Growing Up Laughing_ My Story and the Story of Funny - Marlo Thomas [104]
Jon: Yeah, that was shocking. Back then, the image of family was Ozzie and Harriet, then your dad comes along and shows the real face of America. The immigrant face.
Marlo: Well, he had a good agent. But let’s get back to you. You’re not only funny, but you’re incredibly ballsy. You went on CNN’s Crossfire and told off the hosts.
Jon: I think that was more hypoglycemia than anything else. I’ve got to eat more before I go on these things.
Marlo: But what’s interesting is, you weren’t trying to be funny. You actually reprimanded the hosts for being partisan hacks masquerading as genuine news analysts. If you weren’t a fan of the show, why did you go on in the first place?
Jon: We had a book [America: The Book] to promote, so it was one of those odd dares, where we thought, “Wouldn’t it be kind of interesting to promote the book on the sort of show that reflected what we were writing about?” Like if Charlie Chaplin had opened his movie on Hitler at the Reichstag, you know? Like, “Hey, man why don’t we slip it right into the belly, and see what happens?”
Marlo: But things got heated very quickly.
Jon: Well, they began coming after me for not having enough ethics as a journalist. And my feeling was You know what? I have a job. Why do I have to do yours?
Marlo: Then one of the hosts criticized you for asking politicians softball questions. You said, “You’re on CNN! The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls. What is wrong with you?”
Jon: Well, I couldn’t believe they were suggesting that, by not holding politicians’ feet to the fire, I was somehow as guilty as they were. You can judge my show on many things. You can say it’s not funny, you can say it’s not interesting. But to say it lacks journalistic standards? Yeah, well, guess what . . .
Marlo: Speaking of political analysts, tell me the one difference between you and MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews. You rag on him a lot.
Jon: Well, obviously there’s the reach difference. His jab could probably keep me at bay. But, you know, I really don’t know him well enough, so I’d be hard-pressed . . .
Marlo: Come on.
Jon: Okay, put it this way: When I talk, typically the oxygen masks don’t drop from the ceiling, and people aren’t warned to put them over their child’s face first.
Marlo: [Laughing] That’s what I was looking for.
Jon: That’s what I figured.
Marlo: I’m cheap, you know. I’m a comic’s kid.
Jon: I hear you.
Marlo: Your former Daily Show colleague Stephen Colbert became a star himself. What do you think you could teach Stephen about the art of comedy—and before you answer, you should know that I asked him the same thing about you.
Jon: I’m going to go with . . . nothing.
Marlo: Really?
Jon: That man is doing something that has never been seen on television before. He’s literally rendering this character in real time as he goes along. It truly is one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen. And, you know, as good a performer as Stephen is, he’s an even better producer. I have nothing but admiration for him.
Marlo: I’ll let him know you said that. Tell me about your kids. Are either of them starting to show signs of being funny?
Jon: My little girl is almost three, and she’s a real performer—singing songs from Sleeping Beauty, dancing and spinning, putting on shows. She’s already memorized her patter. She came to the studio the other day, sat in my chair and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please turn off your cell phones and welcome to the show!” She sat for a minute longer, then looked up at me and said, “Uh . . . I don’t have any jokes.”
Marlo: How great! Well, at least she knows the game.
Jon: Right. I thought that comment was very prescient from someone who’s not even three, because I’ve certainly had that feeling behind that desk.
Marlo: What I find interesting is that you’re doing satire on television. When I was growing up, people in the business were condescending about satire. The old adage was: Satire is what closes on Saturday night.
Jon: