Letterman Weighs In On Donald Trump

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 11:06:22 AM EST
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David Letterman weighs in on Donald Trump in a new interview with Vulture Magazine:

Say the head of the family, let’s say his name was Larry Wasserstein. If Larry behaved the way Donald behaves, for even a six-week period, the family would get together and say, “Jesus, somebody better call the doctor.” Then they’d ask him to step down.

But Trump’s the president and he can lie about anything from the time he wakes up to what he has for lunch and he’s still the president. I don’t get that. I’m tired of people being bewildered about everything he says: “I can’t believe he said that.” We gotta stop that and instead figure out ways to protect ourselves from him. We know he’s crazy. We gotta take care of ourselves here now.

[More...]

On Alec Baldwin:

Alec Baldwin deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sadly, he’s not going to get it from this president.

On the power of satire:

The man has such thin skin that if you keep pressure on him — I remember there was a
Actually, it was the other way around. In a 2007 playoff game, a swarm of midges from Lake Erie caused Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain to blow the game with a few wild pitches.
baseball game in Cleveland, and a swarm of flies came on the field and the batters were doing this [mimes swatting at flies] while the pitcher was throwing 100 miles an hour. Well, that’s Alec Baldwin and Saturday Night Live. It’s distracting the batter. Eventually Trump’s going to take a fastball off the sternum and have to leave the game.

Can reducing Trump to a punchline help?

Donald Trump can be Donald Trump, but if he doesn’t help the people that need help, then he’s just a jerk. That press conference that he held berating the news media? I mean, how do you build a dictatorship? First, you undermine the press: “The only truth you’re going to hear is from me.” And he hires the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Steve Bannon, to be his little buddy. Bannon looks like a guy who goes to lunch, gets drunk, and comes back to the office: “Steve, could you have just one drink?” “F*ck you.”

How is a white supremacist the chief adviser to our president? Did anybody look that up? I don’t know.

And some choice words for his staffers:

Kellyanne Conway was my favorite for a long time. This thing about her telling everyone, “Go buy Ivanka’s shoes; I’m going to go buy Ivanka’s shoes. Hell, I’ll buy you a pair of Ivanka’s shoes.” Then they had to counsel her. Boy, if this administration decides you need counseling — whoa. And poor Sean Spicer is a boob who just got out of a cab and now here he is.

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Letterman Weighs In On Donald Trump | 39 comments (39 topical)

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Come back Dave... we miss you. (none / 0) (#1)
by desertswine on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 12:10:30 PM EST

Yes and no (none / 0) (#2)
by McBain on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 01:28:21 PM EST

I was a big Letterman fan back in his 12:30am NBC days but when he moved to CBS and 11:30pm he lost some of his edge. Definitely one of the all time greats but well past his prime now.

It's also disappointing when comedic talents get political. Letterman, John Stewart, Dennis Miller and Bill Maher were all better before they went political.


To the contrary (5.00 / 2) (#4)
by Yman on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 02:35:04 PM EST

Stewart and Maher made their careers out of being political. Letterman was never that political, but the wingers got all upset when he was. The big advantage of being at the to of your field and wealthy is you can do whatever you want, whether they get upset or not. Even Miller does it and he's not even in the same league as the others.


No and Yes (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by Repack Rider on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 04:54:48 PM EST

It's also disappointing when comedic talents get political. Letterman, John Stewart, Dennis Miller and Bill Maher were all better before they went political.

Of that list only your comment about Dennis Miller is accurate. He went from funny to horrifying, Bill Maher is just annoying, but Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are the best political commentary we have now, even if Jon is semi-retired. Colbert is a national treasure.


: i prefer political commentary unfit for broadcast (none / 0) (#34)
by Mr Natural on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 01:39:21 PM EST

lewis black, doug stanhope, etc etc
If a comic's take on Trump et al doesn't make you physically ill, they're holding something back.
There are good comix who don't work blue. The people mentioned above, maher, stewart, et al, seem to work mainly with cognitive dissonance. But that's just preaching to the choir.
Nothing seems to work on the true believers. Witness the floundering attacks on Stewart, Letterman, and Maher by a couple of posters upstream.

A lot of comedians are smart, thoughtful (none / 0) (#3)
by jondee on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 01:51:23 PM EST

people who undoubtedly get bored with telling the same stale jokes about their girlfriends and families and annoying neighbors night after night, so of course the more thoughtful, imaginative ones are going to explore the "edge" by delving into the satirizing of societal mores and history and politics..

Some comedians I'm sure want to explore comedic possibilities in the same way musicians want to challenge themselves and explore musical possibilites.

And why shouldn't they?


Yep. Maher went (none / 0) (#5)
by MKS on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 02:38:51 PM EST

to Cornell and Al Franken was a Math major at Harvard. Oppsie, I guess that makes them Ivy League elitists.


: Greg Giraldo had a Harvard Law degree (none / 0) (#7)
by jondee on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 02:47:26 PM EST

his bit contrasting letters from the front written by soldiers from the Civil War and the Iraq war is pretty priceless..

It's hard to turn down money (none / 0) (#8)
by McBain on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 03:27:48 PM EST

Picking a political side has become big business for a lot of entertainers. I don't think it has much to do with being thoughtful and imaginitive.


Nothing wrong with $ (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by Yman on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 07:09:34 PM EST

... but you haven't the slightest idea what motivates them. Wonder why conservatives are always projecting their own motivations onto others?


Yeah (none / 0) (#11)
by FlJoe on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 03:47:56 PM EST

that sweet Soros subsidy is hard to turn down, most lefties in the biz could not survive with out it. If only we had more thoughtful and imaginative, yet fair and balanced "entertainers" like Rush Limbaugh.


So, what? (none / 0) (#12)
by jondee on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 04:00:05 PM EST

no human being ever thinks or does anything except for money?

Who was it that said "the world is mirror: if an ape looks in, no man looks out"?


Oh, please! (none / 0) (#16)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 04:40:34 PM EST

McBain: "Picking a political side has become big business for a lot of entertainers. I don't think it has much to do with being thoughtful and imaginitive."

"Saturday Night Live" is enjoying its highest ratings in years, in large part due to its explicit and provocative political satire. That you don't approve of what's being said is wholly irrelevant. Why does everything have to first please you, before you'll even consider recognizing its artistic merit and social worth?

The world doesn't revolve around you.


Do you really think (none / 0) (#21)
by jimakaPPJ on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 09:14:53 PM EST

that TV ratings, or book sales, or movie tickets sold has anything to do with being thoughtful and imaginative?


Sometimes it does (none / 0) (#22)
by jondee on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 09:22:52 PM EST

sometimes it doesn't.

Another questions is, would you be able to recognize the products of original thought and imagination if you were exposed to them.


If I were exposed to them, no. (none / 0) (#23)
by jimakaPPJ on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 09:37:57 PM EST

If they were exposed to me, yes.

This all can easily collapse into an argument over what is art and what are the "classics" and claims of free speech, etc., etc.

But in reality all the attacks on Trump is just performers talking the easy road of doing what they see as acceptable and desirable by the public.

It worked for Amos and Andy, for a while.

This is just "popular" media, no more, no less.

Now excuse me. I gotta listen to Rush 24 7.

;-)


Interesting how easily (5.00 / 2) (#25)
by jondee on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 09:50:51 PM EST

you rob people of their free will and agency as soon as they represent a viewpoint that makes you uncomfortable.

Suddenly they're just doing it for the money and for no other reason, as McBain implied.

You should consider that what motivates you isn't always what motivates others.


I rob people of what?? (none / 0) (#30)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 09:02:53 AM EST

These people are performers. They make their living by entertaining. People don't pay to be NOT entertained. And there is nothing wrong with any of that. But don't act like these people are any way special because they hate someone and can make money using that hatred.

It's still hatred. And hatred is a flame that burns both parties.


Does it? (5.00 / 2) (#32)
by Yman on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 10:18:41 AM EST

It's still hatred. And hatred is a flame that burns both parties.

From the guy who posts r@cist pictures of Obama and Islamophobic rants on his blog?

Heh.

If that was the case, you'd've been nothing but ashes long ago.


"Hatred" lol (none / 0) (#36)
by jondee on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 03:30:00 PM EST

Yes, I remember "Bush haters" and "America haters"..

Your attributing simple hatred to Trump's critics is just another mentally lazy, backhanded smear attempt.

You can ridicule and satirize someone's behavior with hating them.

I'm curious, do you Ever get tired of being fos???


: without hating them.. (none / 0) (#37)
by jondee on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 03:43:33 PM EST

I lost interest in SNL a long time ago (none / 0) (#24)
by McBain on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 09:45:14 PM EST

Too predictable. It would open with a political sketch, then the guest host would do a monologue and then either take fake questions from the audience or do some kind of musical number.

Some band I'm not interested in would do a couple songs and there would always be the overrated Weekend Update. If a sketch worked well, they would bring it back several times and hope to make a movie out of it.

If the ratings are up, it's because of Trump. He drives everything in the media right now. You guys are just as obsessed with him.


: That's your decision and business. (5.00 / 3) (#28)
by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 03:38:36 AM EST

If you don't like SNL, fine. Don't watch it. The world does not revolve around you, and you hardly the final arbiter of what constitutes good entertainment or even good taste.
As far as Trump is concerned, he is an emotionally stunted and manifestly unstable man who also so happens to be President of the United States. So, why WOULDN'T that concern us? Don't confuse worry with obsession.
Good night.

I take it you've never heard of: (none / 0) (#9)
by Chuck0 on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 03:41:40 PM EST

Bill Hicks
The Smother Brothers
Mort Sahl
Lenny Bruce
George Carlin
Lewis Black
Dennis Miller
Robert Klein
etc. etc. etc.

Or is The 3 Stooges your idea of the height of comedy?


and my all time favorite (none / 0) (#10)
by Chuck0 on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 03:42:31 PM EST

Will Durst.


: I remember (none / 0) (#39)
by TrevorBolder on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 07:28:01 PM EST

reading some Will Rogers , a childhood Christmas present book in my stocking.
Some really good stuff there

The (none / 0) (#13)
by FlJoe on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 04:12:36 PM EST

Smothers Brothers Comedy hour was considered seditious by many at the time, it was awesome.


: Seditious? It was tame by today's standards. (none / 0) (#15)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 04:31:26 PM EST

Nevertheless, repeated complaints from the Nixon administration caused CBS's honchos to unilaterally cancel "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," even though it was their network's No. 1-rated show. When it comes to political balls, the creative class tends to be light years ahead of the studio and network brass.

The Three Stooges were hardly non-political. (none / 0) (#14)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 04:24:57 PM EST

I wrote about their film "You Nazty Spy!" last week. Moe, Larry and Curly were the very first stars in Hollywood to publicly mock Adolf Hitler and the Nazis onscreen. When it was released in Jan. 1940, it very quickly became their most popular film.

And as no less than Charlie Chaplin subsequently noted, that proved a really big deal during an era when people were walking on eggshells around the Third Reich, for fear of offending its leadership.

Were it not for The Three Stooges thumbing their noses at the Hays Code and further showing that there was a large market for anti-Nazi sentiment, Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" might never have been picked up and distributed by a major studio.

Let's give credit where it's due.


I've heard of all those guys (none / 0) (#26)
by McBain on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 09:50:51 PM EST

and I mentioned Dennis Miller in my post, Chuck. Don't forget Mark Russell.

Was never a Three Stooges fan. I liked Letterman and SNL in the 80s (when they were funny). Kids in the Hall and Mr. Show in the 90s. Flight of the Conchords and Portlandia this century.


: I guess you are just too high brow, (none / 0) (#29)
by Chuck0 on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 07:45:14 AM EST

cultured and refined for the rest of us.

Querry: (none / 0) (#6)
by MKS on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 02:40:06 PM EST

Can we say, here, what Lettermen said about Trump, without being deemed to have said something libelous and then getting zapped by Mama Bear? drawing

Look at how Jeralyn approached it. (none / 0) (#18)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 04:55:14 PM EST

She doesn't have to say it personally. Rather, she still gets her point across without being libelous, because she's actually quoting somebody else who went on public record.

While I might agree with you that her fear is likely overstated, she nevertheless does have at least some legitimate cause for concern in that regard, given that Trump is a litigious creature with a notoriously thin skin. At this point in her life and career, she doesn't need that. Further, it's her site and she gets to make the rules.

And speaking of slander and libel, there are some legal experts who are now making the case that Trump himself may have crossed that particular line, in leveling a baseless yet Watergate-worthy charge at his predecessor Barack Obama this past weekend.

Aloha.


Web Hosts have immunity (5.00 / 3) (#19)
by MKS on Mon Mar 06, 2017 at 05:56:03 PM EST

for content provided by others. Thus, TalkLeft and DailyKos are not liable for the posts by the commentators. They are only liable for their own posts.

Link.

Link.i

But I will follow the rules.


Speaking of "un-PC" Trumpian humor (none / 0) (#27)
by jondee on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 02:17:42 AM EST

that Jim and McBain would appreciate, there was a guy at a pro-Trump rally in Nashville the other day proudly wearing a t-shirt with pyramids on it that said "Slavery Gets Sh*t Done."


Nah (none / 0) (#31)
by McBain on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 10:15:23 AM EST

but I did laugh when I saw a guy walking around a bunch of California PC vegans with a shirt that read "Animals Taste Good"


: Animals ="slaves"???? (none / 0) (#33)
by MKS on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 12:17:02 PM EST

There is no "immunity" that does not (none / 0) (#35)
by Mr Natural on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 01:42:24 PM EST

require expensive and vigorous defense. This is tort territory.


: Always true (none / 0) (#38)
by MKS on Tue Mar 07, 2017 at 03:48:27 PM EST

But, due to a quirk in the law, Web Hosts have much more protection than anyone else--clearly much better than the Press.
And, any fool can file a lawsuit, but one where immunity clearly applies will ward off most claims.
And, a 12(b)(6) motion should prevail. It is not slam dunk, as nothing is in Civil Litigation, but it is pretty close. The, a malicious prosecution case or Rule 11 motion, or its state law equivalent, would get back any fees.
There are more than few who would volunteer pro bono services in this instance. And not just schmoes. Big firms would jump at this.