All language subtitles for The.History.Of.Comedy.S01E05_English

Now, I dont know if you get
all the news here in Nashville.

But I may say something thats
very upsetting to many of you.

The good thing about
doing topical comedy

is you look like

youre more intelligent
than you are.

Well, lets go to the news and
see what we can unfurl there.

Kirkman:
You have to be smarter

than the first thought
that everyone had.

Im sorry, Im being told
that I dont have an earpiece.

Bell: If something happens
at 3:00 in the afternoon

and youre going on stage
at 8:00 at night

and you can have turned
that into a joke,

thats part of the high.

It would be weird
if I didnt make a joke

the day of a tragedy.

Kimmel: Sometimes when Im at
home late at night on Twitter,

I think of something, and I say,
"I could end it all right now

with these two little thumbs."

North Korea conducted
what they claim

was a successful test

of the their biggest
nuclear warhead yet,

so congrats to them.
Thats great.

Im glad theyre finally
figuring that out.

Its really...

Will someone please tell
Kim Jong‐un

they like his new glasses

and he looks like he lost weight

so he doesnt kill everybody
on the West Coast?

When it comes to comedy,
you look for something

that people know about
or are talking about,

and then you want
to give your take on it.

When you do topical humor,
it goes right to the brain

and the heart and the stomach
all at the same time.

You know...

they re‐introduce the McRib
every [bleep] year.

Its not big news.

OBrien:
The power of topical humor
is everybodys on the same page.

It is already primed,
and theyre laughing already.

So then your joke
has rocket fuel in it.

McGraw:
The best comedy feels novel,

like youve never
heard it before.

And, you know, the things that
are happening in the headlines

give rise to brand‐new jokes.

Man: We interrupt this broadcast
to bring you

this important bulletin
from the United Press.

Flash, the White House

announces Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor.

Nesteroff: World War II
was the most uniting war

in the history
of the United States.

So it was natural that
the biggest comedian in America

would participate
in the war effort.

Say, Id like to stop the show
for just a few minutes here

and explain
exactly why were here.

We want you to buy
extra war bonds.

Zoglin:
When the war started,

Bob Hope really
became the voice of America.

People turned to him to make
jokes about what was going on.

He was not the first
topical comedian.

But what Bob did was
take that topical monologue

and add to it
the Vaudeville rhythm,

the joke‐telling rhythms.

Thank you!
How do you do, fellas?

This is Bob.

This is Bob
"Command Performance" Hope

telling each Nazi
thats in Russia today

that Crimea doesnt pay.

[ Laughter ]

White: It was
a very dark time generally,

but Bob could always shrug
his shoulders and say,

"Well, lets tackle this."
[ Chuckles ]

All right, lets talk about it.

And somewhere in talking
about it, hed find a laugh.

And, boy, that helps.

Up here,
a Marilyn Monroe calendar

isnt a luxury,
its a necessity.

[ Laughter ]

Zoglin:
That topical kind of monologue

was something brand new.

It seems like
a very simple thing,

but thats what Bob Hope
really innovated.

Man: It takes a lot to mount
a big show,

long hours deep into the night

constantly revising the script.

Revisions made necessary
by last‐minute changes

in a changing world.

Lopez: Bob Hope was the first
guy to utilize an actual staff

of writers to give you
topical material of the day.

OBrien:
He really did invent the idea

of the comedian
being the head writer,

the managing editor,
and having a bunch of writers.

Weide: The traditions
of stand‐up comedy in the 50s

were still really derived
from Vaudeville.

You know, those performers
like Bob Hope

had nothing more on their mind
than just getting laughs.

And that was plenty.

The guy who really came along
and changed all that

was Mort Sahl.

Richard Nixon is running
for governor of California,

and I realize sometimes
these shows are taped ahead.

I want this material
to be topical.

And...
Hell be running for something

no matter when the show is on,
so, sorry.

Brennan:
Mort Sahl was the first person

to talk like
a human being on stage.

It wasnt schmaltzy.

He did for comedy
what James Dean

and Marlon Brando
did for acting,

which is he humanized it.

I have to report to you
that the largest news last week

was the Soviet spaceman

was invited to lunch
by the queen, as you know.

Just to put your minds at rest,

I probably will not say
anything about the queen.

[ Laughter ]

She hasnt mentioned me,
has she?

[ Laughter ]

Sacks: He just came out
with a newspaper,

and he reacted in live time

to the news
as he was reading it,

which is a real high‐wire act.

Bob Hope rather famously said,
"You know,

you got to always
balance your humor,

or youre gonna
offend somebody."

Mort did not care.

Im not the most
tolerant guy in the world.

Im very intolerant. In fact,
thats the basis of the act.

The act is the statement
of a lone guy in rebellion.

Thats why people
mistakenly call it negative.

Its mainly me.
I dont talk about the news.

Im a victim of the news.

Sacks: The country was ready
for something different.

Its almost like Mort Sahl
led a revolution

that people didnt even
know they needed.

Mort, are you really
a bad guy?

All I am
is a Western Union messenger,

and sometimes
theres bad news in the wire.

But thats not my fault.
I only work at the office.

Nesteroff: Mort Sahl influenced
this whole generation

of coffee‐house comedians
like Lenny Bruce,

Richard Pryor, George Carlin,

whereas Bob Hope with his large
writing staff influenced

the format
of the late‐night comedy shows.

Announcer: Heres Johnny!

Gonna be a good night.
I just saw Bob Hope backstage.

We were talking. You know,
its really a wonderful thrill

standing next to one
of the greatest comedians

in the entire world.

And Im sure Bob appreciates it.

[ Laughter ]

If you were looking for
not just a take on the news,

but the actual news, because
I wasnt reading anything

other than the sports
and the comics,

Johnny Carson
was where you would go.

I saw the headline in the
National Inquirer this week.

The headline article was
how eating the right foods

can increase your I. Q.

Now, isnt that risky
for the Inquirer?

I mean, they could lose
all their readership.

OBrien: When Johnny Carson
would mock something

that was in the public eye,

everybody was in on it.

He was the most
powerful man in Hollywood,

because he could kill you
with one joke.

Somebody told Vice President
George Bush that Jesse Jackson

was coming to the White House,
and Bush says, "Oh, good!

Maybe hell autograph
my Thriller album."

[ Laughter ]

Cavett: You wanted to hear
what Johnny will say

about anything in the news.

You dont so much care
what other comedians say,

but lets see
what Johnny will say.

In the paper today,
a woman in Michigan ‐‐

I dont know the city, so ‐‐
She was arrested

for soliciting sexual favors.

Thats the way they put it
in the paper ‐‐ sexual favors

for spaghetti dinners.

[ Laughter ]

You cant make
this kind of stuff up.

Apparently, she never
asked a man for money.

All she wanted was just...

[ Laughter ]

...a spaghetti dinner.

My question, technically,

wouldnt that make her
a "pastatute"?

Man: Oh, ho!
[ Laughter ]

On "Close Up" this morning,
the end of an era.

After ruling late‐night
television for 30 years,

Johnny Carson
steps down tonight.

And so it has come to this.
I ‐‐

I am one of the lucky
people in the world.

I found something
I always wanted to do,

and I have enjoyed
every single minute of it.

I bid you a very heartfelt
good night.

[ Cheers and applause ]

Its certainly true
that with Johnny out,

a vacuum was created.

The big decision thats had the
entertainment industry buzzing

is due this week.
That, of course, is the fate

of NBCs late night stars
Jay Leno and David Letterman.

Viera: "The Tonight Show"
without Johnny Carson

as the regular host
made its debut last night.

Jay Leno emerged
from behind the curtain.

Leno:
Oh, I dont care if you laugh.

I got the job.
Dont matter to me.

Chung:
Look at this. Theyre getting
more press than the president.

So start up
your remote controls.

The late‐night race
is about to begin.

Markoe:
Jay was a brilliant stand‐up.

He continued
the tradition of Johnny.

He had a big group
of monologue writers.

That was the main
writing on that show.

He was writing the best topical
jokes that anybody could write.

Democratic candidate
Bill Clinton said

he is also troubled...

by the amount of sex
portrayed on television.

Clinton said where
he comes from,

sex is a deeply personal matter

between a candidate
and his campaign volunteers.

Yeah, its just ‐‐
[ Laughter ]

Jay is more Bob Hope
in the sense

of setup, punch line,
setup, punch line,

and he would tap
into exactly the best joke

of whatever happened that day.

And, of course,
the big story in Hollywood

is still "The Fugitive."

[ Cheers and applause ]

All right. But ‐‐ But enough
about Michael Jackson.

You know ‐‐
[ Laughter ]

Anderson:
Jay made the jokes the joke.

Dave...

was doing the other
side of jokes.

He wanted the laugh he wanted.

These last two jokes

are the intellectual
property of NBC.

Who ‐‐ Who would have thought
you would ever hear the words

"intellectual property"
and "NBC" in the same sentence?

Markoe:
There was not much emphasis
on that monologue for Dave,

because when we started
on late night,

we werent allowed
to do a monologue.

We were calling them
opening remarks,

because if you called them
a monologue

and there were too many of them,

you would have stepped
on Johnnys toes.

Now, with that in mind,

lets continue
with the opening remarks.

Kimmel:
It was just a little off.

It looked like
a talk show, kind of.

Sometimes he wore sneakers,
which was weird.

And they talked about the events
of the day, to a certain extent.

But also was more
focused on weirdness

than on the newspaper.

‐"Uh, Daves passing out ham."
‐Yeah.

Kirkman: Dave was a very
New‐York‐centered show.

So Jay could be Monica Lewinsky
and O. J. trial,

and Dave could be, like,

"There was a squirrel today
in the park" ‐‐

you know, just some
bizarre, offbeat thing.

So youre not just gonna
get monologue jokes

about the front page.

Its whatever
Dave wants to do.

And, sometimes, it still seemed
like a cable access show.

Like, why is he throwing
a watermelon off a building?

Thats an important
consideration for all of us.

And, believe me, maam,
youve come to the right place.

Boosler: You dont tune in
to "Letterman" to see

whats going on
in the country today.

You would have tuned in to Jay
to see that.

And thats the big difference ‐‐

comedy of character
and personality,

and then a great joke‐teller.

I mean, lets face it. If you
dont like who Dave has on,

or you dont like who I have on,
now you can click around

and then say,
"Well, let me go back to Jay.

Oh, gee, heres something
I might have missed."

Charles: I found that they both
evolved their style.

They came out
of the Carson thing,

and the first instinct

is to kind of sort of
do it like that.

And then their
personalities emerged,

and they did their
own versions of it.

The host plays
with the structure.

But you need the structure.

Without it,
you dont have comedy.

People like when they know
what the rules are.

And then its what you do
with those rules.

Sawyer:
How do you begin deciding
how youre gonna be different?

Well, make no mistake about it.
I will be fired from this job.

Its just a matter
of how long its gonna take.

I dont know.
Really, I dont think

you can invent
anything altogether new.

Im sure youve heard
Angelina Jolie

filed for divorce
from Brad Pitt.

And, of course, all the
celebrity gossip magazines

are claiming victory.

You know, they broke this story.

They broke the story every week
for the last 11 years...

over and over again.
There are just certain things

that I dont think
will ever go away.

People are always
gonna want to hear jokes

about the news of the day.

Its very ‐‐
This is very exciting for me.

[ Laughter ]

I didnt really watch
late‐night television

before I started doing it.

And then I didnt watch it
when I was doing it.

I just put things in
to entertain myself.

Its a great day
for America, everybody!

One of the real problems
with broadcast television

is trying to make a show,

you know, which was
a "broad cast,"

which was okay for everybody.

Thats seems like ‐‐

That seems almost
impossible job.

Hosting "The Tonight Show"
has been the fulfillment

of a lifelong dream for me.

And I just want to say
to the kids out there watching,

you can do anything
you want in life. Yeah.

Yeah, unless
Jay Leno wants to do it, too.

[ Laughter ]

Markoe: All of them do
some amount of a news segment

just because its already
been established.

Its become a way
to consume current events.

This jerk left duffel bags
on the street,

and two of the bombs
were discovered

by thieves snatching bags.

[ Laughter ]

Because as all New Yorkers know,

if you see something,
steal something.

Kirkman: Theres seriously
too many late‐night shows.

Everyones kind of talking
about the same thing,

and youre really
just trying to put it

in your hosts voice,

instead of, you know,
sounding like everyone else.

Fallon: Of course,
I wouldnt be here tonight

if it werent for the previous
"Tonight Show" hosts,

so I want to say thank you

to Steve Allen, Jack Paar,

Johnny Carson,
Jay Leno, Conan OBrien,

and Jay Leno. Very, very nice.

We are delighted to be
back as a regular series.

But to those of you who wrote in
that you hated our pilot show...

[Laughing]
...wait till you see this one.

Sacks: "That Was the Week
That Was" was the innovator.

That was a show that set forward

you can make
the current news funny,

and you can do so in a hip way.

With the candidacy
of Senator Barry Goldwater,

the Republican party
is on the way back.

And who knows?

One day, it may
even go forwards.

The sensibility
was more tame in a sense,

more controlled, more dry.

It was witty,

but it wasnt really
challenging the power structure.

Our top story tonight...

Our top story, President Ford...
...President Ford is finally

over that stubborn
week‐long cold.

...the stubborn
week‐long cold!

Markoe:
Before "Saturday Night Live,"
everything was so schmaltzy.

"Saturday Night Live" was
the first show that came along

that had a sensibility
of people whod grown up on TV.

It was making fun of TV.

Miller:
And this idea of satirizing
the news, we needed it.

Vietnam was going on.

Wed just been
through Watergate.

The idea that we could
laugh at the people

who were making the news
is a pretty nice formula.

Lets take a look
at the top story, shall we?

Anwar Sadat buys himself
an inflatable child.

This story and more coming up
on "Weekend Update."

"Weekend Update" initially
was about irreverence.

It was about a middle finger
to the powers that be.

For an on‐the‐spot report,

lets go live to Laraine Newman
at the Blaine Hotel.

‐Laraine?
‐Chevy, Im standing...

Newman: "Update" was cathartic
for people that saw,

you know, the hypocrisy
in the establishment.

I dont think people
took "Update" seriously.

It was a relief.

The first man to walk
on the moon, Neil Armstrong,

lost a finger when
he jumped from a truck

and caught his wedding ring
on a barn door

at his suburban Cincinnati home.

While jumping off the truck,

the former astronaut
was quoted as saying,

"One small step for man,

a giant ‐‐ Aah!"

[ Screaming ]

‐Jane?
‐It was kind of

a parody of a newscast.

And it was a joke basket.

[ Chuckling ]
Thats what it was, you know?

But it became sort of less
and less that way.

Charles: It became more
personalized as it went on

and much less about
a character doing the news.

And by the time
it got to Dennis Miller,

it was Dennis Miller.
And it wasnt about character.

It was about them
speaking their minds.

New Yorks St. Patricks Day
parade was held yesterday,

and for the first time
in the parades history,

a homosexual contingent marched.

So it is a Gaelic thing.

Now...
[ Laughter ]

Every anchor has brought
their own personality to it,

so its this thing
that is both constant

and constantly changing.

Im Norm Macdonald,
and this is the fake news.

Curtin: Times have changed since
I first sat behind this desk.

For example, I used to be
the only pretty blonde woman

reading the fake news.

Now theres a whole network
devoted to that.

Kirkman: News is such a joke
in and of itself now

that I can see why things

like "Weekend Update"
have survived.

The thought of funny news
was what made it so appealing

back when news was serious.

Now that news is entertainment,

youre watching
"Weekend Update" for news.

Its probably not great
that that transition happened.

It probably
should have stayed ‐‐

The news should have kept
getting better and better.

But "Weekend Update"

definitely made
a transition into the news.

Theres a growing trend
among some parents

toward home‐schooling children
because they believe

that mandated vaccinations
for public schools are unsafe.

This is expected to lead
to another new trend,

dying of polio.
[ Laughter ]

Charles: They have that
opportunity to tap into things

that are happening
right this second

and cutting through
the bullshit of it

in a way
that the regular news cant do.

[ Cheers and applause ]

Miller: "The Daily Show" with
Jon Stewart arrives on the scene

when the traditional
evening news

is starting to deteriorate.

Let the healing begin.
Its headlines.

Black: All of a sudden,

there was what was the beginning
of a 24/7 news cycle.

You can take the form now,
because everybody is beginning

to understand the form
and satirize it.

In 1993, Jordan retired
for the first time,

saying hed had enough
of the NBA grind

and needed more time
with his family.

And after spending more time
with his family,

he quickly decided he hadnt
had enough of the NBA grind.

Alterman: When Jon took over
"The Daily Show,"

it was a much different show.

It was much more driven
by pop culture

and parodying broadcasting.

But over time, Jon really

put his laser focus
on real issues.

Welcome to our coverage

of the Democratic National
Convention from Boston.

Its our first night
of coverage.

The convention
kicked off last night.

Any network can bring you news
as it happens.

But here at "The Daily Show,"

we have taken
yesterdays proceedings

and digested it, processed it,

broken it down
to give you highly concentrated

what we call turds of wisdom.
[ Laughter ]

Bee:
The news can be so heavy.

It can be so intense.

Its actually very nice

to have someone analyze things

from a different point of view.

Bell: He became peoples go‐to
guy to explain the world.

Youd watch the news, and then
youd watch Jon Stewart.

Or you wouldnt watch the news
and watch Jon Stewart,

and hed have to remind you,
"Im not the news!"

There are a lot
of people out there

who do turn to you for ‐‐

Not for news.

Well, they turn ‐‐

For an interpretation,

‐for a comedic interpretation.
‐To be informed.

They actually think
that theyre coming closer

to the truth with your...

Now, thats a different thing.
Thats credibility.

Lopez:
He was able to show you

and make you hear what you wish
you would have thought of.

"Oh, man!
Why didnt I think of that?"

Or, "Thats hilarious. I never
thought of it like that."

Anderson: He grew a stronger
and stronger conscience,

then felt a responsibility,

I think, to carry it out.

But he always slammed
a huge joke in there.

Nothing will change
with the same people,

the same policies that got us
into this status quo.

Another Latin word, status quo.

And it stands for,
"Man, the middle class,

everyday Americans are really
getting taken for a ride."

[ Laughter ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

You know, thats the kind
of talk you normally hear

right before
the pharmacist says,

"Maam, youve got to
leave the Walgreens."

[ Laughter ]

Ferguson:
It wasnt really about politics.
It was about moral outrage.

Thats what made the show
so riveting and fun.

Bullshitters have gotten
pretty lazy.

And their work
is easily detected.

And looking for it is...

kind of a pleasant way
to pass the time,

like an "I‐Spy" of bullshit.

So I say to you tonight,
friends,

the best defense
against bullshit is vigilance.

Man: Police and fire units
are being dispatched

to the scene as we speak.

Man #2: We got a plane crashed
into the World Trade Center.

Comedy seems pretty
inconsequential

in the face of a grave tragedy.

The whole tone, of course,
of the country had changed,

and, naturally, comedy
became difficult.

McGraw: There was a time
in the days after that

where people
didnt know what to do.

The late‐night talk shows
didnt know how to behave.

There was almost
a moratorium on comedy.

Its terribly sad
here in New York City.

Nesteroff: Naturally, the whole
tone of these shows had changed,

so there was very little comedy
for the next several weeks.

Most of those late‐night
shows booked news people

like Brian Williams
or Tom Brokaw.

They did not book comedians.

Miller:
9/11 was, obviously,

a dark, dark moment
for our country.

But it was an important
moment for "SNL."

The words spoken at 11:31
every Saturday night

are "Live from New York."
So this was backyard.

So it was almost incumbent
upon "Saturday Night Live"

to play some sort of role
in the nations healing.

The question is
when is it okay to laugh again?

On behalf
of everyone here,

I just want to thank you all
for being her tonight,

and especially you,
Mr. Mayor.

Thank you, Lorne.
Thank you very much.

Having our citys institutions
up and running

sends a message that New York
City is open for business.

"Saturday Night Live"
is one of our great

New York City
institutions.

And thats why its important
for you to do your show tonight.

Can we be funny?

[ Scattered laughter ]

Why start now?

[ Cheers and applause ]

Miller: It was
that Saturday night we decided,

"Okay, you know, were gonna
be able to do this again."

And they slowly
brought us through it.

I think its one of the finest
moments in "SNL" history.

Live...

from New York...
[ Cheers and applause ]

its Saturday night!

Right after 9/11,

I had to fly to New York

to roast Hugh Hefner
for Comedy Central.

And we didnt know
what was gonna happen.

The question becomes how do you
go about joking again, right?

Youre living in
"too soon" territory.

Kimmel: The one and only
Gilbert Gottfried.

Gottfried: Tragedy and comedy
are roommates.

If you joke about a tragedy,

youre kind of beating
the tragedy away.

So I did a joke.

I said, "Today,
Ill be using my Muslim name."

"Hasnt bin Laid."
[ Laughter ]

Silverman:
Theres no black or white answer

to when its time to laugh

and when its time to laugh at.

I wanted to do a joke

that totally is over the line.

And I said, "I have
to leave early tonight.

I have to catch a flight to L. A.

I couldnt get a direct flight.

We have to make stop
at the Empire State Building."

I lost an audience

as big as anyone
in the history of performing.

Somebody said, "Too soon!"

And that didnt
slow Gilbert down.

That pushed him
to a whole new place.

The father starts
fucking his wife.

This sister starts fingering
the dogs asshole.

Ross: He started to tell
the Aristocrats joke,

which is like comedic jazz.

Its a license to offend
just for the fuck of it.

And I remember laughing so hard

that I was sort of crying.

It was just such a release.

And it was just what we needed.

It couldnt have been
a better time,

a better place,

or a better person telling it.

If you missed any portion,
Ill repeat it.

It absolutely
had to be done.

Somebody had to stand up

in front
of the comedy community

and say, "Its okay,"
when its not okay.

But those words
must be spoken.

God bless you!
[ Applause ]

God bless America!

Kimmel: I thought what Gilbert
did that night was heroic,

and I think it ‐‐

Ultimately, you could say
whatever you want to say

about whether it was appropriate
or not.

It made a lot of people
in that room feel very good,

and thats that.

Oswalt:
I dont believe in too soon.

You want to know a little secret
amongst comedians?

The minute someone says
something is off limits,

all we focus on is,
"How do I do jokes about that?"

McGraw:
One of the most striking choices

in those post‐9/11 days
and weeks

was The Onion.

They released an issue

dedicated to the 9/11 attacks.

So, at first, this seems like
a terrible, terrible idea.

But when you look at what
the writers of The Onion did,

you realize their brilliance.

Litt: They were able to find
some sort of common ground,

"What are we all feeling?"

and were able
to find humor in that

as opposed to making light
of something really terrible.

And it was this amazingly
cathartic moment.

Oswalt:
Its a beautiful statement about
the human species

that eventually, we will
make a joke about everything,

because it means
that we are defying depression

and loss and death and entropy

to live.

And time will give you
the breath to do that.

I like to test myself

by joking about horrible things
and nothing but.

One of my favorite ways
to test myself,

I like to make jokes
about tragedies

the day that they happen.

I dont believe in "too soon."

Im on a tight schedule.
[ Laughter ]

Too soons tricky.

Sometimes its too soon,

but not if
the jokes good enough.

If the jokes good enough,
its never too soon.

Kimmel: Everyone has their
own version of that,

but the comedian
does not decide.

The audience decides

whether it was
acceptable or not.

[ Laughter ]

Another Malaysian
Airlines plane was ‐‐

Too soon, Che!
Too soon, baby!

My problem is its not too soon,

its I just wish
I could think of shit faster.

Jefferies: There is a graph
that goes on in my head

that the more offensive
the subject,

the funnier it has to be.

Louis: Like,
I was thinking the other day

that you can figure out
how bad a person you are

by how soon after
September 11th you masturbated,

like, how long you waited.

[ Laughter ]

And for me, it was between
the two buildings going down.

So I have a feeling that ‐‐
[ Laughter ]

I had to do it. I had to.
Otherwise, they win.

Thats the way I was looking
at it at the time.

It was a strange time
for all of us.

If you giggle, if a guffaw
takes place, youre busted,

because something made you
have that involuntary reaction.

Apatow: And in a way,
life is really hard.

You have to get back
to silly at some point,

or life is even harder.

Rock: Boy, that Boston Marathon
was scary, man.

That was scary, man.
Just think about it.

Youve been training
for a year.

You finally get
to the finish line,

and somebody screams, "Run!"

[ Laughter ]
Oh! That is horrible, man.

For the benefit of all of you
who went to sleep last night,

watch this ‐‐ Chris Rock,

arguably one of Americas
funniest comedians,

and a former
"Saturday Night Live" alumnus

was on
last night hosting,

and he did this monologue.
Very uncomfortable.

You finally get
to the finish line,

and somebody screams, "Run!"
[ Laughter ]

Carlson: I got to say,
I cant stand it when the Left

is always telling people
that their jokes arent funny.

"You shouldnt be allowed
to say that."

I dont like political
correctness in any of its forms.

Im not saying you shouldnt
be allowed to say it.

Not funny at all.

Because the news cycle
in the Internet age

demands something fresh
and new at all times,

frequently a comedian
whos commenting on the news

becomes the news.

He said what?

"30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan

must have rocks in his head.

Maher:
Sarah Silverman was on "Conan
OBrien," and she told a joke.

It offended certain members
of the Asian community.

Duthiers: Trevor Noah went
from relative obscurity

to landing one of the most
prestigious posts

in late‐night TV.

It didnt take long
for his tweets to be condemned.

Kimmel: Everybody thinks you
have to be burned at the stake

if youve said something
that is deemed to be offensive

by however many thousand people

on Twitter have decided
its offensive.

I really think that were
at a point in this country

where people really need

to take the thumb
out of their mouth

and grow up a little bit
and realize

theres a lot bigger problems
out there

than what a comedian
did a joke about.

I mean, you have to feel
the same way about comedy.

Yeah, I do this joke about

the way people need to justify
their cellphone.

"I need to have it with me

because people
are so important."

‐Right.
‐You know, I said,

"Well, they dont seem
very important

the way you scroll through them
like a gay French king,"

you know, just...
[ Laughter ]

Theres a creepy
P. C. thing out there

that really bothers me.

Nair: The rise of this new
politically correct trend

is the cover story
in the new issue

of The Atlantic magazine.

The protective atmosphere
on many campuses

has become so charged

that comedian Jerry Seinfeld
wont perform for some students.

Seinfeld: Theyre so P. C. They
just want to use these words.

"Thats racist. Thats sexist.
Thats prejudiced."

They dont even know
what theyre talking about.

Maher:
An opinion echoed by Chris Rock.

You know, when Chris Rock,
Jerry Seinfeld,

and Larry the Cable Guy

say you have
a stick up your ass...

you dont have to wait
for the X‐rays to come back.

Ross:
People are constantly looking
for ways to get offended.

Yeah, I say things
that are offensive sometimes.

Im working. Im trying it out.

Too soon for
the Celine Dion jokes?

[ Laughter ]

There goes
my Michael J. Fox routine.

[ Laughter, groaning ]

Im not making fun
of Michael J. Fox.

Thats shaky
ground right there.

Apatow: A comedy club
is like a gym for comedians.

Its where people experiment.

So its very dangerous to say

that youre not allowed
to make a mistake.

Jefferies: The only apology that
should ever be made for a joke

is, Im sorry people
didnt find it funny,

because maybe you took
a swing and a miss.

But you should never apologize
for having a go.

They wrote a very nasty article
about me

with the headline,
"You cannot joke about rape."

Nah.

[ Laughter ]

Turns out you can.

Oswalt: The whole
politically correct thing

thats going on right now,

Im happy that its going on,
but its nothing new.

Every couple of decades,

there has to be this big, ugly,
lets‐take‐it‐all‐apart,

and we see what comes out
the other side.

I caught myself a few years ago
fighting "gay."

I say "gay." Like,
"Thats so gay!" I just say gay.

I have gay friends.
I dont mean it like gay.

I mean it like its gay,
like its lame.

And then I stop myself and said,
"What am I fighting?"

I am ‐‐ I have become the guy
from 50 years ago who said,

"I say colored!
I have colored friends!"

You have to listen
to the college‐aged,

because they lead
the revolution.

Theyre pretty much always
on the right side of history.

And I think its important...
People are so afraid of change.

They fight it so hard.

But if you cant change
with the times,

it makes you old,
and it makes your comedy stale.

Like, comedy isnt evergreen,
unless its poop jokes.

Poop jokes are evergreen, yes.

Its like none for you.

Wong:
Its not the topic that stinks.
It was your joke that stinks.

If you made them cringe
rather than laugh,

then youre doing a bad job.

Im all about Asian men.
Theyre the best.

Asian men, no body odor.

They just smell
like responsibility.

[ Laughter ]

Charles: This language‐police
thing thats going on

has a lot of validity,
but also a lot of issues.

Theres a kind of
a stirring of the pot,

but we dont know
whats gonna settle.

We dont know how the soups
gonna taste yet.

McKay: Can there be a case
where if you dont use

the right word
for a right ethnic group

for a right gender

where people get a little too
hyped up about it? Yes.

But those are exactly the waters

that comedy should be traveling.

Oswalt:
I will always change.

I will always try to learn
the new terms,

but youve got to give me
some wiggle room.

And, by the way,
I dont know if you know,

if you get hung up on words,

then youre gonna let a lot of
evil motherfuckers slip through,

because evil people

learn the correct terms
very quickly.

And a lot of times
the good guys, eh,

they fuck up a couple of words,

but listen to their heart.

Having constraints
makes comedy better in some ways

because it spurs innovation.

Silverman: Sometimes when you
have to work around something,

even for a silly reason,

it can make things funnier.

I love that theyre setting
this high bar,

because comedy will always
find a way over it.

Funny wins.

Louis: Thats the worst thing
I ever said.

I think I just finally said

the worst thing
I have ever said.

And it feels good.

It feels good
to have found the bottom.

You guys were great.
Thank you very, very much.

Jefferies: Im gonna talk
about something now

that sort of splits
a crowd a little bit.

Gun control.

[ Scattered cheers ]
Now ‐‐ Wait, wait.

Before you get ‐‐
Dont ‐‐ Dont get excited,

because the other
people have guns.

When you bring out
a topical subject,

its about timing. Its whether
its in the Zeitgeist

and people are gonna
latch onto it.

Theres nothing wrong
with saying, "I like something.

Dont take it away from me."

But dont give me
this other bullshit.

The main one is,
"I need it for protection.

I need to protect me.
I need to protect my family."

[ Laughter ]

Really? Is that why theyre
called assault rifles?

What we do is we like to do
funny stuff that creates a stir.

And any time
you can see that lead

to some sort of change,
you know,

you just kind of keep
your mouth shut and walk away.

[ Air horn blows ]
Bam!

‐Youre at a gun show!
‐Youre at a gun show.

Social change is
a really nice side effect

of being really present

and really brilliantly funny.

Alterman: The best comedy
is driven by a point of view.

And a point of view isnt just
about their own experience,

but where someone
has something to say.

Josh: Now, Im not sure
what you heard about me,

but I do things
a little different

than yall are used to
here at Stuford Heights.

I just need you to go
with me on this one.

‐Ohh.
‐No raping?!

‐But, Coach, we play football!
‐My team, my rules.

You dont like it,
dont let the door

rape you on the way out.

Ferguson:
Good comedians talk about stuff

that bothers them
or interests them.

Then you can be
passionate about it.

Excuse me a sec. Joe?

Thank you so much.

Thank you.
[ Clears throat ]

Partial birth abortions
arent a thing!

Thank you so much.
[ Cheers and applause ]

We cover, you know,
really challenging material,

but its important
to bring it back to comedy.

If you for one moment
think of yourself

as important, you are dead.

You are out of comedy.
Forget it.

The "Ethical
and Religious Directives

for Catholic Health Care
Services" is a slim volume

of 72 medical commandments

that fit neatly between
a patient and her doctor.

Litt: More and more,
what youre seeing

are people
who care about the world

being unafraid to bring that
into their comedy and saying,

"Do I care about the stuff
that really matters?

And if I do, then thats
fair game for comedy, too."

Boosler: John Olivers come out
of the Jon Stewart mold

of just, you know, having
a great specific sense of humor.

He does cover a lot
of the weeks topics

from his point of view,

and then he turns the show
into one topic,

which is kind of great,

because no ones doing
long form like that.

Our main topic tonight
concerns debt.

I would like to talk
to you about drugs.

Our main story tonight
is income inequality.

A good way to figure out
which side of it youre on

is whether youre currently
paying for HBO or stealing it.

More than ever, comedy is a way
to hold peoples attention

while you tell them
important truths.

Im not saying the IRS
is a likeable organization.

But not everything
thats important is likeable.

Think of our government
as a body.

The IRS is the anus.

Its ‐‐ Its nobodys
favorite part,

but you need that thing
working properly,

or everything
goes to shit real quick!

Key:
The comic has become the person
who pulls back the curtain

to show the world that,

"Do you see that
this is happening?

I ‐‐ We didnt make this up.
This wasnt a funny idea we had.

This is whats happening."

The Constitution isnt the Star
in "Super Mario Bros."

It doesnt make you invincible

so you can just do whatever
the fuck you want.

You teach us about things
we should know about.

Its embarrassing, in a way,
to have someone come over here

and explain how things
like healthcare work.

‐Its less than ideal, so...
‐Yeah.

Silverman:
Comedy brings awareness.
Its a practice of noticing.

And theres an effect
with John Oliver,

because hes actually
creating change.

Vanity Fair New
Establishment says,

"Oliver has established himself

as perhaps the most disruptive
journalist on television."

‐Ugh.
‐So are you aware

of this thing called
the John Oliver Effect?

‐Ugh.
‐The John Oliver Effect

is like activism,
which is funny in nature

but, at the same time,
illuminating issues

that everybody else is missing.

And once theyre illuminated,

theyre very difficult
to ignore.

Stephanopoulos:
You say you want to make people
laugh more than anything else.

But its got
to be gratifying

that youve also
made people think.

I guess so.
I guess so.

That is like a ‐‐
Thats a pleasant byproduct.

But, you know, the main thing
were doing is comedy.

So if you get
to the end of a joke

and someone
is just thinking,

you have failed.
[ Chuckles ]

Bee:
He probably would hate

that theres something called
the John Oliver Effect.

Hes really all about
doing a really tight,

well‐researched comedy show.

And beyond that,
its out of your control.

39 states hold elections
for judges,

and America is virtually
alone in doing this.

In fact, theres only one
other country on earth

that does it on this scale.
You can guess which.

Youre wrong. Its Bolivia,

a country you think about
so little,

you havent even realized
thats not Bolivia.

This is Bolivia. Actually ‐‐
[ Laughter ]

Actually,
thats still not Bolivia.

This is Bolivia.
Or is it? Or is it?

The truth goes down a lot easier
when a joke is attached to it.

It just does.

It was worth the trip in,
wasnt it, just to ‐‐

Charles: So many things that
are going on just seem so crazy.

You feel so powerless,

so the comedian that deals
with topical issues,

theyre giving people
who are voiceless a voice.

Ill be honest with you,
its beginning to look like

Im not gonna get
"The Tonight Show."

Ross: Whats a comedians take
on that election?

Whats that comedians take
on that hurricane?

We are speaking...

on behalf of the consumer,

the voter, the victim.

OBrien: The joke, youll
forget. Youll forget the joke.

But if its the right moment
and the right condition

and you acknowledge
what just happened,

its a beautiful thing.

Markoe: The fact
that you can take something dark

and make light of it

is one of the few
superpowers people have.

Oswalt:
You remember when a laugh

steered you back
to sanity and comfort.

All of the awful things
in the world,

if they can be mocked,

then you can handle it.

Man:
So what about the adage

that tragedy plus time
equals comedy?

I dont think theres a formula
for any of these things.

And so when people contemplate
whether something is ‐‐

has it been enough time
or is it too soon or not,

again, you cannot generalize.

Theres some topics
that you can never talk about

forever.

Youre not allowed to talk
about the Holocaust, never!

What do you get when you cross
the Atlantic with the Titanic?

Halfway.

Now, if I had said that in 1912,

people would have gone, "Hey!"

Funny is funny, man.
It just doesnt matter.

I think I got
an AIDS laugh today.

Then theres things
like Prince dying.

Eh, three days.

The bar has always been,
like, are you funny

or are you not funny?

John Denver dying ‐‐ You could
joke about it that afternoon.

People can do the cliches about,

you know, timing and tragedy
and all that.

But I think you have to have
a level of discomfort.

I dont know if youve seen me
with Anderson Cooper,

but I count on his discomfort.

If youre doing a JonBenét
routine in Boulder, Colorado...

you better be nailing it.