Original subtitles

[ Cheers and applause ]

[ As Gerald Ford ] My first announcement is one

I think youve all been waiting for.

Politicians have been lying and bullshitting

and flip‐flopping since the beginning of time.

[ As Ronald Reagan ] I am the president.

Only I need to understand.

I am mostly pissed off

that not enough people are pissed off.

Thats... [ Laughs ]

Politicians are very visible and they tend to be liars,

which is great, so you can really go after them.

I fucking hate those assholes.

Its making me angry and I feel like screaming.

But Im unsure about how far my neck veins

can safely bulge out of my neck.

Maron: Political humor, now that its become such a farce,

its hard to outdo it.

[ As Donald Trump ] Yes, this is real life.

This is really happening.

♪

Dennis Miller: I cannot believe the men and women

that we have chosen to be our leaders.

You watch the in‐house footage of these congressional hearings,

and I think, "What sort of empty‐headed

Pez‐dispenser séance am I watching here?"

Politics is one of the most egregiously

hypocritical areas of society

and thus great fodder for comedy.

In the White House, in the Oval Office,

on the wall,

Obama has the original copy

of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Well, yeah, which Im pretty sure is just there

in case the Tea Party is like, "We dont think youre free."

"All right, look at the wall."

[ Laughter and applause ]

Politicians are so loathsome, but were stuck with them.

We cant prosecute all of them,

so lets at least mock them.

I believe, if you cant say something nice about somebody,

you must be talking about Hillary Clinton.

[ Laughter ]

Donald Trump, oh, my God.

Donald Trump is like the nagging cough

that has turned into full‐blown AIDS.

You know what Im saying?

[ Laughter ]

I think every political comedian feels their role is different.

Its very clear now that we have political comedians

who are actually acting as advocates

and also really feel like its important

to speak truth to power.

Black: I ended up doing political comedy,

because when Im angry, Im ‐‐ Im funny.

That just seems to be the deal.

And politicians make me really angry.

Democrats and Republicans believe

that what they tell you about the fact

is actually the fact itself.

And it isnt a fucking fact! [ Laughter ]

Bee: We dont have anything to lose.

We dont have to worry that the White House

isnt going to give us access.

We already dont have access,

so we can say whatever we want.

Oswalt: The reason that comedians pick on politics,

its almost like a prayer.

"Hey, could you maybe not steer us off of a cliff,

but the only way that I can maybe keep you on it

is to make you look ridiculous

so youll stop what youre doing."

I feel like George Bush

can bring about the biblical apocalypse.

[ Laughter ]

Because heres the thing ‐‐

I dont think Bush wants to be president.

I think he wants to be the last president!

Charles: Entering that realm puts you

into a battleground situation also,

with those who find what youre saying funny

and relate to it cause they agree with you,

and those that disagree with you,

who dont find it funny or find it offensive.

Well, until Jon Stewart and Colbert and Bill Maher,

the best political satire was basically cartoonists.

Mankoff: Just simply drawing someone in a ludicrous way,

in and of itself, brings them down.

Jefferies: Of course those things influence people,

because most of us arent good readers.

[ Chuckles ] We like a little grab.

Its the pin in the balloon.

Its puncturing pomposity and showing that the emperor

has no clothes, things of that sort.

Mankoff: Herblock did much more than just puncture pomposity,

he illuminated hypocrisy.

[ Chuckles ]

Sacks: During the Watergate years,

they were very incisive, very intelligent cartoons

that Herblock wrote.

And being from D. C.,

and running from "The Washington Post"

that broke that story, made it even more important,

because its one of the few places in a newspaper

where you can tell it like it is.

So, in the end, Herblock had a great deal

to do with Nixon coming down.

Russell: He had a lot of people who would complain to him,

"That was outrageous!"

He had one answer every time. Hed say, "But its true."

♪

Franklin ‐‐ [ Chuckles ] I can call you "Franklin"?

Years ago, it was frowned upon then,

to make fun of the people running the country.

Rogers: They wont let anyone talk politics in here,

because this stadium was dedicated to art, sports,

and, uh, any, uh, useful enterprises.

And thats... [ Laughter ]

Now, Mr. Nixon won easily, and he wasnt even campaigning,

which shows you how well a politician can do

if he keeps his mouth shut.

[ Laughter ]

[ Piano plays ]

Here we are.

Reagan and Carter, huh?

♪ What kind of choice is this? ♪

[ Laughter ]

Sacks: Mark Russell would get up at his piano

and make gentle fun at politicians,

but so gentle that he could

then go hang out with them afterwards.

♪ Can it be true ♪

♪ No matter which one wins ♪

♪ The losers me and you? ♪

I would get criticized more often

for being too gentle than for being too harsh.

I was not a bomb‐thrower. I was not an anarchist.

I was too safe.

[ Applause ]

I kept seeing pictures

of Kennedy and Khrushchev together,

which they looked like they needed a new caption.

The pictures were funny.

It looked like, "Dad, may I have keys to the car?

I..."

Mort Sahl was overtly political and partisan.

The idea of a comedian really taking a stand,

having a point of view, this was something new.

Weide: When John Kennedy became president,

Mort Sahl was doing bits about Kennedy,

many of them very hard‐hitting, and people were surprised.

He just saw himself as the guy whose job it was

to go after whoever was in power,

be they Republican, Democrat.

Man: Do you have an agent now?

No, and I cant get one.

No one will ‐‐ No one will handle you?

The last agent I had was Freddie Fields,

who was, you know, a very able fellow, creative management.

He said to me, "No agent can help you

in the position youre in."

Goldthwait: I like a comedian who Im truly not sure

what side hes going to be on an issue.

Im not a fan of the stand‐up comedian

that just reaffirms the status quo.

Do you believe entertainers should have opinions

and should express them? Oh, yeah.

Well, definitely, they got to have opinions,

I mean, like everybody else.

Do you think entertainers should exert political influence?

If they want to.

♪ The war in Vietnam keeps on a‐ragin ♪

♪ Blacks and whites still havent worked it out ♪

Rob Reiner: "The Smothers Brothers,"

you know, this was during the 60s,

and to be on television at that time

and to talk about the Vietnam War,

the censors were after them all the time.

Gee, Sarge, I understand now.

Im not afraid anymore.

I can kill!

But I still cant vote.

"The Smothers Brothers" was a great show,

but it was taken off the air.

If CBS has its way, when we dont go on the air anymore

and theres nothing said about it,

nobody else will come forward.

Theres no one in the business trying to do anything

that steps out or say anything.

When the government starts censoring us,

thats a real, genuine problem.

Censoring an artist is the ultimate obscenity.

♪

With his good‐natured ribbing of the First Family,

Mr. Vaughn Meader.

[ Applause ] [ As John Kennedy ] Well,

I think Senator Goldwater is a fine man.

I think hed make a fine candidate in 64 ‐‐

1864. I dont...

Vaughn Meader had come out with a record called

"The First Family," in which parodied JFK,

but it was still a new thing

to make fun of the president at all.

[ As John Kennedy ] Hes doing my gestures,

and hes using my lines.

"Do not ask what this country can do for you" ‐‐

Thats one of my original lines.

Yeah, I listened to Mr. Meaders record,

but I thought it sounded more like Teddy

than it did me, but... [ Laughter ]

Theres something very charmingly American

about this idea that we really respect

our political figures, but at the same time,

we also kind of like to take them down a peg.

♪

Gerald Ford was like a football player.

Like, hes like a really great athlete.

But in the publics mind,

once Chevy started doing Gerald Ford,

I mean, try getting that toothpaste back in the tube.

[ As Gerald Ford ] I do have two major announcements to make.

Whoop! Uh‐oh!

No problem, no problem, nope.

As a kid, I didnt know anything about President Ford,

I thought, "Oh, hes a clumsy idiot."

[ As Gerald Ford ] No problem.

Franken: Chevys Ford,

there was no attempt to make him look like Ford.

He just played sort of a fatuous stumblebum.

Chevys portrayal may have made a difference.

Man: Will President Ford win again in 76?

[ Normal voice ] I dont think so. Do you?

[ As Jimmy Carter ] My name is Jimmy Carter...

and Im running for president.

"Saturday Night Live," for a lot of its existence,

has defined the comedic take on the president.

[ As Jimmy Carter ] Well, I personally try to be a ‐‐

a lusty, zesty kind of president.

And further ‐‐

Hi, baby, how are you?

[ As Ronald Reagan ] Well, it was nice meeting you.

Come on, Lisa, come on.

Bye‐bye. Lisa: Bye.

Back to work!

Bell: Whoever is doing an impression of the president

on "Saturday Night Live,"

that becomes everybodys impression of the president.

[ As Bill Clinton ] Lobster Boy, I feel your pain.

[ As George W. Bush ] Ah! Man, its cool!

Im going to be president. Thats wicked.

Jenkins: Will Ferrells depiction of George W. Bush,

in my opinion, made him seem cooler,

made him seem a lot more relatable

and, you know, maybe a little silly,

but, you know, warm‐hearted.

[ As George H. W. Bush ] Well, we got to get ready to debate Al Gore.

Polls say youre neck‐and‐neck.

[ As George W. Bush] Im a uniter, not a divider.

Im a uniter, not a divider.

Im a uniter, not a divider.

Snap out of it!

Everybody knew that Bush was sort of challenged

when it came to the English language.

[ As George W. Bush ] "Strategery."

But Darrells Gore said something

that was not helpful to Gore.

[ As Al Gore ] Rather than squander the surplus

on a risky tax cut for the wealthy,

I would put it in what I call a lockbox.

Franken: A sort of slightly superior repetition of "lockbox"

sort of said something to Americans about Gore

that is responsible for the 500 votes in Florida.

[ Cheers and applause ]

I love those hockey moms.

You know, they say the difference

between a hockey mom and a pit bull?

Lipstick. [ Laughter and applause ]

Jenkins: Democrats were petrified of Sarah Palin.

She had a rousing speech at the Republican Convention,

and it took Tina Fey putting on a wig.

She was really the takedown of Sarah Palin.

It was Tiny Fey that took her down.

[ As Sarah Palin ] Oh, are we not doing the talent portion?

[ Flute plays ]

[ As Gwen Ifill ] How will you solve

the financial crisis, being a maverick?

You know, were gonna take

every aspect of the crisis and look at it,

and then were gonna ask ourselves,

"What would a maverick do in this situation?"

Woman: One study just out

showed Sarah Palins favorability rating

dropped a few points after viewers watched

an "SNL" spoof of the governor.

I think that Tina Fey destroyed that womans political career.

Destroyed it.

God bless her.

[ As Bernie Sanders ] Were doomed!

We need a revolution!

Millions of people on the streets!

And we got to do something!

And we got to do it now!

Aw!

[ Normal voice ] After the first debate,

my agent called me on the phone

and I started talking like Bernie.

And he said, "Oh, my God, thats so funny."

He said, "You should make a video, put it on the Internet,

blah, blah, hits," and all this.

I said, "Nah, its not that kind of ‐‐

I dont want to do that."

I said, "You know, its more of an SN‐‐"

Before I even got the "L" out of my mouth,

he ‐‐ he hung up the phone.

[ Chuckles ]

And 10 minutes later, Lorne Michaels called,

so that ‐‐ that was it.

Oh, my God, Mr. Bernie Sanders!

Oh, Im your biggest fan! [ Coughs ]

And Im telling you, Im feeling the Bern.

[ As Bernie Sanders] Eh. That ‐‐ Thats okay.

[ Cheers and applause ]

[ Dramatic music plays ]

Kimmel: Caricatures are fun,

because you dont have to give the backstory.

You can get right to the punch line.

You know what Donald Trump is.

[ As Donald Trump ] Im going to start this debate

in the quietest voice possible.

In the past, I have been big and loud,

but tonight, I am a sweet, little Baby Trump.

I think, when its done well, its just ‐‐

its just funny, its entertaining.

"SNL" is a topical show,

where they deal with what people are looking at.

And in an election cycle, thats what people are looking at.

Just seems to make sense.

[ As Chris Wallace ] Our first question is for you,

and it is about reproductive rights.

Theyre ripping babies out of vaginas!

[ As Hillary Clinton ] Oh, my God!

Trump is fun, cause Trumps just saying rubbish.

And Hillarys a little shifty.

Its not just the person doing a great impersonation,

its got to be a great person to impersonate.

James Andrew Miller: Thats the power of "SNL."

Its been a de facto branding of political candidates.

Has "SNL" ever really changed somebodys vote?

Thats a question that I think about all the time.

Got it!

♪

Man: Good morning.

And we still dont have a winner.

Brennan: Cable news turned politics into sport.

They became so predictable and partisan

that it left this vacuum of like,

"Is anyone going to talk about whats actually going on?"

The president boasted,

at the top of his press conference last night

that we had the support now of Britain and Spain

for our attack on Iraq, because, you know,

when you want to make it perfectly clear to the world

that youre not an imperialist,

the people you want in your corner

are Britain and Spain.

[ Laughter and applause ]

He was before Jon Stewart,

and he was the young, hip, hot, "telling it like it is" guy.

Did you see that press conference?

I dont want to say there was nothing new there,

but at one point, the closed captioning

actually said, "Blah, blah, blah, blah."

Rob Reiner: That is really a political show.

He doesnt even make any bones about the fact

that hes going right into the teeth of it.

Please? Please, Ralph!

Dont run for president. Please, Ralph!

Because youre a great American!

Please! Dont do this to the country!

Dont run! Please!

Bill Maher takes the "Meet the Press,"

"talking heads around a table" format,

and he turns it on its head.

He says the shit that no one else is gonna say,

and he does it in an entertaining way.

Maher: Over the next month, let us know

which of these bloated ticks on Americas hide

needs to be burnt off

with the mighty cigarette of democracy.

Mostly, comedians try to stay in the middle

so they can appeal to both sides,

but Bill is fearless.

I think Colin Powell could be the guy,

if he wanted to, to run against Obama.

Boy, that would make Russias head explode.

Two black... [ Chuckles ]

Maron: Hes got a point of view, Its not a straight line.

Hes not just a straight‐up lefty.

He does criticize both sides.

Sweet Grandma Hillary? [ Chuckles ]

Shed have done fine in 2008,

but this year, the voters are not in the mood

for "Steady as she goes."

Theyre pitchfork angry,

and they dont want Americas Nicest Grandma.

Man: Youve been pretty tough on President Obama, too.

Yeah, I mean, thats my job,

is to hold their feet to the fire,

no matter what party and whos in power.

Hes as loved as he is hated, so hes doing it right.

[ Cheers and applause ]

[ Up‐tempo music plays ]

Jon Stewart changed the face

of late‐night comedy in America,

and he altered the trajectory of political humor.

You wonder sometimes how our government

puts on its pants in the morning.

[ Laughter ]

Black: The value of satire and comedy,

when it regards the government,

is important in the sense of, by finding the funny of ‐‐

of the situation that is happening,

we find the truth.

I was not elected to serve one party.

You were not elected.

[ Laughter ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

Rose: That was a turning point.

The elections?

Not for the country,

for "Comedy Central."

For us, it was a turning point, yeah.

Saddam Hussein has gone to elaborate lengths

to build and keep weapons of mass destruction.

Litt: It was the first George W. Bush term.

The Iraq War was just starting.

There was the sense of everybody

kind of blindly going toward this thing

and nobody really being willing to criticize.

And Jon Stewart, he was willing to call it like he saw it.

Osama bin Laden declared war on America,

and then came the attacks.

How I wish the administration,

at that time, in those years, had done something.

Yes.

Although I think there were other warnings, too,

that came later.

I believe the title was,

"Bin Laden determined to attack inside the United States."

Oh, that was it.

I think that was the one.

I think that was the name of it.

He was really adept at serving it up

to show either hypocrisy, abuse of power,

and it connected for people.

Is tonight the night that they exploit 9/11,

or is tonight

inspired, empty promises for the future?

I love to have a story broken down for me

in a different way.

The news can get really dark, the deeper you go.

Thats why I loved Jon so much.

Thats why I loved "The Daily Show" so much.

Youre doing theater

when you should be doing debate,

which would be great.

What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery.

You have got to be kidding me!

Youre on CNN! The show that leads into me

is "Puppets Making Crank Phone Calls."

What is wrong with you?

Zoglin: All the comedians that came out of Stewarts shop ‐‐

the Larry Wilmores, the John Olivers,

the Samantha Bees ‐‐ theyre saying what they feel,

theyre very passionate, theyre very pointed,

and often very partisan,

and I think they make no bones about it.

[ Cheers and applause ]

On this show, your voice will be heard

in the form of my voice.

[ Laughter ]

Cause youre looking at a straight shooter, America.

I tell it like it is, I calls em like I sees em.

I will speak to you in plain, simple English.

And thats brings us to tonights word ‐‐

"truthiness."

What Colbert did was remarkable,

because he was playing a very arch character

that was obviously based on Fox News personalities.

Caution ‐‐ You are about to enter the "No Spin Zone."

This is all an act.

Colbert: Youre breaking my heart, Bill.

Im sensitive, Im ‐‐ You know, Im a good citizen ‐‐

If youre an act, then what am I?

[ Laughter ] Ooh.

But with this character,

he was improvising everything in real time

from an inverse point of view.

A lot of right wingers thought that Colbert actually

is a Republican and hes just cheeky.

They didnt know that it was a joke.

I mean, come on.

President Bush ‐‐

great president or the greatest president?

He did that classic satire thing.

"Im going to make my points through the other side."

Are you familiar with what we do here?

I am. Okay.

Charles: There are comedians who have the credibility

and have the ability to tap into things

that are happening right this second, you know?

It couldnt be more urgent,

it couldnt be more on peoples minds.

They want somebody to say something about it.

So we turn to them, and were so desperate for it

that it then spills out into the society also.

Do you think its fair to say that the majority of lobbyists

are like, good, average people and moms?

Yes. What?

What are you talking about?

I feel like youre living in a fantasy world.

Do birds dress you every morning?

You can say the things that journalists

literally cant say on camera.

They do have to be professional about it.

I do not have to be professional about it.

I am making a comedy show.

My job is much easier.

Political comedy has become

a part of the mainstream discussion.

[ Cheers and applause ]

♪

[ Classical music plays ]

Ive called you Dick, and Ive called you

Mr. Vice President and Mr. Nixon.

And Im sorry.

I shouldnt be so informal on the air.

What should I ‐‐ What would be proper ‐‐

What should I call you?

Well, Jack, I wouldnt really worry about that.

Ive been called everything, so...

[ Laughter ]

The intersection of politics and comedy,

especially on late night, is a two‐way street.

On the one hand, the audience

and the shows themselves are interested

to get to know politicians,

but I think that theres a pull

for politicians to use that vehicle

as a way of humanizing themselves.

The first job of the candidate is get elected,

and sometimes youll see the most dignified men

do some of the craziest things.

Good evening. Im Chevy Chase, and youre not.

Good evening. Im Gerald Ford, and youre not.

The public likes to feel

that that individual who holds the office,

or that individual whos hoping to achieve the office,

is kind of one of them.

[ Saxophone plays "Heartbreak Hotel" ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

Boyd: When Bill Clinton played the saxophone on "Arsenio,"

he doesnt look like a presidential candidate.

He looks like the guy

that would be a guest on that show.

One of the reasons Clinton was successful was

he had some ability to connect with popular culture.

The big man.

[ Crowd cheers ]

Clinton: Since we have a deficit thats enormous

and that needs to be brought down,

I think we have to raise some more money.

You cant raise money on the middle class,

cause their taxes went up and their incomes went down

in the 80s.

Chupack: Its definitely part of the campaign trail

for a politician to be on late night,

to be on "SNL."

Its just become part of the job.

Are you tired of this campaign at this point?

I know I am.

[ Laughter ]

A lot of what has happened is

were just more familiar with our public figures

in all sorts of ways.

The 44th president of the United States.

Please welcome President Barack Obama.

[ Cheers and applause ]

Litt: President Obama was the first sitting president

to go on a late‐night talk show.

Now its inconceivable that a presidential candidate

wouldnt go on a late‐night talk show.

When is the dog coming? I keep hearing about the dog.

Listen, this is Washington...

[ Laughter ]

...that was a campaign promise.

Oh, wow! Wow! Man!

[ Cheers and applause ]

No, no, no, no, no.

Politics is, and always has been,

a performing art.

And it is ego‐dominated,

it is needy, it is narcissistic.

All the going on shows, this is nothing new.

This is just a form of baby kissing,

loosening your tie, rolling up your sleeves

to show youre a regular guy.

Kimmel: I host a talk show,

and I love having politicians on,

because you can ask them personal questions.

These are things that you dont typically see

when theyre on "60 Minutes" or a show like that.

I know you support states rights

and legalized marijuana.

Youll also said youve smoked it a couple times,

and its not your thing.

What is your thing? Do you have a thing?

Yeah, my thing is my grandchildren.

Your grandchildren, yeah. I have ‐‐

You smoke your grandchildren?!

[ Laughter ]

They want to see that you have a sense of humor about yourself

and that youre human.

Thats all they want to see.

They dont want you to be a master of dialects.

[ Laughs ]

Thats not their idea of the president.

Comedy shows ‐‐ I just dont see the president

going on one of those.

[ Laughter ]

Theyre beneath his dignity.

[ Laughter ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

Litt: When President Obama took office,

the general plan,

if you had a piece of policy you wanted to pass,

an agenda item, was either do

a straight news interview or do a big speech

or some combination of those things.

And those are still valuable, but the difference now

is there are just more tools in the toolbox.

You can create your own content.

You want to reach audiences

where theyre consuming

their information and their news and entertainment.

♪

Sorry I had to cancel a few times. I just...

Jenkins: A president is president

in a completely new media landscape

where you have kids who dont even watch television anymore.

Theyre watching stuff on their mobile devices.

Good to be with you, Zach.

Obamacare was already sort of vilified

by half the country.

We needed a watercooler moment to say, "Yes,

we know the website didnt work,

but it works now."

The president realized that in order to communicate,

you have to do it in the venues where people are.

And with "Between Two Ferns,"

you had a program that, you know,

tens of millions of people watched.

What is it like to be the last black president?

Seriously?

Whats it like for this

to be the last time you ever talk to a president?

It must kind of stink, though,

that you cant run, you know, three times?

No, actually, I think its a good idea.

You know, if I ran a third time,

it would be sort of like doing a third "Hangover" movie.

Didnt really work out very well, did it?

The big thing with it was,

it was actually funny,

and I couldnt believe that I was actually laughing.

How long has you had that? Oh, just four months.

Zach, you ‐‐ you need to get that checked right away.

You need to get on healthcare.gov,

because that ‐‐ thats one of

the most disgusting things Ive ever seen.

Is your plug finally over?

[ Band plays ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

McKay: We need to have separation from these people.

And I think, whenever they come on,

it sort of says like,

"Hey, Im in on the joke, Im okay."

And some of these people arent okay.

Woman: Trump returns to NBC this weekend

to host "Saturday Night Live,"

in spite of growing protests.

When public figures cross certain lines,

they should lose their privileges

to host TV shows.

[ Cheers and applause ]

[ Laughs ]

Yes! Donald Trump, everybody!

Yes, it can humanize people

that some people say shouldnt be humanized.

Of course, always half of the people

say that person shouldnt be humanized.

Aww! Trump can be a total sweetheart

with someone who has no reason to be terrified of him.

[ Laughter ] Huh.

I notice there were no cutaway shots to The Roots.

I wonder why.

Network execs... [ Laughter and applause ]

Yeah.

Litt: Especially now, comedians have more of a responsibility

because they have more power than before.

You can reach people with comedy,

and you know, it all goes back to "Spider‐Man."

Right?

You know, with great power comes great responsibility.

And so I think more and more comedians

are asking themselves, "How do I want to use my comedy

for something beyond just getting a laugh?"

Man: Is there anything to people giving you a hard time

for being too soft on Trump with your questions?

Yeah, um, never.

I mean, have you seen my show?

No, I ‐‐ Im never ‐‐

Im never too hard on anyone, yeah.

♪

Stay tuned to "The 1/2 Hour News Hour,"

coming up next, right here on the Fox News Channel.

And if you dont, well invade your countries,

kill your leaders, and convert you to Christianity.

[ Laughter ]

Bee: Why camp conservatives make a funny comedy show,

I dont know.

I do not know.

Im sure theyre just hilarious in their own way.

Announcer: "The 1/2 Hour News Hour,"

may offend the following: the left; the far left;

in fact, anyone standing to the left...

Whether youre a Tea Party guy

or an Occupy Wall Street guy,

I think that theres opportunities to find humor.

Theres a lot of comedians on the right side of the aisle

that do a really great job at it, as well.

Do you think our Founding Fathers

would have put up with any of this shit?

They were blowing peoples heads off

because they put a tax on their breakfast beverage.

[ Laughter ]

Bell: You can be on the right and just be talking

and not have to identify yourselves as the right.

What is the Blue Collar Comedy Tour,

other than Right‐Wing Comedy Tour?

"We need to do something about the way we live

and we heating up the Earth." Oh, shut up.

"Well, you seen what happened in Washington, D. C. ‐‐

27 inches of snow. Explain that."

All right, February. Hows that?

[ Laughter ]

Entertainers tend to be left‐wing in their politics.

And the reason for that is its a happier message.

They are audience pleasers,

even those who make a point of "upsetting" the audience.

Coulter: As a right‐wing hatemonger,

its fantastic to be at a big Hollywood shindig

with all these glittering celebrities

that isnt a fundraiser for Obama.

Historically, what we would call right‐wing politics

tends to be more about protecting the status quo.

And I think good comedy is about attacking the status quo,

questioning it, challenging it, satirizing it.

[ Light laughter ]

And in just eight years,

Ive given you enough material for 20 years.

Jenkins: The president does this speech every year

at the White House Correspondents dinner.

Historically speaking, this is the most, like,

disgusting display of elites in a room together.

Right?

Its journalists, members of Congress,

cabinet members.

And the president typically does this speech

that makes them all laugh. So its all inside jokes.

And theyre all kind of toasting to their power.

Its kind of the worst of Washington, is this speech.

How about another hand for the president?

[ Laughter ]

You have this mix of reporters

who know all the ins and outs of every political story.

Then you have all these celebrity guests,

and theyre coming in with a totally different sense.

And so figuring out

whats going to appeal to everyone

is definitely tricky.

Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, here with a special edition

of "The Colbert Report," Stephen Colbert.

McKay: I think if you show up

at the press correspondents dinner,

you better go for the throat and you better risk being booed.

And thats what I loved about what Colbert did.

I believe the government that governs best

is the government that governs least.

And by these standards,

we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq.

[ Laughter ]

Ross: Stephen Colbert

at that White House Correspondents dinner,

I watched with deep jealousy.

Here he was, doing subversive, brilliant humor,

not just about, but to, a sitting commander in chief.

Bee: Its not easy to stand up

in front of a roomful of people

who you know youre going to say crazy things about.

Its very difficult.

He delivered it, and it was fantastic

and we all appreciated it.

I certainly did.

This administration is not sinking.

This administration is soaring.

If anything, they are rearranging

the deck chairs on the Hindenburg.

Russell: I watched it at home,

and they cut away to the audience,

and theyre just...

"Huh? What, what?"

Black: They didnt get the joke.

So youre screwed from jump street.

But it was his character.

Thats what the character does.

What ‐‐ Who did you buy?

Thank you very much. Good night.

Kimmel: I dont know if its a good thing

that comedians and politicians get together in that room,

because I think it definitely makes you

pull your punches a little bit.

Ferguson: It was Bushs last one.

I was sitting on the dais

and I was going to open with this joke,

and I got talked out of it by a lot of people.

"Its so great to be here with Bush and Cheney,

and all this, cause this lineup

wont be seen again until the trial."

And ‐‐ And they said, "No, dont do that joke."

And I wish Id done that fucking joke.

I cant tell you how excited I am to be here tonight.

Now, I realize many of you may not share that excitement,

given that you have no idea who I am.

[ Laughter ]

Franken: Thats a very odd night,

because Ive done it a couple times.

You know, thats kind of a tough room.

Even though his poll numbers are at an historic low,

the speaker is writing another book.

Once again, hes taking a $1 advance,

um, not voluntarily.

Thats the most he could get.

Black: Theyre as uptight as a group can be.

You could do whatever you want to open a sphincter ‐‐

all right? ‐‐ and its not gonna happen.

In Washington, there are people who live to be offended.

Comedians dont live to be offended.

They live to offend.

Kimmel: Hosting the White House Correspondents dinner

was the most scared Ive ever been as a performer,

with the exception of my first appearance

on the "Letterman Show."

Mr. President, you remember ‐‐

Remember when the country rallied around you

in hopes of a better tomorrow?

That was hilarious. [ Laughter and applause ]

That was your best one yet.

[ "Hail to the Chief" plays ]

Key: Jordan and I were just like, "This is not fair.

Obama should be able to say what he wants,

but because of the climate of the world

and the racial spectrum

that we live in, in the United States,

he cant, so well do it for him."

I invited Luther, my anger translator,

to join me here tonight. [ Cheers and applause ]

Litt: We knew that this was something

President Obama was really going to enjoy.

He may have felt that he could use an anger translator,

for real, a few times, and now he actually had one.

We count on the press

to shed light on the most important issues of the day.

And we can count on Fox News

to terrify old white people with some nonsense!

[ Laughter ]

Key: It was amazing, it was earth‐shattering.

The best way to describe the feeling is "satisfaction."

The nonstop focus on billionaire donors

creates real problems for our democracy.

And thats why we running for a third term!

No, no, no, were not. W‐Were not?

No. Who the hell said that?!

[ Laughter and applause ]

Donald Trump is here tonight.

[ Cheers and applause ]

Litt: I had just started at the White House,

and I got the final draft.

And it had all this new stuff about Donald Trump

that Judd Apatow and Jon Lovett had written together.

I just remember thinking like, "Whoa,

this is going to be a lot different

than the draft I saw before that."

Obama: Just recently,

in a episode of "Celebrity Apprentice,"

you, Mr. Trump, fired Gary Busey.

[ Laughter and applause ]

And these are the kind of decisions

that would keep me up at night.

[ Laughter and applause ]

Jenkins: You do find the correspondents dinner

where the president goes up to that line

and doesnt cross it.

And you have folks who go to that line

[Chuckling] and absolutely do cross it.

Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president

as a Republican, which is surprising,

since I just assumed he was running as a joke.

[ Laughter ]

Apatow: Comedians can say things that other people cant say.

Theyre allowed to be furious

in a way that politicians are not.

Brennan: At the correspondents dinner that Seth Meyers hosted,

I wrote with him on it.

And I thought that we sort of hobbled Trump,

but it turns out thats his origin story.

It was that night he apparently decided to run for president.

So Im sorry.

I humbly and gratefully accept

your nomination

for the presidency of the United States.

[ Cheers and applause ]

Well, here we are, ladies and gentlemen ‐‐

the end of the election.

Can you believe it?

What a year tonight has been.

[ Laughter ]

Right now ‐‐

I know you guys dont have your phones or anything in here ‐‐

but right now, the election is too close to call

and too terrifying to contemplate.

The huge story is that Trump

has outperformed expectations in early results.

The ‐‐ Nay, this one is a nail‐biter

and a passport‐grabber. [ Laughter ]

Its nice to be able to laugh in the face of something

that you think is really serious.

You can go down a crazy rabbit hole of feelings

about certain issues or people.

You need levity.

Man: 6 more electoral votes for Donald Trump this evening.

228‐209.

Hes now on the doorstep of 270 electoral votes.

Colbert: Wow. Wow.

Thats a horrifying prospect.

I cant put a ‐‐ I cannot put a ‐‐ a ‐‐

I cant put a happy face on that,

and ‐‐ and thats my job.

CNN can report that Hillary Clinton

has called Donald Trump to concede the race.

[ Cheers and applause ]

I dont necessarily think that comedy can change minds,

but I do believe that if youre on a tipping point,

then you can give someone ammunition,

and that ammunition is conversation.

In general, I am hopeful for President Trump,

because hope is always the best possible path to take.

And one thing that makes me hopeful is.

we know from interviews hes given over the years,

that he has, at any given point,

held every position on every issue.

Hes been pro‐choice, pro‐life,

for the Iraq War, against the Iraq War.

Pretty much his only consistent position

has been anti‐Rosie ODonnell.

[ Laughter ]

If it makes people see things through a different lens,

thats great. Its beneficial.

I dont want to say its not beneficial.

But if I thought that that was our main goal,

we would just stop doing jokes and collapse inwardly.

And please dont even think of writing something stupid like,

"What a lucky break a Trump presidency is for comedians.

The jokes just write themselves."

No, no, no, shut up.

Jokes dont write themselves.

Jews write jokes, and they are scared shitless.

[ Laughter and applause ]

The only responsibility is to tell the story correctly,

to get your facts straight,

so that you have that credibility.

The show is not intended to [Sighs] make change.

And you know, its not.

Thats not my intention. Thats not my job.

Our job is to do a comedy show thats interesting.

I think, if a man gets up and says hes going to lead,

you know, the greatest country in the world,

180 million people,

he is subject to analysis and sometimes criticism.

I think thats fair. After all, he has

the compensation of the country to play with,

for between four and eight years.

Alterman: The goal of comedy is to entertain and be funny,

to tap in to commentary about whats going on,

either politicians specifically or media coverage.

Thats where it starts to resonate for people

on a deeper level.

And were angry and were crazy for exactly the same reason,

because the Democrats make us angry

and the Republicans make us crazy.

[ Laughter ]

Or switch it around, if you wish.

[ Laughter ]

Whatever makes you fucking laugh.

Jenkins: You know, the power of comedy,

when it comes to politics, in my opinion,

is just getting people to pay attention.

Young people generally dont care about politics,

so when you get them laughing,

hopefully, youre getting them to the polls,

getting them caring about issues

that they can actually have an impact on.

But, look, you know what?

I do understand that any country that lets me run my mouth

the way I do in public deserves to be saved.

Im trying.

If youre good, you are a truth‐sayer.

And even though youre doing it with humor,

youre going right up to the line,

so its a very, very courageous thing to do.

Comedy and politics ‐‐ were married.

It shows the true spirit of what our democracy is.

You know, were not afraid

to make fun of the people that are in power.

I think thats beautiful.

♪

Man: What are your impressions of the night

that is the White House Correspondents ‐‐

Do you think that Donald Trump

will invite me to be his comedian?

[ Gasping ] Oh! I cant wait to find out.

You go to the Democratic Convention,

you got Sarah Silverman up there being real funny.

And then you go to the Republican one,

and youre getting Chachi.

Is it Chachi? I think it was Chachi.

The transition from comedian to senator

made sense to me.

[ Chuckles ]

Not so much right away

to voters in Minnesota.

I won the first one by 312 votes,

which, thats funny.

[ Laughs ]