She wanted to give it back to Dave and make him squirm a little bit
April 1, 2024 1:33 AM Subscribe
The mere notion of Madonna going on any talk show was rare. She didn’t need the publicity. The relentless tabloids took care of that for her. Nor did she have anything to promote. Someone of her magnitude would seldom go on without a reason. But on March 31st, 1994, she did it anyway. She went on David Letterman’s Late Show for her first visit with the host in 6 years. Everybody would be tuning in no matter what. But what we got was something so bizarre that we cannot help but marvel that it was ever really a thing 30 years later. from An Oral History of Madonna’s Infamous 1994 David Letterman Appearance [Latenighter]
I remember this episode very well--I'd never seen anything like it. It was, as they say in the article, cringe.
posted by pangolin party at 3:19 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
posted by pangolin party at 3:19 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
(P.S. have never heard of "endo" as a nickname for weed before this.)
Most of us here have neither.
posted by y2karl at 3:35 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
Most of us here have neither.
posted by y2karl at 3:35 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
Letterman was a fresh development in late night publicity shows because he didn't take his guests as seriously as they took themselves, and if they didn't take themselves seriously he would add value to their appearance. This oral history reveals they bumped a bag boy competition winner when Madonna hijacked his show, and that kid would have been made a king by Letterman. I hope he made it on the show eventually.
posted by Brian B. at 3:46 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
posted by Brian B. at 3:46 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
I think the nickname is “Indo” as in Indica. Also mentioned in Gin and Juice
posted by glaucon at 3:51 AM on April 1 [46 favorites]
posted by glaucon at 3:51 AM on April 1 [46 favorites]
A thought on this quote from the piece:
Watching their televised encounter again today, it may surprise that such a big deal was made of it. It was front-page news on the New York Post: “STUPID MADONNA TRICKS – Sexy Star Goes Ape on Letterman.”
Yeah, that was the 90s. It was 4 years after the Berlin Wall had come down and 6 years before Putin took charge of Russia and 9/11 happened; this is the kind of stuff that made the news instead.
....I really miss that.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:14 AM on April 1 [34 favorites]
Watching their televised encounter again today, it may surprise that such a big deal was made of it. It was front-page news on the New York Post: “STUPID MADONNA TRICKS – Sexy Star Goes Ape on Letterman.”
Yeah, that was the 90s. It was 4 years after the Berlin Wall had come down and 6 years before Putin took charge of Russia and 9/11 happened; this is the kind of stuff that made the news instead.
....I really miss that.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:14 AM on April 1 [34 favorites]
The term “endo,” slang for marijuana, had recently been popularized by Snoop Dogg in his song “Gin and Juice.”
Ahhhh, lol, Madonna. ABA (always be appropriating).
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:24 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
Ahhhh, lol, Madonna. ABA (always be appropriating).
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:24 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
Wow, she was really high. I also get cringe, but from the white guy trying to get her to talk normie.
posted by signal at 4:37 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]
posted by signal at 4:37 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]
The term “endo,” slang for marijuana, had recently been popularized by Snoop Dogg in his song “Gin and Juice.”
"Gin and Juice" was everywhere in the summer of '93. At least the chorus is burned into my neurons:
Rollin' down the street
Smokin' endo
Sippin' on gin and juice
With my mind on my money and my money on my mind...
posted by zardoz at 4:38 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
"Gin and Juice" was everywhere in the summer of '93. At least the chorus is burned into my neurons:
Rollin' down the street
Smokin' endo
Sippin' on gin and juice
With my mind on my money and my money on my mind...
posted by zardoz at 4:38 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
this would have made a great episode of the larry sanders show (“endo?” artie, played by rip torn, would say, “in my day we smoked the hashish after the show!”)
posted by dis_integration at 5:19 AM on April 1 [10 favorites]
posted by dis_integration at 5:19 AM on April 1 [10 favorites]
have never heard of "endo" as a nickname for weed before this
This was one of the many, many names for weed we used in high school. For context, I went to high school in SF and would have graduated in 1990 had I stayed in high school in 1990.
It sounds like Madonna was stoned as fuck, and unfortunately the schtick she was going for was probably played in the wrong room. But then again, on stick-up-the-ass 1994 broadcast television, there really isn't a "right room" for a hyper-popular woman to just cut loose doing whatever the fuck in public. Between the social conservatism of the time, Madonna's "omg shocking woman!" reputation to uphold, combined with the fact that she was clearly ultra stoned out of her gourd, this was never going to go well.
posted by majick at 5:53 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
This was one of the many, many names for weed we used in high school. For context, I went to high school in SF and would have graduated in 1990 had I stayed in high school in 1990.
It sounds like Madonna was stoned as fuck, and unfortunately the schtick she was going for was probably played in the wrong room. But then again, on stick-up-the-ass 1994 broadcast television, there really isn't a "right room" for a hyper-popular woman to just cut loose doing whatever the fuck in public. Between the social conservatism of the time, Madonna's "omg shocking woman!" reputation to uphold, combined with the fact that she was clearly ultra stoned out of her gourd, this was never going to go well.
posted by majick at 5:53 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
I remember this well. On the promo for the show the next day listing the guests, Letterman ended it with "Don't worry -- she's gone!"
Not too long after the incident, IIRC, Madonna showed up in a flowing gown with a couple of dozen long-stem red roses for Letterman. He made a show of looking uncomfortable, but she declared, "It's okay, I'm a changed woman! I'm not going to say 'fuck' any more."
posted by delfin at 5:57 AM on April 1 [6 favorites]
Not too long after the incident, IIRC, Madonna showed up in a flowing gown with a couple of dozen long-stem red roses for Letterman. He made a show of looking uncomfortable, but she declared, "It's okay, I'm a changed woman! I'm not going to say 'fuck' any more."
posted by delfin at 5:57 AM on April 1 [6 favorites]
"Gin and Juice" was everywhere
I liked the bluegrass version.
I don’t miss the 90s one bit.
How are people so different today?
posted by Paul Slade at 6:41 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
I liked the bluegrass version.
I don’t miss the 90s one bit.
How are people so different today?
posted by Paul Slade at 6:41 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
This is what we care about. This is who we are.
Hey, didn’t even RTFA
posted by Phanx at 6:47 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
Hey, didn’t even RTFA
posted by Phanx at 6:47 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
I miss the 90s.
posted by whatevernot at 6:52 AM on April 1 [4 favorites]
posted by whatevernot at 6:52 AM on April 1 [4 favorites]
This oral history reveals they bumped a bag boy competition winner when Madonna hijacked his show, and that kid would have been made a king by Letterman. I hope he made it on the show eventually.
It is almost assured that he did. If there is one thing that David Letterman was dedicated to, it was celebrating bagging excellence.
posted by delfin at 7:00 AM on April 1 [5 favorites]
It is almost assured that he did. If there is one thing that David Letterman was dedicated to, it was celebrating bagging excellence.
posted by delfin at 7:00 AM on April 1 [5 favorites]
‘How are people so different today?’
They aren’t, and I won’t miss this either.
posted by chronkite at 7:03 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]
They aren’t, and I won’t miss this either.
posted by chronkite at 7:03 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]
I always knew it as “indo”, short for “indoor”. As in, grown indoors, often therefore conveying higher potency than outdoor-grown weed.
posted by Roach at 7:25 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
posted by Roach at 7:25 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
They aren’t, and I won’t miss this either.
Is there a point to be made then, beyond telling everyone you are too cool to care about this post?
Anyhoo, thanks Chavenet. This was a fun look back at how different popular culture was in the 1990s. No stars or programs have that kind of universal recognition anymore. And the internet has normalized seeing the rough edges of celebrities, making a carefully polished presentation just about impossible. It's funny how quaint the hubbub about this interview all seems now.
posted by The Manwich Horror at 7:32 AM on April 1 [11 favorites]
Is there a point to be made then, beyond telling everyone you are too cool to care about this post?
Anyhoo, thanks Chavenet. This was a fun look back at how different popular culture was in the 1990s. No stars or programs have that kind of universal recognition anymore. And the internet has normalized seeing the rough edges of celebrities, making a carefully polished presentation just about impossible. It's funny how quaint the hubbub about this interview all seems now.
posted by The Manwich Horror at 7:32 AM on April 1 [11 favorites]
This is what we care about. This is who we are.
LOL, hello high horse.
This kind of blew my mind as a closeted 13 year old in rural Arkansas. I was a huge Madonna fan, and for just this sort of energy. I identified with and delighted in her willingness to be chaotically disliked in situations loaded with expectations. It was fantastic. It's also why my friend Jason and I started calling one another "sick fucks" which sounded electrically charged to my ears back then. It's how we addressed messages to one another in our senior yearbooks five years later.
1994 Madonna is my favorite Madonna.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 7:33 AM on April 1 [19 favorites]
LOL, hello high horse.
This kind of blew my mind as a closeted 13 year old in rural Arkansas. I was a huge Madonna fan, and for just this sort of energy. I identified with and delighted in her willingness to be chaotically disliked in situations loaded with expectations. It was fantastic. It's also why my friend Jason and I started calling one another "sick fucks" which sounded electrically charged to my ears back then. It's how we addressed messages to one another in our senior yearbooks five years later.
1994 Madonna is my favorite Madonna.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 7:33 AM on April 1 [19 favorites]
I am sad that no one listened to The Chronic. When you diss Dre you diss yourself
posted by credulous at 7:34 AM on April 1 [17 favorites]
posted by credulous at 7:34 AM on April 1 [17 favorites]
Count me in as another kid fascinated by this when it aired. The whole thing about Letterman was he was the cool one, the weird one, the edgy one putting guests off their game. And here was this woman (I did know of Madonna but wasn't particularly a fan or follower) just completely undoing and outdoing him and he wasn't cool about it at ALL, he was PISSED. I feel like I learned a valuable lesson about Cool Guys watching that.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:49 AM on April 1 [25 favorites]
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:49 AM on April 1 [25 favorites]
I didn't know this happened and was pleased to make the discovery. David Letterman has irritated me countless times, so I'm glad to know that at least once in his life somebody irritated him.
posted by Don Pepino at 7:56 AM on April 1 [10 favorites]
posted by Don Pepino at 7:56 AM on April 1 [10 favorites]
I identified with and delighted in her willingness to be chaotically disliked in situations loaded with expectations.
In retrospect, Madonna's opening question -- "Why are you so concerned with my sex life?" -- was pointedly on-the-money, but also had an obvious answer hanging of "Because you have been aggressively promoting your sexuality in the public spotlight to a degree that few others ever have." This was the era of her Sex book, her Erotica album, her Girlie Show tour, a multi-year exploration of sexual themes and identities and an assault on society's preconceptions about such.
But Letterman had been relentless, as Kellison pointed out, in gleefully poking at her offstage, non-studio relationships over and over. To a degree, that's her private life, not her on-stage persona -- but for someone like the Madonna of that era, a massively public figure, someone who wasn't at all averse to using the paparazzi for her own purposes, where does that line actually lie between public and private?
There was a dialogue to be had there, perhaps, about Letterman effectively slut-shaming her for months on end and about Madonna's unapologetic ownership of the relationships and behaviors that inspired that. And Madonna stepping up and confronting him face-to-face -- Yes, I fuck, yes, I say 'fuck,' yes, I am an empowered woman who makes her own decisions and does what she wants, and here I am telling you that straight on, so where are your jokes now? -- did challenge the comparatively genteel world of network television and of society in general, did make some of the point that she wanted to make.
And had she been a little less stoned that night and a little more focused in her attack, it could have been even more memorable.
posted by delfin at 8:08 AM on April 1 [10 favorites]
In retrospect, Madonna's opening question -- "Why are you so concerned with my sex life?" -- was pointedly on-the-money, but also had an obvious answer hanging of "Because you have been aggressively promoting your sexuality in the public spotlight to a degree that few others ever have." This was the era of her Sex book, her Erotica album, her Girlie Show tour, a multi-year exploration of sexual themes and identities and an assault on society's preconceptions about such.
But Letterman had been relentless, as Kellison pointed out, in gleefully poking at her offstage, non-studio relationships over and over. To a degree, that's her private life, not her on-stage persona -- but for someone like the Madonna of that era, a massively public figure, someone who wasn't at all averse to using the paparazzi for her own purposes, where does that line actually lie between public and private?
There was a dialogue to be had there, perhaps, about Letterman effectively slut-shaming her for months on end and about Madonna's unapologetic ownership of the relationships and behaviors that inspired that. And Madonna stepping up and confronting him face-to-face -- Yes, I fuck, yes, I say 'fuck,' yes, I am an empowered woman who makes her own decisions and does what she wants, and here I am telling you that straight on, so where are your jokes now? -- did challenge the comparatively genteel world of network television and of society in general, did make some of the point that she wanted to make.
And had she been a little less stoned that night and a little more focused in her attack, it could have been even more memorable.
posted by delfin at 8:08 AM on April 1 [10 favorites]
This is what we care about. This is who we are.
Well sure, at its simplest it’s a totally unimportant event that is pablum for the bored and mindless masses at the watercooler, but human beings aren’t simple and this really isn’t a simple thing. Change is inevitable but often slow and Madonna doing her thing in public helped change how woman are perceived, what they’re “allowed” to do, and who they’re allowed to do it with.
It’s fine if this event and others like it are unimportant to you but that doesn’t make it any less of a signifier than any of the many many other things that people do every day to help change our world
posted by ashbury at 8:09 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
Well sure, at its simplest it’s a totally unimportant event that is pablum for the bored and mindless masses at the watercooler, but human beings aren’t simple and this really isn’t a simple thing. Change is inevitable but often slow and Madonna doing her thing in public helped change how woman are perceived, what they’re “allowed” to do, and who they’re allowed to do it with.
It’s fine if this event and others like it are unimportant to you but that doesn’t make it any less of a signifier than any of the many many other things that people do every day to help change our world
posted by ashbury at 8:09 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
Pretending that any of it matters,
Only your post assumed it mattered what people do at that hour. The general option was sleeping, which is not always an option. Okay, reading then, because knitting and smoking in bed are dangerous, but you can do them all at once if it matters.
posted by Brian B. at 8:19 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
Only your post assumed it mattered what people do at that hour. The general option was sleeping, which is not always an option. Okay, reading then, because knitting and smoking in bed are dangerous, but you can do them all at once if it matters.
posted by Brian B. at 8:19 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
Knitting in bed is dangerous? What, you get accidentally poked with a needle?
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:38 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:38 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
here was this woman ... just completely undoing and outdoing him and he wasn't cool about it at ALL, he was PISSED.
Interesting, that wasn't what I got out of it at all. To me, Madonna seemed deliberately antagonistic from the start and Letterman paid her back in kind (as he often did with cantankerous guests).
But then, I've never been a fan of Madonna's music and I was a Letterman fan, so I guess I would say that. I haven't seen that interview since it happened, I'll have to watch it again and see what I think now.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:40 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
Interesting, that wasn't what I got out of it at all. To me, Madonna seemed deliberately antagonistic from the start and Letterman paid her back in kind (as he often did with cantankerous guests).
But then, I've never been a fan of Madonna's music and I was a Letterman fan, so I guess I would say that. I haven't seen that interview since it happened, I'll have to watch it again and see what I think now.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:40 AM on April 1 [8 favorites]
Knitting in bed is dangerous? What, you get accidentally poked with a needle?
Or someone makes it look like an accident.
posted by Brian B. at 8:45 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]
Or someone makes it look like an accident.
posted by Brian B. at 8:45 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]
Anytime I see a "shrill" woman who refuses to play along with some TV dude's construction of civility politics, I'm on her side.
posted by splitpeasoup at 8:56 AM on April 1 [15 favorites]
posted by splitpeasoup at 8:56 AM on April 1 [15 favorites]
I watched this at the time and Madonna made a real ass of herself, probably due to being high and the pressures of fame. She recovered well later and they made up, but I don’t remember people I knew thinking she was being edgy or cool. She was just acting spoiled and shitty. Letterman was absolutely the cool one!
posted by caviar2d2 at 9:20 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
posted by caviar2d2 at 9:20 AM on April 1 [7 favorites]
To be clear the thing she was doing more than Dave wasn't being cool, it was being edgy and weird, and insisting on saying what she wanted instead of playing nice. Like delfin noted above, it was apparently OK for Dave to be a real fuckin asshole about her nonstop under the guise of "she made her personal life our business" but not OK for her to do anything except suck it up and be a good guest.
Some time later I saw the episode of the Simpsons where Conan O Brien was like, "sit perfectly still, only I may dance" and frankly now I kind of think of the two as the same thing.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 9:46 AM on April 1 [14 favorites]
Some time later I saw the episode of the Simpsons where Conan O Brien was like, "sit perfectly still, only I may dance" and frankly now I kind of think of the two as the same thing.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 9:46 AM on April 1 [14 favorites]
Don't knit in bed because you could perforate your spleen. It happened to my great aunt.
posted by Don Pepino at 10:06 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]
posted by Don Pepino at 10:06 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]
(P.S. have never heard of "endo" as a nickname for weed before this.)
Most of us here have neither.
Speak for yourself, some of us were weaned on West Coast gangsta rap.
posted by aspersioncast at 10:30 AM on April 1 [9 favorites]
Most of us here have neither.
Speak for yourself, some of us were weaned on West Coast gangsta rap.
posted by aspersioncast at 10:30 AM on April 1 [9 favorites]
I vaguely recall watching Letterman as a teenager and I also recalled, vaguely, that there was a thing with Madonna, but I have no contemporary memory of this event. This was also an era of Madonna that didn't particularly interest me. A pre-pubescent me was really into her in the "Like a Prayer" era and "A League of Their Own," and just before I headed off to college my girlfriend at the time and I saw "Evita" several times.
posted by Captaintripps at 10:56 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]
posted by Captaintripps at 10:56 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]
There's something so pure and great about this performance. Like, she's not there working, doing a job to promote a record or a movie or a tour like a normal guest, she's there because she wants to fuck with Dave and they let her because she's Madonna. It seems to me like Dave was pulling punches and trying to get back on track so the network had something to air out of this, and it's probably better that way. He could have been a whole lot meaner, or he could have gone the other way and really played along. But he played it as straight as he could and let Madonna do her thing. It's not a late-night interview, but it's compelling anyhow, I think.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:20 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 11:20 AM on April 1 [2 favorites]
Mod note: One comment removed. Let's avoid turning the conversation into one-on-one discussions. If you, or anyone, think you are not being allowed to express yourself. Please feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to help.
posted by loup (staff) at 12:03 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
posted by loup (staff) at 12:03 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
I always knew it as “indo”, short for “indoor”. As in, grown indoors, often therefore conveying higher potency than outdoor-grown weed.
Actually "indo" makes sense, too. Maybe for this reason, or maybe it's from Indica strain of cannabis.
posted by zardoz at 12:46 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]
Actually "indo" makes sense, too. Maybe for this reason, or maybe it's from Indica strain of cannabis.
posted by zardoz at 12:46 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]
Most of us here have neither.
Nah it’s pretty common in rap music of a certain era and region, including some eternal hits (besides “Gin and Juice,” “I Got 5 on It” comes to mind). “Endo” vs. “indo” is an old debate, though, as well as what the hell that even means - is it indoor, or indica, or something to do with Indonesia?
I am sad that no one listened to The Chronic
“Gin and Juice” is on Doggystyle (it’s Snoop’s song, not Dre’s) but it’s understandable that they blur together.
posted by atoxyl at 12:59 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]
Nah it’s pretty common in rap music of a certain era and region, including some eternal hits (besides “Gin and Juice,” “I Got 5 on It” comes to mind). “Endo” vs. “indo” is an old debate, though, as well as what the hell that even means - is it indoor, or indica, or something to do with Indonesia?
I am sad that no one listened to The Chronic
“Gin and Juice” is on Doggystyle (it’s Snoop’s song, not Dre’s) but it’s understandable that they blur together.
posted by atoxyl at 12:59 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]
The term “endo,” slang for marijuana, had recently been popularized by Snoop Dogg in his song “Gin and Juice.”
A few honorable mentions for "indo," which I believe was an entirely West Coast slang and maybe even just an LA slang? (I'm combing just the shallow depths of the "off the top of my head" part of my brain and it may be LA only.)
"Indo Smoke" by Mistah Grimm was one of the MASSIVE, though not-so-enduring one-hit wonders of the post-Chronic era and played usually about six times per hour on The Box in summer 1993. It was on the Poetic Justice soundtrack. (There is a Warren G verse on this song which includes a much cleaner iteration of his verse from the forget-about-NSFW-this-isn't-even-safe-for-human-consumption party hit "Ain't No Fun" from Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album.)
In "Let Me Ride" by Dr. Dre, he says, "now I'm smellin' like Indo-nesia," but I can't find that video on YouTube, maybe they pulled it for some kind of 30th anniversary re-packaging last year? Dunno. (I think that Snoop wrote the lyric.)
will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, Eazy-E, and Buckweat of the Wascals all use the word on the 1992 song "Merry Muthaphukkin' Xmas," a posse cut on Eazy E's 5150: Tha Home 4 tha Sick EP. (In this song will.i.am is credited as Will1X of Atban Klann, which is basically what Black Eyed Peas were called when they were little baby teenagers from Boyle Heights, Los Angeles.)
The Luniz song "I Got 5 On It," perennial and forever party jam, refers to "indo."
Ice Cube uses it in at least "Really Doe" and "Check Yo Self" from 1994.
Cypress Hill refer to "indo" in, by my calculation, 46.2% of the songs on their first three albums.
I didn't leave any YouTube videos because they were hard to find and I don't want to go googling for these from work.
posted by kensington314 at 1:02 PM on April 1 [11 favorites]
A few honorable mentions for "indo," which I believe was an entirely West Coast slang and maybe even just an LA slang? (I'm combing just the shallow depths of the "off the top of my head" part of my brain and it may be LA only.)
"Indo Smoke" by Mistah Grimm was one of the MASSIVE, though not-so-enduring one-hit wonders of the post-Chronic era and played usually about six times per hour on The Box in summer 1993. It was on the Poetic Justice soundtrack. (There is a Warren G verse on this song which includes a much cleaner iteration of his verse from the forget-about-NSFW-this-isn't-even-safe-for-human-consumption party hit "Ain't No Fun" from Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album.)
In "Let Me Ride" by Dr. Dre, he says, "now I'm smellin' like Indo-nesia," but I can't find that video on YouTube, maybe they pulled it for some kind of 30th anniversary re-packaging last year? Dunno. (I think that Snoop wrote the lyric.)
will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, Eazy-E, and Buckweat of the Wascals all use the word on the 1992 song "Merry Muthaphukkin' Xmas," a posse cut on Eazy E's 5150: Tha Home 4 tha Sick EP. (In this song will.i.am is credited as Will1X of Atban Klann, which is basically what Black Eyed Peas were called when they were little baby teenagers from Boyle Heights, Los Angeles.)
The Luniz song "I Got 5 On It," perennial and forever party jam, refers to "indo."
Ice Cube uses it in at least "Really Doe" and "Check Yo Self" from 1994.
Cypress Hill refer to "indo" in, by my calculation, 46.2% of the songs on their first three albums.
I didn't leave any YouTube videos because they were hard to find and I don't want to go googling for these from work.
posted by kensington314 at 1:02 PM on April 1 [11 favorites]
“Endo”, as in “Endogenous cannabinoids”, if the patchwork I call my memory of the 90s holds any water.
posted by Callisto Prime at 1:23 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
posted by Callisto Prime at 1:23 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
1991, Del the Funkee Homosapien (Del is among other things Ice Cube's cousin), 'Sleepin' on My Couch':
But if I give 'em the boot I'm not a friend though/
Even though my room smells like dime bags of indo
1990, Compton's Most Wanted, 'I'm Wit Dat':
I'm down for doin', won't be called no punk/
Rag a pack, crackerjack, hit the indo blunt
1990, Pooh-Man, 'Fuckin Wit Dank'"
Fools snort hop, some snort crack/
Fire up the indo and straight kick back
posted by box at 1:23 PM on April 1 [5 favorites]
But if I give 'em the boot I'm not a friend though/
Even though my room smells like dime bags of indo
1990, Compton's Most Wanted, 'I'm Wit Dat':
I'm down for doin', won't be called no punk/
Rag a pack, crackerjack, hit the indo blunt
1990, Pooh-Man, 'Fuckin Wit Dank'"
Fools snort hop, some snort crack/
Fire up the indo and straight kick back
posted by box at 1:23 PM on April 1 [5 favorites]
I'm combing just the shallow depths of the "off the top of my head" part of my brain and it may be LA only
Luniz (and Pooh-Man) are from Oakland.
posted by atoxyl at 1:29 PM on April 1 [3 favorites]
Luniz (and Pooh-Man) are from Oakland.
posted by atoxyl at 1:29 PM on April 1 [3 favorites]
Luniz (and Pooh-Man) are from Oakland.
Indeed!
posted by kensington314 at 1:32 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]
Indeed!
posted by kensington314 at 1:32 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]
Great post. :-)
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 1:34 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 1:34 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
Cypress Hill refer to "indo" in, by my calculation, 46.2% of the songs on their first three albums.
Flagged comment as fantastic.
posted by chavenet at 1:39 PM on April 1
Flagged comment as fantastic.
posted by chavenet at 1:39 PM on April 1
Cypress Hill always sounded like they were saying endo, but endo and indo mean the same thing: indoor weed.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:43 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
posted by oneirodynia at 1:43 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
I'm old enough to vaguely remember the 'pee in the shower' bit live. I was more of a Conan guy then, and they were way more risque than anything said here. I used to love his 'talkin to Bill Clinton' bits more than random celebrity interviews because Madonna is right about that part - they are canned, over-programmed, and generally pretty boring.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:04 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:04 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
I really loved most of David Letterman (the show) and also recognize that he leaned into misogyny even more than his contemporaries. He and his crew really deserved to have that publicly shoved in their face. I applaud Madonna for attempting to do that. I wish she'd let us a little more in on her intention because at the time without understanding that context, she just came across as a stoned jerk.
A+ for concept, C- for execution.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:35 PM on April 1 [7 favorites]
A+ for concept, C- for execution.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:35 PM on April 1 [7 favorites]
They made up by 2005 and went horse riding together.
posted by riruro at 3:48 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]
posted by riruro at 3:48 PM on April 1 [1 favorite]
Sheesh! It was an entertaining, if awkward, moment on a talk show.
I don't understand how some people can get so worked up about stuff like this. There's a thousand topics here, go pick one you ARE interested in.
I preferred the earlier Letterman, the 1980s. By '94 he had become what he used to poke fun at. I like Madonna, too. This wasn't some be-all, end-all battle of sexism versus empowered women, it's a clip from a talk show!
posted by SoberHighland at 4:15 PM on April 1 [3 favorites]
I don't understand how some people can get so worked up about stuff like this. There's a thousand topics here, go pick one you ARE interested in.
I preferred the earlier Letterman, the 1980s. By '94 he had become what he used to poke fun at. I like Madonna, too. This wasn't some be-all, end-all battle of sexism versus empowered women, it's a clip from a talk show!
posted by SoberHighland at 4:15 PM on April 1 [3 favorites]
an entirely West Coast slang
Inportant update:
Condos in Queens, indo for weeks
Sold out seats to hear Biggie Smalls speak
posted by atoxyl at 7:29 PM on April 1 [5 favorites]
Inportant update:
Condos in Queens, indo for weeks
Sold out seats to hear Biggie Smalls speak
posted by atoxyl at 7:29 PM on April 1 [5 favorites]
The whole thing about Letterman was he was the cool one, the weird one, the edgy one putting guests off their game.
Ever since first becoming aware of Letterman, I've hear people say this about him. I watched a few of the episodes that made it to Australian TV and couldn't see the appeal. Every now and then I run across a Letterman piece on YouTube and I've still never seen it. All I've ever seen is a rather self-important little man just phoning it in while coasting on his reputation. I cannot recall ever having got a laugh out of him.
He's no Norman Gunston, that's for sure. And sure, Norman was fiction but hell, Letterman is no Craig Ferguson either.
posted by flabdablet at 8:47 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
Ever since first becoming aware of Letterman, I've hear people say this about him. I watched a few of the episodes that made it to Australian TV and couldn't see the appeal. Every now and then I run across a Letterman piece on YouTube and I've still never seen it. All I've ever seen is a rather self-important little man just phoning it in while coasting on his reputation. I cannot recall ever having got a laugh out of him.
He's no Norman Gunston, that's for sure. And sure, Norman was fiction but hell, Letterman is no Craig Ferguson either.
posted by flabdablet at 8:47 PM on April 1 [2 favorites]
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posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:43 AM on April 2 [2 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:43 AM on April 2 [2 favorites]
All I've ever seen is a rather self-important little man just phoning it in while coasting on his reputation. I cannot recall ever having got a laugh out of him.
Agreed, though he was playing the straight man just enough to let us know that he considered some of his guests to be overstuffed, especially if they didn't know it. Any fans would have sided with their favorite star and considered him disrespectful. I think the most famous narcissists mostly avoided him, though Madonna went for it then gradually repaired the rift. I think his show's legacy is that it featured edgy new comedians and art-worthy musical guests and actors.
posted by Brian B. at 8:23 AM on April 2 [1 favorite]
Agreed, though he was playing the straight man just enough to let us know that he considered some of his guests to be overstuffed, especially if they didn't know it. Any fans would have sided with their favorite star and considered him disrespectful. I think the most famous narcissists mostly avoided him, though Madonna went for it then gradually repaired the rift. I think his show's legacy is that it featured edgy new comedians and art-worthy musical guests and actors.
posted by Brian B. at 8:23 AM on April 2 [1 favorite]
I cannot recall ever having got a laugh out of him.
That one time on Five Story Tower he said he had gotten a letter from a viewer asking him to "do more things from Greek mythology," so he said "I'll be Zeus casting thunderbolts down on humans" and went up the Tower and threw full-size fluorescent light tubes down into the parking lot.
It was no "watermelon full of gasoline, lit of fire and dropped in slow-mo" but it was still pretty funny.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:21 AM on April 2 [2 favorites]
That one time on Five Story Tower he said he had gotten a letter from a viewer asking him to "do more things from Greek mythology," so he said "I'll be Zeus casting thunderbolts down on humans" and went up the Tower and threw full-size fluorescent light tubes down into the parking lot.
It was no "watermelon full of gasoline, lit of fire and dropped in slow-mo" but it was still pretty funny.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:21 AM on April 2 [2 favorites]
I watched a few of the episodes that made it to Australian TV and couldn't see the appeal. Every now and then I run across a Letterman piece on YouTube and I've still never seen it. All I've ever seen is a rather self-important little man just phoning it in while coasting on his reputation.
My hunch is you're looking at latter-day, CBS-era Letterman. Earlier-stage Letterman there was definitely something there. Maybe not to everyone's taste, but very much up some people's alleys.
A good rule of thumb is to go for episodes where a woman named Merril Markoe was on the writing staff.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:30 AM on April 2 [6 favorites]
My hunch is you're looking at latter-day, CBS-era Letterman. Earlier-stage Letterman there was definitely something there. Maybe not to everyone's taste, but very much up some people's alleys.
A good rule of thumb is to go for episodes where a woman named Merril Markoe was on the writing staff.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:30 AM on April 2 [6 favorites]
Yeah early Dave has to be seen in contrast to staid, formulaic talk shows of the 1970s. He was irreverent and silly with a willingness to be weird and experimental. His interactions with Paul and stage hands and neighboring businesses fostered a parasocial relationship with the audience that lived on for a long time and probably confused later viewers about why his long term fan base were so rabid for him. I'm 47 and didn't come to Dave until the very end of his run on NBC and the beginning of his stint at CBS. I liked him fine but didn't understand why older fans of Dave really, really, really loved him.
I think the internet stunt virality that you see with people like Mr. Beast can trace their lineage back to things like How many spidermen can fit in a Jamba Juice?
posted by mmascolino at 11:47 AM on April 2 [6 favorites]
I think the internet stunt virality that you see with people like Mr. Beast can trace their lineage back to things like How many spidermen can fit in a Jamba Juice?
posted by mmascolino at 11:47 AM on April 2 [6 favorites]
I simply don't recognize the portrayal of Letterman from this oral history. He was always the weird one, prone to silliness that simply wasn't found from the other late night hosts. Tiffany Network or not, this was the same person who brought us "Stupid Human Tricks" and other segments that would be more traditionally found on low budget UHF TV. Sure, compared to your average YouTube streamer he seems well adjusted and mature, but back then, for network TV, he was pure oddball.
Madonna definitely has a sense of humor. She remains the only celebrity to suggest a Weird Al song parody title, which is really saying something because including song ideas was (is?) pretty much the only way to ensure that a fan letter is returned by Al without a response. And fairly or not, she was also known at the time as someone who slept her way to stardom. (Yes, this impression was likely fueled by misogyny more than truth, I am only including it as context.) By the standards of the time, she was fair game for Letterman's jokes. So I honestly would have loved to see her do the "interview" as planned and let Dave squirm. Turnabout would have been fair play and funny to boot. But we likely wouldn't be talking about it all these years later if she hadn't decided to really go for what she did.
posted by wnissen at 5:44 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]
Madonna definitely has a sense of humor. She remains the only celebrity to suggest a Weird Al song parody title, which is really saying something because including song ideas was (is?) pretty much the only way to ensure that a fan letter is returned by Al without a response. And fairly or not, she was also known at the time as someone who slept her way to stardom. (Yes, this impression was likely fueled by misogyny more than truth, I am only including it as context.) By the standards of the time, she was fair game for Letterman's jokes. So I honestly would have loved to see her do the "interview" as planned and let Dave squirm. Turnabout would have been fair play and funny to boot. But we likely wouldn't be talking about it all these years later if she hadn't decided to really go for what she did.
posted by wnissen at 5:44 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]
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(P.S. have never heard of "endo" as a nickname for weed before this.)
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:14 AM on April 1 [3 favorites]