As we’ve discussed, HBO’s political comedy Veep has seen an explosion in viewership (by 350%!) ever since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed VP Kamala Harris as his successor. At first I was thrilled — it’s a wickedly brilliant show that reduces me to laughter (running the spectrum between howling and wheezing) in every episode, no matter how many times I’ve watched the whole series. I am a pro-laughter voter for my selection of entertainment. I am worried, though, that VP Harris is being compared to Veep’s Selina Meyer. As I said last month, Selina Meyer is a Trump-like candidate, NOT a parallel to Harris. Well, guess who just went on national television to say the same thing? None other than Selina Meyer herself, Julia Louis-Dreyfus! She stopped by The Late Show while Stephen Colbert is filming live in Chicago for the convention, and had some words to say:
Kamala Harris and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ “Veep” character Selina Meyer were both female vice presidents, but the actor says that’s where their similarities end.
During an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” live from the Democratic National Convention, Louis-Dreyfus discussed the spike in popularity “Veep” has experienced following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from this year’s election and Harris’ announcement of her candidacy.
When Colbert brought up the fact that “Veep” viewership has increased by 350%, Louis-Dreyfus said, “It’s a great thing, I think?” Still, she felt the need to clarify that Meyer and Harris do not share the same personality traits.
“Let me explain to you, on ‘Veep’ I played a narcissistic, megalomaniac sociopath, and that is not Kamala Harris,” she said, adding: “It might be another candidate in the race.”
Colbert then asked which “Veep” character reminds Louis-Dreyfus the most of Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance. “That would be Jonah Ryan,” she said, referring to Meyer’s White House liaison, played by Timothy Simons, who constantly clashes with members of her staff.
“I’m sure he’s made love to many couches,” Louis-Dreyfus quipped.
Despite “Veep” being a comedy, Colbert raised the fact that it dealt a lot with the harsh treatment of women in politics. Asked if she had a favorite scene that embodied this, Louis-Dreyfus pointed to a moment between Meyer and Matt Walsh’s Mike McLintock.
“He came to me with this speech, and the speech began ‘as a woman.’ And I looked at him and I said, ‘First of all, as a woman, I’m not going to start a speech with “as a woman,” because I can’t identify as a woman,’” Louis-Dreyfus recalled. “Men hate that and women who hate women hate that, which is most women.”
Thanks for clearing that up, Julia, so can we please put the Kamala-Selina comparisons to bed now? And spend more time debating the comparisons between JD Vance and Jonah Ryan? On the one hand, yes, Jonah Ryan has undoubtedly had sex with a couch. Duh. But — and I truly can’t believe I’m saying this — to be fair to Jonah Ryan, JD Vance only wishes he had that charisma! Or that confidence! Jonah Ryan was wrong 99% of the time, but he acted with the conviction of being right 100% of the time. JD Vance, meanwhile, stumbles through his speeches, laughs like an alien testing out human behavior, and cannot competently walk a dog on a leash. Even his own dog. Julia actually got another great dig in at Vance this week: she didn’t just breeze into town for Colbert, but led a panel of all eight sitting women democratic governors on Wednesday. To start off the event, she noted that Vance would call the assembled women, “a coven of semi-menstruating witches.” No notes.
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She’s hilarious as is the show. I recently watched an oldish roundtable with Julia and the guys from Seinfeld (including LD) and I don’t know why I was surprised that it felt very boys club/no girls allowed and it felt icky just watching her there with them, kinds sidelined. Elaine was comedic gold because Julia brought her impeccable timing and physicality to the role. She’s a gem!
I love this and his choice of JD Vance for Trump. I was planning my exit from the US before that choice because I just knew people were crazy enough to vote for him again and I refuse to be around to see what happens to the States. I believe Trump choosing Vance instead of Nikki Haley or another woman sealed the deal of this election. I can’t even say that Harris has a fighting chance over Biden. I feel Harris will win this thing and most of that to do not only with her competence but Trumps VP pick 🤣🤣🤣
They predicted so many things that have come to pass that the prescience is scary. A black, female presidential candidate whose name starts with a K is quite specific.
I love JLD and VEEP, and I have to think anyone who watches and enjoys it is smart enough to not actually equate Selina with Kamala Harris.
The insults they’d throw at Jonah Ryan were brilliant, JLD’s performance was top notch, but my favorite part of the show?
Richard Splett.