Robin Williams sure knows how to "Working on New Material" !! The September Show is a beautifully crafted evolution of the June Show. Great bits with extra ornamentation, and new treats tossed in very generously, including great improv.
I saw his thus titled show in June, prior to the Olympics, and he had wonderful material about the preparations for the event and the power of modern China. Last night, the best of that stuff was entwined with the Aug 08 updates -- and new Olympic bits like doing a pommelhorse routine for us, right there on stage.
The recurring theme of the new micro-technology and conversing through texting was worked in with the beginning of the show. The club guy tells us all to turn off all recording devices and cell phones and such. Then Robie talks about not having recordings all over the place of a work in progress and a messy old white comedian flying all over the internet-- with a flash and a snap and a quick video taping. He talked about how we used to fear the age of Big Brother and now "we've entered the age of the Little Snitch." Loved that !! From the time of Big Brother into the Age of the Little Snitch !!
He did great material on the Palin. Based quite a bit on the dreary accent she has-- the smarmy goodie goodie voice. He used kind of Fargo Minnesota twang for that.
And this time he spun a lot more political humor into his routine and it worked really well. The audience was up for it and thrilled to have him crystallize our thoughts so well. He did pages and pages of the stuff and we were all eating it up and so happy to have him give us some laughs.
He did some Pope material. Spinning from being on a German TV talk show and asked about why did he suppose there was so little comedy in Germany? To which he couldn't help replying that one might suppose it could be that they had killed off all the funny people? And segued over time into the current Pope being sorta kinda having a Nazi background.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Dear Keith let a little scathing out in the long hours at the Dem Con in Denver
Just a couple of times, after being on air for hours already.
When an obviously great comment by a Democratic speaker was then very clumsily panned by one of his colleagues, he did not hide his contempt. When colleagues made obviously partisan snide remarks about the Democrats that seemed like RNC taglines of the day, Keith called a couple out. Parried back.
After hours and hours of coverage in makeshift broadcasting platforms, he seemed to have gotten a bit too tired to be his usually elegantly restrained self. He allowed scathing to emerge a few times. And some quick sharp jabs slipped in there. I really admired the ones I saw. Worn out Keith honestly responding to some idiot's vile yet casual smearing of a great Democrat's speech.
MSNBC may have worried that he would burn out on Day 2 of the RNC convention and be unable to join his colleagues in pretending that Republicans had any standing in an honest discussion about how to manage our country after the disastrous Republican administration of the past 7 years.
I expect that it is stressful to fake it and respectfully discuss RNC talking points when our nation so desperately needs change and not more of the same. Can't pretend to admire the current Republican crop without muscle cramps. So he should take a bit of a vacation. He deserves one. I look forward to watching a refreshed Keith, after the RNC Fake Fest. Wonderful to have him ready for the follow up season. After both conventions, with the vision of both paths presented to the world.
In the meantime, Chris can pretend he's talking about the old McMaverick of the 90's, and toss a few hardball topics the RNC is ready for and discuss their canned responses. OR... He can be among the few voices who make sure to follow up RNC standard bullet point comments with some solid questions.
Matthews could highlight the sad fact he and John Kerry know very well-- their old friend Senator McCain has changed into Candidate McCain who opposes many of the policies Senator McCain himself introduced. Their friend the maverick supported things the Candidate John Sidney McCain III has opposed. And yes, we do have a reel of clips ready, sir.
Matthews could do a great service, as Kerry has been, in helping those who liked the original version realize that guy is long gone. He gave up his own VP choice to go with Dobson's. That's a whole different guy. Your old friend would not have voted with Bush 90% of the time, My Friends. Would not have such a poor voting record on veterans' issues. The original resisted the further merging of church and state. He's gone, My Friends. ETC ETC.
When an obviously great comment by a Democratic speaker was then very clumsily panned by one of his colleagues, he did not hide his contempt. When colleagues made obviously partisan snide remarks about the Democrats that seemed like RNC taglines of the day, Keith called a couple out. Parried back.
After hours and hours of coverage in makeshift broadcasting platforms, he seemed to have gotten a bit too tired to be his usually elegantly restrained self. He allowed scathing to emerge a few times. And some quick sharp jabs slipped in there. I really admired the ones I saw. Worn out Keith honestly responding to some idiot's vile yet casual smearing of a great Democrat's speech.
MSNBC may have worried that he would burn out on Day 2 of the RNC convention and be unable to join his colleagues in pretending that Republicans had any standing in an honest discussion about how to manage our country after the disastrous Republican administration of the past 7 years.
I expect that it is stressful to fake it and respectfully discuss RNC talking points when our nation so desperately needs change and not more of the same. Can't pretend to admire the current Republican crop without muscle cramps. So he should take a bit of a vacation. He deserves one. I look forward to watching a refreshed Keith, after the RNC Fake Fest. Wonderful to have him ready for the follow up season. After both conventions, with the vision of both paths presented to the world.
In the meantime, Chris can pretend he's talking about the old McMaverick of the 90's, and toss a few hardball topics the RNC is ready for and discuss their canned responses. OR... He can be among the few voices who make sure to follow up RNC standard bullet point comments with some solid questions.
Matthews could highlight the sad fact he and John Kerry know very well-- their old friend Senator McCain has changed into Candidate McCain who opposes many of the policies Senator McCain himself introduced. Their friend the maverick supported things the Candidate John Sidney McCain III has opposed. And yes, we do have a reel of clips ready, sir.
Matthews could do a great service, as Kerry has been, in helping those who liked the original version realize that guy is long gone. He gave up his own VP choice to go with Dobson's. That's a whole different guy. Your old friend would not have voted with Bush 90% of the time, My Friends. Would not have such a poor voting record on veterans' issues. The original resisted the further merging of church and state. He's gone, My Friends. ETC ETC.
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