November 1, 2011 — Yo-Yo Ma

EPISODE NUMBER: 8014 (November 1, 2011)
GUESTS: Yo-Yo Ma (with Stuart Duncan | Edgar Meyer | Chris Thile)
EXCLUSIVE(s): “Quarter Chicken Dark”
SEGMENTS: Herman Cain Under Attack | Colbert Super PAC - Stephen Colbert Occupies Occupy Wall Street Pt. 2 | Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile - “Attaboy”
SUIT REPORT: Dark Suit | Light Blue Shirt | Black/Grey Striped Tie
VIDEOS: Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Temperature check! Who is up for an episode guide? (Spirit fingers a wavin’.) Okay, let’s go. Who immediately thought the female-bodied “Ketchup,” or perhaps “Catsup,” looked like American Splendor comic book author Harvey Pekar’s wife (who is also an artist called Joyce Brabner)? She would be way cooler if she were a comic book writing world-wrong avenger. Let’s hope in the inevitable Occupy Wall Street movie, Hope Davis reprises her role.

Brilliant for team TCR to think of attempting to mesh the Super PAC and the OWS movement together: it would have been beautiful harmony. At least we got to see a scruffy version of Stephen, and learn a little about the actual people involved in the movement itself. There has been little substantive attention actually given to what OWS is all about, and this segment truly did that.

Sitting “President” and fellow Faces of America subject Yo-Yo Ma, being the brilliant musician that he is, did not fail to disappoint with his new bluegrass style album. I am definitely going to check out their oddly titled The Goat Rodeo Sessions. Also be sure to check out the web extra video, “Quarter Chicken Dark.” I also thought the lighting and Jimmy’s direction went along with the quartet beautifully. Nicely done.

Might I make a suggestion to Mr. Colbert: please have Herbie Hancock on the show. He is also an amazing artist a la Yo-Yo, and was spectacular when he was on Elvis Costello’s short running but marvelous show, Spectacle.

Time for you to occupy this blog page! Make your fan voice heard in the comments.

Quotables:

From the Intro:

• “TONIGHT! More controversy for Herman Cain. His campaign manager has switched to Menthols.”
• “And my guest is Yo-Yo Ma, a group of all star musicians, whose new album is the New Goat Rodeo Sessions. I hope they play something by Baa-aach.”
• “A new study found that happy people live 35% longer. Yeah, but unhappy people’s lives seem longer.”

From Herman Cain Under Attack:

• “This is a dark, dark day for America. I’m not just saying that because he’s, you know, American.”
• “When you’re top in the polls, the media digs through your past. It’s not fun, but it beats being Jon Huntsman. No one even digging through his present.”
• “Naturally, I am sure the gesture was something innocuous, like …”
• “Last night, he went on Greta Van Susteren to Herman Van Splain himself.”
• “Women. They always take comments about their height for something sexual. Like, hey let’s stand back to back to see who’s taller, except I’ll be facing you without any pants on.”
• “It’s a classic case of ‘he said, she’s legally prohibited from saying.'”
• “Open and shut. Who hasn’t been accused of sexual harassment? A show of hands. Ladies, raise both hands, and shake it up.”

From Occupy Wall Street (Part 2):

• “[Dick Army] funneled so much money to the Tea Party, that they could update their tri-corn hats, to quad-corn.”
• “And soon, the Tea Party became Dick Army’s Dick’s Army.”
• “You got something I want: you’ve got a movement.”
• Justin: “We can’t give that to you.”
• “You’re not going to give to me, I am going to pay for it.”
• Justin: “It’s not about your money, it’s about the thing we are trying to build here, and it doesn’t require your SuperPAC money.”
• “I’m just saying, let the Super PAC help you, and this is how we are rolling all the time. Popping the champagne, Yoshi’s on the jet, this time tomorrow you can be having a massage in London, talking about the downtrodden. But from up here, where you can see everything.”
• Justin: “With all due respect, I think we’ve been able to get our message out on our own.”
• “I’m offering you my show, to pump the message, but you may, want, you know, to just tweak it.”

• “You saying [corporations aren’t people] is dehumanizing a person. Do you understand how you’re the monster?”
• “Ketchup: Corporations are just not people.”
• “But it just seems pretty racist of you to say “Oh, certain groups of people don’t get to be people.” Are they 3/5th of a person?”
• “A corporation owns the park you’re on right now.”
• “Ketchup: But the Thing that owns the park…”
• “Ugh! Do you understand how ugly that sounds? Hey boy, where’s my shrimp?”
• “Jesus also said, “Money talks, bulls*** walks.”
• “Let’s let the little man roar, and I am the big man who’s going to help you do that.”
• Justin: “We’re not trying to recreate the problem. The problem is the undue influence of money in politics.”

Interview + Performance: