TCGS Recap: Episode 206: Donald Trump Brings the Weird to the Weirdos
Chris Gethard may call his fans weirdos, but even they’re no match for the May 4 show, titled (appropriately), “The Truth Might Be Out There?” This episode focused on the supernatural, bizarre, and downright unexplainable, including conspiracy theories, ghosts and more. During the cold opening, Chris mentioned he had worked for a publication called Weird NJ, which, as the name suggests, covers haunted places, cryptozoological creatures, and conspiracy theories from his home state. Chris’ years of experience there, coupled with his ability to talk to pretty much anyone (as evidenced on his Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People podcast), made this such an entertaining episode.
For the celebrity guest, Gethard invited his UCB pal and current SNL cast member Bobby Moynihan. Bobby admitted off the bat that he wants to believe everything that seems supernatural, which made him a fun guest to sit in on all of the phone calls. The show got off to a bonkers start, thanks to a call from noted conspiracy theorist Richard Hoagland (The Other Side of Midnight). Richard claimed there is extraterrestrial life that we are all being shielded from. “Everything that NASA has told us about what’s out there is probably wrong,” he said. Damn! Richard was convinced that he was dropping truth bombs, even when saying things like Star Wars pays homage to the truth about aliens (?), and that Hilary Clinton has been hinting at the truth about extraterrestrials during her campaign. Whatever you say, Richard.
The beautiful part about these calls was they showcased Chris doing what he does best; listening patiently and earnestly to strangers. (Bobby, on the other hand, had to choke back a few laughs). Even when people revealed their strangest, most unbelievable theories, Chris never mocked them or even hinted at a touch of sarcasm. One man claimed he and his family members had seen and been semi-abducted by aliens, and another woman believed the children’s book series Berenstein (Berenstain?) Bears were a portal into an alternate universe. Chris just let them air their stories without judgement.
In keeping with his track record of creative taped segments that knock it out of the park, Chris let his friend and warm-up comic Connor Ratliff interview Tony Hale, one of his favorite comedic actors. Connor is obsessed with both of Tony’s biggest TV shows, Arrested Development and Veep. Chris let his friend ask Tony whatever question he wanted, with one catch — Connor had to eat a vegetable before each question. “Connor literally refuses to eat vegetables,” Chris warned, and the struggle was definitely real. Having to choose between eating a vegetable and asking one of his heroes a question was like watching Sophie’s Choice. And unlike Connor with the steamed broccoli, Tony ate the whole thing up. Watching Connor squirm and chase each veggie down with a bottle of water was a pure delight for the actor, who was cracking up the whole time. At one point, in a fit of giggles, Tony said, “This is the best day of my life.” This bit didn’t seem to fit in with the supernatural theme of the rest of the show, but it didn’t really matter. The mix of silliness and earnestness made it as enjoyable as it was cringeworthy.
Even with the conspiracy theories and ghost stories, nothing can possibly be as weird as the Republican front-runner, Donald Trump. This whole presidential election feels like a strange science fiction experiment, designed to play with the collective mind and leave us questioning everything. So when The Donald came out to give a speech, it definitely seemed on theme. Sure, this Donald was actually Anthony Atamanuik delivering his flawless impression, but he’s so believable, it’s hard to ignore the cringeworthy feelings our potential president (!!) brings to the surface. Throwing out such insane declarations as recruiting Carly Fiorina to lead a fetus body part parade, and telling Chris he “looks like a fetal part,” this parody speech is not far off from the potential prez’s actual demeanor and messaging. At this point, Anthony would for sure make a better leader than Trump, and that’s a feeling scarier, stranger, and more haunting than any ghost story.
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Christina Stiehl
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