Craig Ferguson on The Huffington Post

Greta Van Susteren Jokes Lay-Overs, Talks Murdoch On "Craig Ferguson" (VIDEO)

2009-12-17T12:24:19Z

Greta Van Susteren appeared on the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" Wednesday night, where she joked about getting "laid-over" in St. Louis and admitted that she's only met Rupert Murdoch one time.

Van Susteren told Ferguson that she raided his green room for toiletries — and didn't know whether her shirt was black or blue — due to her hectic travel schedule and a bad packing job, which prompted the two to talk travel.

"You ever been to St. Louis?" Ferguson asked.

"Yeah, of course, I've been laid-over in St. Louis," Van Susteren said, to Ferguson's amusement.

"You've been laid-over in St. Louis six times?" he asked. "Why, Greta, you surprise me!"

Van Susteren would later say she's only met News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch once in her eight years at Fox News.

"I met Ted Turner a couple times when I worked [at CNN], but I've only met Rupert Murdoch once," Van Susteren said.

Ferguson asked if Murdoch was like "The Simpsons" character Mr. Burns.

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Craig Ferguson's 1000th Episode: Kristen Bell, Jason Segel, Puppets, And 3 Musical Numbers! (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

2009-12-16T10:30:09Z

Craig Ferguson celebrated his 1000th show last night and pulled out all the weirdest stops. Ferguson took over the "Late Late Show" from Craig Kilborn in 2005, and since then has introduced puppets, karaoke dance numbers, Aquaman, and much more to late night. He did them all justice in a huge tribute last night that included three musical numbers (all available below), huge stars, and many many many puppets.

In fact, Fegruson hosted the ENTIRE show as his alligator/crocodile alter-ego, Wavy--a stunt which some may have expected to end after the monologue....but no. He interviewed Jason Schwartzman, Maria Bello, and Kristen Bell as the plush hand-puppet. The last interview got scary at one point when Wavy asked Kristen what she wanted in a man. She said someone with no murder in their background (too bad for Wavy), someone with a very nice smile, and someone bigger than a puppet who wouldn't require a baby blanket. Wavy's response? "Bitch, I will eat you!"

The show opened with a dance number (obviously) with Chris in his usual S&M gear and three sexy ladies swinging their hips. Jason Segel performed the second musical number, "Dracula's Lament," from his film "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and the whole team (all the puppets and human regulars) joined together for the farewell number. The last musical number was the only point at which Craig appeared as a human during the entire episode, he was dressed as Prince Charles.

For those of you who can't watch video at work, or who just like pictures, we've also made a slideshow of the episode's best moments (scroll to the bottom to see!)

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The Dirtiest Craig Ferguson Sketch Of All Time? (VIDEO)

2009-12-03T09:44:02Z

Kristen Bell and Paul Shaffer opened Craig Ferguson's show last night revealing some interesting truths about bagpipes. Turns out they turn Craig on...intensely. "When Craig hears bagpipes he gets unbelievable aroused...I don't know if it's the Scottish thing or what, but the minute he hears bagpipes it's like BAM, the kilt comes up and there's love haggis everywhere," Bell warned. It was exactly as dirty as you'd expect until Bell gave Shaffer her final warning, which had us contorting with disgust.

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Catie Lazarus: Top 10 Reasons This Woman Can't Write for Late Night Comedy Shows

2009-11-12T20:07:00Z

In the New York Times, Bill Carter writes ,"very few women make it inside the writing rooms for late-night television hosts, despite that women make up a larger proportion of their audience than men. There are no female writers on the new “The Jay Leno Show,” none on “Late Show with David Letterman,” none on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”"

Based on his article and Nell Scovell's personal account in Vanity Fair, I have come to understand why the odds are stacked against my wedging my paw in the door. I still have hope (also known as delusion).

The Top 10 Reasons This Woman Can't Write for Late Night Comedy Variety Shows

10) I will be overcome by desire for my male comedy writing peers
and superiors, who are known for their off-white, pasty skin and muscle tonus
minimus, akin to albino, soft shell turtles.

9) My lady sensibility is limited to menstruation
(hilarious), babies (adorable), and unicorns mating
(adorably hilarious).

8) Due to my genetic make-up, I am physically incapable to
handle the job, considering the heavy manual labor required in touch typing.

7) The number one rule of comedy is fitting in and I sometimes buck the uniform of orthopedic New Balance sneakers,
hoodies, jeans, and t-shirts, with ironic catchphrases like, "Pro-Cashmere. Pro-Cotton.
Pro-Choice."

6) The only requests I get as
a female comedy writer are to discuss sexism in comedy, instead of political satire about how Sarah Palin is so sick she
gives swine flu or scripts like Crones:
The Musical! or commercials, maybe, Femedy: A bubble gum
birth control for tweens who don't want to ovulate. Period.

5) Late-night comedy requires a male point-of-view, and girls,
even ones closer to menopause than teething, can only express themselves in
glittery pink (which, fyi, typing in does
not fund cancer research).

4) As a lady, I automatically cost less, and in a business where money talks, how will I be taken seriously? I mean funnily.

3) I didn't graduate from Harvard so I lack the cultural capital to craft the erudite, intellectual fodder
typical of late-night comedies, like the masturbating bear or gift
wrapped genitalia.

2) Hollywood would have to make major changes to catch up with
medicine, law, even engineering, in its hiring practices, and we all know how open television is to change. It only took 30 years (and millions of dollars) before CNN let Native
American Lou Dobbs quit. (I mean, leave to spend time with his family.)

1) I'd have to be funny and learn
how to play Dungeons and Dragons.

Craig Ferguson: Cheney Ogled My Wife's Breasts

2009-10-29T15:33:39Z

Late-night comic Craig Ferguson had to hold his tongue about the Bush administration during his performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2008.

In his new memoir, American On Purpose, Ferguson reveals how surreal that night was for him, from bonding with Bush over their struggles with alcoholism to catching Cheney ogling the breasts of Ferguson's wife.

On meeting the Cheneys, Ferguson recounts that his wife discussed art with Mrs. Cheney, who proudly described the Picasso sketches she owned. When Megan [Ferguson's wife] asked Cheney where she hung the artwork, Cheney's response stunned them:

"Oh we don't," replied Mrs. C. They're nudes, and we have grandchildren. We don't want them to see them when they come over."

"But they're Picassos," protested Megan.

"But they're nudes," smiled Mrs. Cheney dangerously.

I put a hand on Megan's elbow. I didn't want trouble. You don't want to be on the Cheney shit list... Once they were gone, I told Megan that Dick Cheney had been ogling her breasts.

When Ferguson met the president, Bush was standing on his own in the corner:

He smiled that big goofy smile of his and walked over, a moment in my life so surreal it's matched only by the time I was pursued by what I imagined to be killer ducks during a bad acid trip...

For months before the event, I had fantasized about what I would say to the president if I did have a private conversation with him. Would I take him to task for everything he had done that I so profoundly disagreed with, berate him for his foreign policy, his strategy in the Middle East, his disregard for the Kyoto Protocol and the Geneva Conventions?... I was unable to resist the opportunity to voice my dissent, and throwing caution to the wind, I charged him with a biting... "Hello, sir, nice to meet you"...

He disarmed and surprised me because he wasn't what I expected. I'd watched way too much MSNBC and was prepared to meet a drooling moron...

We had been talking about Scotland; he had visited for a while when he was younger and expressed a sort of puzzled awe at the amount of drinking that was done there, hinting that he had taken part in a fairly major way. We talked a little about the dangers of booze.

Here is Ferguson's performance at the dinner:

Craig Ferguson & Crew Open Show With 'In The Navy' Rendition (VIDEO)

2009-10-28T09:46:18Z

It's no secret how much we love Craig Ferguson's dance numbers. From "Wonderful Night" to "MMMBop," we post them all which is why we were so excited to see Craig open his show last night with "In The Navy"--a song that has come to represent bar mitzvah dances and gay icons. Of course, Craig took the theme to the next level and dressed as a pirate, perhaps to celebrate the impending holiday.

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Ferguson Tapes Show By Flashlight During Power Outage (VIDEO)

2009-10-28T09:35:19Z

(AP) LOS ANGELES — "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson had to finish taping his program by flashlight on Tuesday after high winds knocked out power at CBS Television City in central Los Angeles.

Show publicist Katie Barker says lights started dimming and then suddenly went black about 5:45 p.m. as Ferguson was interviewing actress Alicia Silverstone, leaving both in the dark as to what was going on.

Producers decided to keep the blackout as part of the show and handed Ferguson a flashlight.

With wind gusts reaching up to 70 mph, scattered power outages have been reported around the greater Los Angeles region.

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Beverly Wettenstein: No Women Featured in NY Comedy Festival! No Joke!

2009-10-11T13:38:57Z

We're With The Banned: Cracking The Crass Ceiling

The New York Comedy Festival ad features ten men and no women.

Broadly speaking, comedy is, obviously, still a male-dominated bastion within the entertainment business. The Primetime Emmy Awards showed that women writers on a comedy or variety series are a rare and endangered species. Only seven of the 81 writers were women. There are no women writers on Leno (of 19), Letterman (of 14), and O'Brien (of 16). Colbert has two women of 14 writers. The Daily Show has one of 16. Samantha Bee is a busy worker bee and a "correspondent." "Saturday Night Live" has five women of 22 writers.

LOL: Larry Summers School for the Advancement of Women

Historically, some men have difficulty accepting women comedians. The Larry Summers School for the Advancement of Women should hire Tom Shales, Christopher Hitchens and Jerry Lewis, to teach "Why Women Aren't Funny." The three wise men opined as much in the Washington Post, Vanity Fair and at the Aspen Comedy Festival, respectively.

Shales, Washington Post TV critic, wrote that ex-SNL "Michaela Watkins may have been just too classically pretty to be hilarious." Lewis told the Aspen audience in 2000, "I don't like any female comedians" and couldn't think of one who was good. He only viewed women as baby-making machines.

SNL announced two new women for the 35th season to much press attention: Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad. Just hours later it was reported that Casey Wilson and Michaela Watkins were gone. Does SNL have a female quota? Is their comedy calculus: addition = attrition? The two new women are "featured performers," rather than full repertory players.

Kristin Wiig was SNL's MVP Iron Man last season, earning the most screen time of any cast member, with 124 sketch appearances. She is currently the only official woman cast member.
Plus, she has seven feature films in development. And she is beautiful. Please explain, Mr. Shales.

Having joined as a staff writer in 1997, Tina Fey's term as SNL's first woman head writer (1999-2006), coincided with the most women cast members in regular performing roles in its history: Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Rachel Dratch. Much to her credit, Fey teamed with Poehler, to create the groundbreaking "Weekend Update" all-women anchor team in 2004. The dynamic duo proved they were not "Mean Girls" and sparked no cat-fight messages in the media. When Fey started on "Update," there hadn't been a woman anchor since Jane Curtin in the late 1970s and she was not afraid to promote her BFF Poehler. In fact, the two newest women are troupers from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, co-founded by Poehler.

Kudos to Fey and Poehler for empowering women, following decades of male-dominated sketch comedy. Fey and Poehler know that women succeed when they are responsible for their own material. They play comedic roles, perform standup and write and direct films and TV shows. Fey's "30 Rock" was nominated for a record 22 Emmy awards. She was named the AP Entertainer of the Year in 2008 for the greatest impact on culture and entertainment. Poehler is the lead star on "Parks & Recreation."

Timing is everything in comedy and in life. SNL mirrors the advances of women in society. In 2002 Ana Gasteyer was their first on-air pregnancy. The TV management "suits" have matured since the 1950's when the word "pregnant" was forbidden and Lucille Ball was asked to hide behind furniture, which she refused to do. The fact that nine-months pregnant Poehler posed as Hillary Clinton was a non-issue. Her absence and baby's birth were announced on "Update."

Now that SNL has accepted the pregnant pause, perhaps they may consider hiring a Black woman to play Michelle Obama and other women newsmakers and celebrities? Do they think it adds to the levity to dress men in drag or is there a women shortage? I don't communicate with Eleanor Roosevelt very often. But I do think of her and her personal equal opportunity employment act when I see a man playing a woman on SNL. Upon learning that women reporters were not admitted to the National Press Club where newsmakers spoke, Roosevelt held regular news conferences exclusively for women reporters and photographers, thus creating jobs for women. You go, girl!

Actually, in the first season in 1975, the original SNL cast was equal with three women (Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner) and three men (John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Garrett Morris) and Chevy Chase was promoted to "Update" anchor from writer. By 1993, the ratio was three women to eight men. Janeane Garafalo quit halfway through the '94-'95 season because of the male writers who "didn't write for women."

Chicago's Second City improv-sketch troupe, an SNL talent feeder incubator, only allowed two women on a six-person improv team into the '90s. Fey and Poehler are alumnae.

This is Wanda Sykes' banner year. Her HBO special just aired and "The Wanda Sykes Show" will debut in November, at 11 PM, against SNL. Sykes was the featured entertainer this year at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. This annual event honoring the president is a prestigious gig with the nation's dignitaries.

Traditionally, even though women were fully-accredited White House reporters and members of the association, they were barred from attending the dinner. Prompted by Helen Thomas, for the first time in 50 years, women were finally admitted in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy agreed not to attend unless the women did. Thomas was inducted as the first woman WHCA president in 1975.

The old boys club network is alive and, well, begrudgingly coming into the 21st century at The Friars, the premiere club for professional comedians and entertainers. Founded in 1904, Liza Minnelli was admitted as the first official woman member in 1988. This followed the Supreme Court upholding a New York City statute that barred discrimination at large private clubs. Previously, women couldn't join or enter the Townhouse before 4 PM to attend the notorious stag roasts.

Sally Jessy Raphael was the first officer (Prior) in 1999. Previously, women were honored but could not join. Sophie Tucker was the first woman roasted, in 1953; followed by Martha Raye, 1954 and Lucille Ball, 1961.

Joy Behar was the first woman Roastmaster, at a tribute for Danny Aiello in 1997. Rita Rudner was the first woman performer at a Roast for Chevy Chase in 1980. Phyllis Diller, dressed as a man in a suit, wig and mustache, attended the 1983 Sid Caesar Roast, because women were not allowed. She was outed at the end of the event and honored at her own roast in 1985. Diller was the first woman inducted into the California Friars Wall of Fame in 2001. Last year, at the behest of Behar, the Friars named one of its chambers for a woman, Lucille Ball. Currently, women comprise 20 percent of the Friars membership.

Women need to showcase their talent to survive and succeed in the comedy business. Barbara Walters first saw Joy Behar at a benefit for Milton Berle's 89th birthday at the Waldorf Astoria. Walters then invited her to audition for The View. Behar just debuted her nightly talk show on HLN. Her co-hosts on The View include comediennes Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd, who stars in her own show on Lifetime. Goldberg was the first woman and fourth honoree to win the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2001; Lily Tomlin won in 2003.

More Than Chick Shtick: "Seinfeld" Without Elaine? Get Out!

Imagine Seinfeld without Elaine. Get out! Actually, Elaine was not in the first show but executives insisted they add a woman to the cast by the second episode. Would an all-male cast have become the same audience success story without her? Not!

Liz Lemon told Oprah on 30 Rock that she hates her feet. Nora Ephron told the world that she hates her neck. It took Elle Woods' life experience in Legally Blonde to solve the murder case. Her Harvard Law colleagues didn't have a clue about women's hair treatments. Chris Rock parlayed that message into a feature film. Maybe the sexes can learn to live together and better understand each other through humor and women comedians?

One of the challenges for women comics is that society expects good girls to be well-behaved and to act lady-like. Comedians have to be aggressive and take control of the audience. The boys who were the class clowns and spent more time in the principal's office than the library are now making big bucks for their antics. Not to pooh pooh Winnie-the-Pooh, but the first new authorized female character believes that everyone should follow the correct etiquette. Lottie the Otter will be more like Martha Stewart than Martha Raye.

It's easier for women to get to the moon than to get a network late-night talk show. Conan O'Brien and Craig Ferguson had no experience as late-night talk show hosts when they were given their shows. Ferguson had not performed stand-up for ten years and had a strong Scottish brogue. O'Brien was an unknown SNL comedy writer with little performing experience. Joan Rivers was the first and only permanent host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. When Rivers learned that she wasn't on the list to replace Carson, she accepted the offer to host her own late night talk show to launch the Fox Network in 1986. She was fired six months later.

The talk show format is a cheap alternative to scripted TV and yields self-contained YouTube-friendly takeout promos. As viewers migrate away from appointment network TV, cable should create new opportunities for women. But the old boy network ways persist. The Daily Show was co-created by Lizz Winstead and Madeline Smithberg in 1995. Winstead was also the head writer. Then host Craig Kilborn made an offensive remark about her in Esquire in 1998. He was suspended for a week. She left the show soon after. Chelsea Handler has her own late night talk show on E!

Only two women comedians were listed on the Forbes "100 Celebrity" list: Ellen DeGeneres, Power Rank #40, $35 Million Pay and Tina Fey, #86, $7 Million Pay.

She Who Laughs, Lasts: "50/50 in 2020"

Last month more than 200 women met to hear a panel address and outline a "50/50 in 2020" initiative to advance women in the theater business. Three sponsors are taking the lead: the League of Professional Theatre Women, the New Perspectives Theatre Company and the Women's Project.

In 2007 Oxygen presented the "50 Funniest Women Alive." There are women who are ready, willing and able to perform at comedy festivals. They can turn the world on with their smile... and spunk.

Stand Up For Women In Comedy! Parody and Parity Proposals

1. Action! Organize a meeting during the New York Comedy Festival, November 4-8, to focus on "The State of Women in Comedy Today," to become part of the media coverage and raise public support. Since there is no professional organization for women comedians, create one or develop a Comedy subcommittee of the "50/50 by 2020" project or another industry-related association.

2. Produce a counter "Funny Femme Festival" during the New York Comedy Festival to showcase talented women comedians, become part of the media coverage and raise public support.

3. Distribute this treatise and contact the New York Comedy Festival.

4. Submit your comments and suggestions here.

5. Stay tuned. Watch this space for announcements and progress reports. Thank you.

See Beverly Wettenstein's PBS interview on youtube.com.

See Beverly Wettenstein's Letter in the NY Daily News, Sept. 4, 09
nydailynews.com/opinions/

See Beverly Wettenstein's Letter in the NY Times Science Times, July 21, 09

_________________________________________________________________________

"Celebrate Women Every Day!"

October 13

B. 1901 Edith S. Sampson First Black woman elected judge, in Illinois, 1962.
First Black woman named UN delegate.

1905 English suffragists Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney arrested.
Women over 30 got the vote 12 years later; all women in 1928.

B. 1925 Margaret Thatcher First woman Prime Minister in England and Europe, 1979-1991.

B. 1969 Nancy Kerrigan Olympic silver medalist, 1964; Oksana Baiul, 16, won gold medal.

1986 Rita Levi-Montalcini earned Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Source: Beverly Wettenstein's "Women in History and Making History Today
- 365-Days-A-Year Database"

Craig Ferguson & Crew Open Show With 'MMMBop' Rendition (VIDEO)

2009-10-07T11:38:48Z

It's no secret how much we love Craig Ferguson's dance numbers. From "Wonderful Night" to "Oops I Did It Again," we love them all which is why we were so excited to see Craig open his show last night with "MMMBop"--the 1997 tween hit by boy band Hanson. Of course, the group was known best for their long blond locks, so Craig and his crew donned wigs, even the puppets got in on the action.

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Tim Meadows & Craig Ferguson Skewer Kanye, Bush, Oprah In Olympics Sketch (VIDEO)

2009-10-07T09:55:15Z

Craig Ferguson talked to "Late Late Show" correspondent Tim Meadows last night about Chicago's failed bid for the Olympics. After taking shots at Chicagoan Kanye West, and former President George W. Bush, the pair decided that Oprah has lost some cache: "Ten years ago she could have forced the world to host the Olympics between her butt cheeks." Meadows then told Ferguson to embrace Rio's win by getting a Brazilian bikini wax--it just got weirder from there.

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Craig Ferguson Defends Letterman In Monologue (VIDEO)

2009-10-06T01:28:09Z

(JAKE COYLE, AP) NEW YORK -- Of all of those reacting to David Letterman's situation, Craig Ferguson had a unique perspective.

As the host of the "Late Late Show" on CBS, he follows Letterman's "Late Show." Letterman also is his boss, since Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, produces the "Late Late Show."

Yet it's Ferguson's job to make fun of the biggest news stories of the day. And, lately, his boss qualifies. Since announcing on "Late Show" last week that he had had sex with female members of his staff and been the victim of a $2 million blackmail threat, Letterman has played prominently in the news.

Ferguson pointed out his awkward position Monday, asking his audience to "put yourself in my position."

"The person you work for, the person you admire and respect, is caught in an embarrassing situation," said Ferguson. "And your job is to be funny about that, whilst trying to keep your own job."

"So this is my last show," he joked.

Ferguson did make light of the situation, joking that it had now been revealed how he got the job in the first place.

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But Ferguson defended Letterman, calling him "the king of late-night television."

"If we are now holding late-night talk show hosts to the same moral accountability as we hold politicians or clergymen, I'm out," said Ferguson. "I'm gone."

Ferguson has never claimed to have a perfect past. He recently released a memoir ("American on Purpose") reflecting on his struggle with alcoholism.

"I quite like my entertainers to be dangerous. I like my musicians to be kind of drug-fueled," Ferguson said. "Cause if you want entertainers to be squeaky clean, then who are you going to be watching? Jonas Brothers."

Other late-night comics have handled the situation in various ways but have mostly gone easy on Letterman.

Jay Leno, Letterman's old rival and now host of "The Jay Leno Show" on NBC, featured it in his monologue on Friday but skipped it altogether Monday. Conan O'Brien, the new host of the "Tonight" show, avoided it on Friday and again stayed clear in his monologue Monday.

Jon Stewart didn't mention it on Monday's "The Daily Show," nor did Stephen Colbert on "The Colbert Report." Jimmy Kimmel skipped it on Friday's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Even the legendary late-night host Dick Cavett had nothing but praise for Letterman's skill at crisis management.

"To me, it seems Dave Letterman's handling of this is impeccable," Cavett said in an e-mail. "Brave, direct and – dare I say it? – manly. He has set a real example here of exactly how to behave when assaulted in such a sleazy operation."

Craig Ferguson Takes On Jon & Kate: The Only Person I Want To See Discipline Twins And Triplets On TV Is Hugh Hefner (VIDEO)

2009-10-01T09:55:37Z

Craig Ferguson dipped his toe into the world of reality television last night taking a strong stand against Jon Gosselin's wardrobe and Kate Gosselin's hair. He also unveiled a new litmus test by which one can judge if a man is a douchebag. Seems good to us.

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Craig Ferguson Does Mick Jagger Impression On 'Letterman' (VIDEO)

2009-09-25T07:54:24Z

Dave's late night partner, Craig Ferguson, was his guest last night. Ferguson, who is promoting a new book, told Letterman about his meeting with Mick Jagger, whom he described as a "sexy dinosaur," and proceeded to do a pretty impressive impression of the Rolling Stones frontman.

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Craig Ferguson Mocks His Own Network: 'CSI' Is Our Version Of The 'Jay Leno Show,' More Skin Less Chin (VIDEO)

2009-09-22T10:27:40Z

Craig Ferguson took on his network's prize franchise last night, mocking "CSI" for David Caruso's death puns, the number of spin-offs it's produced and the amount of cleavage it shows. After doing a pretty sharp Caruso impression, he delved into the sex appeal of the franchise, saying CBS's new tagline should be: "Somebody's dead, everybody's sexy." He also compared CBS's ten pm slot to NBC's saying "CSI" is our version of the "Jay Leno Show," more skin less chin, and suggested they merge the two ideas to have Leno solve crime.

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Craig Ferguson Devotes Entire Monologue To Schooling Joe Wilson (VIDEO)

2009-09-11T10:02:37Z

Craig Ferguson, a man who chose to become a U.S. citizen, was ashamed last night at the lack of decorum Representative Joe Wilson showed when shouting, "You lie" at the president during a joint session of Congress.

"I am not getting on Congressman Wilson's case for disagreeing with the president...every congressman has a vote, he should use it, but not in the middle of a speech to the joint sessions of Congress, that's not when you do it. It's not the Jerry Springer Show. You don't stand up in the middle of Congress and go 'oh no you did not.' What the hell is wrong with you? He said his emotions got the better of him--sometimes I want to have sex with a hooker but I don't."

Craig also suggested the president's response to Wilson was boring and that he should take his act on the road to learn how to deal with hecklers.

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Craig Ferguson Nears 2-Year Contract Extension

2009-09-11T09:28:38Z

Craig Ferguson is closing in on a deal with CBS and David Letterman's Worldwide Pants that will keep him at the helm of "The Late Late Show" through the 2011-12 season.

Monday's Late Night Round-Up: Jenna Bush's New Gig, Cheney's Addiction, And More! (VIDEO)

2009-09-01T11:48:46Z

Good morning, dear readers, and welcome to Monday's Late Night Round-Up. It's getting close to lunchtime, and no one looks forward to lunch more than someone sitting in an office (if for some reason you're reading this and not in an office, well, lucky you, don't rub it in). Now, to the menu!

For your first course, we're offering Fallon's discovery of the greatest pot in the world (how appropriate!) and Letterman poking fun at the ladies of "The View." Also available, if you're in the mood for a more savory starter, is Cheney's revealing line about being a "junkie," and Sylvester "Grandpa" Stallone starring in a new Rambo movie. We recommend ordering them all and sharing the laughter.

For your main course, we're pleased to present a pile-on of Jenna Bush and NBC's announcement that she has been hired as a "Today Show" correspondent. Really, pretty much everyone got in on the action.

For dessert, we leave you with an example of one of our favorite things about standup comedy: the joke that goes wrong and becomes funnier in the process. Conan is particularly good at this, and he's become even better now that Andy Richter has returned to riff of his mix-ups. Watching Conan mangle his way through a joke about a Cheech & Chong musical just leaves us giggly and warm inside, like the final glass of wine at dinner (but this is lunch, and we're not Mad Men, so behave).

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Michael Russnow: Letterman's Running Gag About Crashing Obama/Oprah Dinner on Martha's Vineyard: Hasn't Dave Heard Teddy Kennedy Died?

2009-08-28T05:07:23Z

I'm a huge fan of David Letterman's and think he's the best of the current breed of talk show hosts, even though his monologues often hit and miss. Indeed I sometimes wonder if Dave realizes he's not doing a nightclub act in front of a different audience (nationwide that is) when he often repeats a joke almost word for word three or four days in a row.

But his panel patter -- mostly extemporaneous -- is unmatched by his Late Night Show peers such as The Tonight Show's Conan O'Brien, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, CBS' Craig Ferguson and NBC's Jimmy Fallon. His sharp wit and well-informed grilling of his guests show that he is well read, very much in the know and incredibly up on current events.

So, how is it that, after having started a humorous rant early in the week relating to his comic obsession with Oprah Winfrey and her industry power, and wondering aloud why he wasn't invited to dinner with the president this coming weekend as she was -- since he was going to be on Martha's Vineyard at the same time -- Letterman continued the joke nightly -- as is his habit -- even after he must have known Teddy Kennedy had died on Cape Cod.

Obviously he hadn't on Tuesday, as his show is taped in the afternoon, but by Wednesday and Thursday he was surely aware. Yet, it seems that he and the other Late Show writers were determined to hang onto what they deemed to be a very amusing running gag, even though it was clear Obama was going to be delivering a eulogy at Kennedy's funeral on Saturday.

Even if Obama was going to keep his date with Oprah while preparing his remarks for the sad occasion, it seemed unseemly and inappropriate for Letterman to keep harping on this presumed "slight" by the president, as if Obama had nothing else on his mind.

Apart from the fact that I'm one of the many millions around the world who mourn Kennedy's death and am confident that Letterman, knowing his politics veer left, probably shares my profound feelings, this not-so-funny running bit seemed tasteless and particularly out of touch.

At first I thought, well, maybe Dave taped these shows, which is uncharacteristic, because when he goes on vacation they repeat episodes that are at least a few weeks old. But giving him the benefit of the doubt, I thought, well, maybe they did so a few days ahead to let him get out of town and to the Cape a few days early.

But his monologues included material that was very up-to-date, including John McCain's ejection of a woman from his town hall, which just happened Wednesday, not to mention Dave's reference to the nomination of Ben Bernanke for a second term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank.

So, it's clear this continuing "comic" faux pas about the Obama/Oprah dinner was done with knowledge of Senator Kennedy's loss. To that, I can only suggest Dave Letterman and his writing staff might show a little more consideration and sensitivity rather than being so in love with their material that they won't chuck it no matter how indifferent and oblivious to national and world events it makes them appear.

Michael Russnow's website is www.ramproductionsinternational.com

The Best Jokes Of Weekend: Gosselin's Pool Party, Obama's Vacation, And More! (VIDEO)

2009-08-17T16:07:20Z

Conan compared the Obama family trip to Hillary's return trip home, Ferguson showed us the difference between Halle Barry and Steve Martin, Fallon explained the ethos of Edwards, and some dude with a cane tried talking sense to a lion on "The Soup."

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Betty White: I Have A Thing For Naughty Men In Cages (VIDEO)

2009-08-12T09:17:25Z

Betty White appeared on last night's episode of the "Late Late Show" in her new capacity as a prison guard for the San Quentin correctional facility. She told Craig that she had to take the job after spending her entire life savings in a Vegas strip club, and chose this vocation because of the naughty men in cages. She also revealed that carrying a gun is nothing new to her after her stint on the "Golden Girls."

Betty is no stranger to the "Late Late Show." She has appeared while holding a briefcase full of cocaine, while calling Sarah Palin a crazy bitch,
while dressed as a Girl Scout, and while talking about having sex with all the Marx Brothers on Craig's set. In short, Betty White is as freaky as she is awesome.

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Monday's Late Night Round-Up: Celine Dion's Problem, Sarah Palin's Poetry, And More! (VIDEO)

2009-08-11T13:27:46Z

Nation, what has become of us? Politicians generating facebook messages from magnetic poetry, game shows reducing their prize money to fit Obama's tax plan, town hall protesters protesting heavyset women, Weddings catered by Funyuns...Funyuns!!! Well, that's all according to our friends in late night television, of course. And if you're a birther, a deather, or if you've ever participated in a civil war reenactment, you'll probably believe all of the following. Enjoy.

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The Best Late Night Jokes Of The Week: Michael Phelps, Sean Hannity, Jon Gosselin, And More! (VIDEO)

2009-08-08T08:15:36Z

Jimmy Fallon feared for the future of a tech savvy teen this week as the iPhone owner tracked down the gang that stole his phone using a new app, Stephen Colbert bid farewell to Sean Hannity whose ability to think died long ago, and Conan killed off Michael Phelps...well, with a little help from the man upstairs.

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Wolf Blitzer And Craig Ferguson Talk Body Hair, "Dancing With The Stars" And Mustaches (VIDEO)

2009-08-06T16:02:38Z

Wolf Blitzer sat down with Craig Ferguson of CBS's "The Late Late Show" for a wide-ranging, irreverent interview.

The normally-serious Blitzer appeared more at-ease than usual, joking with Ferguson about topics like his love for the Black Eyed Peas, Bill Clinton's "happy ending" to the Laura Ling/ Euna Lee story and Paul McCartney's "striking resemblance" to Angela Lansbury.

Blitzer even went so far as to suggest that they "get the band going a little bit" and dance. Unfortunately, Ferguson balked at the proposal.

WATCH WOLF DANCE ON "ELLEN"

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Craig Ferguson & Jeffrey Tambor Spoof CBS PSAs (VIDEO)

2009-08-06T10:19:37Z

Craig Ferguson and "Arrested Development" patriarch Jeffery Tambor satirized the "CBS Cares" PSAs that run regularly on the network last night. Both men dressed in drag, imitating JK Rowling and "Twilight" author Stephanie Meyer. Instead of encouraging kids to read, the pair celebrated their riches with a money fight.

Later in the show Craig read viewer email. One man asked, "I know CBS cares, do you care, Craig?" "No, I don't give a rats ass actually," he responded.

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Craig Ferguson's Puppet Admits To Affair With Argentine Woman (VIDEO)

2009-07-28T15:01:00Z

Craig Ferguson has been holding a contest (one that doesn't seem to end) to see which of his puppets his viewers want him to say goodbye to. The pig was doing well in the stats (along with Craig himself and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) but announced last night that he'll be resigning from the competition because of a lurid affair! Qué escándalo!

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