Last Week Tonight with John Oliver : Wendy Williams

[jemgirl90]

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-John Oliver discussed the Wendy Williams show & person.

Source:https://youtu.be/pr8d2EQuNgI

Comments

[blitheringness]

I agree about LWT, IMO John's the only one of the late night guys (out of the ones I watch) whose show has actually improved with the lack of audience. And, I genuinely think that's both down to the format/content being more infotainment that straight up late night and due to his own personal comfort without an audience. I saw him on Colbert, I think, where he was asked about the lack of audience and he basically shrugged and said he didn't care and it was fine, and I think that lack of reliance on the audience has helped him for these at home shows.

I also usually watch the monologues and closer looks from Colbert and Seth Meyers and boy was the beginning period of at home shows super rough. You can really tell just how much both of them need the energy and feedback of the audience and how much they struggle without it, although I do think that oddly enough, the interviews are better without an audience, they're somehow less performative and more engaging than before. They have both definitely improved and adapted as the shows have gone on, Stephen more-so imo, but that could be down to the fact that he's got his grown children helping him out and Seth has toddlers that need constant looking after.

[rubie_dubidoux]

100% agree with all of this. I think interviews as performances can be fine in and of themselves, particularly when they're with an actor or another big personality - I went to a taping of Colbert where they did 2 shows back-to-back and the people being interviewed for each were Kamala Harris and Daniel Craig and the difference was staggering, and not just in the ways you'd expect (like no shit an actor is more comfortable onstage than a politician with a then-flailing presidential campaign). When Daniel Craig was there they both did just a much better job looping the audience into their dynamic and making us all feel like we were active participants, and that was really fun, whereas Kamala was trying for that but it came off as really forced. She would have done better just settling in for a mostly serious discussion like a lot of the other candidates did when they went on. Playing to the audience can be fun and clearly the people who do it for a living are feeding off that energy and it shows, but you're totally right how the Zoom interviews (which I thought were going to suck because I have such a festering hatred for videoconferencing and such myself) come across as way more like private conversations that we just happen to be listening in on and that's really interesting in a way we'll never experience once we go back to the normal format

I've liked Colbert but I almost worry he's leaned too far into the "I'm at home nursing a drink trying to get through this show" persona. How much of that is an act and how concerned should we be for his well-being?? I do not envy extroverts right now.

[blitheringness]

I feel like Stephen's frequently been doing the 'I need a drink to get through this' bit since the 2016 election, but it's like every show now since the at home shows started. For his sake I sincerely hope it's a bit, but I suspect that even if the drink is like cider or coke or whatever, the feelings of needing a crutch to get by is very, very real. Which I assume is true for most people right now.

[fernandocolunga]

Colbert is a theatre kid at this core I don’t think there’s reason for concern

[littleorcs]

He's playing it up, he's a regular enough drinker, I think he's probably happy he gets to stay home and drink while doing his job tbh, he's like an extroverted introvert to me, like he can turn it on but gets exhausted by it and needs to reset with alone time

[marrymejoejonas]

I do not get the appeal of Seth Meyers. He's like the most boring out of a flock of extremely boring late night hosts. I. miss Craig Ferguson tbh.