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stephen colbert

Joy

Gary Oldman loses it after Stephen Colbert replays his career highlights. With fart sounds.

His laughter is absolutely contagious.

PhilipRomanoPhoto -/Wikipedia, Jasmin Hunter/Wikipedia

Perhaps his greatest performance of all time.

Listen, there are actors, and then there are actors. Those who can truly transform themselves, mind, body, and soul, into a character. Gary Oldman is that kind of actor. Whether he’s playing real-life historical figures, or fictional icons, Oldman nails any physicality, dialect, and nuance needed to bring these characters to life, even (or perhaps especially) if those characters are pretty out of this world. In the case of Zorg in 1997's The Fifth Element, that’s literal, but we digress.

If you’ve been watching Oldman on his latest show, Slow Horses, you might have noticed that his character, Jackson Lamb, has a fairly distinct tick of sorts: flatulence. The dude farts. A lot. Ferociously. And, being the consummate, Oscar winning actor that he is, Oldman wholeheartedly commits.

“He’s got no filter, he doesn’t care about being judged and there’s really nothing to lose,” he told The Wrap. “There’s something very freeing and liberating about playing someone who really doesn’t give a f–k.”

Now, imagine applying that characteristic to some of Oldman’s other notable, serious roles, like Ivan Korshunov in Air Force One, Sirius Black in Harry Potter, and even Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it, because Stephen Colbert recently sat down with Oldman and played some of these iconic scenes (and more) all with a fart effect.

Needless to say, the result was pretty epic. But really, it’s Oldman’s red faced, crying-from-laughing reaction that really seals the deal. Watch:

In fact, the moment only endeared people to him more, judging by the comments.

“An actor that can find that much humor in farts dubbed in his movies is something we don’t deserve. Wholesome video of the day for me.”

“His reaction was pure joy. Absolutely love it.”

“This was the greatest interview. I love Gary Oldman even more now.”

Why are farts funny?

Farts have been making people laugh for a long, long time. In fact, the world’s first record joke, traced back to 1900 BC, was centered around a woman farting in her husband's lap. And it’s generally agreed that farts continue to be joke fodder because, well, everybody knows what it’s like to have a little toot come out. It’s a little reminder that none of us have full control over our sometimes-disgusting human bodies. Is it base? Yes, but it’s also universal. And universal is often funny.

Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of fart humor, there’s still lots to love about Slow Horses, especially if you’re fond of underdog stories and yearn for a refreshing take on the espionage genre. In particular, Oldman’s Lamb has plenty of intensity, charisma, and uniquely dark humor (not to mention a healthy dose of menace) that makes the character compelling.

By the way, there’s even more gems to be gleaned from this interview, including which onscreen death was Oldman's favorite, which he shares at around the 2 minutes and 45 seconds mark on the video below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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Health

Jon Stewart reveals the backlash he received about defending the COVID lab leak theory

We need to be able to have tough conversations.

via Wikimedia Commons

Jon Stewart applauding at the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games.

The debate over the origins of the COVID-19 virus has overwhelmingly come down partisan lines. Democrats tend to believe it came out of a wet market in Wuhan, China. Republicans tend to support the theory that it came from a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

It’s easy to see why partisans have come down on different sides of the divide. Conservative media tends to demonize China and position it as an enemy of the United States. In contrast, liberals are more sensitive to race issues and don’t want to demonize Chinese people. This concern was played out in real time after there was a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.


But shouldn’t people choose to believe how the virus originated based on facts instead of blindly supporting their political tribe? Especially when discussing a deadly disease that has killed nearly 7 million people?

Jon Stewart thinks so.

In 2021, he caused a big stir when he broke ranks with many liberals by endorsing the lab leak hypothesis on ‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

"Science has, in many ways, helped ease the suffering of this pandemic…which was more than likely caused by science," he said to nervous laughter.

Colbert added there was "a chance" the virus leaked out of the lab.

"A chance? Oh my god!" Stewart replied. "There's a novel respiratory coronavirus overtaking Wuhan, China. What do we do? Oh, you know who we could ask? The Wuhan novel respiratory coronavirus lab.”

"The disease is the same name as the lab! That's just a little too weird, don't you think?" he continued.

Stewart then put his theory in perspective.

"There's been an outbreak of chocolatey goodness near Hershey, Pennsylvania—what do you think happened?" he said. "Oh, I don't know, maybe a steam shovel mated with a cocoa bean…or it's the f**ing chocolate factory. Maybe that's it!"

The idea is gaining traction two years after Stewart's admission. On Tuesday, February 28, FBI Director Christopher Wray publicly acknowledged that the Bureau considers the lab leak theory the likeliest cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Energy has also endorsed the idea saying it has “low confidence” that COVID-19 “most likely arose” from a lab leak.

However, none of the other U.S. agencies have changed their assessment that natural origin is more likely, so the intelligence community sits divided, with no definitive proof either way.

Stewart addressed the controversy on the latest episode of his Apple+ TV show, “The Problem with Jon Stewart.” When it was brought up on the show’s accompanying podcast, he shared how the debate shows an inability for people to discuss complex topics in today’s political climate.

WARNING: Strong language.

“The larger problem with all of this is the inability to discuss things that are within the realm of possibility without falling into absolutes and litmus-testing each other for our political allegiances as it arose from that,” Stewart added.

“My bigger problem with that was, I thought it was a pretty good bit that expressed kind of how I felt, and the two things that came out of it were, I’m racist against Asian people, and how dare I align myself with the alt-right," he added.

Stewart said the backlash he received from people on the left was “swift, immediate and quite loud.”

“The part that I don’t like about it is the absolutes and the dismissive like ‘f**k you, I’m done with you. I will never forgive you, you have crossed an unforgivable line. You’ve expressed an opinion that is antithetical to mine, or not mine,’” Stewart continued.

“What was stunning to me, I think, was the anger,” he added.

There are numerous lessons we can learn from the COVID-19 era if we decide to look at the hard facts. One of the most important has to be our ability to think critically about important issues, whether that’s the origins of the virus or the facts about masks and vaccinations. During the pandemic, these were life-and-death tests and sadly, far too many people put their politics before the facts and paid dearly for it.

We need to know how the virus emerged, no matter how uncomfortable it makes people, so that we can prevent it from happening again.

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Democracy

Pete Buttigieg uses 7 perfectly chosen words to show how we can all work to uphold democracy

America needs a definite reminder.

via Flickr/Gage Skidmore

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

America is a country based on the idea that people can believe and say whatever they want. Those core values have helped create a country with a rich tapestry of viewpoints but oftentimes they come into conflict.

The key to the nation’s survival is how we can make peace with that conflict. It hasn't always been easy, but we've always pulled through these struggles by embracing a common belief in democracy. Unfortunately, given the recent spread of election conspiracies, America’s way of healing itself and finding peace in a pluralistic society is in danger. This problem is confounded by the fact that in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections, nearly 300 Republican candidates don't believe that Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020.

The assertion that Biden didn’t beat Trump has been proven false time and time again.

Many are rightfully fearful that the widespread acceptance of election denial will come to a head during the midterm elections, further weakening American democracy.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a strong statement in support of democratic values Monday, October 24 on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” He made a simple, but powerful statement to reaffirm the core values that each American must support to maintain a civil society.


“One of the most important principles in democracy is that when you lose, you accept the outcome,” the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and onetime presidential candidate told Colbert. “And I’ve had to do that. Winning is much more fun than losing. I’ve done both.”

We can all have different views, but the one thing we must have in common is a belief in the process of how we make decisions.

“And the reason that’s so important is because we expect the same thing from citizens in terms of policy decisions,” Buttgieg added. “Part of what it means to live in a democracy is that we have this process for getting decisions that all of us have to live by―those of us who agreed with the decision and those of us who were against it.”

via Gage Skidmore/Flickr

“And so if we all have to live with the outcome of each of these policy choices, it’s only fair that the people who make them have to live with the outcome of when we choose which one of them is going to be in charge,” Buttigieg continued. “That’s how the bargain works.”

The idea that we have to reaffirm these core values that the vast majority of us hold dear to our hearts is a bit frightening. But as history has shown us, democracy should never be taken for granted. Since the dawn of civilization, democracy has been the exception not the rule and it has to be continuously fought for in the face of humanity's innate bend toward tribalism and authoritarianism.

At a time when there are so many issues that America faces as a country, Buttigieg is right to promote the need for us to reassert our belief in democracy. Because once that’s gone, all the rights that we have now may soon be lost, too.

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Joy

Chef José Andrés told Stephen Colbert how we can all use our talents to change the world

"Longer tables, not higher walls."

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube

Chef José Andrés talked about changing the world with Stephen Colbert.

If you're not familiar with Chef José Andrés or his World Central Kitchen (WCK), you're about to find out why the Spanish chef has become a beloved example of the best of humanity.

Chef Andrés founded WCK in 2010, a nonprofit organization that runs toward disaster and organizes people on the ground to make sure that those impacted by disaster are fed. Since then, he and his crew have shown up in the aftermath of tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters, as well as places where communities have an immediate need for other reasons, such as viral pandemics and wars.

The idea for WCK came from Andrés and his wife Patricia, who decided that when people are hungry, you send in cooks. Not tomorrow, but today.

"Food relief is not just a meal that keeps hunger away," Andrés shares on the WCK website. "It’s a plate of hope. It tells you in your darkest hour that someone, somewhere, cares about you. This is the real meaning of comfort food. It’s why we make the effort to cook in a crisis."

It's practically impossible not to fall in love with Chef Andrés when you hear about his dedication to helping people. The passion and sincerity with which he talks about changing the world is infectious.

Andrés joined director Ron Howard on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to talk about Howard's documentary film about the work of WCK. It's called "We Feed People" and will premiere on Disney+ on May 27. Watch the trailer to get a glimpse of what Andrés has brought to the world.

Seriously, in love, right? The man just oozes selflessness and service. And it is genuinely infectious—evidenced by Ron Howard's story of how his film crew kept getting caught up in being part of the operations by putting their cameras down to feed people, making it hard to get the film footage they needed to tell the story about the operations.

Colbert asked Andrés how people can help in their own way or collectively.

"Every one of you, you can become your own organization," he said. "You don't need to try to feed the world. You can do little things, such as helping an elderly couple in the supermarket, make sure that they can put their shopping in the back of their car. Maybe picking up a piece of paper to keep your cities clean."

He gave examples of how musicians in Ukraine are playing on street corners, "bringing hope to people just by playing a song."

He said that everyone has a talent that they can use to help others.

"We can all be part of not only feeding America and feeding the world, but believing in longer tables, not higher walls," he said. "We can change the world if we really believe in it."

Absolutely beautiful. Thank you, Chef Andrés, for reminding us what is possible and for serving as such a prime example of the difference one person can make.

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