Season 7 Show 147
And because I'm in love with Jack White (If he was from NY he'd be on every post, but because he's not I have to fit him in where I can), and because I am adamantly opposed to Catholicism yet adore this Catholic duo:
Singing the national anthem in NYC
On the show selling yogurt
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love free activities. After years of watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, it was pretty awesome being in the studios and watching the taping of the shows- for free! Both of the shows began with a comedian who warmed up the audience with irreverent humor. Then Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert came out and answered questions from the audience. For this part, Colbert came out as himself and not as his character, which was cool. I must admit that I thought the Colbert taping was more fun. It might just be because I got to sit in the front row, and because I got a high-five from "the greatest living American" Stephen Colbert who was running around the studio with the enthusiasm of a five year old. I had to sit in the back row for The Daily Show taping, which really wasn't a big deal since the studio is so small, but it was trumped by the front row Colbert experience. Colbert was wild and energetic, while Stewart was very reserved. They were both hilarious, and I think that while Stewart was very serious in a more obvious manner, Colbert was also very serious in his kookiness, in the way that you hear comedians are generally incredibly serious about their comedy. It was fascinating to see their differing approaches to filming. After the Q&A session, Stewart jumped into the show. He was a total pro, going through the taping without a single mistake, without any second takes, without any breaks except the commercial breaks- during which his desk was immediately swarmed by writers and producers going over what appeared to be hundreds of pages of notes in the short time span. His process was quick, no nonsense. It was impressive. His guest was Calvin Trillon, a writer whom I wasn't aware of before the taping. but he seemed like an interesting guy. Colbert's process was a bit different. He screwed up a few times and needed several takes, especially during one of his long rants where he just couldn't get the words out properly. That was more enjoyable to watch, really, because it was hilarious and endearing. And there were more breaks in between segments. He did a funny skit where he 'maced' himself (and then poured yogurt all over his face) as a response to the pepper-spraying incidents during Occupy Wall Street and the report by the idiots at Faux News describing pepper spray as a food product. As he needed to get cleaned up, there was a longer break after that. His guest was Chris Matthews, who seemed very happy, very smiley. I'm not really a fan of Matthews' style but, surprisingly, he gave off good vibes. He was promoting his book about JFK, and he made certain to get in his signature "HA!" at the very end when Colbert asked him if he thought Newt Gingrich would be the next JFK. It was a good one.
While I was waiting in line outside The Daily Show studios with 200 other people, I saw Giancarlo Esposito walk by. Three days prior I had watched Gus Fring get his face blown off concluding an amazingly dramatic story arc of one of the best tv characters ever, so it was surreal to then just see him in front of me. He's a diminutive man, but he has an intensity to him. And he also looked pretty smooth in his black fedora. In my starstruck state all I could think to say was, "Hi Giancarlo!" in the absolute dorkiest way possible. Ugh. He turned and smiled and said hello back. None of the other 200 people in line recognized him; they just stood there witnessing the awkwardness. Breaking Bad is a great show and I highly recommend it, but I do think the writers have issues writing for the female characters. All of the male characters, leads and supporting, are amazing, yet the two female characters both come off as stupid and annoying. I hope next season the writers put some effort into making them as complex and as interesting as their male cohorts. Agree/disagree?
What are your favorite Colbert Report and/or Daily Show moments? And what is your favorite Jack White song? I am still recovering from the White Stripes breakup *tear*:(
"So Charlene, I'm so over you / So say so long/ If I wasn't over you/ Why would I write this song?/ Think about it/ No more carrying a torch/ I'm blowing out the flame/ But if you need to reach me/ My E-mail's still the same/ It's Stephen@Charleneforever.com" --Stephen Colbert, Charlene II (I'm Over You)
No comments:
Post a Comment