EPISODE NUMBER: 8064 (February 29, 2012)
GUEST: William Shatner
SEGMENTS: Indecision 2012 - Countdown to Loving Mitt | The Word - Change We Can Believe In | Tip/Wag - Kansas’ Male Birth Control Pill & New York’s Babyccino | Sign Off - Goodnight
SUIT REPORT: Black pinstripe suit | Stripey white shirt | Lovely purple tie
VIDEOS: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
"Tonight! There's a new way to help out the poor. But don't worry, there are still dozens of ways not to. Then! The contraception debate heats up. Note: Heating it up is not an effective form of contraception. And my guest is actor William Shatner. Good, because the studio has a massive Tribble infestation."
North Korea agrees to suspend it’s nuclear program. Kim Jong-il must be rolling over in his shoebox.
"Yes. One week from now, we will most likely come together and support the guy we're hoping is not the guy."
"We now have six days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-nine minutes to find a replacement for this robotic plutocrat who couldn't hold the attention of cats with a can of tuna. But after Super Tuesday, when this clock runs out on, let's say, Suck It Up Wednesday, we conservatives will dutifully love Mitt Romney's whole grain, lightly-toasted vision for a fibrous and regular America. It'll be good for us."
"Florida is known for it's generous tippers. I mean, the elderly know what a young person needs to survive... in 1945."
"Working class people only able to make a living wage by pleasing me so I might leave a few coins on the counter? That's some change I can believe in."
"Folks, this is dangerous. If birth control becomes widely available to men, they might want to have a lot of sex."
"Yes. Contraception leads to more babies born out of wedlock. The exact same way that fire extinguishers cause fires."
Necessary GIF: Stephen waving that ultrasound wand around.
"About Star Trek for a second, I just have to say, just man to man, how goddamned beautiful you were on that show. They did not need lights on that set. You glowed, you glowed, you were a golden god. Did you know you were beautiful?" "I did. And I gloried in every moment of it. Why do you use the past tense?"
I will absolutely be buying this episode tomorrow from iTunes. I was cracking up throughout the entire episode! Giddy atmosphere in the studio, fantastic Word (Seriously. I have no words. It was that amazing.), a character break, an awesome Tip/Wag, a plethora of well-written jokes, and a great interview. Watching Stephen and Shatner continuously (and hilariously) match and top each other was so delightful. What a solid, solid show.
Tip of the Hat!
+4
Oh, that William Shatner (may I call you Bill? No.) interview was SO WONDERFUL! Brilliant! I will definitely be watching again. And is it true that babyccinos are only an Australian thing? It never occurred to me that they were something exotic! (Note for the record that babyccinos contain NO COFFEE - just a bit of warm milk in an espresso cup with lots of foam and a nice pic drawn on top in chocolate syrup if you get lucky - our local used to do cat faces or smilies for my kids…)
Tip of the Hat!
+3
Was it just me or did it look like Mr. Shatner just about tore Stephen’s arm off for a second? It’s always fun when he gets so excited to do an interview and you could tell he was bromancing on ol’ Bill. The Word was absolute genius and I loved Stephen’s argument that men should submit to a “non-invasive” procedure in order to get birth control.
What’s up with all the hand sanitizer lately?
Tip of the Hat!
+3
The arm thing scared me but I think Stephen was just planning to let Shatner be King Douche.
Tip of the Hat!
+4
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who didn’t enjoy Shatner’s act. He’s always stuck me as someone who’s not nearly as funny as he thinks he is. That said. I think as long as Rush Limbaugh draws breath, Shatner will never come close to wearing the crown you bestowed on him.
Tip of the Hat!
+3
Mr. A - I wasn’t crazy about Shatner either. I guess a lot of people liked it, but I thought Statner overdid it his “act”. It was more uncomfortable than funny to me. I think Shatner has more confidence than talent at this point - sorry to everyone who loves him. Just a difference of opinion. Stephen handled him well, though.
Tip of the Hat!
+4
I will tell you that Shatner is not my favorite person on the planet. But while some free-for-all (that’s a good phrase for it, Ann) interviews make me feel very uncomfortable and awkward, this one was different for me somehow. I think it was because they were constantly one-upping each other and Stephen was so clearly enjoying himself. Could I watch the interview over and over again, like the first Sondheim interview or the one with Daniel Craig? No. But it was enjoyable to see it unfold.
I will also tell you that I could have done without the arm wrestling bit. Stephen vs. James Bond is funnier than Stephen vs. Captain Kirk.
Tip of the Hat!
+3
why was shatner being such a prick? colbert may be imperfect or discourteous in some of his speech, but shatner was a true dick: wtf?
i was completely taken aback by shatner’s attitude. i had to verify he wasn’t broke. who acts like that? was it bc of the intro read from the paper that shatner said was demeaning? really? bc, this is show business. his generation of followers includes me, however colbert’s demographic audience includes a younger generation that may not be aware of shatner’s accomplishments.
i found shatner’s crap attitude very disappointing for a man who achieved so much and has a relatively good net worth. you were james t. kirk and so much more, why such a dickhead on colbert?
Tip of the Hat!
+4
That interview was a free-for-all. Funny as hell, and yet I wanted to yell at Shatner to shut up. But I loved the audience’s reaction to him, and Stephen handled him well.
Tip of the Hat!
+6