What a struggle. Struggle, struggle, struggle.

February 26, 2008 2:06 PM

Harry Shearer finds footage that shows how some people act when the camera is off.
posted by beaucoupkevin (64 comments total)

I get the impression that Harry Shearer is kind of a smug asshole.
posted by mrnutty at 2:13 PM on February 26, 2008

See also Feed.
posted by not_on_display at 2:15 PM on February 26, 2008

The Ann Coulter bit must be staged. There's no way that she could take a product that would prevent her from consuming carcinogens without people diving across the room to knock it out of her hand.
posted by Adam_S at 2:23 PM on February 26, 2008 [3 favorites]

I get the impression that Harry Shearer is kind of a smug asshole.

Truth be told, he's a bit more like lukewarm water.
posted by Dr-Baa at 2:24 PM on February 26, 2008 [3 favorites]

See also Spin
posted by Pastabagel at 2:24 PM on February 26, 2008

Pretty tame stuff, really.
posted by cell divide at 2:25 PM on February 26, 2008

Posted too soon - google video link to Spin.
posted by Pastabagel at 2:26 PM on February 26, 2008

Synonymous is not a good morning show word.
posted by chillmost at 2:26 PM on February 26, 2008

What an asshole. Asshole, asshole, asshole.
posted by chillmost at 2:30 PM on February 26, 2008

Next on Harry Shearer's My Damn Channel:

Scandalous footage of Glen Beck eating clear broth!

Thrill as Bill Clinton puts on clean socks!

Feel your blood freeze as Chris Mathews buys antacid at the pharmacy!

Stay tuned America!
posted by tkchrist at 2:30 PM on February 26, 2008 [3 favorites]

I don't know, it was kinda surreal just watching her chew.
posted by Richard Daly at 2:32 PM on February 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think Bill O'Reilly needs a hug.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 2:32 PM on February 26, 2008

These are pretty wonderful. Not a lot of drama, just people hanging out. There's something about the clips that feels similar to the more peaceful Garfield without Garfield strips.
posted by wemayfreeze at 2:35 PM on February 26, 2008

O'Reilly apparently has very little to say off-air.
posted by inconsequentialist at 2:38 PM on February 26, 2008

I get the impression that Harry Shearer is kind of a smug asshole.


Just thought it needed repeating.
posted by mrmojoflying at 2:42 PM on February 26, 2008

And then he goes to Bohemian Grove.
posted by anazgnos at 2:50 PM on February 26, 2008

Is there any word that's synonymous with "synonymous"? Something with a little more of that "morning show" flavor?
posted by Navelgazer at 2:53 PM on February 26, 2008

I get the impression that Harry Shearer is kind of a smug asshole. nthed

Also, this video proves that Katie Couric is cute for serious.
posted by pedmands at 3:11 PM on February 26, 2008

I am feeling a little insensitivity in this thread towards the smug.
posted by everichon at 3:20 PM on February 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

Is there any word that's synonymous with "synonymous"? Something with a little more of that "morning show" flavor?

Like, totally...
posted by teleri025 at 3:21 PM on February 26, 2008

Why a smug asshole? These videos aren't supposed to be "gotcha" videos. They're just videos of on-camera people being presented off-camera.
posted by I-baLL at 3:23 PM on February 26, 2008

I've heard some NPR interviews with him where he came off pretty pompous.
posted by pedmands at 3:28 PM on February 26, 2008

Uh oh. I think we broke the Internet. I'm getting this:

Oops, you encountered a DAMN error. Rest assured! The engineer responsible will be flogged mercilessly.
posted by veggieboy at 3:31 PM on February 26, 2008

Well, I enjoy Shearer's Le Show podcast a lot. Smug or not, he's got a brain and he can be very funny. That puts him far above Coulter and O'Reillly, for two.
posted by QuietDesperation at 3:33 PM on February 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

I've heard some NPR interviews with him where he came off pretty pompous.

"Le Show" doesn't do him any favors in this department, either. And I'm a huge fan of his acting.
posted by middleclasstool at 3:34 PM on February 26, 2008

The point at which he starts the pompousness is 3:00, mocking the host is 3:30. Shearer on NPR.

Tame, I know. But all I could find online.
posted by pedmands at 3:35 PM on February 26, 2008

Indeed, internet broken.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:39 PM on February 26, 2008

That puts him far above Coulter and O'Reillly, for two.

Yeah, but... that's not much of a compliment.
posted by mrnutty at 3:44 PM on February 26, 2008

Is it übersmug to comment on an internet message board about how some other guy is too smug?
posted by Dave Faris at 3:48 PM on February 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

"If you can chop it up so I can snort it...that would help." ~ Ann Coulter

Classic!
posted by batmonkey at 3:49 PM on February 26, 2008

The point at which he starts the pompousness is 3:00, mocking the host is 3:30. Shearer on NPR.

Tame, I know. But all I could find online.

Shearer doesn't/didn't like 'Car Talk.' Sounds like he considers it gimmicky.
posted by peppito at 3:54 PM on February 26, 2008

Is it übersmug to comment on an internet message board about how some other guy is too smug?

Good question.
Follow-up: Is it metasmug to comment on an internet message board about how some other guy has commented on an internet message board about how some other guy is too smug?
posted by mrnutty at 3:57 PM on February 26, 2008

I think I can safely answer that question. You might even say I'm an expert. The answer is "no."
posted by Dave Faris at 3:59 PM on February 26, 2008

That's a shame, because I really like the term "metasmug"
posted by mrnutty at 4:03 PM on February 26, 2008

I found Huckabee's mention of the specific brand and size of firearm he would use to kill the snake a little creepy.

Makes it easy to see where his dog-torturing son got them violence genes from.
posted by sourwookie at 4:08 PM on February 26, 2008

I thought Mitt Romney was the dog torturer.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:12 PM on February 26, 2008

The irony of any member of this website calling anyone a smug asshole is worth about 2500 Alanis Morissetteowatts.
posted by Peter H at 4:17 PM on February 26, 2008 [4 favorites]

Shearer doesn't/didn't like 'Car Talk.' Sounds like he considers it gimmicky.

Yeah, and I agree with it (though the show's a guilty pleasure for me), but to dislike it to the point that when the station asks you to end your show by simply saying "Car Talk is next" you refuse to do so and make a Very Big Point of refusing, that's petty and unprofessional.
posted by middleclasstool at 4:17 PM on February 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

The irony of any member of this website calling anyone a smug asshole is worth about 2500 Alanis Morissetteowatts.

Truly, it's like rain on your wedding day! Or a free ride, when you've already paid.
posted by mrnutty at 4:19 PM on February 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

Car Talk is a horrible piece of shit and my hero Joe Frank has also made fun of them on-air so POO-PA-DOO!
posted by basicchannel at 4:25 PM on February 26, 2008

They're found objects. You bring you're own interpretation. I think they're funny. I also find Shearer a comic genius. Spinal Tap, The Simpsons, Fernwood 2-Night, and SNL have all benefited from his collaboration, just to name a few of his credits. Can't disagree more about the asshole part.
posted by Toekneesan at 4:25 PM on February 26, 2008

I don't know, it was kinda surreal just watching her chew.

I had the same reaction. It was like watching a blonde llama chewing its cud, with the big eyes and the long lashes and the vacant stare and the sideways nom-nom-nom.

Which isn't bad, I guess. Llamas are cute.

Pero las llamas son peligrosas. Si usted ve a una llama donde gente esta nadando, grita [[Cuidado! Llamas!]]
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:26 PM on February 26, 2008

You know who Coulter reminded me of, with her eyeliner and pallor? I like turtles!
posted by mrnutty at 4:29 PM on February 26, 2008

Harry Shearer is a great voice, a good actor and a terrible writer.
posted by DU at 4:40 PM on February 26, 2008

Cuidado, cuidado, cuidado, cuidado, llamas!
posted by ooga_booga at 4:46 PM on February 26, 2008

I thought Mitt Romney was the dog torturer.

No. That's Jennifer Love Hewitt. Mitt Romney is the Torture Whisperer. Or is that the Ghost Torturer-er?

?

God dammit. Now I'm all confused.
posted by tkchrist at 5:01 PM on February 26, 2008

Le Show with its phone calls between 41 and 43 have had me on the floor more than once.
posted by zzazazz at 5:12 PM on February 26, 2008

I liked this a lot. Thanks!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:44 PM on February 26, 2008

I thought Mitt Romney was the dog torturer.

Both, I think. If I recall correctly, Mitt was the one who supposedly put his dog on the roof of his car on the highway for several hours. Huckabee's son was the one who was arrested for animal abuse and then the sheriff was allegedly pressured to let him go.

The Republicans were trying to lock in the dog-hater vote, I guess.
posted by cecilkorik at 5:46 PM on February 26, 2008

I get the impression that Harry Shearer is kind of a smug asshole.

Have you ever listened to his radio show. Smug assholes isnt half of it. Its just this broken bitter old man reading headlines and making easy Bush/Cheney jabs. He's the main reason why I dont give to public radio anymore.
posted by damn dirty ape at 6:01 PM on February 26, 2008

I don't get all the Shearer hate.

Anyway, funniest thing I ever heard him do on Le Show was a bit on Rush Limbaugh after he got busted for pills. Had me on the floor. I can't really get into the show on a regular basis, though. It's a little too dry. But he's done so many great roles in his career that it doesn't really matter. He's great in almost everything else.
posted by krinklyfig at 6:30 PM on February 26, 2008

Is there any word that's synonymous with "synonymous"? Something with a little more of that "morning show" flavor?

Certainly not homophonic.
posted by Pollomacho at 6:43 PM on February 26, 2008

I like Shearer's acting, but I absolutely cannot listen to Le Show. When it comes on the radio it's a mad, fighting dash between my girlfriend and myself to see who can hit the power button first.

Yes, he can be funny, but Le Show is just smugtastically bad stuff.
posted by tgrundke at 7:01 PM on February 26, 2008

Snark™, a copyrighted feature of Metafilter.
posted by mosch at 7:29 PM on February 26, 2008 [2 favorites]

Revisit the Couric video pedmands posted so you can hear her say "guiliani's dead" with the whacking motion, and the ensuing "OMGWHAT"ness of the scene.
posted by boo_radley at 7:56 PM on February 26, 2008

I don't get all the Shearer hate.

Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. As you say, the radio show's not that great (though I'm sure it has its moments, I listened to precisely two podcasts, had a mild "WTF is the big deal" reaction, and unsubscribed), but he's a pretty damn good comedic actor. "Le Show" just struck me as a liberal Paul Harvey, only with more "Jesus, people who disagree with me are idiots" and the occasional novelty song. And his appearance on "Wait, Wait" (further unprofessional note: the same guy who produces "Wait Wait" also produces "Car Talk", which Peter Sagal went to great pains to point out after Shearer took a big shit on the show) left me with a bad taste in my mouth. So I stick with the acting and avoid the original material. As a comedic writer, he's a very good comedic actor.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:34 PM on February 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

I for one am thrilled to see the Shearer digs here. I liked him a lot for a long time, and he has done lots & lots of funny stuff, but the more I saw of him, I've got to be honest...the more he seemed like a smug asshole.

Christopher Guest too.
posted by stinkycheese at 8:45 PM on February 26, 2008

I've been listening to Harry's Le Show regularly for about six years ago. It's sometimes funny, always useful. His stated purpose is "to make fun of everyone". Yeah, it irritates me when he makes fun of decent people. But his perspective on US politics is unique and essential.
posted by neuron at 9:53 PM on February 26, 2008

Eesh, this is sad, I foresee a coming NPR-fan fight between Car Talk and Le Show crowds on metafilter next time there's a thread about them.
posted by peppito at 9:56 PM on February 26, 2008

Shearer doesn't/didn't like 'Car Talk.' Sounds like he considers it gimmicky.

I can't stand Car Talk. It's like NPR is trying to punish me for staying in bed too long on weekends.
posted by cytherea at 9:58 PM on February 26, 2008

Click to explore Harry.

Um. No. No, thank you.
posted by ruddhist at 10:51 PM on February 26, 2008

Jesus. If I chewed nicotine gum the way Coulter does in the first clip, I'd be projectile vomiting for the next half hour.
posted by maryh at 11:52 PM on February 26, 2008

Anagrams of 'smug' include 'gums' and 'mugs', both of which seem appropriate to Mr. Shearer's toothless attention-seeking ways.*

*I have been known to listen to both Car Talk and Le Show, though not at the same time.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:53 PM on February 26, 2008

Because of this thread, I listened to the podcast of Shearer's appearance on Wait Wait. Wow. As a long time Car Talk fan, and Harry Shearer fan, I gotta say... I'd rather spend an hour listening to the fun-but-sometimes-annoying-self-deprecating-laughter of Tom and Ray than than the pucker-faced-self-important-smugness of Shearer. The audience and panel on Wait Wait seemed a bit taken aback as well.

I could even understand not wanting to announce the show if it was politically or morally opposed to your own views. But this is Car Talk. A silly show that knows it's a silly show, that happens to help a few people along the way. It's like accusing Sponge Bob of being too silly. Shearer is just being rude.
posted by The Deej at 5:12 AM on February 27, 2008 [1 favorite]