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Glenn Weldon
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Eric Deggans
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Glenn Weldon
Live television is all about high risk, high reward. Musical performances, award ceremonies, sports events or comedy shows. There's an electric charge to watching something as it's happening.
Stephen Thompson
We're all sharing the same moment. We're connected to the performers and to each other. And should something go wrong, we're connected to that too. I'm Stephen Thompson.
Glenn Weldon
And I'm Glenn weldon. Today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we're debating the greatest moments of live television.
Eric Deggans
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Glenn Weldon
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Glenn Weldon
Joining us today is our Pop Culture Happy Hour co host, Aisha Harris. Hey, Aisha.
Aisha Harris
Hey. Not live, but in living color. So great to be here.
Glenn Weldon
Great to have you. Also with us is NPR's TV critic Eric Deggans. Hey, Eric.
Aisha Harris
Hey.
Unknown
I'm feeling a little hypocritical. This isn't live. Should it be live?
Glenn Weldon
No, because that would be terrifying. Let's not do that. So look, folks, the monoculture is dead, but watching live TV is the closest we can get anymore to that feeling of interconnectedness, that feeling that we're all in this together. We wanted to talk about the joys and the pitfalls of live TV and give our picks for the greatest live moments of all time. Now, we should note here that we are limiting ourselves to live events within the sphere of entertainment because all of us can think of harrowing moments when the news had us glued to our sets. That is not what we're talking about today. So, you know, you're welcome. Who wants that?
Unknown
I was ready to talk about the slap, but go ahead. Oh, my boy.
Aisha Harris
Good.
Glenn Weldon
Steven, kick us off with your pick.
Stephen Thompson
So we could talk all day about weird slips of the tongue, crazy high profile mishaps during major events. But I don't want us to forget about the local angle.
Aisha Harris
Sure.
Stephen Thompson
One of those moments where an intrepid local TV reporter goes out to report on the issues of the day only to have something hilarious and chaotic happen. Now, I followed a few ground rules here. Some of them you've kind of alluded to. Glenn. Mainly, I don't want anything where someone gets hurt. I don't want to see anyone truly embarrassed or humiliated.
Glenn Weldon
Okay? You just eliminated whole swaths of things that I thought you were gonna go in.
Unknown
So basically it's not gonna be fun. Okay, Debbie Downer.
Stephen Thompson
Au contraire. Au contraire, my friend, because what I specifically want to see is intrepidness in the face of slapstick. Okay, so I give you a Canadian TV reporter named Rob Leth. Back in 2008 or so, he was a reporter for the TV network Global News in Canada, and he'd gotten sent out to report inner tube toboggan race again, capturing the major stories of the day. So Rob Leth is standing at the bottom of a hill.
Aisha Harris
All right, so I've got my trusty stopwatch, and here they come down the hill. It looks like Ruben is in the lead. And here comes Al.
Stephen Thompson
That was a bad idea.
Aisha Harris
At Riverside Park. Rob Leth, Global News.
Stephen Thompson
That was a bad idea.
Unknown
That was a bad idea.
Stephen Thompson
So, as you might be able to surmise from the audio, one of the innertubes manages to careen directly into the reporter's feet, at which point he is literally fully pinwheeled, like.
Glenn Weldon
Oh, I think I've seen this. Yes.
Aisha Harris
Is that like when Lucy holds the football and then Charlie Brown.
Stephen Thompson
It's very Charlie. And you see him fully rotate in the air. So he fully, fully rotates and winds up kind of limply starfished on the ground. But he completes the report because he's intrepid. Now, I know this is basically just in terms of the annals of TV hilarity, it's basically just a guy falling down. But one, watching people fall down is funny. And really, the prospect of people falling down is one of the main reasons we still like to watch TV in 2025. This is why I love watching Wipeout, watching Eat it, and then be intrepid in the face of that. That's the best thing not only about live tv, it's the best thing about humanity.
Glenn Weldon
Wow.
Aisha Harris
Yeah. Isn't this just America's Funniest Home Videos?
Glenn Weldon
It's also bloopers and practical jokes, and it's Canadian.
Stephen Thompson
Yeah, it's all those things. They don't have to add a bunch of goofy sound effects to it. I don't need Bob Saget saying, whoa, whoa, whoa. Like, I just want to watch the guy fall down and then get back up.
Unknown
I'm sorry, but I think a blast of yakety sax would completely improve that.
Glenn Weldon
When would it not, Eric? When would it not?
Aisha Harris
Yes.
Unknown
All right.
Glenn Weldon
That's a solid pick, Steven. I can't argue with it. I mean, there's certainly news. Is a fire hose of moments like that. I mean, like, luckily, there's now a thing called YouTube where they get collected and shared by your father. Did you see that thing I sent you and then you go, yes, yes, dad, I saw it.
Stephen Thompson
But Glenn, this is what I'm saying. It is the unifier, right? Like a high falutin grunta reader could watch that and still laugh and, and send it to their father in law and they could bond over it.
Glenn Weldon
Thank you for that, Steven. That's a great pick. My pick is next. And y'all know me, I love a ramp up. I love a preamble. I love priming the pump. I have none of that here because this moment speaks for itself.
Unknown
Please welcome the wickedly talented, one and only Adele.
Aisha Harris
Dazeem Adel Nazeem.
Glenn Weldon
That, of course, is the iconic moment that John Travolta presented the best song nominee, Let It Go from Frozen, to be sung by Idina Menzel, at the 86 Academy Award on Sunday, March 2, 2014. If, like me, you hadn't really thought about that moment in a long time, much less, you know, listened to it or watched it, you might have forgotten, as I did, the utter conviction, the way he chews through that intro. Wicked, wickedly talented. What is he doing? And then when he gets to the name, he doesn't stumble over it. People think, oh yeah, he stumbled over. No, au contraire. The way Travolta doesn't just read the name, he gives it the same spin that Peter Jennings used to put on Nicaragua. He is doing something there. I know when I see it, because, you know, I have some of it myself. The unmerited confidence of the middle aged white man, it's fully on display. And then a year later on Jimmy Kimmel, Travolta, you know, didn't give just one excuse. He gave three. He said, A, that he had been rushed onto the stage, B, that he was distracted by the beauty of Goldie Hawn who was waiting in the wings with him, and she is just so gorgeous. And at the last minute, he says they switched to a phonetic spelling of Menzel's name on the teleprompter. Now here is a fun activity for y'all. Listeners write out a phonetic spelling of the words Idina Menzel that gets you anywhere near in the same time zone as Adele d'zim. I'll wait.
Aisha Harris
Okay, so Menzel, Adele. That's all I got. That's all I got, man.
Unknown
I was ready. I was ready for it. I was ready for the grand explanation.
Stephen Thompson
I'm gonna roll with what Aisha is saying here. As somebody who has tripped over many a phonetic spelling in a script, it is disconcerting if you're not accustomed to seeing phonetic spellings. Your brain is scrambling to translate a name you've never seen before into a. And if your brain doesn't necessarily work that way. I'm not sitting here defending John Travolta, but, Steven, you.
Glenn Weldon
You would have the humility.
Stephen Thompson
No, I would not.
Glenn Weldon
To stumble over the name. You would not just zero in and create some high fantasy version of some elf.
Unknown
That's because he's not a pro.
Aisha Harris
Sure.
Unknown
Like John Travoltic.
Glenn Weldon
Now, one thing to keep in mind here. I just wanted some context here. This became a thing pretty much immediately on social media that night. And by the next day, there were Adele Dazeem name generators. It was a much bigger story. But keep in mind, at the time, Menzel wasn't yet a household name. I mean, the gays knew her, certainly the theater kids knew her from Broadway. And, you know, to our defense, we did our jobs back then. I went to the barricades on Twitter that night, and I was like, what just happened here? But she has said that ultimately it was one of the best things that happened in her career. There is, of course, there is a Vanity Fair oral history, because there is always a Vanity Fair oral, because she was considered the wronged party in that exchange. It made people kind of get in her corner. She gained a kind of instant notoriety. And, yeah, she's gonna have to deal with Adele Datsim jokes for the rest of her natural life, but she came out of it on top. There was no guarantee she would, but she did.
Aisha Harris
Oh, come on. She has now had three iconic characters in Rent, Frozen, and then, of course, Wicked. So, like, she was gonna be fine. She was gonna be fine.
Glenn Weldon
Wickedly.
Aisha Harris
I will say he's probably upset with you now, though, Glenn, because up until this point, I think most people now have made Warren Beatty the person who, for the Moonlight, La La Land, mixed up.
Glenn Weldon
No, no, come on.
Unknown
We don't want to blame Warren because they just handed him the wrong envelope.
Aisha Harris
Fair. That's true. That is true. Okay. Anyway, I love that pick, Glenn.
Glenn Weldon
Thank you. And if local news is a fire hose of these kind of moments, the Oscars are a raging torrent. All right, Ayesha, what's your pick?
Aisha Harris
All right, well, I know we said we weren't gonna get serious here, but this is kind of serious. You be the judge. So I'm gonna take you all back to September 2, 2005. Does that time area ring a bell for any of you?
Unknown
Feels like last week. Okay. That's how old I am.
Aisha Harris
Okay. All Right. Well, what if I said a concert for hurricane relief?
Stephen Thompson
Okay, I know where you're going.
Aisha Harris
All of a sudden, the destruction of.
Unknown
The spirit of the people of Southern Louisiana and Ms. May end up being the most tragic loss of all. George Bush doesn't care about black people.
Glenn Weldon
There it is.
Stephen Thompson
At which point, the eyes of Mike Myers.
Unknown
I was gonna say, I was so focused on Mike Myers during that whole thing when I watched it on tv. There's not a more uncomfortable white man in the world in that moment.
Aisha Harris
So for those of you who may be listening to this and maybe weren't even alive when this happened, which is crazy to think about, this was, of course, the concert for hurricane relief to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrin. And Kanye west and Mike Myers, what a 2005 pairing that is. Were put together to talk about hurricane relief and, you know, be one of the celebrities there. And, of course, you have, George Bush doesn't care about black people. That's what everyone remembers. That is the mic drop moment. But we often forget, because that's such a great sound bite, that before this, Kanye is rambling.
Stephen Thompson
There's this massive preamble for a full.
Aisha Harris
Minute, a full long minute about how the media has portrayed black people as looters and how the system is set up to provide their communities with the least amount of help at the slowest rate possible.
Unknown
I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food.
Aisha Harris
And, you know, and the other thing we forget is that, like, he looks and sounds legitimately frightened because he knows what he's saying is controversial. It's completely off script, which is why this is such a great live moment. And meanwhile, yes, of course, Mike Myers is looking on nervously and then, like, doesn't acknowledge what just happened and just continues to stick to the script.
Glenn Weldon
He's like, I'm Canadian. I don't even want to be involved here.
Aisha Harris
I know. A deer in headlights. And then, of course, Kanye punctuates it with the infamous mic drop of George Bush doesn't care about black people. I think it's, like, important to put this moment in context because Ye now known as Ye, but Kanye west back then, Old Kanye, as some of us like to call him. Yeah, this occurs literally just three days after late registration, his second album drops. Just a few or a couple of weeks later, Gold Digger lands at number one and then stays there for 10 straight weeks. And so when I think about this, I Think about two things. I think about how this moment sort of, like, laid the track for Kanye's Persona as this, like, force of chaos. Except in those early days, he was absolutely famous. He had already had college dropout. He wasn't like no one. But he also wasn't what he is.
Stephen Thompson
Today or what he was 10 years ago.
Aisha Harris
Yes, exactly. And so that force of chaos in those early days was perceived by many people, including myself, to be, like, good for progressives. Like, this is a moment that is such a refreshing break from the polite niceties. And he's speaking truth to power. And it's like him using that. That power that he has, the old Kanye, in a good way before it curdled into the Taylor Swift drama. The slavery was a choice. Comments. The current wave of antisemitism that he's been spewing and for a long time, I think this moment and the memory of this moment allowed him to get away with so much amongst people. And I think also the fact that, like, just a few weeks later, Gold Digger went to number one. He did not suffer the consequences that you might expect him to suffer professionally. Now, my last thing I'll say is beyond Kanye, I think that this sort of, like, predates the era when celebrities being outspoken and unfiltered about politics would really become expected amongst most of them. Like, it's 2005. Yes, there were people who were, like, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, now the Chicks. Like, obviously, that's the same era, but it was rare.
Stephen Thompson
And you've had moments at, like, awards shows with, like, Marlon Brando sending Sasheen Littlefeather to accept an award for him. There have been instances in which people have seized that kind of platform to make a political statement. But I think here, it was a really unexpected spot for it.
Aisha Harris
Right. Obviously, I'm not saying that politics and entertainment did not enter. Like, of course we have people like Jane Fonda, like, they existed. But I think especially within a star of his magnitude, there's that expectation that I think hasn't been matched since. I think subconsciously, a lot of people expected the super bowl this year with Kendrick to do something similar, because Trump was may or may not have been in the crowd when he was performing. We know he was at the game, but, like, it's been disputed whether or not he was actually. He actually saw Kendrick perform live. But I saw some critiques that his performance was more about Drake than it was about the current moment. And I feel like subconsciously people are thinking, like, we need another George Bush doesn't care about black people. But, like, nothing can compare to that moment. Like, Kanye has never been the same since that moment. He has never been of the same fame, meaner. He's definitely in a different complete stage of his career. So I think this is, to me, what makes this such a perfect live moment, is that it could only have happened then, and it could only have been Kanye, and it was just completely, completely unexpected.
Unknown
I remember that moment, but the thing to remember leading to that moment was all of the video of people suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. And it was the flooding that then cut off New Orleans. And there were tons of people who were stuck in the city, particularly people who were poor and couldn't afford to leave, who were desperate. And there was all kinds of press coverage documenting that. People were watching it in real time. Anderson Cooper was freaking out. We had all of these news commentators who were documenting all this misery and sort of going, what has happened? How does this happen in America? For days and days. And so leading up to that, to have Kanye be the celebrity to say, what is going on with this president who says he cares about everybody, but there was a lot of suspicion about George W. Bush's ability to run a country anyway.
Aisha Harris
Yeah.
Unknown
And then when that happened, it seemed to be confirmation, particularly for people who were poor and people who were not white, that this country was not working for them. So there was a whole bunch of stuff leading up to that moment that made it so powerful. And I think that's another reason why we haven't seen it repeated again, because that was a singular moment at the end of a horrific emergency.
Aisha Harris
Yeah. I highly recommend anyone to check out Spike Lee's excellent documentary, when the Levees Broke, which dives into this. And also everything that Eric just explained and puts that moment really, really well into context. I will say I don't think I watched this live, but I do remember it being like, next day, as soon. Like, it was. It was inescapable. Inescapable.
Glenn Weldon
It was pre meme, before the memes. Yeah.
Unknown
It was crazy because it was like. For me, it was like, almost like the Janet Jackson, you know, moment. And I was watching the super bowl when it happened, but I didn't clock that it had happened. And I feel like that was what happened with this. I think I was watching that event, but I just. I didn't quite clock what he had done until later.
Glenn Weldon
Yeah. And, you know, the meme that survived is the deer in the headlights look of Mike Myers. But as you went into, there's A lot more to that clip.
Unknown
The most uncomfortable white man on the.
Stephen Thompson
Plate capturing the look in the eyes of everyone in the control room.
Glenn Weldon
That's a great pick, Aisha. Thank you so much. Eric, what's your pick?
Unknown
Okay, so I'm not going to give this too much preamble either, except I'm going to say that this happened a year and a half before I was born, and it is the moment that birthed a million musicians.
Glenn Weldon
I want to hold on I wanna.
Unknown
Hold your hand 61 years ago, the Beatles went on at Sullivan and they played several songs. It is amazing to me, as somebody who's covered music and pop culture for 30 years now, how many musicians have told me that they watched that and it made them want to be musicians or form a band. It was a beacon that sort of said, you can do this. This music that your generation loves can power the world. So get out there, pick up a guitar, get together with your friends, form a band and make something happen. And there's so many amazing bands and wonderful musicians that we have now because of it. You know, a live moment on TV that isn't horrific, wasn't a tragedy, was joyous. That band and those guys have given us so much. And in many ways, it started with that performance.
Glenn Weldon
Yeah, you're absolutely right, Eric, because it's not just a musical sea change. It was a cultural sea change.
Stephen Thompson
Totally.
Glenn Weldon
And you have to think about the other people who were guests on the Ed Sullivan show that night.
Stephen Thompson
Oh, man.
Glenn Weldon
I mean, the original footnotes of history. Right.
Aisha Harris
It really has just become, in its own way, its own meme. Because it is so often cited if, like any retrospectives, any montages, it's like, even if you don't hear it, you might see them, like, bopping their heads and it's like, oh, yes, of course, it's the Ed Sullivan. Like, it might. It's might be one of the most reused live TV events ever that's not sad and disastrous.
Stephen Thompson
And the moon landing.
Glenn Weldon
There are a few others.
Aisha Harris
Yes, of course.
Unknown
You know that. And Elvis Presley also performing on Ed Sullivan.
Aisha Harris
True.
Unknown
The signal that, hey, this youth culture isn't just some minor thing that the adults can ignore and let those crazy kids do what they do. They are invading these traditional spaces and they're gonna shake their hips even if the censors don't like it. And they're gonna play their jangly guitars and drive a nation of teenagers wild. It's just amazing.
Glenn Weldon
Well, I mean, Eric and Aisha picked cultural moments that have repercussions throughout history. Steven and I picked things we thought were fun, so we wanna know what you think is the best moment in live TV. Find us@facebook.com PCHH and that brings us to the end of our show. Eric Deggans, Aisha Harris, Stephen Thompson, thank you so much for being here. Thank you.
Unknown
Always a pleasure.
Aisha Harris
Thank you.
Glenn Weldon
This episode was produced by Liz Metzger and edited by Mike Katsif. Our supervising producer is Jessica Reedy and hello. Come in provides our theme music. Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. I'm Glenn Weldon and we'll see you all next time.
Eric Deggans
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Pop Culture Happy Hour: Episode Summary - "Best Moments In Live TV"
Released: March 10, 2025
In this engaging episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, hosts Glenn Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris delve into the exhilarating and sometimes unpredictable world of live television. Joined by NPR's TV critic Eric Deggans, the panel debates and celebrates some of the most iconic live TV moments in entertainment history. From humorous on-air mishaps to groundbreaking cultural events, the discussion highlights how live TV captures the raw essence of human reactions and societal shifts.
Speaker: Stephen Thompson [05:30 - 07:13]
Stephen Thompson kicks off the discussion by reminiscing about a lighthearted yet memorable live TV moment involving Canadian reporter Rob Leth. While covering an inner tube toboggan race for Global News in 2008, Rob experienced a slapstick mishap when an innertube accidentally struck him, causing him to spin and fall. Despite the chaotic incident, Rob's professionalism shone through as he continued his report seamlessly.
"I'm Stephen Thompson. [04:19]...we could talk all day about weird slips of the tongue, crazy high profile mishaps during major events. But I don't want to forget about the local angle." [05:30]
This moment is celebrated not only for its humor but also for showcasing the resilience and dedication of live TV reporters. The panel appreciates how such unscripted events foster a sense of connection and shared humanity among viewers.
"Watching people fall down is funny. And really, the prospect of people falling down is one of the main reasons we still like to watch TV in 2025." – Stephen Thompson [07:00]
Speaker: Glenn Weldon [08:09 - 11:48]
Glenn Weldon presents his pick: John Travolta's infamous introduction of Idina Menzel during the 86th Academy Awards. Travolta mistakenly pronounced Menzel's name as "Adele Dazeem," creating an overnight sensation and spawning countless memes.
"The way Travolta doesn't just read the name, he gives it the same spin that Peter Jennings used to put on Nicaragua. He is doing something there." – Glenn Weldon [08:17]
The hosts discuss the broader implications of the moment, including its impact on Menzel's career and Travolta's public persona. They highlight how such live TV moments can humanize celebrities, making them more relatable despite initial embarrassment.
"When I see it, because, you know, I have some of it myself. The unmerited confidence of the middle aged white man, it's fully on display." – Glenn Weldon [08:14]
Aisha Harris adds perspective on how the incident, although initially a source of mockery, ultimately garnered support for Menzel and showcased the unpredictable nature of live broadcasts.
Speaker: Aisha Harris [12:17 - 19:58]
Aisha Harris brings forth a profoundly impactful live TV moment: Kanye West's interruption during the Hurricane Katrina relief concert in 2005. Amidst the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Kanye took to the stage to declare, "George Bush doesn't care about black people," delivering a raw and unfiltered critique of the government's response to the disaster.
"And when he does, it's like him using that power that he has, the old Kanye, in a good way before it curdled into the Taylor Swift drama." – Aisha Harris [14:10]
The discussion delves into the context surrounding the event, emphasizing the emotional weight and societal tensions of the time. The panel acknowledges how this moment not only highlighted Kanye's willingness to speak truth to power but also marked a turning point in celebrity activism on live platforms.
"This moment ensures it could only have happened then, and it could only have been Kanye, and it was just completely, completely unexpected." – Aisha Harris [18:47]
Glenn Weldon and Stephen Thompson reflect on the enduring legacy of this incident, noting its influence on future live TV moments where celebrities use their platforms for political statements.
Speaker: Eric Deggans [20:07 - 22:11]
Eric Deggans introduces one of the most culturally significant live TV moments: The Beatles' debut performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964. This appearance not only revolutionized music television but also played a pivotal role in launching the Beatles into global superstardom.
"It was a beacon that sort of said, you can do this. This music that your generation loves can power the world." – Eric Deggans [20:29]
The panel discusses how this performance transcended mere entertainment, symbolizing a generational shift and the burgeoning influence of youth culture. They highlight how live broadcasts like this helped cement the role of television in shaping cultural and musical trends.
"It really has just become, in its own way, its own meme. Because it is so often cited if, like any retrospectives, any montages, it's like, even if you don't hear it, you might see them, like, bopping their heads and it's like, oh, yes, of course, it's the Ed Sullivan." – Aisha Harris [21:41]
Stephen Thompson emphasizes the lasting impact of the Beatles' performance, noting how it inspired countless musicians and bands, thereby influencing the trajectory of modern music.
The episode wraps up with the hosts reflecting on the variety of live TV moments they've discussed. While Stephen Thompson and Glenn Weldon leaned towards humorous and lighthearted incidents, Aisha Harris and Eric Deggans focused on moments with profound cultural and societal implications. This blend underscores the multifaceted nature of live television, capable of both entertaining and shaping public consciousness.
Glenn Weldon: "Eric and Aisha picked cultural moments that have repercussions throughout history. Steven and I picked things we thought were fun, so we wanna know what you think is the best moment in live TV."* [22:33]
The hosts invite listeners to share their own favorite live TV moments, fostering an interactive and community-driven dialogue.
Key Takeaways:
Live TV as a Reflection of Society: From Rob Leth's comedic stumble to Kanye West's passionate interruption, live TV captures unfiltered human experiences that resonate deeply with audiences.
Cultural Impact: Moments like the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and Kanye's Katrina concert interruption highlight how live broadcasts can influence cultural and societal paradigms.
Humor and Humanity: Even amidst chaos, live TV moments often reveal the humorous and resilient aspects of humanity, fostering a shared sense of connection among viewers.
This episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour masterfully navigates the highs and lows of live television, celebrating its ability to both entertain and effect change.