PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: A CLOSER LOOK: AN EVENING WITH SETH MEYERS {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York. This evening celebrates "Late Night with Seth Meyers," the comedy/variety talk show hosted by Seth Meyers. Host Ron Simon (television curator, The Paley Center for Media/New York) offers opening remarks and introduces a brief clip package of scenes from "Late Night," after which he introduces moderator John Mulaney (comedy writer/performer and Meyers' former "SNL" employee).
The conversation touches on such topics as: the possible voting accident that led to Meyers' and Mulaney's shared Emmy win for their monologue song written for "Saturday Night Live" host Justin Timberlake; his "quieter" show addressing the recent nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida; Meyers' role as host of the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, at which he antagonized 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump with his jokes; Trump's repeated ripostes at "marble-mouthed" Meyers; the "terrible" ballroom, complete with awkward podium, at which the dinner is held; his "really sudden" transition from "Saturday Night Live" to "Late Night" in 2014; early problems with "Late Night," including poor format ideas and an aesthetically unpleasing set; his interest in hiring a wide-ranging group of funny people; explanation of "fake pitches" at "SNL" on Monday mornings; how his writing staff operates and comes up with ten to fifteen jokes per show; the "A Closer Look" segment, which follows the monologue and focuses on a specific issue; Meyers' upcoming commencement speech at his alma mater, Northwestern University, and the challenges of writing a thoughtful original work; how Meyers and Mulaney are expected to always perform jokes, even at serious events, including a dinner for The Innocence Project; the surprisingly strong public reaction to Meyers' decision to perform his opening monologues from behind his desk; embracing different political points of view despite his own liberal stance; his "lovely" conversations with Republican politicians Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz; his enjoyment of the episode featuring Jerry Seinfeld and David Remnick's respectful debate; his interest in bringing authors onto the show to honestly describe their process; "Game of Thrones" scribe George R.R. Martin's recent candid comments about his slow writing habits; his belief in a "clean slate" after an unsuccessful show; his surprise at the audience's strong responses to certain segments, including a piece on Planned Parenthood; comparisons between the "Late Night" and "SNL" audiences, including the impact of "SNL's" prestige and very strict time slot; Senator Bernie Sanders' two appearances on the show within one election cycle; the need to quickly understand a guest's joke style, including Joan Rivers' rapid-fire cracks about her life; Mulaney's recent appearance on the show alongside Nick Kroll as their elderly characters from their "Oh Hello" sketch; Meyers' enjoyment of interviewing silly characters and being "patient with lunatics"; their similar internships at Comedy Central; and Meyers' past as a "terrible" student and initial dreams of being a film director before turning to improv comedy.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: the network's support of the show, contrasted with unfavorable comments from conservative viewers on Twitter; creating a distinctive point of view to contrast with "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," which immediately precedes "Late Night"; nerve-wracking interviews with Bill Clinton and Mickey Rourke; a "rollicking twenty minutes" with Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz; how the show's team of researchers crafts a "blueprint" of interview questions; the "scary" experience of conducting spontaneous outdoor interviews; the bittersweet feeling of watching "SNL" after their departures from the show; Meyers' on-the-job comedy training at the ImprovOlympic (now called the iO Theater) in Chicago and on "SNL"; Meyers' and Mulaney's funny shared habit of conducting mental arguments with famously strict "SNL" boss Lorne Michaels, even after leaving the show; and Meyers' process for adding unique messages and jokes to news stories for the "Closer Look" segment.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 126088
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host
- John Mulaney … Moderator
- Seth Meyers … Guest
- Bill Clinton
- Ted Cruz
- Adam Horovitz
- Nick Kroll
- George R.R. Martin
- Lorne Michaels
- Sarah Palin
- David Remnick
- Joan Rivers
- Mickey Rourke
- Bernie Sanders
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Justin Timberlake
- Donald Trump