Last night's edition of CBS's The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson featured the host getting all incensed as soon as the show started. He began to rant and rave (more ranting than raving) about American political coverage, the presidential campaigns and national apathy about voting.
He was like Howard Beale in Network, talking directly to the American people, as Peter Finch's character did in that classic 1976 Paddy Chayefsky film. Telling them he was mad as hell, and telling them why.
And you know what? It made for great television.
What's wonderful about Ferguson -- and I've said this about the guy since the beginning, since he was trying out for the job -- is that he's such a natural broadcaster. He not only thinks on his feet, he talks on his feet. Bouncing from topic to topic, pouncing on punch lines, ad libbing his way through more cleverness in one nightly monologue than many standup comics do in an entire cable special.
But there are times when Ferguson quits clowning and speaks honestly, passionately, unguardedly. He did it when his father died, when Johnny Carson died, when he became an American citizen, and on a few other occasions. On Wednesday's show, he did it again.
Ferguson used all his tricks -- funny faces, screaming voices, walking towards and hitting the camera -- in a freeform address that left no constituency ungored. Democrats, Republicans, MSNBC, Fox News, politicians, voters and, most especially, non-voters. Some memorable Howard Beale-ish excerpts include:
ABOUT TV COVERAGE OF THE CAMPAIGN: "My belief and my hope is that the American people are smarter than the media that are meant to be serving them."
ABOUT THE CANDIDATES' FAMILIES: "If their families are off limits, why are they on stage, profiled in People magazine? The children are seen marching around. Shame on you, you manipulative hypocrites -- I'm talking both sides."
ABOUT THE CULT OF PERSONALITY: "Politics is covered like showbiz now. On the Today show this morning, 'Which candidate would you rather have dinner with?' Here's an easy answer: None. They're politicians. I don't want dinner with you, and I don't want your friendship. Here is what I want to know: What are you going to do for the country, pal?"
ON COVERING THE CAMPAIGN LIGHTLY: "I like The Daily Show. I like Jon Stewart. He does a bang-up job. He does a great job, but let him do it. The rest of the TV news people, take this thing seriously! This is important!"
ON WATCHING TV NEWS: "We, all of us, have a responsibility - you have to get your news from actual news sources. Not just one, cause they are all biased. Especially cable channels. MSNBC, very liberal. FOX News, very conservative. The Animal Planet -- always meerkats, never badgers."
ON VOTING: "it's your duty to vote! The foundation in this democracy is based on free people making free choices. So, young people, if you can't take your hand out of your bag of Cheetos long enough to fill out a form, then you can't complain when we wind up with President Sanjaya."