Rick Kaplan, CBS Evening News Producer, Called Out During Will Ferrell HBO Special (VIDEO)

Rick Kaplan, executive producer of "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" and the former head of CNN and MSNBC, was called on in the audience participation segment of Will Ferrell's HBO special, "Youre Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush." Ferrell, playing former President Bush, accepted audience volunteers to be anointed with Bush-style nicknames, asking each volunteer for his or her first name and occupation.

Kaplan, seated in a box and wearing his trademark sweater vest, was called on first. He identified himself as Rick the journalist.

Ferrell (as Bush) then asked, "Who's the guy from the Washington Post, did the book on me?"

Rick couldn't come up with Bob Woodward's name.

Ferrell's reply: "Are you really a journalist? I'm going to call you The Liar."

Kaplan told Huffington Post he was having a "senior moment."

WATCH:

Comments

[teddybobby]

04:27 PM on 03/18/2009

If you look up EGO in a dictionary, there's a picture of Rick Kaplan.

[Owltree]

01:19 PM on 03/18/2009

I watched it Saturday evening and was pleasantly surprised. Parts were not all *that* funny, but some were hilarious. I laughed so hard during the segment regarding the monkies my sides were hurting.
The description of Cheney in the WH basement was pretty much on the money.
Don't worry; for anyone who has not seen it and plans to, I won't give anything away.

[jerrypl]

08:46 AM on 03/18/2009

I have forgot the names of people I know when met on the street, especially when not expected and with someone who needs to be introduced!!!! YIKES.

But Farrell is great!! He does such a great job to show Bush as the fool, the clever, and the idiot.

http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com

[DLSteinhardt]

08:12 AM on 03/18/2009

It was an embarrassment on Broadway. Will Ferrell so self-indulgent he had audiences pay premium prices to squirm while he honed his act.

Comics used to use clubs for this. Instead, Ferrell had audiences walking out on his vulgar show every night while he pieced together the best bits for HBO.

What a ripoff!

[InstantDogma]

03:44 PM on 03/18/2009

Another satisfied customer.

[cinesimon]

06:13 PM on 03/18/2009

Audiences enjoyed it.
Get over yourself.

[just4shiggles]

01:08 AM on 03/18/2009

Darn! I missed it! I hope that they will show it again so that I can catch it. We need all of the humor that we can get to get over that horrible presidency! Bush is so much more likable when in the form of a harmless comedy. That's my Bush was such a cute comedy and it appeared to me that they only took it off of the air when they did a show making fun of Barbara Bush. I think that if they had let that show go on it may have actually helped make him less hate-able.

[slarabee]

10:05 PM on 03/17/2009

My wife and watched the show on HBO Friday night. All I can say as I was very surprised with the brilliance of the show. I recommend everyone watch it.

[Acidicscold]

09:58 PM on 03/17/2009

I loved the pic of Bush's __ that Ferrell showed four times. That says it all. Small, no stones, limp.

[OneLiberalLady]

09:43 PM on 03/17/2009

I meant to say: 3000 miles away. 300 would've been doable!

[OneLiberalLady]

09:42 PM on 03/17/2009

I felt so privileged to see Ferrell's hilarious show on HBO. I had wanted to see it on Broadway - but that's 300 miles away. I remember the "journalist" and I thought: Oh sure, you're a journalist. Too funny!

[LeeCalif]

09:14 PM on 03/17/2009

FANTASTIC !!!

I wish I could see it.

Will Ferrell is JUST the best.

[kasinca]

09:31 PM on 03/17/2009

It was on HBO tonight. Check your listings and DVR it.

[citadelgrrl05]

09:01 PM on 03/17/2009

I love Will Ferrell, That junk was so so funny my hubbie and I laughed our assests off!!!

[Jermainia]

08:25 PM on 03/17/2009

Guess I had turned off the special by that time. It sucked, like all SNL sketches that go on too long.

[TrooAmerican]

08:23 PM on 03/17/2009

yeah, he got put on the spot, and he pry was trying to think of something funny to say.

[IntelligenceQuantifier]

11:06 AM on 03/18/2009

Wow, when did "pry" become an abbreviation for "probably"?

[Tamoshanter]

06:02 PM on 03/17/2009

I agree. Under pressure, people forget obvious stuff sometimes.

[lostinNJ1]

06:17 PM on 03/17/2009

So true.

[Bitsko]

06:02 PM on 03/17/2009

The world is going to heck in a handbasket. Who cares?

[kasinca]

09:32 PM on 03/17/2009

Concentrate on what you can do something about. Leave the rest to the people who are responsible for taking care of it. You will live longer.

[slarabee]

10:07 PM on 03/17/2009

Wah wah wah.