bounce off of each other so well.

[ganesh]

I'm wondering how ad libbed that segment is. The running joke of Mike taking the anti-black position and getting trashed is good. 

 

Kudos to the show for and all black lady panel to talk about Beyonce. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Same. It's become one of my favorite segments. Rory and Mike bounce off of each other so well.

 

 

They really do! Confession: when they did the "Pardon the Integration" re the KKK, at the end? I really though Mike was really, very angry. I wasn't sure if he was "acting" pissed or not. But he still made me laugh.

 

The panel discussion really went nowhere for me. It's not as if Beyonce is the fist artist to protest through her music. The Byrds, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, to name a few, come to mind with their music, with respect to the Vietnam War. The message I keep hearing, is that artists, because they are artist, be it acting or musical, aren't allowed to express their discontent. Last I checked, this was still a free country.

[ganesh]

No, they're allowed, but not if they're black. Because "middle america" is scared of black people. 

 

I liked the nonsensical, "I can't hear anything she's saying, but she's talking about killing cops."

[attica]

The message I keep hearing, is that artists, because they are artist, be it acting or musical, aren't allowed to express their discontent. Last I checked, this was still a free country.

 

Unless your politics are conservative rather than liberal. Then you get lionized. The effort to silence the left is a feature, not a bug.

[ganesh]

If the halftime feature was a country singer and a big American flag, they'd be in a drooling puddle. 

 

The panel was dumb because it was just set ups for the dog's jokes. The hell piece was really good though because they took a really long walk to get to that punch line. Holly looked like she was going to crack up though.

[Muffyn]

Triumph the insult comic dog is NOT funny.  Not funny.  I switched channels rather than waste brain cells on this BS.  What a waste.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Marley was the BEST part of last night's show! So adorable and intelligent! Hard to believe she's a sixth grader.

[attica]

I think my favorite part of Triumph's appearance were all the WTF faces Mike and Rory were making.

 

Marley for President!

[ganesh]

GTFO sixth grade. I thought she was 13/14. New Jersey is a fairly diverse place. Shame on her school for not getting books for everyone. I read most of those "white boys with dogs books". I couldn't stand them.

 

Trump is a product of the republican politics of fear and hatred they've been pushing for 40 years. Now they're in complete panic because they can't control him.

[attica]

I've noticed this week (It may have happened last week, but I didn't notice) that they've dropped Larry's intro and begun with a new version of the theme music (which I like!). I wonder if this is to save the time needed for the Black History Month bits, or whether it's the new normal.

 

I wonder what would happen if we stopped being defensive about all of us being  a little bit racist. 

[ganesh]

Grace's piece was really good. I liked her getting so mad at herself. Rambling on to the woman was hilarious. 

The panel was really good too. Trolling isn't something that's talked much about and the entire online treatment of people was a good discussion. Do more of this, show!

[ganesh]

Yard's conspiracy rant was really funny. 

[trow125]

I'll admit that I was not a fan of Grace Parra when she first started, and I don't love all of her segments (I still don't think "Nightly Nightly" always works), but I thought she was really good on last night's show & panel.

 

BTW for those who weren't previously familiar with Jose Antonio Vargas, his personal story is really fascinating, and heartbreaking. I was glad to see he's still in the U.S.

[possibilities]

Loved the panel last night-- wished they had had more time, so the desire to include jokes didn't result in the others stepping on some of what Vargas was trying to say. I just came from his site (defineamerican.com) in hopes of finding the info he was giving on the panel, because it went by too fast for me to take notes while he was speaking, and I wanted to be able to quote him in various conversations I have with people who are either interested in Asian American issues or immigration issues-- but I didn't find what I was looking for. I may go back and look more, as I didn't read everything there.

[ganesh]

Sorry Mike, you can be upset at what Obama didn't get done, but it's near miraculous that he actually could do anything at all. Next to no legislation, every executive order gets flung into the courts. Arguing that unemployment is too high, when it's been cut by 50% is whiny imo.