Jimmy Fallon makes a conscious choice to be apolitical on the Tonight Show. It might be one of the reasons why his show has lost ground to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – Colbert has leaned in hard to political humor and politics in general, whereas Fallon ruffled Donald Trump’s hair during an interview last year and that was as political as he got the entire election season. Anyway, Fallon decided to do a “cold open” on the Tonight Show last night and he talked about what happened in Charlottesville:
“Especially white people”… I wonder if he’s going to get flack for that? He’s a bubbly white dude who enjoys a tremendous amount of privilege in his life, in his career, and here he is acknowledging his privilege, owning it and saying that people like him need to do more.
Unfortunately, his guest last night was Susan Sarandon, one of the biggest a–holes in the world. I canceled her months ago, but she keeps talking, keeps deflecting, keeps acting like she didn’t stand there and endorse Russian stooge Jill Stein last year. Here’s Part I:
Here’s Part II:
In the first video, Fallon asks Sarandon for her take on what’s happening in this country. She says:
I think we have to own it. I think we have to admit that this is a systemic problem. This country was founded on the genocide of Native Americans and on the backs of slaves and I don’t think we’ve ever really dealt with that. This is something that goes very deep… you have to teach hate they don’t come out this way…On her last post [terrorist victim] Heather said ‘If you’re not outraged you’re not paying attention.’ This is an amazing opportunity for people to pay attention and to have these conversations…The mainstream media, the president, everyone was quiet during Standing Rock. Nobody covered that no one seemed to be outraged that the strip searching, labeling, rubber bullets, and people losing eyes and arms. People didn’t even know about that..Until people don’t have to say ‘black lives matter’ we’re not free.
Yeah, I still think she’s full of sh-t. She’s basically saying that America is a sh-thole because Donald Trump is president, yet she takes zero ownership of the fact that she actively tried to persuade voters away from voting for Hillary Clinton, America’s last best hope to stem the rise of Trump-fascism. Susan Sarandon endorsed Jill Stein, a candidate who said “Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy is much scarier than Donald Trump’s.” And now that we’re on the brink of nuclear war with North Korea, has that stance aged well? Does Susan Sarandon get to be the voice of any of resistance movement?
“I think we have to own it” – do I, an Indian-American woman who voted for Hillary Clinton, have to take ownership for this unfolding debacle in the same way privileged white Jill Stein voters have to take ownership?? As I told all of the Hillary voters and straight-line Dem-voters the day after the election: we don’t own what happens next. We have a responsibility to stay vigilant, stay woke, stay agitated, stay resisted, but what happens next is not ours to own. We didn’t create this monster.
Photos courtesy of The Tonight Show, WENN.
I don’t think I could ever support Susan Sarandon in any project ever again. I get angry just looking at her. Such a disappointment.
Fallon is not smart enough to engage more than he does. Let Colbert (a smarter and more talented comedian) handle it; Fallon can be the fluffy half-wit.
Colbert, Samantha Bee, John Oliver, Trevor Noah., they run circles around him…Fallon can only do the fluff and games with guests
All I can say is that Heather Heyer’s blood is on her hands. As Sarandon sits in her ivory tower, we’re cleaning the mess people like her made. I don’t see her on the front lines or doing anything of importance against T***p. All she does is dig herself into a deeper hole that I hope she eventually jumps into.
That’s the frustrating part here. I wish she had the nerve to have a real conversation about her BS with someone smart enough to ask tough questions and follow up. Otherwise she just gets to justify, justify, justify herself.
I agree. I cannot support Surandon after her BS before and since the election. I refused to watch Fued for that reason.
Fallon is not someone I go to political commentary and that still holds. Ugh
Feud was pretty good and Jessica Lange ran circles around her. I never forgot I was looking at Susan Sarandon whereas Lange really melted into Joan Crawford and built a fascinating living character.
Ugh. Why. WHY?! Just goes to show that in the case of Fallon, you can try to be hip and know all the words to the latest Kendrick Lamar but that doesn’t make you WOKE.
I have his number and i don’t buy the innocent act. His goal is to have his cake and eat it. But he’s too dim to realize he could still have his cake if he went in as hard as Questlove might if he were the host, or Seth Meyers, or Colbert. James Corden is more woke than Fallon. He thought, ‘Oh gee whiz golly, I’ll have on someone who *claims independence* from the two (and only) parties who effectively got us Bush and Dick Cheney (thru her support of Ralph Nader over Al Gore) and then her support of Jill ‘Kremlin’ Stein over Hillary.
Black women such as myself were pleading with Sarandon on social media to use her voice and not purposefully help dampen the vote for Hillary Clinton, with her bullshi talk of ‘revolution.’ We told her that her privelege would innoculate her against the type of thing that happened over the weekend to Heather or against factions of police who were given a green light by a President of these United States to deliberately destroy our human and constitutional rights and brutalize us more. She didn’t care. She as usual, did her thing. Which without fail turns out to be the worst thing for Americans without fail.
Fallon should have had Meryl Streep on. A better actress, and better more conscientious human being. Susan Sarandon is a narcissist and a fraud, like the man she helped into the the White House.
I think Sarandon is going to avoid Colbert for as long as she can from now on. He went at her and she was shocked, for some reason. For someone who is all about the revolution, she was awfully upset at having to talk about it.
She knew Fallon was going to get her a platform and no conflict. She will be back.
Fallon IMO is a not-very-bright alcoholic who has slid by on his boyish act. He’s getting older and he just seems like he’s flailing because he has nothing to say. It makes sense that Sarandon would try to peddle her BS on his show.
I can’t even look at her.
I’ll go on record saying that I love Susan Sarandon. I feel like she believed in Bernie with all her heart and, because of that, she missed the mark in the bigger picture – meaning that what we have is a two party system, unfortunately.
I’ll also add that Fallon is a dolt.
Same. Same. Same.
Don’t have any time for neither Fallon nor Sarandon. Both clowns to me.
Same, can’t stand either of them.
Same. I used to be indifferent to Susan. Now I can’t stand her face and privilege. I’m not even American. Fallon has no charisma nor conviction. Just fluff. I think he should remain actor, not host.
“No one covered it”? Is she stupid? Outlets covered standing rock; just plenty of people didn’t care. This woman is a moron.
It’s too bad Heather Heyer had to die to create this “amazing opportunity” to have a conversation.
She can f$ck right the hell off.
Yeah, that sounded weird.
Yeah, this “no one covered it” garbage is nonsense and I’m hearing it more and more. I heard about Standing Rock constantly and I don’t listen to/read fringe outlets. People either aren’t listening or they are consuming their “news” from some highly slanted silo and have no idea what’s really happening.
Yesterday some old classmate on my FB feed put up a “story” about how Charlottesville was a “set up” by the left, trying to engage cops so that black people could kill them in supposed self defense. This is an affluent white guy who might try to sell you life insurance, who attended college, and who reads and spews fake news on FB. This is how we ended up with Trump.
I’m not even American and that was in the news in my country. She is full of sh*t.
Get your head out of your butt, Susan. Standing Rock was covered on just about every news and media source. You’re as bad as the idiots who only watch Fox News and scream about MSM, while totally ignoring that Fox News IS mainstream. And why don’t we have education and healthcare? Because people like you help scum like Donald Trump get into power.
She’s always been like this. I’m old enough to remember she campaigned for Ralph Nader in 2000. She campaigned AGAINST Gore, the person leading the charge on climate change and the environment at the time. Nader voters made the difference by siphoning off Gore votes when everyone was convinced Gore would win. Sound familiar? Bush won because of 500 or so votes in FL when the manual recount was stopped. Can you imagine how different our country would have been if Gore had been president? No Iraq war, climate change addressed much earlier, etc. Thanks for that one too, Susan.
This is the revolution you wanted, Susan. You own this. Me, I voted for HRC. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. So I don’t own shit.
How could she say that HRC ‘s foreign policy is worse …I don’t even think Donald trump understand what foreign policy means, he just shits out words and threats…he’s literally destroying the reputation of the United States.
Most who say that are unfortunately not willing to educate themselves on the country’s foreign policy. (too many boring books involved) She might not like her foreign policy but it certainly isn’t worse. It’s just something people say, it’s not factual.
And the Bernie or Busters are on the other side thinking this is what the Democrats caused by nominating Hillary in the first place. So at least everyone’s smug and pleased with themselves. Meanwhile the GOP is thinking maybe there’s hope in 2018 after all.
Bernie Bros can bite me. He would NOT have fared better than HRC.
‘we don’t own what happens next. We have a responsibility to stay vigilant, stay woke, stay agitated, stay resisted, but what happens next is not ours to own. We didn’t create this monster.’
After the 2008 election, at Thanksgiving my mother in law (Republican) came at me saying those words about how Obama voters owned the horrors that were about to come. It was awful. I found out a few months ago that she voted for Trump. She tried to keep it secret but her husband gave her away. We’ve had political disagreements in the past and i haven’t seen her since the election. I want to throw those words back in her face, but I also kinda never want to see her again.
I’m black , her son is gay and she voted for Trump. F*&k her.
“I’m black , her son is gay and she voted for Trump. F*&k her.”
I don’t understand scenarios like this…I don’t understand people like your MIL.
I would be so f*cking hurt.
I’m sorry.
She wouldn’t let go of Bernie, knowing he couldn’t win, she still refused to lend her support to someone who could. Is this what she wanted, to have the people wake up and smell the garbage. She was constantly tweeting about Little Rock, does she think she was the only one. It was all over the news, but not enough for Sue. She was pretty radical in her views as a young woman, and now at 70, is still angry with the world but doesn’t know how to channel her anger. Sound familiar?
She voted for the Green Party Jill Stein. She dumped Bernie when HRC became the nominee. I can’t stand her.
I hate her. She and her awful daughter are just textbook examples of white privilege. All she does is lie and deflect.
Me too. I can honestly say I hate her. Passionately.
I’m not going to waste any of my time on Sarandon; but I thought it was worth mentioning that, as an outsider, I have been impressed with how the ‘other’ late night ‘funny’ guy, Seth Meyers, has been so strong and so consistent with his speaking out against the orange monster. His monologue last night was genuine and considered, I thought. But, as I said: outsider. I’d love to know what Americans think and feel about it and him (Meyers).
Seth Meyers has run away with it, in my opinion. His “Closer Look” segments are better than anything on Colbert or the other late night shows. John Oliver and Samantha Bee are great too, but they’re only once a week so I’d say they’re in a different category. Trevor Noah has some really good stuff, but he focuses solely on political news and even then he’s not as consistent.
Not American, but I agree with you. Meyers consistently delivers and he’s really found his voice in a crowded field of Late Night hosts.
With that being said, it was always clear that meyers would do better than Fallon. Fallon was a semi-talented member on SNL and largely relied on Tina Fey when he hosted Weekend Update. Meyers was a better WU host and he was a head-writer. Aside from that, there are several stories from former cast members and people working on SNL who say that Meyers really tried to make SNL a much more open and friendlier workspace during his time as a head-writer and how he’s a genuinely nice and compassionate person.
I love Seth. He is a genuine person and I am glad his show is doing well. I watch him even if I can only see the beginning.
Meyers and Colbert are pure gold. DVR them every night, and even get my now *EX* Repub. father (officially switched to Dem. now) to watch. And he AGREES with them lol. Gotta love it!
We’re here. B*tching about who owns what and who deserves more blame for the results of the election is really pointless. We did not get HRC in, we have to survive Cheeto AND somehow get those 3rd Party voters to vote Democratic in 2020. Whatever for Susan Sarandon–we need her and her ilk not to go third party in 2020. That’s what matters and a continuous stream of virtuous blame will not achieve that.
I don’t know if he will get much flack for this at all. If he does, he will probably mostly get flack from the “not all white people. I believe in equality ‘insert self righteous rhetoric that makes the entire conversation about them and their feelings in which they somehow equate their hurt feelings to the feelings of POC in regards to racism” crowd. OR the “love more, not hate” crowd. I have grown used to the indignation, delusion, and stale naivete from those crowds and am slowly learning how to zone it out. At this point, if you ain’t asking “how can I help as a white person?” and seriously taking what is being said to you to heart and actively trying to change, then you are on the other side and not worth anyone’s time.
I am on the fence about his speech. One loud part is like “this is too little to damn late. ”
Another part is like ‘well there may be a hole in that white bubble he has lived in for all of his life. lets hope he puts his words into action in the best way that he can to help get rid of white supremacy.” Hope for the best, but expect more of the same but dressed up differently.
God, not this tw*t again.
Fallon is playacting at being serious and political, so it doesn’t surprise me that he’d invite Sarandon on to vomit up more empty rhetoric about “owning it”. How about YOU own it, B?? You and all the other sanctimonious windbags who didn’t vote, or voted third party (and then never bother at any other time) and then blathered on and on about your conscience and revolutions and all the other trite excuses that get trotted out.
👍🏻^^^^THIS!! YES!!! 👏🏻👏🏻
Voting for Hillary doesn’t mean you’re free of blame. There’s racism in the liberal side of this country, there’s racism in feminism and there’s a ton of racism within the Democrats.
I voted for Clinton, just to be clear, but the fact that she was a viable political candidate in 2016 after the ‘super-predators’ debacle and then her very dog-whistle-y campaign against Obama, shows that liberals (including myself) are still ready to sweep a ton under the rug when it suits us. And that’s a huge part of the problem. It’s not the worst part of the problem, it shouldn’t be the focus, but if we don’t own it we’re part of creating a foundation on which extremism can build.
+1
Agree
Yes, there’s racism everywhere. But please do not pretend liberals or HRC are as bad as conservative republicans. Without a doubt HRC has her flaws, but does she think, grow and change? Yes.
I was for Hillary in 08 but when Obama won the candidacy I went for him. She ran a hard campaign, as she should have. He was untried and I had my concerns. Of the two I thought she was the better candidate. I’m not going to blame her for giving him a good fight. Obama turned out to be a good president but I still think she had a much better resume and I really believe her presidency would have been in the level of FDR.
Everyone, let alone someone with 40 years in public eye , makes missteps. Addressing gang members as “super predators” was one. Did she mention super predators by race? No. Children in gangs often do not have a conscience, that is true. But to marginalized and denigrate in that way was a mistake. Does it erase all she’s fine? No.
I’m a social worker and welfare to work has been a success. We have several ex clients who are now working for our department. A few ex-clients have managed to get jobs and buy homes. One ex-client told me how good it felt for her to be able to have a job, take care of her family and buy her first home. That’s no small feat in the SF Bay Area .
I agree. This constant purity test for Dems is going to just get us more republicans who are literally destroying the country. I see it already happening to Kamala Harris. NO ONE IS PERFECT. Just get out there in 2018, vote and hustle for dem candidates. It’s the only way we’re going to be able stop the terrible Repub agenda before 2020. And Susan Sarandon is a rich white idiot. Tom Wolfe wrote about her ilk in Radical Chic.
That is true and I wish we as progressive would face things too so we can clear the air and come together strong. I don’t need someone to be just like me but I do need people to be open to discussion and listen to each other.
I voted for Clinton as well with reservations because I did nots she wasn’t going to get anything done. However I still remember the “super predator” and “hard working white people” comments she made during the 2008 primaries. The Democrats’s failure to build a strong farm team also hurt them because they had to depend on Clinton to be their standard bearer.
No, people of color don’t have to own this sh*tshow. If I remember correctly, something like 1% of black women voted for 45? VERY few. They knew. So did Latina women, Asian women. You know who didn’t know/care? Or actively supported this bs? White women. White people. So Susan, go f*ck yourself. You’re an egomaniac without any connection to most people’s reality.
This is the chaos she was asking for, isn’t it?
I am not owning *one iota* of this nightmarish maelstrom caused by Emperor Baby Fists and the Susan Sarandon types who helped get him elected.
The same for me, I am completely turned off from Susan S. I’m not interested in hearing anything she has to say and watching anything she’s in anymore.
I agree with Kaiser we didn’t create this monster. I remember the months/days coming up to election I’m arguing to people I know that didn’t like HRC and voting from trump – how can you vote for him??? So frustrating.
I met this lady last week, and politics came up briefly and she said she didnt like either Hillary or trump so she voted for Jill Stein. I held my tongue, I just met her – and what the use now.
Pssst, Susan, you’re not as smart as you obviously think you are. Just thought I’d let you know.
yep, delusions of intelligence.
+1
I honestly can’t think of two people less equipped to talk about this topic.
I don’t think Jimmy Fallon has ever positioned himself as politically “In the know” in the way Susan Sarandon does, so I didn’t have any problem with him giving his viewpoint on the events. Even “fluffy” people can have and offer opinions, and his opinion isn’t on the wrong side of history. He doesn’t pretend that he’s as smart or as politically engaged as Stephen Colbert or Trever Noah or Seth Meyers. So, I don’t feel inclined to point out an inconsistency in what he says. He’d probably be the first to admit he’s “fluffy.”
Susan Sarandon is truly annoying. She’s weird.
I completely agree. Jimmy Fallon gets so much hate but to me he comes across as a people pleaser who just hates the idea of upsetting anyone. It seems like they could be a totally despicable human being (Trump) but he still can’t bring himself to do anything which might hurt their feelings. I get why people don’t like that but I don’t think it’s really a bad thing. Some people could really learn from that.
I am a WOC from one of the unincorporated territories. I am not owning this shitshow either, but I will continue to take on the fight to end it. The culmination of events is an overt representation of America, historically. These events are a jolt for people who were dormant or uninterested in awareness. More white people need to work towards fighting for justice and equality because we people of color can’t do it alone.
MLK built a coalition of people from all walks of life during the Civil Rights Movement. It took many people of different faiths, ethnicities and race to advance the cause. It was true then and it’s even truer now.
So true! And we need it just as much now.
The Democratic Party is about to be splintered just like the Republican Party due to all the false purity and litmus tests being inflicted on candidates. If you don’t support abortion or single payer/Medicare for all, etc. then you shouldn’t receive support or be allowed to run. Purity/litmus test ideology has been the undoing of the GOP to the point that it’s been coopted by the far right, neo nazi crazies. Dems will never regain control of local and state government, let alone Comgress, if these “revolutionaries” continue with their nonsense.
Preach Kaiser!
I couldn’t bring myself to watch her in the video because I just got back from a lovely vacation and I’m still in mellow mood. However, in one fell swoop she has dismissed and denigrated everyone who realized that a Trump presidency would be the downfall of America. She also fails to understand that Standing Rock was ALL OVER THE MEDIA. I’m Canadian and watched it and read about it on all the Canadian stations and publications. I donated money to an organization to mobilize the protest efforts at Standing Rock FFS! What the hell is she on??? She is and always has been a “fauxtellectual” and as long as she’s being given air time by cotton balls like Fallon she will continue to be a smug, condescending and self-aggrandizing menace to rational thinking.
Love Seth Meyer and his closer look segment. Cancelled Jimmy Fallon and Susan ages ago. Ugh. I do find it funny that “conservatives” on twitter are all mad at Fallon for speaking out.
I think some of the rhetoric is a little overheated here. Susan Sarandon has been about that life for a long time. She’s been an activist and unapologetic about her left wing politics. Probably moreso than many people taking shots at her these days. There was definitely a lapse in judgment with Jill Stein. However, let’s understand there’s degrees to lapses in judgment. It’s not the same as being a Trump supporter.
So if she wants to be an ally in the anti-Trump resistance, ok. We don’t have to be perfectly aligned to work against a common enemy.
Also, politics is not Jimmy Fallon’s wheelhouse for sure. But I respect that he felt moved to use his platform to speak out.
I dont see where she’s said anything thats so wrong. At least she stands up for what she believes.
She’s right that we need to own our history. However, what she – and the rest of the white progressive movement, honestly – needs to realize that part of owning your history is recognizing your current privilege as a white person, and the purity politics we saw in the last election? Is the absolute definition of privilege. It literally should not have been an argument to vote for Clinton the moment it became clear Sanders didn’t have the power to beat her. Period. End of story.
Not because you agreed with all of her viewpoints.
Not because you necessarily thought she was perfect candidate.
But because the lives of millions of brown, black, LGBT+, Muslim, and women’s lives were at stake based on the rhetoric being spouted by the right-wing candidate. If this was McCain or Romney, this wouldn’t have been a problem, but Donald Trump was neither of those things. Donald Trump’s platform was irresponsible and problematic to begin with, and EVERYBODY had the responsibility to recognize how dangerous he and his supporters were to the vulnerable among us. We failed, and now instead of inching forward, we’re trying not to slide back. Not a comforting thought at all.
I dont think anybody thought Trump would win….even Trump himself. It’s the responsibility of every single person no matter color or religion to vote. Dont expect others to look after your interests.
Thank goodness. I replayed the part ‘esp white ppl’ more than once. Thank you Jimmy.
U hope things change and we can be less hateful to each other and human beings.
I am a black woman and have had ppl treat me like dirt & you can feel the hate and the fact that ppl see us as less and as if its a validated hate, like its okay black ppl arent respected anyway so why should I.
This life sucks
I get being annoyed by her, but in this specific interview, everything she said was right. Everything.
Her first sentence should be : “First I have to own it.”
Trump has made it all worse and she needs to admit that.