Seth Meyers – a comic and late night talk show host who I adore – released a comedy special on Netflix this week called “Lobby Baby.”
It was very good. Not great, but perhaps that’s because I had heard chunks of the special before as parts of monologues on his show, but I still enjoyed it immensely.
But there was a moment that did not sit well with me.
About halfway through the show, Meyers indicated that he was about to spend some time talking about politics.
“I know there are people who don’t like jokes about politics,” he says. “And because this is on Netflix, it presents us with the unique opportunity. We’re going to have an option for people watching at home to skip politics.”
Meyers then points to the left, and a box appears that reads “Skip Politics.” He gives viewers a chance to click, and then he says, “I appreciate that there are people who think there are too many jokes about Donald Trump, and they say, ‘When are the jokes about Donald Trump going to stop?’ The only thing I’ll say is that the jokes are the only good thing about living through the Donald Trump era.”
I don’t like this one bit.
First, this sounds to me like pandering to Donald Trump supporters.
These are Americans who support a racist, corrupt, traitorous President who puts migrant children in cages and brags about committing sexual assault. These are people who love to refer to people like Seth Meyers as snowflakes. Yet when it comes to exposing them to content that they might not like, they must be offered a “Skip Politics” option?
The most easily triggered folks in America, who constantly besmirch the mental fortitude of people unlike themselves, now need a “Skip Politics” button lest Seth Myers offend their fragile sensibilities?
Give me a break.
Also, if you’re watching a Seth Meyers comedy special, you should know what you’re getting. Meyers has become famous and beloved for his willingness to take on the President night after night on his talk show. If you’re a thin-skinned Trump supporter and you think that Seth Meyers isn’t going to talk about politics in his comedy special, you’re crazy. In fact, both Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers are now the leaders in their late night time slots respectively, crushing the likes of Jimmy Fallon, because of their willingness to take on the President.
Of course Seth Meyers is going to make fun of Donald Trump. Don’t watch it if you can’t handle it.
But here’s what I hate most about this “Skip Politics” button:
Meyers is not being himself. He’s stripping away his authenticity in favor of placating viewers. I hate this so much. I love Seth Meyers because he is funny and honest and humble. I love the diversity of his writing staff and his willingness to feature them on his show. I love that he is a patriot who refuses to play to the middle.
Except “Skip Politics” is playing to the middle.
Comedy is not supposed to be about catering to the feelings of your audience. It’s not supposed to be presented buffet-style. Comedy is supposed to make you laugh and challenge your beliefs and sometimes punch you in the face. It’s supposed to be performed by someone who is willing to say the real, raw, uncomfortably honest things on their mind.
“Skip Politics” does none of this.
My suspicion is that Netflix asked Meyers to consider this option. Hoping to garner more viewers and keep the low-information Trump voters happy about the platform, they asked Meyers to placate them with “Skip Politics.”
And Meyers agreed.
It doesn’t make me any less disappointed in him.
Whether “Skip Politics” was his choice or a request from the network, it should never have happened. It’s an affront to everything that comedy is supposed to represent, and it strips away the honesty and authenticity of a man who is honest and authentic every night for millions of viewers.
Why should his comedy special be any different?
It shouldn’t.
