Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 11 July 2017
Q&A: Franken, Letterman

take on climate change

By LINDSEY BAHR late-night television in the through. I know there’s
AP Film Writer Trump era and jokes about trouble in this country and
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Da- the president that cross the we need a guy who can
vid Letterman and Sen. Al line. fix that trouble. I wish it was
Franken were both feel- The remarks have been ed- Trump, but it’s not, so let’s
ing frustrated about pes- ited for clarity and brevity. just stop whining about
simism around the topic of AP: What do you hope to what a goon he is and fig-
climate change — so they accomplish with this series? ure out a way to take him
In this May 30, 2017 file photo, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., right,
and former talk show host David Letterman arrive for their got together to talk about Letterman: To me, people aside and put him in a
conversation at 92Y in New York. it. Thankfully they invited ought to be aware of this, home.
Associated Press some cameras along, too, people ought to have this AP: Sen. Franken had been
with the help of Funny or Die tucked in their wallet. Peo- critical of Kathy Griffin for
and the Primetime Emmy ple ought to walk around how she spoke out. Do you
Award-winning “Years of with this every day in the think she took it too far?
Living Dangerously.” back of their mind and peo- Letterman: As you and I
The fruits of their conver- ple ought to be aware and know, you can make jokes
sations can be seen in the be educated and looking about anything. But you
digital series “Boiling the forward to things that they have to be prepared to an-
Frog with Senator Al Fran- might do to help their kids swer the criticism so that’s
ken.” Their talks run the and their children’s kids. I just what that was. She
gamut from serious to fun- think it’s better in that re- made a joke. Others have
ny as they take on every- gard than it used to be — made jokes that were bet-
thing from coal and car- the current administration ter or worse. And she just
bon prices to Letterman’s notwithstanding. When you had to answer for it. ... I felt
retirement beard in the six travel places and I know in bad for her. I would not
5-minute shorts that begin California the same thing have made the joke. I think
rolling out Monday on fun- is true, you see enormous and say things to my friends
nyordie.com and its Face- solar installations, you see that are worse. But he’s so
book page with a new in- enormous wind farms that sensitive. He doesn’t under-
stallment each week. 10 years ago did not ex- stand why people aren’t
For Sen. Franken, it’s an ef- ist. I am aware firsthand nicer to him in the press
fort to “fight back” against through traveling here and and you just say, well, ‘Don-
the creeping apathy and abroad that people are nie, look at the tone of the
disregard toward science aware of this and doing campaign that you ran.’
and climate change. things about it. AP: In one of the episodes
“Since taking office, Presi- AP: Speaking of the current you tell Sen. Franken that
dent Trump has decided administration, late-night you’re constantly look-
to disregard science in or- seems to have become ing for a version of his life
der to repeatedly put the mostly Trump jokes and ti- where what you do is truly
short-sighted interests of his rades. Do you miss not be- meaningful. Do you feel
friends in the fossil fuel in- ing part of that? like you’ve been able to
dustry ahead of the safety Letterman: Here’s what accomplish that in your re-
of our planet,” Franken I keep saying: We know tirement?
said. “We hope to bring there’s something wrong, Letterman: No, no, and it
some much needed atten- but what I’m tired of is peo- frustrates me. I’ll tell you the
tion to this critical issue and ple, daily, nightly, on all the climate situation and gun
ultimately, to help encour- cable news shows telling us control makes me crazy.
age people in Minnesota, there’s something wrong. I And the fact that 30 mil-
Dave’s home state of Indi- just think we ought to direct lion people in this country
ana and all Americans to our resources and our en- are hungry every day. The
make their voices heard ergies to doing something answer to your question,
and join the fight to com- about it. And other people the long and the short of
bat climate change.” have made this point: If it, is no, and I find it deeply,
Letterman recently did an the guy was running Dairy deeply frustrating. That’s
episode of “Years of Living Queen, he’d be gone. This why I would do anything
Dangerously” in which he guy couldn’t work at The with Al, I would go any-
traveled to India to learn Gap. So why do we have where with Al. Because on
about what the country is to be victimized by his feck- the other hand, I always
doing about power and lessness, his ignorance? wondered about what it
climate. But it’s just the behavior looked like when a celebri-
He said he would “do any- is insulting to Americans, ty got up and talked about
thing on this topic” and whether you voted for him people who didn’t have
“anything for Al.” or not — and I feel bad for shoelaces, but it’s killing
“He gives me hope, he people who did vote for me. And I think Al to a cer-
gives me faith,” Letterman him because he promised tain extent felt that same
said. them things that they really frustration. He’s figured out
Letterman also spoke to needed and one wonders a way to do it and it’s been
The Associated Press about if he’s really going to come successful. q