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Mr. Rogers described meeting Eddie Murphy in 1982 and it showcases his kind confidence

Letterman asked what he thought of Eddie Murphy parodying him on SNL's "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood."

Letterman/YouTube

Mr. Rogers shared his thoughts on Eddie Murphy with David Letterman.

Few people have earned the amount of genuine, wholesome love that Fred Rogers did. Mr. Rogers made an indelible mark on countless children's childhoods with his goodness, and he even managed to maintain his reputation for being genuinely kind and caring until the end of his life and beyond.

It's a rare feat these days, to live a life in the spotlight and not be outed for some kind of scandal. But Mr. Rogers did and we love him all the more for it.

There are countless qualities that made Mr. Rogers who he was, but one clip from a 1982 David Letterman interview showcases his unique combination of kindness and self-assuredness.

In the clip, Letterman chatted with Rogers for a few minutes about his career, then pointed out that there was a performer in the building who had done imitations of Rogers.

"I just met him a little bit ago," Rogers responded, pulling out a Polaroid photo of himself smiling next to comedian Eddie Murphy.

Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984 and one of his most popular skits was a parody of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" called "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood."

By Eddie Murphy standards, the skits were fairly clean, but they referenced some hefty topics such as poverty, racism and gentrification while also playing up certain racial and socioeconomic stereotypes. And they weren't always very kid-friendly (as is the case with many SNL skits).

"How do you react to that?" Letterman asked Rogers. "We talked to Andy Rooney about someone doing an impression of him and he didn't seem too keen on it."

Rogers' response was honest but totally classy.

"Well, some of them aren't very funny," he said. Then he seemed to choose his words thoughtfully: "But I think that a lot of them are done with real kindness in their hearts."

Watch:

People in the comments praised Rogers for being exactly who he was during the interview.

"I love that he seems unfazed that some of the audience are not exactly laughing with him... or that Dave would ask him some baiting questions. The man is so comfortable in his own skin that he cares not what others think or say. One of the many reasons he was such a wonderful role model for us kids. A truly wonderful human being." – @OldSaltyBear

"After watching this interview, I just realized what you see on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is basically him, he wasn't acting or trying to be someone else just for the show, that was him. Fred Rogers was Fred Rogers on and off the show. Such genuineness, it definitely, and exponentially, multiplies the kindness he shows on the show." – @arisketch9247

"Mr Rogers was truly the odd man out. Just a wonderful human being. I was never a fan of Letterman but I think he wanted this interview to go different. I’m not sure the exact intent but Mr Rodgers was just a convicted, sincere and genuine person to want kids to be kids. Even the bad, he wanted them to be true to their feelings and have a safe place to express it. He was the best." – @MurphySullivan

Others shared how much Mr. Rogers meant to them personally:

"I will always appreciate Mr. Rogers because my childhood was one of abuse and violence. Watching an adult talk to me like I mattered and in a calm way was a refuge for me. It may sound corny and dramatic, but it was my reality back in the 80's. He was a blessing and a genuine person." – @jameswhittenburg5299

"That man saved me from my childhood. Abuse surrounded me. There were no good or trustworthy adults I could rely on, but I had Mr. Rogers. I loved him when I was really young, & he taught me things I desperately needed to hear. What a wonderful, wonderful man." – @dshepherd107

"I don't think people realized that Mr. Rogers was actually a foster parent to every child that watched this show. He's still fostering children posthumously. He just had that big of a heart and good spirit. Such a good man. RIP" – @randomsteve7808

It's truly impossible to overstate the impact Fred Rogers had on generations of kids during his lifetime, and thanks to the miracle of television, his legacy continues to inspire and comfort to this day.

(And if you haven't seen "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood," here's a taste:)

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Comedians are responding to Norm Macdonald's tragic passing with an outpouring of love

Image via Wikicommons

Fellow comedians are responding to Macdonald's passing

The world of stand-up comedy is not known to be kind. Competition usually wins over comradery. But when news of beloved "Weekend Update" anchor and comedian Norm Macdonald broke yesterday, that stereotype was turned on its head, as love poured out from fellow comedians across social media.




Norm's success was prolific to say the least. In addition to his stand-up and SNL career, MacDonald appeared in numerous films, including Grown Ups, Dr. Dolittle, Jack and Jill, Billy Madison, Funny People, Screwed, and The Animal. He also appeared in various late-night talk shows including Late Night With Conan O'Brien and Late Night with David Letterman, and even had his own sitcom, The Norm Show, as well as a talk show for one season on Netflix back in 2018.


The Norm Show (Norm) - Season 1 Episode 1 (Norm and the Prototype)www.youtube.com

A true comedy genius, Norm could make even the most convoluted story funny, as seen in Norm's unforgettable "Moth Joke" with Conan O'Brien.

Norm MacDonald's Moth Jokewww.youtube.com



O'Brien was one of the first to react to the news of Norm's death, praising him as "the most unique comic voice I have ever encountered" and lamenting that "I will never laugh that hard again."

Bob Saget, who Norm famously roasted, also sent a tweet sharing how he and Norm met, "he was in my audience at 17 years old," and went on to say " no other voice in comedy has been as unique, brazen, brazen, dark, hilarious, and heartfelt."

Jim Carrey, who appeared on Norm's live show, gave heartfelt mourning, saying, "my dear friend Norm passed after a brave 10 year battle...He was one of our most precious gems...I love him."

But the tributes don't stop there. Comedy greats like Steve Martin, all the Seths (McFarland, Rogan, and Meyers), Adam Sandler, Patton Oswalt, Jon Stewart and even Bob Odenkirk-who had his own health scare earlier this year- all sent their praises flooding to Twitter.





This not only goes to show how far reaching and impactful Norm was as a talent, but how just one person's individual spark can ignite the hearts and minds of many others.





Norm passed away after an undisclosed nine year battle with cancer. His longtime producing partner and friend, Lori Jo Hoekstra, who was with him when he died, says "He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him....He once wrote that 'a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.' He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly."

Though Norm might have struggled in private, the comedy world is publicly coming together to acknowledge the positive impact he made in an industry that can, at its worst, be a toxic environment. The collective reaction to Norm's passing proves that at its best, however, the stand-up community is a tight knight family of creatives who relish in each other's successes and share in each other's remorse. Even in a time of devastating loss, that is worth celebrating.

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David Letterman tried to talk to Tina Fey about women in comedy. He got it very wrong.

David Letterman has no idea why there were so few women writers on his late-night talk show.

At least, that's what the veteran host revealed on an episode of his Netflix interview show "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction." What Letterman seems to have taught his audience with this particular episode is how far things still have to go in terms of diversity and equality in the writers room.

In speaking with Tina Fey, Letterman (kind of) asked the celebrated writer/actress/comedian/producer about her thoughts on how Hollywood has treated women.

"I know this is a topic you don't like talking about, and it's a topic without an answer, but women in comedy," Letterman said. "And I know you've been very generous to women in correcting an oversight. Now, when I had a television show, people would always say to me ... 'Why didn't you, why don't you have women writers?' And the best I could come up with was, 'I don't know.'"

Letterman seemed to have raised a subject he clearly didn't really want to talk about.

If you're scratching your head about what Letterman's talking about, you're not alone. Because what happened seems to be Letterman trying to ask a question, answer it, and absolve himself of any guilt under the guise of ignorance.

As former "Late Night with David Letterman" writer Nell Scovell wrote, this kind of bluster "may have gotten a pass" in the time before #MeToo and #TimesUp. But owning up to "I don't know" isn't enough anymore.

"In addressing the issue with one of Hollywood's most successful comics, he could have admitted his failings. Instead, he attempted to dodge past criticisms. And while delivered with an air of complete logic, Letterman's argument is a master class in distortion," Scovell wrote.

Image via Netflix.

Tina Fey wasn't about to let the moment pass though.

While Letterman seemed ready to move on, Fey wasn't letting it go so easily. Especially when he suggested there was "no policy" against women writers, completely ignoring that, while there may have been no official "no women allowed" mandate, an overwhelming amount of evidence makes it clear how hard it has been to be a woman in comedy.

"I always thought, 'Well, geez, if I was a woman, I'm not sure I would want to write on my little nickel-and-dime dog-and-pony show anyway cause we're on at 12:30,' Letterman says by way of apology. (Although, what does the show's time has to do with it? Are women not allowed out past 10? This show didn't start in the '50s.)

Fey, however, was having none of it: "Yeah, we did want to write on it, though," she shot back.

Letterman truly missed an opportunity here.

Here's the thing: If you're going to raise a sensitive subject, you're going to have to grapple with all the uncomfortable feelings that come along with it. If Letterman had, this conversation could have been productive and even transformative. It would have been refreshing to have a powerful man in comedy own up to his mistakes and recognize that it wasn't just "the time" that was an issue (Scovell points out that even when Letterman moved to an earlier time slot, he still only had one woman on the writing team) and that discrimination is a real issue to which the answer isn't "I don't know."

If anything, Letterman's response is a master class of what not to do when discussing equality and diversity.

While Letterman ended this uncomfortable segment with a vague apology about his ignorance and a statement about things getting better, that's not going to change things. What's going to change things are in-depth conversations about this topic. And that doesn't start with apologies and absolution; it starts with listening and recognizing that change is not only necessary but beneficial.

Jay-Z's joy about his mom being openly LGBTQ is a good sign for hip-hop and masculinity.

In a ridiculously heartwarming interview clip, rapper Jay-Z discussed his excitement for his mom’s newfound lesbian love.  

In David Letterman’s new series "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction," Jay-Z sat down with the comedian to talk candidly about his mother, Gloria Carter, coming out to him as a lesbian.  

“This was the first time we had the conversation,” Jay-Z said in a clip of the interview set to air April 6. “And the first time I heard her say she loved her partner. Like, ‘I feel like I love somebody.’ She said ‘I feel like.’ She held that little bit back, still. She didn’t say ‘I’m in love’; she said ‘I feel like I love someone.’ And I just — I cried. I don’t even believe in crying because you’re happy. I don’t even know what that is. What is that?”

Photo by Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for Roc Nation.

Jay-Z's tearful response to his mother's coming out experience is a much-needed example of publicly dismantling toxic masculinity.    

Often told that emotions aren't masculine or that crying isn't for men, many men struggle to openly express their emotions, much less recognize them. Toxic masculinity is a pervasive, dangerous societal problem that forces men into a hole of fear, making them reluctant to share their emotions for fear of not being seen as "man enough." By acknowledging he cried tears of joy, Jay-Z is adding a welcome change to the narrative that men, especially men of color, can't be both emotional and masculine.        

Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.

Jay-Z’s openness to his mother’s later-in-life queerness in lyrics and on-screen is also refreshing from someone so prominent in the hip-hop industry.      

Having been a pretty early advocate for gay rights, Jay-Z’s views are still fairly unique to his industry. For decades, hip-hop artists have been using extremely homophobic lyrics and have often been extremely exclusionary to queer artists. But world-renowned artists like Jay-Z, Common, and Frank Ocean are using their own personal experiences to change the narrative of how queerness is viewed in the hip-hop industry. Through their own music, activism, and public interviews, many hip-hop artists are starting to show respect for queer love and rights. In the song “Smile” on Jay-Z's most recent album "4:44," the rapper talks about how long his mother hid her identity:

“Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian / Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian.”

By sharing his mom's story so lovingly, Jay-Z shows that homophobia is outdated, masculinity should be so much more than bottling up emotions, and people deserve the most love, respect, and openness we can give them.        

Though the clip definitely is a tease for more, it certainly paints a promising picture for hip-hop artists and their relationships with queer people in the future. We'll enjoy that for now.

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