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Okay, we're all set.
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1, 2, 3, look away!
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-Norm Macdonald!
-Norm Macdonald.
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-I'm gonna throw up.
-[Laughing]
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Norm Macdonald,
everybody!
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[narrator] Norm Macdonald's
blend of deadpan jokes
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and meandering humour
earned him a spot
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00:00:21,772 --> 00:00:23,315
with the comedy greats.
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Norm Macdonald was
never not funny.
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He is truly the
comic's comic.
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He was above the room.
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You know, I'm a very lazy
guy, I just hang around
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on my coach and watch TV,
that's all I do, you know?
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-[Laughing]
-Lazy.
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I could get hit by
a truck tomorrow,
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a big truck could hit me,
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paralyze me from
the neck down...
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wouldn't affect my
lifestyle a bit.
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Norm was sort of
like a young old man.
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He has this
everyday uncle,
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in the backyard,
kind of a feel.
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Yeah, yeah, you know,
this guy over here.
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Got too many teeth
that's the problem.
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How many teeth do
you need really, hey?
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Five? Six?
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He could say anything
and it'll be funny.
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The only time you
admit you look bad.
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You ever see a guy,
no tooth up in
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the front there,
he got no tooth...
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man, you look
like a dork, boy.
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He was an SNL cast member
throughout the 90s,
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pushing the limits of comedy
as the anchor of
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the show's 'Weekend
Update' segments.
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Thanks. I'm Norm Macdonald,
and now the fake news.
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He really took big swings.
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You can't really take the
culture of comedy to the
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next level if you're not
taking those big swings,
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if you're not taking
those big risks.
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It just seemed like he was
whitewater rafting
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through his career
and enjoying the...
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the turbulence.
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As Norm once said to me,
"Gambling is the most
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interesting thing
in the world."
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He had some troubles
with gambling.
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He had a problem with
gambling at times, I think.
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Uh... I've lost everything
I own three times.
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His gambler's mentality
is what made him
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such a risk-taking comedian.
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Norm Macdonald really
did not want to be told
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what he could
and couldn't do.
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Why would a comic who
had everything
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risk losing it all,
over and over again?
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He not only poked the bear,
he was kicking the bear.
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That's a little scoop
for the viewers.
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[Overlapping voices]
Ladies and gentlemen!
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You are about to
be entertained!
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Getting the laugh is
the greatest addiction.
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They want more of it,
they want more of it.
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She was getting death threats.
It [beep] with your head!
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He's out of his skull!
That's what took her down.
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This is a crazy story.
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-Burt Reynolds?
-That's not my name.
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[Laughing]
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Okay, Turd Ferguson.
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[Laughing]
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Yeah, what do you want?
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[Laughing]
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He influenced comedy.
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I think he's one of those
people where his influence
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in comedy can never
really be overstated.
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Norm had a natural rhythm
and a way of talking,
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and a way of thinking, like
nobody else I ever hung with.
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'Cause I grew up on a farm.
I had no running water.
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You had no running
water, right?
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What did you think
of an outhouse?
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'Cause that's what I
remember as the worst thing
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about growing up on a farm.
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-Yeah, we had an outhouse.
-Was the goddamn outhouse.
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It was the most terrifying
place in the ----ing world.
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Norm Macdonald
was born in 1959.
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The middle child
of three brothers.
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Norm...
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well, like a lot of people,
he absorbed television
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as a child, and the stuff
that he saw as a kid
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was the stuff that had the
greatest influence.
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This is the CBC
television network.
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In Canada, in those days,
there wasn't much television.
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'Hockey Night in Canada',
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the comedy team of
Wayne and Shuster,
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which was the only
comedy show on CBC
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for a generation.
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I'm Randy Dash,
old friend of Norm's.
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Norm and I had a
common interest
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we found right away
was TV shows,
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especially classic
retro stuff.
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Norm's father was almost a
generation older than
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the fathers of
his schoolmates.
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I understand that 'cause I
have a father who is of the
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00:04:06,204 --> 00:04:10,584
same generation, and it's
a bit cold and standoffish,
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you don't display a lot
of emotion and things.
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And from what I saw, that's
sort of how Percy was.
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Norm was sort of like a young
old man, or an old young man,
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you know, he had these
elderly catchphrases and
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references and nuances,
and certainly he
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acquired those
from his father.
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Norm used his ease of,
of creating
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comedy and levity to
impress his father.
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He graduated from high school
at the age of 14 in Ottawa
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and Norm went to Carlton
University in Ottawa
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starting at
the age of 16.
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So, in every capacity
he's ahead of the class.
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Norm had just finished the
year of journalism and quit.
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At loose ends after
leaving college,
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00:05:03,887 --> 00:05:06,932
Norm decides to take a
shot at stand-up comedy.
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He told me that he
was going to do
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amateur night open
mic at Yuk Yuk's.
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He was really nervous,
very nervous,
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even fidgety,
couldn't focus.
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They had a giant sign
right behind the comic,
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and Norm got up there and
it was brilliant stuff.
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He started in Ottawa at
our Ottawa Yuk Yuk's.
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We had an amateur
night there,
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run by the manager,
Howard Wagner.
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Norm went on, did his five
minutes, and walked out.
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And as he walked out,
he muttered under
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his breath to Howard,
"Well, that's that.
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I'll never be doing that again.
I bombed."
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So Howard ran after
him into the street.
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He said, "You didn't
bomb at all, and in fact,
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I want you back here every
single amateur night
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until you are ready to
do regular nights."
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Then sometime in
the next year,
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he moved to
Toronto full time.
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You ever get a
present for your dog?
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My grandmother sent
my dog a sweater.
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[Laughing]
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What a waste of wool
that is there, boy...
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a sweater for a dog.
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I don't want to put it
on the dog,
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just humiliates the dog,
you know.
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What happens if
the dog gets lost?
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He's wearing a sweater.
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[Laughing]
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How long is he gonna
survive in the alleyways
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with that on,
you know?
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[Laughing]
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Them's means streets if
you're a wiener dog
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in a cardigan,
you know.
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I met Norm Macdonald
back in the 80s and
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he was performing at
Yuk Yuk's in Toronto.
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He was sort of part of
the whole group of
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young comedians that
were kinda the...
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kinda the new, the new
vanguard of comedy in Toronto.
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I'm Dave Foley,
arguably a comedian.
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Norm, after they started
hiring him locally,
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would then start to
get billed in Montreal.
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In 1986, norm Macdonald
gets the biggest break
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00:07:09,387 --> 00:07:11,264
a young comedian
can ask for.
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It's a stage that catapults
the careers of many of
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00:07:14,059 --> 00:07:15,685
the comedians of the day.
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Every agent and manager
in comedy is at
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'Just for Laughs,' and
there's a huge buzz
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00:07:21,107 --> 00:07:22,817
around Norm Macdonald.
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I remember Norm
getting sick back then.
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But before he can capitalize
on the opportunity,
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Norm receives
devastating news.
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He is very private,
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00:07:35,372 --> 00:07:37,999
and he didn't speak
much about it.
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He was in the hospital.
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Norm never talked about
his physical stuff.
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In 1987, Norm was
diagnosed with cancer,
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and I believe it
was stomach cancer.
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And I think he told me
because we were trying to
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book him and he kept
saying, "I can't go.
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I can't go.
I can't do it."
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And he told me why,
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00:07:58,186 --> 00:08:00,146
and he asked me not to
tell people. He said,
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00:08:00,146 --> 00:08:02,607
"The only other person I
told was Jeremy Hotz."
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Who was a comic
out of, out of Ottawa.
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00:08:06,361 --> 00:08:08,321
Well, at the time
we thought, "Well,
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00:08:08,321 --> 00:08:12,117
let's go visit him." So we
went all the way out to
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some suburb that he was
living in, in a high rise,
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00:08:15,370 --> 00:08:19,499
and Norm came to the door,
and he was in just a
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00:08:19,499 --> 00:08:23,420
ratty bathrobe, and he had
the complexion of concrete,
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00:08:23,420 --> 00:08:28,258
and, you know, we, we spent
the afternoon talking to him
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00:08:28,258 --> 00:08:31,803
and stuff and trying
to make him laugh.
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Then we took a cab back
and Jeremy said to me,
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00:08:34,639 --> 00:08:38,184
"He's gonna die, man.
He's gonna die."
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00:08:38,184 --> 00:08:39,644
And he didn't.
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00:08:39,644 --> 00:08:41,521
Norm takes a break
to recuperate,
191
00:08:41,521 --> 00:08:44,607
then a year later he
returns to the stage.
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00:08:44,607 --> 00:08:47,235
Norm was starting
to get these gigs.
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00:08:47,235 --> 00:08:50,113
There was this gristmill of
just throwing stand-up comics
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00:08:50,113 --> 00:08:52,449
on TV constantly,
and so
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00:08:52,449 --> 00:08:54,659
Norm was getting
exposure that way.
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00:08:54,659 --> 00:08:56,453
But I think to
Norm personally,
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00:08:56,453 --> 00:09:00,165
'The Pat Sajak Show' didn't
really mean much to him.
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00:09:00,165 --> 00:09:01,999
'George Schlatter's
Comedy Club,'
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00:09:01,999 --> 00:09:03,543
that appearance was
something he wasn't
200
00:09:03,543 --> 00:09:05,420
proud of, and
'Star Search,' I think
201
00:09:05,420 --> 00:09:07,505
he found kind
of demeaning.
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00:09:07,505 --> 00:09:10,050
Norm borrowed a suit from
somebody because
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00:09:10,050 --> 00:09:11,676
he didn't own
his own suit.
204
00:09:11,676 --> 00:09:13,303
He looked like he's in a
David Byrne music video
205
00:09:13,303 --> 00:09:16,681
with these giant overside
shoulders, you know.
206
00:09:16,681 --> 00:09:20,602
Norm had only one
prize in mind.
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00:09:20,602 --> 00:09:23,480
And now making his
network television debut,
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00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,858
ladies and gentlemen, please
welcome Norm Macdonald.
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00:09:26,858 --> 00:09:29,194
-Norm?
-[Applauding]
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00:09:29,194 --> 00:09:31,112
So I had his dream, do
you ever have a dream,
211
00:09:31,112 --> 00:09:34,240
and then you wake up right in
the middle of a great dream,
212
00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,242
and then you're back in
your stinking life again?
213
00:09:36,242 --> 00:09:38,828
[Laughing]
214
00:09:38,828 --> 00:09:42,874
So then you try to fall
asleep, re-dream it.
215
00:09:42,874 --> 00:09:46,628
Norm was completely
elated to appear on
216
00:09:46,628 --> 00:09:49,255
'Late Night with
David Letterman.'
217
00:09:49,255 --> 00:09:52,842
That was one thing he had
always been working towards.
218
00:09:52,842 --> 00:09:55,637
He hadn't heard anyone else
quite structure a joke
219
00:09:55,637 --> 00:09:57,430
the way Norm did.
You know?
220
00:09:57,430 --> 00:10:01,351
That slow delivery, that-
[Stammering]
221
00:10:01,351 --> 00:10:02,560
I tell ya.
222
00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:04,062
You ever lie for
no reason at all?
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00:10:04,062 --> 00:10:06,356
Just all of a sudden a big
lie spills out of
224
00:10:06,356 --> 00:10:09,025
your evil head there?
You know?
225
00:10:09,025 --> 00:10:10,777
You don't even know like a
guy come up to you, go,
226
00:10:10,777 --> 00:10:13,279
"Hey, you ever see that
movie with Meryl Streep
227
00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:16,491
and a horse"?
And you go, "Yes."
228
00:10:16,491 --> 00:10:20,411
[Laughing]
229
00:10:20,411 --> 00:10:21,412
And in the back of
your head you go,
230
00:10:21,412 --> 00:10:22,789
"What the hell am I
lying about over here"?
231
00:10:22,789 --> 00:10:24,332
[Laughing]
232
00:10:24,332 --> 00:10:26,209
"I stand to gain
nothing by this lie."
233
00:10:26,209 --> 00:10:28,711
[Laughing]
234
00:10:28,711 --> 00:10:30,630
"The hell am I thinking
back here in my head"?
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00:10:30,630 --> 00:10:33,049
Norm Macdonald's style
of comedy was a
236
00:10:33,049 --> 00:10:36,886
brilliant mix of, sort of
an, "Aw shucks.
237
00:10:36,886 --> 00:10:38,930
I'm a little naive
about the world."
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00:10:38,930 --> 00:10:40,682
I don't know, man.
I gotta get in shape,
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00:10:40,682 --> 00:10:42,725
that's what I gotta do.
Work out, be a big,
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00:10:42,725 --> 00:10:44,602
I haven't worked
out for a... ever.
241
00:10:44,602 --> 00:10:46,604
-I never worked out.
-[Laughing]
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00:10:46,604 --> 00:10:48,398
I was gonna lie
there again.
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00:10:48,398 --> 00:10:53,820
Mixed in with a very
smart subversive tone,
244
00:10:53,820 --> 00:10:56,155
so that the audiences
weren't sure
245
00:10:56,155 --> 00:10:58,158
where this guy
was coming from.
246
00:10:58,158 --> 00:10:59,033
You ever meet
those old guys,
247
00:10:59,033 --> 00:11:00,743
doesn't matter what the
hell they do to themselves,
248
00:11:00,743 --> 00:11:02,412
you know, they still
grow old?
249
00:11:02,412 --> 00:11:03,872
[Laughing]
250
00:11:03,872 --> 00:11:05,373
Be the oldest bastard you
ever met in your life,
251
00:11:05,373 --> 00:11:06,499
you know?
Guy goes,
252
00:11:06,499 --> 00:11:08,459
"Every day I smoke
four packs of cigarettes."
253
00:11:08,459 --> 00:11:09,627
[Laughing]
254
00:11:09,627 --> 00:11:11,754
"I drink a bottle
of Jack Daniels,
255
00:11:11,754 --> 00:11:14,299
and I hit myself in the
head with a shovel every day."
256
00:11:14,299 --> 00:11:16,551
[Laughing & applauding]
257
00:11:16,551 --> 00:11:19,095
"I'd like to die."
258
00:11:19,095 --> 00:11:21,890
Norm is becoming a hot ticket
on the stand-up circuit,
259
00:11:21,890 --> 00:11:24,684
but just when his career
looks about to explode
260
00:11:24,684 --> 00:11:26,686
he reveals an
entirely different,
261
00:11:26,686 --> 00:11:28,938
darker side of himself.
262
00:11:28,938 --> 00:11:32,150
We used to go on trips,
the comics and myself.
263
00:11:32,150 --> 00:11:34,819
We used to go to
Vegas a lot,
264
00:11:34,819 --> 00:11:37,155
and we took Norm on
one of these trips.
265
00:11:37,155 --> 00:11:40,617
It was the first time he'd
ever even been in a casino.
266
00:11:40,617 --> 00:11:43,828
And the way the trip would
start was we would
267
00:11:43,828 --> 00:11:46,706
go to this, sort of
downscale casino.
268
00:11:46,706 --> 00:11:50,376
Not to gamble, but for
the footlong hotdog,
269
00:11:50,376 --> 00:11:52,545
which was only a buck.
270
00:11:52,545 --> 00:11:55,131
And we look over, Norm's
not having a hot dog,
271
00:11:55,131 --> 00:11:57,300
Norm's already gambling.
272
00:11:57,300 --> 00:12:00,845
On that trip he never even
checked into his room.
273
00:12:00,845 --> 00:12:04,224
All he did was play
at the tables,
274
00:12:04,224 --> 00:12:06,684
and refused to even,
275
00:12:06,684 --> 00:12:09,354
he wouldn't go for dinner
with us, he wouldn't,
276
00:12:09,354 --> 00:12:12,482
we went to a couple of shows,
he didn't want to go to shows.
277
00:12:12,482 --> 00:12:16,027
Well, I'd never seen
anything like it.
278
00:12:16,027 --> 00:12:18,780
This was the thing
that was his vice.
279
00:12:18,780 --> 00:12:21,491
Something just
clicked in his brain.
280
00:12:21,491 --> 00:12:26,162
♪
281
00:12:33,670 --> 00:12:35,129
Ladies and gentlemen,
Norm Macdonald!
282
00:12:35,129 --> 00:12:38,341
It's 1991, and now living
in Los Angeles
283
00:12:38,341 --> 00:12:40,677
Norm's career
hits a new peak.
284
00:12:40,677 --> 00:12:43,554
He's offered his
own HBO special.
285
00:12:43,554 --> 00:12:45,431
Wow! Good to see you,
good crowd here.
286
00:12:45,431 --> 00:12:46,766
How are you doing tonight?
You alright?
287
00:12:46,766 --> 00:12:48,434
Yeah!
288
00:12:48,434 --> 00:12:50,186
[Sighing] Well it's
good to be here, man.
289
00:12:50,186 --> 00:12:52,313
I came down here, I got a,
I got a lift down here.
290
00:12:52,313 --> 00:12:54,065
We drove down, me and
my two buddies there,
291
00:12:54,065 --> 00:12:56,484
and four hours it took
us to drive down here.
292
00:12:56,484 --> 00:12:58,486
And I was in the
backseat all the way.
293
00:12:58,486 --> 00:13:00,196
You ever be in the
backseat for a long trip?
294
00:13:00,196 --> 00:13:03,157
Oh man, does that
stink or what?
295
00:13:03,157 --> 00:13:06,327
Man! What a rough
place that is.
296
00:13:06,327 --> 00:13:08,413
And when there's only 3
of you in the car, you know,
297
00:13:08,413 --> 00:13:10,206
and you're in the
backseat, you know,
298
00:13:10,206 --> 00:13:12,292
you know you're not the
most popular guy in the car.
299
00:13:12,292 --> 00:13:15,753
[Laughing]
300
00:13:15,753 --> 00:13:17,463
Nothing back there.
301
00:13:17,463 --> 00:13:18,548
You can't talk to them,
you know?
302
00:13:18,548 --> 00:13:20,341
You got that class
barrier, front seat,
303
00:13:20,341 --> 00:13:21,843
back seat thing there,
you can't...
304
00:13:21,843 --> 00:13:23,886
you can't smash
through that, you know?
305
00:13:23,886 --> 00:13:27,306
You ever try and just stick
your head into the front seat?
306
00:13:27,306 --> 00:13:31,269
-You go, "Hi"!
-[Laughing]
307
00:13:31,269 --> 00:13:33,771
"What are you guys
talking about?
308
00:13:33,771 --> 00:13:35,898
It's me from
the backseat."
309
00:13:35,898 --> 00:13:37,316
[Laughing]
310
00:13:37,316 --> 00:13:39,110
"Okay, I'll go back then."
311
00:13:39,110 --> 00:13:41,571
It was not unusual for
a comedian to skyrocket,
312
00:13:41,571 --> 00:13:45,199
because the industry was
just discovering stand-up as
313
00:13:45,199 --> 00:13:48,911
an art form, and they were
basically giving TV deals
314
00:13:48,911 --> 00:13:51,748
and promoting anyone who
they thought potentially
315
00:13:51,748 --> 00:13:54,167
could be a sitcom star.
316
00:13:54,167 --> 00:13:55,793
Norm fit the bill.
317
00:13:55,793 --> 00:13:59,130
Dennis Miller gave me my
first job on his talk show
318
00:13:59,130 --> 00:14:00,631
that he had for
a couple of days.
319
00:14:00,631 --> 00:14:01,758
Now, how'd you do it?
320
00:14:01,758 --> 00:14:03,301
You went in and
pitched yourself?
321
00:14:03,301 --> 00:14:05,136
I mean, how do you get that
first break to go on
322
00:14:05,136 --> 00:14:06,554
the Dennis Miller show?
323
00:14:06,554 --> 00:14:07,847
Well, the only way I
ever got anything is
324
00:14:07,847 --> 00:14:10,224
I did stand-up, and some
guys would see me.
325
00:14:10,224 --> 00:14:11,851
Like, Roseanne saw me.
326
00:14:11,851 --> 00:14:13,770
I didn't watch
'Roseanne' at the time.
327
00:14:13,770 --> 00:14:17,106
I remember hearing that Norm
got hired as a writer on
328
00:14:17,106 --> 00:14:18,733
'Roseanne' and that
was a big deal.
329
00:14:18,733 --> 00:14:20,318
Norm's work on
Roseanne means
330
00:14:20,318 --> 00:14:22,653
he's suddenly
flush with cash.
331
00:14:22,653 --> 00:14:25,782
He now has more money
than ever to gamble away.
332
00:14:25,782 --> 00:14:28,451
Norm would work 12 to 14
hours a day in the writer's
333
00:14:28,451 --> 00:14:30,536
room of 'Roseanne.'
They'd finish up,
334
00:14:30,536 --> 00:14:32,997
and he and another guy from
there would just get in a car
335
00:14:32,997 --> 00:14:35,041
and like zip to
The Commerce.
336
00:14:35,041 --> 00:14:38,628
The Commerce is a small
casino on the outskirts of LA.
337
00:14:38,628 --> 00:14:41,047
Imagine being in a
giant bus station,
338
00:14:41,047 --> 00:14:42,882
and if everything was gone,
like all the stores and
339
00:14:42,882 --> 00:14:45,301
everything, and instead of
that there were poker tables.
340
00:14:45,301 --> 00:14:49,013
Now, poker clubs in
California are legal,
341
00:14:49,013 --> 00:14:51,057
so it's completely
legal gambling,
342
00:14:51,057 --> 00:14:53,976
but they're pretty
degenerate places.
343
00:14:53,976 --> 00:14:55,937
We'd be there, there'd be
guys eating super
344
00:14:55,937 --> 00:14:57,939
greasy food, and they're not
the kinds of guys who are
345
00:14:57,939 --> 00:14:59,899
gonna sit there with, like,
you know, wash and dries.
346
00:14:59,899 --> 00:15:01,275
You know, cleaning up
their hands
347
00:15:01,275 --> 00:15:02,527
before they
touch the cards.
348
00:15:02,527 --> 00:15:04,487
They would just touch the
cards with their greasy hands.
349
00:15:04,487 --> 00:15:07,073
You know, it was a
pretty crazy environment.
350
00:15:07,073 --> 00:15:08,741
You could be there for
days if you wanted.
351
00:15:08,741 --> 00:15:11,369
I mean if your money held out
and your stamina held out and
352
00:15:11,369 --> 00:15:13,204
you wanted to
keep gambling.
353
00:15:13,204 --> 00:15:15,414
You were in there
to play poker,
354
00:15:15,414 --> 00:15:20,002
and Norm fit right in. He
loved playing poker there.
355
00:15:20,002 --> 00:15:22,255
So, play poker all night,
then they go right back to
356
00:15:22,255 --> 00:15:24,090
'Roseanne' the next day.
357
00:15:24,090 --> 00:15:26,843
Despite Norm's endless
hours at the poker tables,
358
00:15:26,843 --> 00:15:28,970
his work on
'Roseanne' flourishes,
359
00:15:28,970 --> 00:15:32,640
soon attracting talent scouts
from 'Saturday Night Live.'
360
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:36,269
I didn't think Norm
was gonna get big.
361
00:15:36,269 --> 00:15:37,562
I didn't.
362
00:15:37,562 --> 00:15:39,313
And then as soon as the
'Saturday Night Live'
363
00:15:39,313 --> 00:15:41,858
thing happened...
364
00:15:41,858 --> 00:15:44,402
okay, it's real.
365
00:15:44,402 --> 00:15:47,989
In October 1993,
Norm makes his debut
366
00:15:47,989 --> 00:15:50,616
on 'Saturday Night Live.'
367
00:15:50,616 --> 00:15:53,119
I wasn't surprised at all
that Norm landed at SNL.
368
00:15:53,119 --> 00:15:54,579
He had the perfect
credentials.
369
00:15:54,579 --> 00:15:58,207
He had an original voice,
he was fearless,
370
00:15:58,207 --> 00:16:00,376
and he looked really
good on camera.
371
00:16:00,376 --> 00:16:02,086
But they really cleaned
him up on SNL,
372
00:16:02,086 --> 00:16:04,380
you know, got him out
of his plaid shirts.
373
00:16:04,380 --> 00:16:07,049
And they also saw in him as
somebody who could
374
00:16:07,049 --> 00:16:09,302
really kill it on the
update desk,
375
00:16:09,302 --> 00:16:11,554
which is a huge
component of the show.
376
00:16:11,554 --> 00:16:14,807
He wanted to do the closest
thing to stand-up that
377
00:16:14,807 --> 00:16:17,435
you could do on SNL.
378
00:16:17,435 --> 00:16:19,228
Hired as a regular
cast member,
379
00:16:19,228 --> 00:16:22,231
SNL producer Lorne Michaels
soon discovers the
380
00:16:22,231 --> 00:16:24,901
perfect vehicle
for Norm's style.
381
00:16:24,901 --> 00:16:27,904
Hi, I'm Norm Macdonald,
and now the fake news.
382
00:16:27,904 --> 00:16:29,864
He had that
exquisite delivery.
383
00:16:29,864 --> 00:16:33,201
In Walnut Creek, California,
anyone who turns in his gun
384
00:16:33,201 --> 00:16:36,537
can get free therapy,
and anyone who doesn't
385
00:16:36,537 --> 00:16:39,332
turn in his gun can
get free anything.
386
00:16:39,332 --> 00:16:42,210
[Laughing]
387
00:16:42,210 --> 00:16:45,171
Laughter is one
response to comedy,
388
00:16:45,171 --> 00:16:48,424
but I don't think it's the
only response to comedy,
389
00:16:48,424 --> 00:16:50,760
and Norm embodied that.
390
00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:54,514
Norm saw... bombing
391
00:16:54,514 --> 00:16:57,558
as part of the art form.
392
00:16:57,558 --> 00:16:59,310
"Wrong-Way Corrigan".
393
00:16:59,310 --> 00:17:02,647
A man who once flew all the
way to Ireland by mistake,
394
00:17:02,647 --> 00:17:05,650
died this week
at the age of 88.
395
00:17:05,650 --> 00:17:07,735
"It was just like him,"
said his wife.
396
00:17:07,735 --> 00:17:09,737
"He was trying to live."
397
00:17:09,737 --> 00:17:11,697
[Laughing]
398
00:17:11,697 --> 00:17:14,116
When the audience
didn't laugh...
399
00:17:14,116 --> 00:17:15,701
He got it all wrong.
400
00:17:15,701 --> 00:17:17,828
He stared at the camera,
and just
401
00:17:17,828 --> 00:17:21,249
dared you not to laugh.
402
00:17:21,249 --> 00:17:24,710
47 year old Adrienne Brown,
wife of soul legend
403
00:17:24,710 --> 00:17:27,838
James Brown, died
suddenly last week.
404
00:17:27,838 --> 00:17:29,632
Most shocking of all...
405
00:17:29,632 --> 00:17:32,051
she was not killed
by James Brown.
406
00:17:32,051 --> 00:17:35,721
He really took big
swings, that if it failed,
407
00:17:35,721 --> 00:17:38,516
he had to so boldly hold
on to his commitment.
408
00:17:38,516 --> 00:17:42,937
If a joke died at dress,
409
00:17:42,937 --> 00:17:44,480
when he was doing
Weekend Update,
410
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,192
he would commit to the joke
and do it on air because
411
00:17:48,192 --> 00:17:51,070
Norm liked the joke.
412
00:17:51,070 --> 00:17:54,073
And in Polk City, Florida,
a man had his stolen car
413
00:17:54,073 --> 00:17:57,702
returned, but the cremated
remains of his father,
414
00:17:57,702 --> 00:17:59,912
I say they cremated
remains of his father,
415
00:17:59,912 --> 00:18:02,456
are still missing.
416
00:18:02,456 --> 00:18:04,292
Don't I know it.
417
00:18:04,292 --> 00:18:07,086
[Laughing]
418
00:18:07,086 --> 00:18:09,005
[Mumbling]
419
00:18:09,005 --> 00:18:13,801
[Laughing]
420
00:18:13,801 --> 00:18:16,470
Now pulling in a reported
six figures from his work on
421
00:18:16,470 --> 00:18:19,181
'Saturday Night Live,'
Norm finds ever bigger
422
00:18:19,181 --> 00:18:21,225
opportunities to
feed a habit
423
00:18:21,225 --> 00:18:23,477
that's become an obsession.
424
00:18:23,477 --> 00:18:26,856
He would go right from SNL
to gamble in Atlantic City.
425
00:18:26,856 --> 00:18:29,817
I mean, he told me that if
you watch old episodes of SNL
426
00:18:29,817 --> 00:18:31,861
and everybody's on stage
hugging each other and,
427
00:18:31,861 --> 00:18:33,321
you know, celebrating
at the end, he goes,
428
00:18:33,321 --> 00:18:35,489
"Often you wouldn't see me,
'cause I'd be in a limo
429
00:18:35,489 --> 00:18:37,992
heading down to
Atlantic City."
430
00:18:37,992 --> 00:18:41,579
As Norm's thirst for risk
at the casino, amplifies.
431
00:18:41,579 --> 00:18:43,998
so does his impulse to
drive his comedy into
432
00:18:43,998 --> 00:18:46,417
more and more
controversial territory.
433
00:18:46,417 --> 00:18:48,544
Hey, it's comedian
Jim Breuer.
434
00:18:48,544 --> 00:18:51,505
And now ladies and
gentlemen, Jim Breuer!
435
00:18:51,505 --> 00:18:53,215
Here he is.
436
00:18:53,215 --> 00:18:57,303
Summer of '96 going
to Iowa, big show.
437
00:18:57,303 --> 00:19:00,473
Me, Darrell Hammond,
it's our first year,
438
00:19:00,473 --> 00:19:02,099
and Norm Macdonald.
439
00:19:02,099 --> 00:19:04,393
Now, before the show they're
like, "Listen." You know,
440
00:19:04,393 --> 00:19:06,604
"There's kids." You know,
"There's students here.
441
00:19:06,604 --> 00:19:09,982
Just no cursing." You know,
"Try not to talk about
442
00:19:09,982 --> 00:19:14,111
sex and mention
sexuality.
443
00:19:14,111 --> 00:19:16,447
Don't make fun of
church." And me,
444
00:19:16,447 --> 00:19:17,865
I'm like, "I'm on
'Saturday Night Live'.
445
00:19:17,865 --> 00:19:19,867
This is, this is me every,
yeah, I get it.
446
00:19:19,867 --> 00:19:25,164
Live TV, just same thing."
Norm goes out,
447
00:19:25,164 --> 00:19:27,124
he's smoking
a cigarette.
448
00:19:27,124 --> 00:19:28,876
And they're already
like, "Oh my God,
449
00:19:28,876 --> 00:19:29,960
he's smoking
in front of."
450
00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,254
And he goes-
[Inhaling]
451
00:19:32,254 --> 00:19:33,798
What did you say to them?
452
00:19:33,798 --> 00:19:35,883
I was just talking, you
know, like, I don't have,
453
00:19:35,883 --> 00:19:37,635
my stand-up act,
I just talk about
454
00:19:37,635 --> 00:19:38,969
whatever I'm
thinking about.
455
00:19:38,969 --> 00:19:40,846
-Mm-hm.
-So, I went-
456
00:19:40,846 --> 00:19:44,183
It was about
having sex with an animal.
457
00:19:44,183 --> 00:19:47,186
♪
458
00:19:47,186 --> 00:19:50,272
And...
459
00:19:50,272 --> 00:19:52,525
People are getting up,
460
00:19:52,525 --> 00:19:54,735
and, they're
grabbing their kids.
461
00:19:54,735 --> 00:19:56,362
They're running
up the aisles.
462
00:19:56,362 --> 00:19:59,698
People are flocking
for the exit.
463
00:19:59,698 --> 00:20:02,493
Next day...
464
00:20:02,493 --> 00:20:05,329
kicked out of the state.
465
00:20:05,329 --> 00:20:08,374
The governor
wants him out,
466
00:20:08,374 --> 00:20:11,127
kicked off of
the golf thing...
467
00:20:11,127 --> 00:20:15,631
I mean, it was,
it was 'USA Today.'
468
00:20:15,631 --> 00:20:17,883
It was all over the place.
469
00:20:17,883 --> 00:20:22,638
I think he said
afterwards, he goes,
470
00:20:22,638 --> 00:20:24,849
"I don't care about
if people left.
471
00:20:24,849 --> 00:20:26,767
I only cared about the
kids that were there.
472
00:20:26,767 --> 00:20:28,394
They had a good time,
and I had a good time,
473
00:20:28,394 --> 00:20:29,979
that's all that matters."
474
00:20:36,986 --> 00:20:38,529
-Quite a world we live in.
-[Chuckling]
475
00:20:38,529 --> 00:20:40,614
Incidentally, Ms. Mastin
will be represented in her
476
00:20:40,614 --> 00:20:43,451
civil suit by feminist
attorney Gloria Allred,
477
00:20:43,451 --> 00:20:45,619
who is also quite
unattractive.
478
00:20:45,619 --> 00:20:48,205
Norm continues to push
buttons on Weekend Update,
479
00:20:48,205 --> 00:20:50,458
starting to make
increasingly questionable
480
00:20:50,458 --> 00:20:52,001
jokes about women.
481
00:20:52,001 --> 00:20:54,712
No box of chocolates
that one.
482
00:20:54,712 --> 00:20:58,007
It's really, really
interesting and
483
00:20:58,007 --> 00:21:00,968
kind of bizarre that
someone who had
484
00:21:00,968 --> 00:21:04,805
such a fresh
aesthetic and
485
00:21:04,805 --> 00:21:08,184
artistic ability was really
not able to apply that in
486
00:21:08,184 --> 00:21:11,604
any kind of interesting
way to women.
487
00:21:11,604 --> 00:21:14,523
Who are safer drivers,
men or women?
488
00:21:14,523 --> 00:21:16,233
Well, according
to a new survey,
489
00:21:16,233 --> 00:21:19,945
55% of adults feel that
women are most responsible
490
00:21:19,945 --> 00:21:22,198
for minor fender benders,
491
00:21:22,198 --> 00:21:25,951
while 78% blame men for
most fatal crashes.
492
00:21:25,951 --> 00:21:27,536
Please note that the
percentages in these
493
00:21:27,536 --> 00:21:30,956
pie graphs do not add up to
100% because
494
00:21:30,956 --> 00:21:32,917
the math was
done by a woman.
495
00:21:32,917 --> 00:21:34,335
[Laughing]
496
00:21:34,335 --> 00:21:36,629
You know, it's called a
punchline for a reason.
497
00:21:36,629 --> 00:21:38,172
It's supposed to punch.
498
00:21:38,172 --> 00:21:41,383
It's supposed to hit
and elicit that laugh.
499
00:21:41,383 --> 00:21:42,843
For those of you
hissing at that joke,
500
00:21:42,843 --> 00:21:44,595
it should be noted
that that joke was
501
00:21:44,595 --> 00:21:47,139
written by a
woman, so...
502
00:21:47,139 --> 00:21:49,058
now you don't know what
the hell to do, do you?
503
00:21:49,058 --> 00:21:53,270
[Laughing & applauding]
504
00:21:53,270 --> 00:21:54,980
No, I'm just kidding.
We don't hire women.
505
00:21:54,980 --> 00:22:00,444
[Laughing & applauding]
506
00:22:00,444 --> 00:22:02,905
Norm is seemingly
immune to criticism,
507
00:22:02,905 --> 00:22:05,699
but then he starts attacking
another subject and
508
00:22:05,699 --> 00:22:07,451
won't let it go.
509
00:22:07,451 --> 00:22:09,578
According to retailers,
the most popular
510
00:22:09,578 --> 00:22:12,414
Halloween mask
this year is OJ Simpson,
511
00:22:12,414 --> 00:22:15,042
and the most popular
Halloween greeting is,
512
00:22:15,042 --> 00:22:16,794
"I'll kill you
and that guy
513
00:22:16,794 --> 00:22:19,797
who's bringing over your
glasses, or treat."
514
00:22:19,797 --> 00:22:21,590
I was there when
OJ was acquitted,
515
00:22:21,590 --> 00:22:23,425
that was my first
season at SNL,
516
00:22:23,425 --> 00:22:27,346
and Norm was passionate
about the fact that
517
00:22:27,346 --> 00:22:30,391
OJ Simpson had gotten
away with murder.
518
00:22:30,391 --> 00:22:34,687
But his boss is a
friend of OJ's, and,
519
00:22:34,687 --> 00:22:36,897
and kept calling
Lorne Michaels to say,
520
00:22:36,897 --> 00:22:39,942
"You gotta tell Norm, just,
he could do every
521
00:22:39,942 --> 00:22:41,902
other joke just
no more OJ."
522
00:22:41,902 --> 00:22:44,572
I'm Norm Macdonald
and now the fake news.
523
00:22:44,572 --> 00:22:48,450
Well, it is finally official,
murder is legal
524
00:22:48,450 --> 00:22:50,077
in the state of California.
525
00:22:50,077 --> 00:22:54,415
[Cheering]
526
00:22:54,415 --> 00:22:57,793
He deliberately
antagonized Don Ohlmeyer,
527
00:22:57,793 --> 00:23:02,089
who kept telling him
to lay off OJ,
528
00:23:02,089 --> 00:23:04,091
and he wouldn't
do it. You know?
529
00:23:04,091 --> 00:23:05,801
No more OJ. We don't want
to hear any more...
530
00:23:05,801 --> 00:23:09,388
and the more he
was told not to
531
00:23:09,388 --> 00:23:11,348
poke the bear,
532
00:23:11,348 --> 00:23:14,518
he not only poked the bear,
he was kicking the bear.
533
00:23:14,518 --> 00:23:16,395
Well, let's get to OJ.
OJ Simpson.
534
00:23:16,395 --> 00:23:18,147
OJ Simpson.
OJ Simpson.
535
00:23:18,147 --> 00:23:22,026
OJ Simpson. And OJ.
OJ Simpson trial.
536
00:23:22,026 --> 00:23:24,028
So, he, he kept
doing the OJ jokes,
537
00:23:24,028 --> 00:23:25,362
but that's what
made him great.
538
00:23:25,362 --> 00:23:27,781
That's what made him, and
that's what excited him more,
539
00:23:27,781 --> 00:23:29,408
because it was
more dangerous,
540
00:23:29,408 --> 00:23:31,410
and that's what made him
wanna do it more
541
00:23:31,410 --> 00:23:33,329
because you told him
not to do it.
542
00:23:33,329 --> 00:23:35,289
That made it funnier.
543
00:23:35,289 --> 00:23:36,999
Norm doesn't seem to care
544
00:23:35,289 --> 00:23:36,999
about any offence
545
00:23:36,999 --> 00:23:39,043
he may be causing,
546
00:23:39,043 --> 00:23:41,879
then he is given one
more warning.
547
00:23:41,879 --> 00:23:44,798
He was called into Don
Ohlmeyer's office at NBC,
548
00:23:44,798 --> 00:23:47,092
and Don Ohlmeyer
said to Norm,
549
00:23:47,092 --> 00:23:48,927
"Look, I know
you're talented,
550
00:23:48,927 --> 00:23:51,847
but you're too slow
on Weekend Update.
551
00:23:51,847 --> 00:23:53,390
You need to pick
up the pace."
552
00:23:53,390 --> 00:23:56,852
Well, you're telling that
to a comedy genius.
553
00:23:56,852 --> 00:23:58,187
Last weekend in Washington,
554
00:23:58,187 --> 00:24:00,105
a new museum dedicated
to broadcast jour-
555
00:24:00,105 --> 00:24:03,317
[Gagging]
What the ---- was that?
556
00:24:03,317 --> 00:24:06,528
[Laughing]
557
00:24:06,528 --> 00:24:08,364
Last weekend in Washington,
a new museum...
558
00:24:08,364 --> 00:24:11,325
[Laughing & cheering
continues]
559
00:24:16,956 --> 00:24:18,457
Ah-ha...
560
00:24:18,457 --> 00:24:22,211
My farewell performance.
Last weekend...
561
00:24:22,211 --> 00:24:25,422
You can't really take the
culture of comedy to the
562
00:24:25,422 --> 00:24:27,549
next level if you're not
taking those big swings,
563
00:24:27,549 --> 00:24:29,093
if you're not taking
those big risks.
564
00:24:29,093 --> 00:24:30,678
I've heard people say
that they thought
565
00:24:30,678 --> 00:24:33,806
Norm was reckless.
566
00:24:33,806 --> 00:24:36,850
I disagree with
that completely.
567
00:24:36,850 --> 00:24:39,978
Norm was committed.
568
00:24:39,978 --> 00:24:44,274
Norm Macdonald really
did not wanna be told
569
00:24:44,274 --> 00:24:46,193
what he could
and couldn't do.
570
00:24:46,193 --> 00:24:48,779
Norm refuses to stop
talking about OJ,
571
00:24:48,779 --> 00:24:51,073
until he pushes too far.
572
00:24:51,073 --> 00:24:52,908
Our first guest is one of
the funniest men
573
00:24:52,908 --> 00:24:54,326
working in television today.
574
00:24:54,326 --> 00:24:56,745
He is the anchor of 'Weekend
Update' on the popular
575
00:24:56,745 --> 00:24:58,205
'Saturday Night
Live' program,
576
00:24:58,205 --> 00:25:00,416
please welcome
Norm Macdonald.
577
00:25:00,416 --> 00:25:05,254
There is a tape of him
on Letterman... that day!
578
00:25:05,254 --> 00:25:07,256
-How you doing?
-I'm doing good. Oh.
579
00:25:07,256 --> 00:25:09,591
No, that's alright I'm just,
I'm just slow, that's okay.
580
00:25:09,591 --> 00:25:11,176
-Happy New Year, buddy.
-Happy New Year to you.
581
00:25:11,176 --> 00:25:12,553
Thank you very
much for being here.
582
00:25:12,553 --> 00:25:13,846
You don't mind if I
ask you a question?
583
00:25:13,846 --> 00:25:15,097
-What's that?
-I hear today...
584
00:25:15,097 --> 00:25:16,140
...I hear this
story and it is like this
585
00:25:16,140 --> 00:25:17,725
press release that you
got your ass fired.
586
00:25:17,725 --> 00:25:18,767
-Is that true?
-Yeah.
587
00:25:18,767 --> 00:25:20,352
-No, you didn't get fired.
-Yeah, they fired me.
588
00:25:20,352 --> 00:25:22,312
-No, they didn't fire you.
-No, I'm serious.
589
00:25:22,312 --> 00:25:25,858
I talked to a guy
that said I'm fired. Well-
590
00:25:25,858 --> 00:25:26,775
Who fired you?
First of all,
591
00:25:26,775 --> 00:25:27,735
let's get some
names here.
592
00:25:27,735 --> 00:25:28,986
Let's get this
on the record.
593
00:25:28,986 --> 00:25:30,571
They said that this
guy Don Ohlmeyer,
594
00:25:30,571 --> 00:25:31,947
who turns out to
be the president-
595
00:25:31,947 --> 00:25:33,240
Yeah. Now I know
Don Ohlmeyer and
596
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:34,908
just between you and me,
he's an idiot.
597
00:25:34,908 --> 00:25:38,579
So he goes, "Oh yeah, I'm,
I'm firing you there from
598
00:25:38,579 --> 00:25:42,166
the show." And then I said,
"Oh, that's not good."
599
00:25:42,166 --> 00:25:43,876
-[Laughing]
-You know...
600
00:25:43,876 --> 00:25:45,419
And then I said,
"Why is that now"?
601
00:25:45,419 --> 00:25:48,088
And he goes, "Oh, you're not,
you know, you're not funny."
602
00:25:48,088 --> 00:25:51,550
And then I said,
I said, "Holy Lord,
603
00:25:51,550 --> 00:25:53,177
that's even worse news."
You know?
604
00:25:53,177 --> 00:25:55,262
[Laughing]
605
00:25:55,262 --> 00:25:57,222
I go, "No, I don't got
nothing to fall back on."
606
00:25:57,222 --> 00:26:00,809
-No.
-[Cheering]
607
00:26:00,809 --> 00:26:02,811
-He's a good man.
-He just fired you!
608
00:26:02,811 --> 00:26:05,397
What do you mean he's a good-
what is wrong with you?
609
00:26:05,397 --> 00:26:07,608
Weeks later, Norm relays
the conversation
610
00:26:07,608 --> 00:26:11,069
he had with Don Ohlmeyer
on Howard Stern,
611
00:26:11,069 --> 00:26:13,489
and suddenly, who
was behind the firing
612
00:26:13,489 --> 00:26:15,032
seems less clear.
613
00:26:15,032 --> 00:26:17,701
So then I said, "But this
decision is coming from you,
614
00:26:17,701 --> 00:26:19,995
right"? And then
he goes, "What"?
615
00:26:19,995 --> 00:26:22,206
And then I go,
"Because, you know,
616
00:26:22,206 --> 00:26:24,625
'cause I talked to people on
the show, Lorne and stuff,
617
00:26:24,625 --> 00:26:26,752
and they're for me."
And he goes, "Well,
618
00:26:26,752 --> 00:26:29,296
if that's what they tell you,
sure, blame me."
619
00:26:29,296 --> 00:26:32,800
But the reality remains,
Norm Macdonald is out.
620
00:26:41,642 --> 00:26:43,268
In the aftermath
of his firing
621
00:26:43,268 --> 00:26:45,938
Norm appears to
accept his defeat,
622
00:26:45,938 --> 00:26:48,065
but his reckless
impulse to risk it all
623
00:26:48,065 --> 00:26:50,651
continues to ramp up.
624
00:26:50,651 --> 00:26:54,863
In 1999... I spent a
crazy lost weekend
625
00:26:54,863 --> 00:26:57,282
with Norm Macdonald
in Las Vegas.
626
00:26:57,282 --> 00:26:59,910
I was writing a lot for
'Details' magazine at
627
00:26:59,910 --> 00:27:02,204
the time, and I knew that
Norm liked to gamble,
628
00:27:02,204 --> 00:27:03,539
but I didn't know that
much about his
629
00:27:03,539 --> 00:27:06,041
gambling proclivities.
630
00:27:06,041 --> 00:27:08,043
Norm was performing at
the House of Blues
631
00:27:08,043 --> 00:27:10,796
in Mandalay Bay, and the
idea was he would take
632
00:27:10,796 --> 00:27:12,256
what he earned for
the performance,
633
00:27:12,256 --> 00:27:14,258
which was $40,000,
634
00:27:14,258 --> 00:27:17,052
and either double the
money or lose it all.
635
00:27:17,052 --> 00:27:19,263
If he doubled the money,
that would've been awesome.
636
00:27:19,263 --> 00:27:21,431
If I was a betting man,
I would've bet that
637
00:27:21,431 --> 00:27:25,060
he was not going to
double the money.
638
00:27:25,060 --> 00:27:27,145
[Norm reading]
So why the attraction?
639
00:27:27,145 --> 00:27:29,648
Most people would think
it's the wins that
640
00:27:29,648 --> 00:27:31,483
keep the gambler going,
641
00:27:31,483 --> 00:27:34,152
but any gambler knows
this is not true.
642
00:27:34,152 --> 00:27:36,780
As you place your chips
on the crap's table,
643
00:27:36,780 --> 00:27:40,284
you feel anxiety
and impatience.
644
00:27:40,284 --> 00:27:44,663
It is a particular moment,
a magic moment.
645
00:27:44,663 --> 00:27:47,416
It is after the red dice
are thrown,
646
00:27:47,416 --> 00:27:50,502
but before they lay still
on the green felt
647
00:27:50,502 --> 00:27:52,087
where they fall.
648
00:27:52,087 --> 00:27:55,215
It is when the dice
are in the air.
649
00:27:55,215 --> 00:28:00,846
And as long as they
are there, time stops.
650
00:28:00,846 --> 00:28:04,141
As long as the red
dice are in the air,
651
00:28:04,141 --> 00:28:07,519
a gambler has hope,
652
00:28:07,519 --> 00:28:11,982
and hope is a
wonderful thing.
653
00:28:11,982 --> 00:28:16,069
Norm blew
$10,500 on craps,
654
00:28:16,069 --> 00:28:17,487
and then he was like,
655
00:28:17,487 --> 00:28:20,032
"Okay, let's go
play blackjack."
656
00:28:20,032 --> 00:28:21,742
We're sitting there
playing blackjack.
657
00:28:21,742 --> 00:28:23,911
I'm like betting, you know,
minimum bets,
658
00:28:23,911 --> 00:28:26,038
he's of course
betting way more.
659
00:28:26,038 --> 00:28:28,790
We lost 17,000
at blackjack.
660
00:28:28,790 --> 00:28:31,043
Norm, like, doesn't even
seem to care about losing,
661
00:28:31,043 --> 00:28:34,463
it's like not a big
deal to him.
662
00:28:34,463 --> 00:28:35,923
So we're back up in his
room and he goes,
663
00:28:35,923 --> 00:28:38,133
"Can you loan me
$10,000"? I'm like,
664
00:28:38,133 --> 00:28:40,135
"Norm, I don't have
that kind of money with me."
665
00:28:40,135 --> 00:28:43,972
But I did feel like I was
party to the loss. So I go,
666
00:28:43,972 --> 00:28:46,475
"Okay Norm, I'll,
I'll loan you a thousand."
667
00:28:46,475 --> 00:28:48,560
Sure enough, he was back
in about five minutes,
668
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:51,521
and he blew the money,
so now he's broke.
669
00:28:51,521 --> 00:28:54,733
I loaned him $1,000 and I
got back a cheque from him,
670
00:28:54,733 --> 00:28:57,527
like, in no time at all.
671
00:28:57,527 --> 00:29:00,030
And there was a note
attached to it that said,
672
00:29:00,030 --> 00:29:02,532
"Better sorry than safe."
673
00:29:02,532 --> 00:29:05,661
Norm's gambling addiction has
reached shocking proportions,
674
00:29:05,661 --> 00:29:08,664
something he later
reveals on TV.
675
00:29:08,664 --> 00:29:10,374
Have you ever been
devastated and lost like
676
00:29:10,374 --> 00:29:11,917
a big bet?
677
00:29:11,917 --> 00:29:15,253
I've lost everything
I own three times.
678
00:29:15,253 --> 00:29:17,005
[Laughing]
679
00:29:17,005 --> 00:29:19,257
[Stuttering]
Like, tapped out?
680
00:29:19,257 --> 00:29:20,592
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
681
00:29:20,592 --> 00:29:22,094
That happened to me
three times. But since,
682
00:29:22,094 --> 00:29:24,096
I've gotten
control of it since.
683
00:29:24,096 --> 00:29:25,639
Actually after you
lose everything,
684
00:29:25,639 --> 00:29:27,015
sometimes you
kind of feel good.
685
00:29:27,015 --> 00:29:28,350
It's odd.
686
00:29:28,350 --> 00:29:30,852
But you feel like,
you feel like, clean.
687
00:29:30,852 --> 00:29:33,939
You go, "Hey man,
I feel alright." You know?
688
00:29:33,939 --> 00:29:36,400
Yeah, this was
my big statement.
689
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,611
On the boardwalk, I threw
60,000 into the ocean.
690
00:29:39,611 --> 00:29:41,363
Yeah, to quit.
That was my thing,
691
00:29:41,363 --> 00:29:43,031
"I'm gonna quit."
692
00:29:43,031 --> 00:29:45,325
I guess it's like
people that know
693
00:29:45,325 --> 00:29:47,160
they're gonna hit bottom,
you know?
694
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:48,412
And kind of want it.
695
00:29:48,412 --> 00:29:49,705
-Yeah.
-Because it does get...
696
00:29:49,705 --> 00:29:52,124
It's exhausting.
697
00:29:52,124 --> 00:29:53,542
Taking the risk.
698
00:29:53,542 --> 00:29:56,294
I think that's what
he was addicted to.
699
00:29:56,294 --> 00:29:59,798
Throwing dice, not knowing
where it's gonna land,
700
00:29:59,798 --> 00:30:03,802
is 100% the same as
701
00:30:03,802 --> 00:30:05,554
spinning out a joke and
702
00:30:05,554 --> 00:30:06,763
not knowing where
it's gonna land.
703
00:30:06,763 --> 00:30:08,932
And it's almost like
704
00:30:08,932 --> 00:30:11,601
his gambler's
mentality is what
705
00:30:11,601 --> 00:30:16,481
made him such a
risk-taking comedian.
706
00:30:16,481 --> 00:30:19,818
I remember a psychiatrist
once telling me that
707
00:30:19,818 --> 00:30:23,780
I gamble in order to
escape the reality of life.
708
00:30:23,780 --> 00:30:28,243
And I told him, "That's why
everyone does everything."
709
00:30:28,243 --> 00:30:30,370
I think Norm's gambling,
710
00:30:30,370 --> 00:30:33,373
the toll it took was...
711
00:30:33,373 --> 00:30:35,125
mostly financial.
712
00:30:35,125 --> 00:30:38,003
I didn't see it really
take a toll on him
713
00:30:38,003 --> 00:30:39,504
in terms of his spirit.
714
00:30:39,504 --> 00:30:41,548
He would lose a lot of money,
he would need money,
715
00:30:41,548 --> 00:30:43,008
he would have
to keep working.
716
00:30:43,008 --> 00:30:44,551
But Norm didn't
mind working.
717
00:30:44,551 --> 00:30:46,136
I think Norm
loved working.
718
00:30:46,136 --> 00:30:47,596
What brought you down,
gambling?
719
00:30:47,596 --> 00:30:49,139
Well, some,
some have said
720
00:30:49,139 --> 00:30:50,682
it's been the
ruin of me, Larry.
721
00:30:50,682 --> 00:30:52,851
-The ruin?
-But I don't.
722
00:30:52,851 --> 00:30:55,896
If Norm Macdonald
had a dark side,
723
00:30:55,896 --> 00:30:59,191
I don't think that it was
724
00:30:59,191 --> 00:31:01,526
all about his relationship
to gambling.
725
00:31:01,526 --> 00:31:04,780
I think that that was a
symptom of something much
726
00:31:04,780 --> 00:31:07,824
more interesting and
much more complicated,
727
00:31:07,824 --> 00:31:10,911
which is the darkest
of all dark sides,
728
00:31:10,911 --> 00:31:15,791
is this relationship
we all have with death.
729
00:31:15,791 --> 00:31:18,794
Where most of us live
in complete denial.
730
00:31:18,794 --> 00:31:21,588
I mean, if you die,
the cancer also dies
731
00:31:21,588 --> 00:31:22,964
at exactly the same time.
732
00:31:22,964 --> 00:31:25,759
So that to me is not
a loss, that's a draw.
733
00:31:25,759 --> 00:31:27,761
That's a, you know
what I mean?
734
00:31:27,761 --> 00:31:29,888
SFX: [Heart beat]
735
00:31:29,888 --> 00:31:33,809
[Norm] My biggest problem is
ruminating about death.
736
00:31:33,809 --> 00:31:35,519
If I could get
over that somehow.
737
00:31:35,519 --> 00:31:37,020
[Interviewer]
And you do that regularly?
738
00:31:37,020 --> 00:31:40,649
[Norm] I try to read ----ing
books about it and shit.
739
00:31:40,649 --> 00:31:43,026
[Dan] I think Norm's
dark side was,
740
00:31:43,026 --> 00:31:45,362
he was acutely aware of it,
741
00:31:45,362 --> 00:31:49,032
thinking about it all the time,
and everything he did,
742
00:31:49,032 --> 00:31:51,827
his comedy and
his gambling,
743
00:31:51,827 --> 00:31:55,622
was all about cheating death
744
00:31:55,622 --> 00:31:57,999
to kind of prove that
he was still alive.
745
00:32:07,217 --> 00:32:09,427
After a string of
sitcoms, movies,
746
00:32:09,427 --> 00:32:12,472
and personal projects
through the early 2000s,
747
00:32:12,472 --> 00:32:15,392
the next decade sees Norm
still gigging and quietly
748
00:32:15,392 --> 00:32:18,228
becoming a late night
fixture on talk shows,
749
00:32:18,228 --> 00:32:21,898
settling into his role
as a comedian's comedian.
750
00:32:21,898 --> 00:32:24,734
He was the ultimate
comic's comic.
751
00:32:24,734 --> 00:32:26,695
You hear it a lot like,
oh, they're a comic's comic.
752
00:32:26,695 --> 00:32:29,573
But with Norm, like,
no one would argue that.
753
00:32:29,573 --> 00:32:32,909
Norm Macdonald.
Norm Macdonald, Norm!
754
00:32:32,909 --> 00:32:34,119
Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome
755
00:32:34,119 --> 00:32:36,163
the very funny
Norm Macdonald.
756
00:32:36,163 --> 00:32:37,581
Norm Macdonald!
757
00:32:37,581 --> 00:32:40,125
Ladies and gentlemen,
Norm Macdonald.
758
00:32:40,125 --> 00:32:43,420
Norm was the very last comic
759
00:32:43,420 --> 00:32:46,548
to do stand-up on
Dave's CBS show
760
00:32:46,548 --> 00:32:48,633
before Dave went
off the air.
761
00:32:48,633 --> 00:32:52,387
Nobody made Letterman laugh
harder than Norm Macdonald,
762
00:32:52,387 --> 00:32:55,390
so this was the
perfect moment.
763
00:32:55,390 --> 00:32:56,641
And you know,
you know you guys,
764
00:32:56,641 --> 00:32:59,019
we all know that
David Letterman was the
765
00:32:59,019 --> 00:33:02,606
greatest talk show, who,
host who ever lived, but I-
766
00:33:02,606 --> 00:33:05,025
[Cheering &
applauding continues]
767
00:33:12,866 --> 00:33:15,410
I remember Dave differently
because the first time
768
00:33:15,410 --> 00:33:17,621
I saw him, I was
13 years old.
769
00:33:17,621 --> 00:33:21,166
I was living in-
[Voice breaking]
770
00:33:21,166 --> 00:33:26,588
[Chuckling &
gasping]
771
00:33:26,588 --> 00:33:28,048
I was living in
Toronto, Canada,
772
00:33:28,048 --> 00:33:30,425
and I went to a talk show
they had there, and
773
00:33:30,425 --> 00:33:32,469
David Letterman was the
stand-up comedian
774
00:33:32,469 --> 00:33:36,640
on the show. And I
loved stand-up.
775
00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:40,143
So anyways, I'd just like to
say I know that
776
00:33:40,143 --> 00:33:42,479
Mr. Letterman is, ah...
777
00:33:42,479 --> 00:33:47,234
not for the mockish
and he has,
778
00:33:47,234 --> 00:33:49,778
he has no truck for
the sentimental,
779
00:33:49,778 --> 00:33:53,198
but if something is true,
it is not sentimental.
780
00:33:53,198 --> 00:33:56,785
And I say, in truth,
I love you.
781
00:33:56,785 --> 00:33:58,578
Oh my God.
782
00:33:58,578 --> 00:34:01,039
Norm was standing there,
and Letterman came over
783
00:34:01,039 --> 00:34:02,624
and he, he
was crying.
784
00:34:02,624 --> 00:34:04,542
And, and I thought,
that's the most emotional
785
00:34:04,542 --> 00:34:07,045
I've ever seen
Norm Macdonald. Ever.
786
00:34:07,045 --> 00:34:11,299
It meant a lot to Dave, and
it meant a lot to Norm.
787
00:34:11,299 --> 00:34:15,178
Now keep in mind,
Norm...
788
00:34:15,178 --> 00:34:17,222
had to have known he was
sick at the time.
789
00:34:17,222 --> 00:34:19,391
Norm! Oh my God!
790
00:34:19,391 --> 00:34:21,810
[Applauding]
791
00:34:21,810 --> 00:34:24,187
Very funny, Norm,
and thank you.
792
00:34:24,187 --> 00:34:26,273
-Thank you for everything.
-Thank you.
793
00:34:26,273 --> 00:34:28,441
Norm Macdonald,
ladies and gentlemen.
794
00:34:28,441 --> 00:34:30,610
That was very sweet,
Norm.
795
00:34:30,610 --> 00:34:32,862
He knew that he had a
terminal illness at the time
796
00:34:32,862 --> 00:34:34,739
that he did that
Letterman performance,
797
00:34:34,739 --> 00:34:36,700
but he was really
a humble guy.
798
00:34:36,700 --> 00:34:38,410
And I think for him
799
00:34:38,410 --> 00:34:40,537
it was all about
Letterman and,
800
00:34:40,537 --> 00:34:42,872
and not about himself.
801
00:34:42,872 --> 00:34:46,042
Norm's heartfelt appearance
on Letterman reveals a side
802
00:34:46,042 --> 00:34:49,462
of the comedian never
seen before in public,
803
00:34:49,462 --> 00:34:51,715
and the media takes notice.
804
00:34:51,715 --> 00:34:54,718
When you're doing stand-up,
you know, you, you-
805
00:34:54,718 --> 00:34:57,095
-It's false by nature.
-Yes.
806
00:34:57,095 --> 00:34:58,930
And then all of a sudden
you kind of opened up
807
00:34:58,930 --> 00:35:00,640
as to who you
were for real.
808
00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:01,766
Yeah.
809
00:35:01,766 --> 00:35:04,477
And you showed Letterman
how much you cared about him.
810
00:35:04,477 --> 00:35:07,772
Netflix offers him his own
talk show, and suddenly
811
00:35:07,772 --> 00:35:10,483
Norm Macdonald
is back in the spotlight.
812
00:35:10,483 --> 00:35:12,360
Do you miss cocaine?
813
00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,446
Oh, there's a dog
on the set, Chevy.
814
00:35:14,446 --> 00:35:16,406
I never went
to a strip club.
815
00:35:16,406 --> 00:35:17,449
Well, we got tonight.
816
00:35:17,449 --> 00:35:19,868
I feel bad that
Roseanne got fired.
817
00:35:19,868 --> 00:35:21,911
But when Norm speaks to
a Hollywood reporter
818
00:35:21,911 --> 00:35:24,080
while promoting the show,
he puts himself in
819
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:26,416
the centre of an
ugly controversy.
820
00:35:26,416 --> 00:35:29,252
He openly sympathizes
with comedian Louis C.K.,
821
00:35:29,252 --> 00:35:31,796
who is widely accused
of sexual harassment.
822
00:35:31,796 --> 00:35:33,840
Five women came forward
with sexual misconduct
823
00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:36,301
allegations against
comedian Louis C.K.
824
00:35:36,301 --> 00:35:40,680
I was walking to set to
shoot my scene and he
825
00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,683
approached me and got really
close to my face and said,
826
00:35:43,683 --> 00:35:45,185
"Can I ask you something"?
827
00:35:45,185 --> 00:35:48,688
And I said, "Yes."
And he said,
828
00:35:48,688 --> 00:35:52,984
"Can I masturbate in front of
you in your dressing room"?
829
00:35:52,984 --> 00:35:54,694
Norm Macdonald did an
interview about
830
00:35:54,694 --> 00:35:56,654
this new Netflix talk
show he's doing.
831
00:35:56,654 --> 00:35:59,616
He's promoting it, and he
made comments about the
832
00:35:59,616 --> 00:36:02,160
'Me Too' movement and
his friend Roseanne and
833
00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,454
Louis C.K., and here's
what he said.
834
00:36:04,454 --> 00:36:06,373
"There are very few people
that have gone through
835
00:36:06,373 --> 00:36:08,750
what they have, losing
everything in a day.
836
00:36:08,750 --> 00:36:11,211
Of course, people will go,
'What about the victims?'
837
00:36:11,211 --> 00:36:12,420
But you know what?
838
00:36:12,420 --> 00:36:14,756
The victims didn't have
to go through that."
839
00:36:14,756 --> 00:36:17,884
Essentially, Norm Macdonald's
argument is
840
00:36:17,884 --> 00:36:20,178
Louis C.K. lost
his comedy special,
841
00:36:20,178 --> 00:36:22,514
he's lost a lot of
cultural cache,
842
00:36:22,514 --> 00:36:24,140
people are mad at him,
843
00:36:24,140 --> 00:36:25,475
his legacy has
been tarnished.
844
00:36:25,475 --> 00:36:28,520
And he says, "People say,
'What about
845
00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:29,854
what the victims
go through?'
846
00:36:29,854 --> 00:36:33,858
Well, the victims never
went through that."
847
00:36:33,858 --> 00:36:36,111
Norm attempts to explain
his statements in a
848
00:36:36,111 --> 00:36:41,032
social media post, but
criticism continues to build.
849
00:36:41,032 --> 00:36:44,202
I don't wanna make
light of being the
850
00:36:44,202 --> 00:36:47,455
centre of a public shaming,
as Louis C.K. was,
851
00:36:47,455 --> 00:36:49,290
I'm sure that's
devastating to experience,
852
00:36:49,290 --> 00:36:52,919
but it's interesting that
Norm Macdonald's
853
00:36:52,919 --> 00:36:55,338
immediate thought was,
well, that's way worse
854
00:36:55,338 --> 00:36:58,174
than experiencing
sexual assault.
855
00:36:58,174 --> 00:37:00,552
Like is that
an equivalent that
856
00:37:00,552 --> 00:37:02,178
we're all
comfortable drawing?
857
00:37:02,178 --> 00:37:04,305
Is that really what
we're going to say
858
00:37:04,305 --> 00:37:06,349
is the baseline here?
859
00:37:06,349 --> 00:37:10,228
Norm's comments begin to
cast a chill over his career.
860
00:37:10,228 --> 00:37:12,981
Comedian Norm Macdonald
has had a 'Tonight Show'
861
00:37:12,981 --> 00:37:15,650
appearance nixed after
some controversial remarks.
862
00:37:15,650 --> 00:37:18,445
Every year I do a big
charity event, which raises,
863
00:37:18,445 --> 00:37:21,739
actually a couple of million
dollars for a kid's charity,
864
00:37:21,739 --> 00:37:23,366
like Sick Kids
or something.
865
00:37:23,366 --> 00:37:25,243
And we floated
the idea of,
866
00:37:25,243 --> 00:37:27,495
we could get
Norm Macdonald.
867
00:37:27,495 --> 00:37:29,747
We thought, wow, they're
gonna love us for that.
868
00:37:29,747 --> 00:37:31,166
And the committee came
back and said,
869
00:37:31,166 --> 00:37:33,293
"No, we don't want
Norm Macdonald because
870
00:37:33,293 --> 00:37:34,752
he defended
Louis C.K."
871
00:37:34,752 --> 00:37:38,089
It does seem as though he
was pretty taken aback by
872
00:37:38,089 --> 00:37:41,509
the backlash, which was so
intense that he just sort of
873
00:37:41,509 --> 00:37:45,138
stopped doing press cycle
for his new show.
874
00:37:45,138 --> 00:37:47,515
Appearing on 'The View,'
Norm tries to
875
00:37:47,515 --> 00:37:50,894
explain himself and
mitigate the damage.
876
00:37:50,894 --> 00:37:54,063
But you kind of lose me when
you imply that the hardship
877
00:37:54,063 --> 00:37:55,356
that your friend Louis C.K.-
878
00:37:55,356 --> 00:37:56,441
he's a friend of
mine too, really-
879
00:37:56,441 --> 00:37:57,817
I know him a long time.
880
00:37:57,817 --> 00:38:00,987
That the hardship that he
went through is equal to the
881
00:38:00,987 --> 00:38:03,114
hardship that the
victims went through.
882
00:38:03,114 --> 00:38:04,949
That doesn't,
that doesn't compute.
883
00:38:04,949 --> 00:38:05,825
No, it's not true.
884
00:38:05,825 --> 00:38:07,285
Can you explain
yourself a little there?
885
00:38:07,285 --> 00:38:11,080
Yeah. That's not, that's
not what I was saying.
886
00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:14,709
When this happened, I was
working for Roseanne when
887
00:38:14,709 --> 00:38:16,961
Roseanne's thing went down,
and I called her the next day
888
00:38:16,961 --> 00:38:19,756
and she was crying the whole
time I was talking to her.
889
00:38:19,756 --> 00:38:21,758
I've known Roseanne for a
while and I was worried
890
00:38:21,758 --> 00:38:24,928
about her 'cause she,
she seemed really, really
891
00:38:24,928 --> 00:38:26,888
in a bad place.
892
00:38:26,888 --> 00:38:30,350
And I said, "I can't really
talk to you about this 'cause
893
00:38:30,350 --> 00:38:32,268
I've never been through
anything like this."
894
00:38:32,268 --> 00:38:35,188
And I said, "I know Louis,
and he's been through this,
895
00:38:35,188 --> 00:38:37,190
where he's had everything
taken from him."
896
00:38:37,190 --> 00:38:40,902
And I said, um...
897
00:38:40,902 --> 00:38:43,696
"Not many of us have
gone through this, and,
898
00:38:43,696 --> 00:38:45,949
and so you should talk to
each other 'cause you've,
899
00:38:45,949 --> 00:38:48,284
you've..." And then
the guy said,
900
00:38:48,284 --> 00:38:49,619
"What about the victims"?
And I said,
901
00:38:49,619 --> 00:38:51,204
"Well, the victims haven't
gone through this."
902
00:38:51,204 --> 00:38:53,331
It's too little too late.
903
00:38:53,331 --> 00:38:56,000
By the time the dust settles,
Netflix chooses to
904
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,920
end Norm's talk show
after one season.
905
00:39:07,804 --> 00:39:09,973
A shocking loss in the
comedy world today,
906
00:39:09,973 --> 00:39:12,100
comedian Norm Macdonald
has died after
907
00:39:12,100 --> 00:39:14,477
a private battle
with cancer.
908
00:39:14,477 --> 00:39:17,188
On September 14th, 2021,
909
00:39:17,188 --> 00:39:19,732
Norm Macdonald
dies of leukemia,
910
00:39:19,732 --> 00:39:23,444
suddenly laying bare a secret
he has long been hiding.
911
00:39:23,444 --> 00:39:25,989
He wasn't open about
his health issues,
912
00:39:25,989 --> 00:39:28,283
which apparently were
incredibly shocking to
913
00:39:28,283 --> 00:39:30,743
a lot of us who said,
who found out that
914
00:39:30,743 --> 00:39:33,454
he had been suffering for
years and years.
915
00:39:33,454 --> 00:39:36,124
I...
916
00:39:36,124 --> 00:39:39,252
I, I had no clue.
917
00:39:39,252 --> 00:39:42,213
The way Norm was able to
keep his illness secret was
918
00:39:42,213 --> 00:39:46,134
because he's so respected
that I think between
919
00:39:46,134 --> 00:39:50,388
his right to privacy and
not telling many people,
920
00:39:50,388 --> 00:39:52,849
the few who knew weren't
gonna say a word.
921
00:39:52,849 --> 00:39:56,519
I, I spoke to Norm,
the last time,
922
00:39:56,519 --> 00:40:00,898
the July before he
passed away that fall.
923
00:40:00,898 --> 00:40:05,194
And I knew
something was wrong.
924
00:40:05,194 --> 00:40:07,405
Spidey senses.
925
00:40:07,405 --> 00:40:09,324
Norm's illness was
definitely a surprise to me,
926
00:40:09,324 --> 00:40:11,367
and not only me,
to many people.
927
00:40:11,367 --> 00:40:15,663
I'm sure there was a few in
his family that knew about it.
928
00:40:15,663 --> 00:40:19,334
I, I don't think it was
929
00:40:19,334 --> 00:40:22,086
hard to hide it 'cause,
930
00:40:22,086 --> 00:40:24,172
you don't talk about it,
it's hidden.
931
00:40:24,172 --> 00:40:26,966
We were making
a run across the open...
932
00:40:26,966 --> 00:40:29,010
Richard Farnsworth was
nominated for
933
00:40:29,010 --> 00:40:31,929
an Academy Award
for the movie.
934
00:40:31,929 --> 00:40:36,267
And if he had said he was,
he was filled with cancer,
935
00:40:36,267 --> 00:40:38,478
he would've won for sure.
-Sure.
936
00:40:38,478 --> 00:40:40,730
But instead,
he didn't say it.
937
00:40:40,730 --> 00:40:43,691
And in fact,
no one knew it.
938
00:40:43,691 --> 00:40:46,611
His family didn't know it.
He kept it from everyone.
939
00:40:46,611 --> 00:40:49,197
So that, to me,
is courageous.
940
00:40:49,197 --> 00:40:51,741
Like, you're, you know,
you're not being a burden to
941
00:40:51,741 --> 00:40:54,202
your family, you know,
they know nothing about it,
942
00:40:54,202 --> 00:40:56,579
and then you're gone.
943
00:40:56,579 --> 00:40:59,582
His passion was doing comedy
and doing interesting,
944
00:40:59,582 --> 00:41:02,710
funny things in
his life, and...
945
00:41:02,710 --> 00:41:08,174
I don't, I don't know this,
but I would imagine
946
00:41:08,174 --> 00:41:12,136
he felt that if it
was public,
947
00:41:12,136 --> 00:41:15,098
it would colour
what he was doing,
948
00:41:15,098 --> 00:41:16,182
how he was doing it,
949
00:41:16,182 --> 00:41:18,017
and how he was
being received.
950
00:41:18,017 --> 00:41:21,145
And the Laugh Factory's
marquee in Hollywood tonight
951
00:41:21,145 --> 00:41:24,607
lit up with Macdonald's
bright smile and the message,
952
00:41:24,607 --> 00:41:26,818
'Make God laugh.'
953
00:41:26,818 --> 00:41:29,779
♪
954
00:41:29,779 --> 00:41:31,447
In light of the controversies
that dogged him
955
00:41:31,447 --> 00:41:33,616
in the last few
years of his life,
956
00:41:33,616 --> 00:41:38,663
Norm's legacy has become
more complicated.
957
00:41:38,663 --> 00:41:41,249
I didn't know Norm-
like again,
958
00:41:41,249 --> 00:41:45,002
I feel like I knew
surface Norm.
959
00:41:45,002 --> 00:41:48,423
I never got to know
the deeper layers of Norm.
960
00:41:48,423 --> 00:41:50,174
He never would let, I don't,
I don't know if
961
00:41:50,174 --> 00:41:52,468
he let too many
people in there.
962
00:41:52,468 --> 00:41:56,347
There certainly was a
darkness embedded in
963
00:41:56,347 --> 00:41:58,516
all of Norm's comedy.
964
00:41:58,516 --> 00:42:01,227
I mean, he could do
corny stuff, sure,
965
00:42:01,227 --> 00:42:05,273
but there was almost a,
a resentment or
966
00:42:05,273 --> 00:42:07,525
anger built in there.
967
00:42:07,525 --> 00:42:10,445
I think after
Norm Macdonald died,
968
00:42:10,445 --> 00:42:12,613
there is this really
big impulse
969
00:42:12,613 --> 00:42:15,241
in popular culture and
especially in comedy,
970
00:42:15,241 --> 00:42:18,953
to want to just
celebrate him and
971
00:42:18,953 --> 00:42:20,955
his life in this
uncomplicated,
972
00:42:20,955 --> 00:42:22,206
lovely way, you know.
973
00:42:22,206 --> 00:42:24,584
And I think a lot of people
experience that as like,
974
00:42:24,584 --> 00:42:26,335
"Oh, what a buzz kill.
You know, I just
975
00:42:26,335 --> 00:42:29,464
wanted to love this man,
uncomplicated."
976
00:42:29,464 --> 00:42:32,633
And what I think
some of the
977
00:42:32,633 --> 00:42:35,052
women have said is,
978
00:42:35,052 --> 00:42:36,804
"I didn't do this
to his legacy.
979
00:42:36,804 --> 00:42:39,056
He did it to
his own legacy."
980
00:42:39,056 --> 00:42:42,101
I think Norm Macdonald's
legacy
981
00:42:42,101 --> 00:42:44,604
is that he was a
982
00:42:44,604 --> 00:42:46,981
completely unique
voice in comedy.
983
00:42:46,981 --> 00:42:50,067
He is one of the finest
anchors that SNL
984
00:42:50,067 --> 00:42:52,153
ever had on
'Weekend Update.'
985
00:42:52,153 --> 00:42:53,571
That's all for now, folks.
986
00:42:53,571 --> 00:42:55,782
That's the way
it is, goodnight.
987
00:42:55,782 --> 00:42:58,034
You know, the people
that leave legacies,
988
00:42:58,034 --> 00:43:01,287
people like Norm are...
989
00:43:01,287 --> 00:43:03,915
just brave in their art.
990
00:43:03,915 --> 00:43:07,794
And anybody who's
non-conforming
991
00:43:07,794 --> 00:43:10,171
inspires the next generation
992
00:43:10,171 --> 00:43:12,298
to not conform.
993
00:43:12,298 --> 00:43:14,050
I don't think Norm
was ever ambitious.
994
00:43:14,050 --> 00:43:16,260
I think he-
the, the fact that he,
995
00:43:16,260 --> 00:43:19,430
he kind of ambled his way
into success, I think.
996
00:43:19,430 --> 00:43:24,018
He didn't really, he never
seemed driven.
997
00:43:24,018 --> 00:43:26,813
You know, he never
seemed like a guy
998
00:43:26,813 --> 00:43:28,648
who wanted to
be a big star.
999
00:43:28,648 --> 00:43:30,024
He just seemed like
a guy who, like,
1000
00:43:30,024 --> 00:43:33,277
wanted to
tell good jokes.
1001
00:43:33,277 --> 00:43:36,405
When I have my
funeral, you know?
1002
00:43:36,405 --> 00:43:38,074
And you know at most
of these funerals-
1003
00:43:38,074 --> 00:43:41,953
[Whimpering] Crying and sad
and everything like that,
1004
00:43:41,953 --> 00:43:45,373
and that's what
I'd like, you know?
1005
00:43:45,373 --> 00:43:47,291
I don't want- I've heard
of other ones,
1006
00:43:47,291 --> 00:43:50,628
"Let's have a party!"
Ah, ah, ah, ah.
1007
00:43:50,628 --> 00:43:53,214
-Whoa, whoa!
-No party.
1008
00:43:53,214 --> 00:43:55,591
There'll be a lot of
party days later,
1009
00:43:55,591 --> 00:43:57,635
but right now
this is, I'm dead.