On last night’s 60 Minutes, former Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien made his triumphant return to television with his first interview since being unceremoniously banned from being funny on TV by NBC. What follows is further proof as to why Conan is just a really funny and likeable dude and why NBC and Leno are a pair of used up clown shoes. Dirty old dishonorable unfunny clown shoes. Complete interview below.
Oh and also…during the celebrity laden White House Correspondents’ Dinner last Friday, President Obama kicked off the evening of levity by ripping Jay Leno like a piece of fart tissue paper-all too easily. Leno’s fake laughter ensues.
With Jeffrey Deitch moving to Los Angeles to become the new director of the MOCA effective June 1st, the ubiquitous Shepard Fairey has been tapped to close out New York’s famed Deitch Projects with his latest show titled, May Day.
But these days you can find Shepard hitting the streets of New York, and hitting them hard as seen in his piece on the infamous Houston and Bowery Street corner (via the always amazing Arrested Motion). If you’re in the New York area it’s a must that you check out Shepard whether it be at the last Deitch show (which is history in itself) or inevitably on the streets (where his own rich history was created).
Shepard Fairey-May Day
Opening reception: Saturday, May 1st, 6-9pm
Deitch Projects
18 Wooster St. New York, NY 10013
Show runs from May 1 through May 29, 2010
Chalk one up for the people as 32 million Americans now have their backs covered. Yesterday’s historically huge health care reform victory for President Obama and (most) Democrats marks the first time in our country’s history that all Americans will have health insurance guaranteed. And although the bill provides almost universal health care, it was as polarizing as anything in politics as not one Republican voted “yea”. The bill was passed with a close vote of 219-212.
Barring a final vote and additional intense debate on provisions to the bill over the next week and beyond, “the 10-year, $938 billion bill would extend coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans, reduce deficits and ban insurance company practices such as charging more to women and denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.” (from the AP)
The following is a selection of what Americans can immediately expect following the passing of the bill, (read the full list on CNN.com):
Eliminating caps: If you buy a policy, a health care company will not be able to place a lifetime — or annual — cap on how much they will cover. This is will be especially important for those diagnosed with serious illnesses, such as cancer, who face steep medical bills.
Pre-existing conditions: The Senate bill includes $5 billion in immediate support to provide temporary coverage to uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions. The money would help you until the new health care exchanges in the Senate bill are put into effect in 2014.
Dependent children and pre-existing conditions: Your children will be covered until the age of 26 and there will be no exclusion of children with pre-existing conditions.
President Barack Obama sure could use some help these days, but certainly not from these ex-Presidents. In the name of informing us about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and why it’s important, Funny or Die presents a Presidential Reunion starring the all-star cast of Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, Chevy Chase, Fred Armisen, Dana Carvey, Darrell Hammond, Dan Akroyd and Maya Rudolph directed by Ron Howard.
It seems as though Jon Stewart and the writers of The Daily Show are feeling quite generous this holiday season as they neatly wrapped our nation’s health care woes in a four minute gift of comedy filled with irrational protesters, appropriate film clips and of course our favorite senator who doesn’t like the idea of helping people in need, Joe Lieberman.
Holiday bonus: The last tea party protest of the decade stocking stuffer complete with typical crazy Fox News person!
If you went to the movies this past weekend, odds are you saw a little film called “Star Trek”. What you may not have noticed is an even smaller Spanish language film in theaters called Rudo y Cursi which reunites Y tu Mamá También co-stars Gael García Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel) and Diego Luna (Mister Lonely, Milk). Directed by Carlos Cuarón, who also co-wrote Y tu Mamá También with his brother/director Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men), Rudo y Cursi follows the divergent paths of two bickering brothers as they rise from poverty to become the biggest soccer stars in Mexico City. Comedy and drama ensues.
I was fortunate enough to catch an advanced screening of the charming indie at last week’s Flux/Nike screening at the Montalbán and I have yet been able to get Gael García Bernal’s hilariously cheap rendition of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” out of my head. I highly recommend checking out the film, but since you probably won’t see it ’til it’s on DVD here’s the clip of Bernal’s character Tato “El Cursi” Verduzco performing “Quiero Que Me Quieras”:
The trailer for Rudo y Cursi:
And just because I mentioned the new Star Trek earlier, here’s President Barock:
It’s now been one full week with Barack H. Obama as the President of the United States, and yet for some (Fox News-what a surprise) the reality has yet to completely sink in. In the case that you’re still unaware of who our current President is or are just plain curious to see exactly how long President Obama has been our Commander in Chief, click the image below for our President’s current running time on IsObamaPresident.com.
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