The Sochi Olympics have done little to improve the uneasy feelings many Americans have felt towards Russia since the Cold War. But as Jason Jones of "The Daily Show" discovered during a recent visit to Moscow, there's a certain nostalgia that comes with our countries' shared history, and he intended on reclaiming that -- even if it meant having an unexpected tangle with Mikhail Gorbachev.
"It turned out this place looks a lot like America, just with a f***ed up alphabet," Jones declared, as he walked around the streets and saw establishments like Shake Shack and Dunkin' Donuts. Russian citizens on the street balked at his outdated comparisons of their people to Russian stereotypes like Boris and Natasha, and Ivan Drago from "Rocky IV."
He sat down with Vyacheslav Nikonov, a Russian official who happened to be the grandson of Stalin's right-hand man. Jones and Nikonov bickered back and forth about who was really responsible for al-Qaeda, as well as who could claim credit for ending the Cold War.
When Nikonov insisted that it was Mikhail Gorbachev, not Ronald Reagan, Jones decided to pay a visit to Gorbachev himself. Needless to say, the former Soviet Union president was confused and irked that Jones was able to get face time with him.
"Who asked for this meeting?" Gorbachev demanded. "If you bring cameras in here again, I will put you against the wall."
Jones, feeling nostalgic about the American/Russian rivalry of the Cold War era, then took a cue from Reagan: "Mr. Gorbachev, can you put back that wall?" This was his response:
Something tells us "The Daily Show" may not be welcome back in Moscow anytime soon.
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