Maximum Fun - Home of The Sound of Young America, Jordan Jesse Go, and things that are awesome.

Tracy Morgan and Terry Gross

Jesse Thorn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:22:59 +0000

This is old news now, but I hadn't had time to give it a proper listen yet.

A) I feel that Tracy's emotion is very real in this. Some people have suggested it's a put-on of some kind. Tracy is obviously kind of a ridiculous guy, but he's a sincerely ridiculous guy. And I think Tracy talking about appreciation of someone caring about his story for real is true.

B) Terry Gross' greatest strength as an interviewer, among many strengths, is her humility. She doesn't make any assumptions, she just asks sincere questions. Which was exactly the right thing to do in a situation where Tracy is a little uncomfortable and not afraid to poke her a little. And that's why he responded so honestly.

C) There is a moment where Morgan starts to break down. There's an eternity of silence (in radio terms - long enough that it may have been longer in real life, because they couldn't have left it any longer on the air or people would think their radios were broken). Then Terry starts to ask a question, then asks if Morgan is OK. I've heard criticism of Gross' approach here. I think it's worth remembering that they (I presume) weren't in the same room, and it was a very tough situation for Gross to read and navigate. I think she did a great job.

D) Morgan's analysis of his work in SNL is very trenchant. Tracy Morgan has *always* been as funny as he is on 30 Rock. Always. He was also very tonally different from the tone of SNL when he joined (like many of the show's black castmembers have been), and he isn't a writer. He talks insightfully about how Lorne Michaels changed the course of his career - taught him that he had to stretch. He gives great credit to Tina Fey for finding a way to put what's funny about Tracy on the air. He admits that he had to learn to collaborate with people who were very, very different from him to share that. Those are great insights, in my opinion.

E) As someone on Twitter shared with me, anybody dissing Terry gets The Gas Face from me.

Jason Segel Serenades The Swell Season

Jesse Thorn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:48:35 +0000

The Swell Season, the indie band best known as the stars of the lovely film Once, invited Jason Segel to perform an original song with them. So he wrote this one, which makes every rock star's goals explicit.

Randy Newman - Easy Street

Jesse Thorn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:07:26 +0000

So casually does The Newm eviscerate the Lindsey Lohans of the world.

The American Budget Network

Jesse Thorn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:32:58 +0000

Music on The Daily Habit

Jesse Thorn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:49:58 +0000

If you're a Jordan, Jesse, Go! listener, you know that Jordan's day job is as a correspondent on Fuel TV's The Daily Habit. If you're not the action sports type, you've probably missed out on the great music they book on the show.

Above, past TSOYA guests The Hold Steady perform "Stay Positive." Below, past TSOYA guest Brother Ali performs "The Preacher." Check out the music section of the Fuel site for even more from folks like Dinosaur Jr., Raekwon, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Art Brut, Busta Rhymes and a million others.

Merry Christmas America

Jesse Thorn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:20:13 +0000

Merry Christmas America!

Sincerely,
Bob Dylan
An Awesome Christmas Jew

Jimmy Pardo: Home Run King

Jesse Thorn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:25 +0000

That's called a home run, folks.

Jimmy interviewing celebs for GQ magazine.

GOOD LOOK, GQ. GOOD LOOK.

Boy Finds His Own Real-Life ET

Jesse Thorn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:51:48 +0000

Boy Finds Own Real-Life E.T.

The opening take by the female co-host is so amazing I can hardly contain myself.

GODDAMMIT

Jesse Thorn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:41:53 +0000

ALWAYS GOTTA BE ONE STEP AHEAD, HUH IRA?

My Life Is Good

Jesse Thorn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:57:12 +0000

This is one of my ten favorite things of all time.