- 20 hours ago
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - Season 11 Episode 35 -
Demi Moore, Ken Burns
Demi Moore, Ken Burns
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00:00Trump appeared to doze off in his chair repeatedly.
00:03It's the latest instance of the 79-year-old president
00:06seemingly drifting off to sleep in public.
00:11The Franklin Mint is proud to partner with President Trump
00:15to release the limited edition Donald J. Trump's
00:18Sleepy Time Commemorative Coin Collection.
00:21Now you can capture every glorious moment.
00:24A White House press conference.
00:26Meeting with the Saudis.
00:30Even playing golf.
00:33Each coin comes with a Certificate of Authenticity
00:36and a Commemorative Drool Cup.
00:39It's the Lick Show with Stephen Colbert.
00:45Tonight, Shut Down to Business.
00:49Hi, Stephen. Welcome to Meme Moore and Cat Burns.
00:55Featuring Louis Cato and the Lick Show fam.
01:02And now, live on tape from the Ed Sullivan Theater
01:06in New York City, it's Stephen Colbert.
01:09Welcome, my friends.
01:12In here, out there.
01:17New friends and old.
01:19Welcome to The Lick Show.
01:20I'm your host, Stephen Colbert.
01:25Folks, it looked like, I don't know if you've seen,
01:30I don't know if you've seen the newspapers today.
01:32It looks like the government shutdown is coming to an end.
01:48Our long national nightmare is different.
01:59At how many days?
02:0141 days so far, it is the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
02:05Democrats have been holding the line.
02:07Demanding Republicans compromise to keep Affordable Care Act subsidies
02:10available for millions of Americans.
02:12Well, last night, eight Democratic senators voted with Republicans
02:15to fund the government through January
02:17without any Affordable Care Act guarantees.
02:23So, yes.
02:25So, yes, yes, the shutdown may have been long and painful
02:28for millions of Americans, but at least it achieved Jack's squat.
02:35That is, and we know why Jack is squatting.
02:40But these Democratic defectors did get one concession.
02:43Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised them a vote
02:47on the ACA in December,
02:49because that's when people get down to serious work.
02:55December.
02:57You work about six days,
03:00and half of that is spent doing a mandatory
03:02office door decorating contest.
03:05Welcome to accounting,
03:06or should I say,
03:08the Polar Express.
03:09Now you've got hot chocolate.
03:12No, no surprise.
03:14The vast majority of Democrats do not want this.
03:17None of those eight Senate Democrats
03:19are up for re-election next year,
03:21and two have announced
03:23they are retiring from the Senate.
03:25What a disappointing way to end your career.
03:29Reminds me of when Journey released their last single,
03:32We Stopped Believin'.
03:33Did they?
03:37I don't know.
03:38What's that?
03:41Stop!
03:41Stop!
03:44One of the Democrats
03:46who crumbled like a granola bar in your backpack
03:48is New Hampshire Senator
03:50and the Joker's proud aunt,
03:52Jean Shaheen.
03:54Shaheen was asked about her decision,
03:56and she said,
03:57When I talk to my constituents in New Hampshire,
04:00you know what they say to me?
04:01Uh, are we Vermont or the other one?
04:05Are we?
04:06Which one?
04:07One of us is...
04:09We're up...
04:12Are they upside-down us,
04:13or are we upside-down them?
04:16She continued,
04:17They say,
04:17Why can't you all just work together
04:19to address the problems
04:20that are facing this country?
04:21Because the country is being run by insane people.
04:24My constituents want to know
04:36why we can't work with the meth-addled chimps
04:38who broke into the cockpit
04:39and are now flying the plane.
04:42Some of their ideas are reasonable,
04:44although admittedly,
04:45some are bananas.
04:49This weekend,
04:51while airports were in utter chaos
04:53and thousands without food benefits
04:55across America,
04:56Trump showed sensitive leadership
04:57and attended his second extravagant party
05:01at Mar-a-Lago in a week.
05:05Come on, Mr. President,
05:07read the room.
05:09I'm sorry,
05:09I forgot I was talking to you.
05:11Have someone summarize the room for you.
05:15The party...
05:16The party was co-hosted
05:24by the Conservative Political Action Conference,
05:27or Spatchcock.
05:31The...
05:31The esteemed guests included
05:36far-right British politician Nigel Farage,
05:38disgraced butter-junkie Paula Deen,
05:41and Hercules star Kevin Sorbo.
05:46I think it's pretty incredible
05:47that Sorbo found the time,
05:49considering production Hercules
05:50rapped only 26 years ago.
05:54Guests...
05:55Come on, show.
05:56Gave a xena.
05:57Guests were treated to some entertainment,
06:00including this opera singer.
06:01Tu no so la verita...
06:07Okay.
06:11She has a lovely voice,
06:12but...
06:13Does Mar-a-Lago have a mandatory
06:15bear midriff policy?
06:18Tonight, we're doing wet t-shirt opera, okay?
06:22Then, gentlemen, get out your singles,
06:24because they're dancing
06:25the G-string Nutcracker.
06:28I'm gonna...
06:30I'm gonna...
06:31I'm gonna tuck Mr. Washington...
06:33I'm gonna tuck Mr. Washington
06:40right into the old sugar plums.
06:45Hey.
06:47It's fun.
06:48Speaking of pure MAGA elegance,
06:50there were also two ladies
06:51in flag swimsuits
06:52doing synchronized swimming
06:54to Lee Greenwood.
06:55Yet tomorrow
06:57all the things were gone
06:59I'd worked for all my life
07:02and I had to start again
07:05with just my children and my wife
07:09And I'm proud to be an American
07:13You know...
07:14Hearing that song also makes me want to dive into the water, but...
07:21Only after I first filled my pockets with rocks.
07:25Not to nitpick,
07:28but there are only two of them.
07:30Two!
07:31Two is really the bare minimum for...
07:34...for synchronized swimming.
07:37And I'm told we have Kevin Sorbo's review.
07:49Disappointed!
07:50He's not happy.
07:54He's not happy.
07:56He's not happy.
07:57He did not like it.
07:58Uh-uh.
07:59Uh-uh.
08:00Uh-uh.
08:01This party makes it seem like it's really easy to get into Mar-a-Lago
08:06as long as your talent shows some skin and is vaguely patriotic.
08:10Thank you, swimmer ladies.
08:11Now, please welcome Tina, who's gonna take off her top and eat a flag.
08:16A flag cake?
08:17No, just the flag.
08:18She's gonna eat the flag.
08:19Of course, after, uh, two ladies same time swimming, Trump's second favorite sport would
08:30be football.
08:31And over the weekend, we learned Trump wants the Washington commander's new D.C. stadium
08:35named for him.
08:37That's...
08:38No!
08:39That's not...
08:40That's not how any of this works.
08:43You name things after people once they're out of office.
08:46The president doesn't just ask for it, except when Reagan said this...
08:51Mr. Gorbachev, give Big Ron Ron an airport!
08:57Look how happy the people are.
09:00People are so happy.
09:01Now, Trump...
09:03Trump doesn't just want this.
09:05He is pushing to make it happen.
09:06The White House says there have been back-channel communications with the commander's ownership
09:10group to express Trump's desire to have the stadium bear his name.
09:14And his press secretary basically confirmed it, saying, that would be a beautiful name.
09:20Yes, it's a very...
09:22No!
09:23Hey.
09:24No, it is...
09:25It would be beautiful.
09:26After all, everyone knows that Trump is a lovely portmanteau of the words tremendous and dump.
09:33Yesterday, Trump wanted to go see a commander's game in person, and the fans were not happy to see him.
09:49Fun fact for the folks at home, for the broadcast of our show, our editor Brian had to go through that clip frame by frame and blur out every single middle finger that was raised.
10:11How are...
10:12How are you feeling after all that work, Brian?
10:14Okay?
10:15All right?
10:16Just one more.
10:18That's enough.
10:19That's good.
10:20It's been a long time.
10:21Okay.
10:22Just...
10:23Just one more, you'll have to blur.
10:28Now, a little booing from a crowd didn't stop Trump from joining the announcers and trying his best call play.
10:36Well, let's see what happens here.
10:38This is a big...
10:39Big down.
10:40All right.
10:41They're calling a timeout here, President Trump.
10:43They're trying to regroup.
10:45It's the fourth and goal.
10:46Oh, no.
10:47Excuse me.
10:48Fourth and short.
10:49But you can equate sports with life.
10:51You know, you have the triumph, and you have the problems, and you got to get through the problems to hit the triumphs, and you can never quit.
10:59You can never give up.
11:01It was a little rough.
11:08It was a little rough.
11:09That marks the first time the guys in the booth got brain damage.
11:14Now...
11:15Yeah.
11:16More evidence of Trump's troubling spiral into...
11:29Last week, you'll recall that Trump held a presser where one of the attendees passed out while he was talking.
11:35Guy was fine.
11:36And it turns out he wasn't the only one catching a little shut-eye.
11:39According to video analysis by the Washington Post, at that same meeting, the president spent nearly 20 minutes apparently battling to keep his eyes open.
11:48Great.
11:49Our president is an old man who can't stay awake like that classic folktale Rip Van Cankel.
11:55Here's just...
11:58We have this, right?
11:59We have this, okay.
12:02Rip Van Cankel.
12:05Here's just some of the commander-in-chief dozing off.
12:09What about the people in urban areas who live in food deserts and are suffering from obesity?
12:15President Trump has also instructed us to address and end the root causes of chronic disease.
12:22In the meantime, there's nothing more important than we can do than lower this price.
12:27Do you know how hard it is to fall asleep to RFK Jr.'s voice?
12:32That is not the easiest.
12:39Ooh, ooh.
12:40Ooh, bedtime.
12:42Setting my white noise machine to a handful of gravel and a neutral bullet.
12:51Photographers on the scene in the Oval Office there nabbed some pretty good shots of Trump snoozing.
12:56There's this one, he's out.
12:59This one, bye-bye.
13:01And my favorite, this one, where, in fairness...
13:06In fairness, he looks less asleep and more just miserable, like he's watching Eric in his high school musical.
13:14Oh, God, when the hell does the fiddler jump off the stupid roof?
13:22Sunrise, sunset.
13:26Sunrise, sunset.
13:28If I were a rich man.
13:31Yeah, ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-do.
13:37Yeah, ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-do.
13:42Yeah, ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da-ma-da.
13:55We've got a great show for you tonight.
14:04My guest will be more than Ken Burns.
14:08Come on.
14:32Give it up for Louis Cato and the band, everybody.
14:36Who knows?
14:38Tonight, two powerhouse guests tonight.
14:43Hollywood legend Demi Moore is here this evening.
14:48And documentary legend Ken Burns is also here tonight.
14:53He should do a documentary about her.
14:56Folks, if you watch the show, you know I love science.
15:00Without science, we'd never have whatever pumpkin spice is.
15:04Because it ain't pumpkin.
15:07I'd like to tell you about all the latest science news in my science segment.
15:11The Sound of Science.
15:14Hello, science, my own friend.
15:18First up...
15:25What's going on?
15:27What's going on?
15:31First up, space.
15:34An eternal reminder that we are so small and the universe is so big, and all of our actions are so insignificant.
15:40And yet, everyone still remembers that time in third grade when you called your math teacher mom.
15:49Good news for space dwellers, because recently astronauts enjoyed the first-ever space barbecue.
15:54Which means astronauts also enjoyed the first-ever space neighbor hovering over their shoulder going,
15:59Oh, you're going to take them off the grill now?
16:03You don't want to let them caramelize?
16:05No, no, you're the grill-
16:06Hey, you're the grill master.
16:07I'm just a guest.
16:08I'm just a guest here.
16:10So no sauce?
16:12This happened aboard China's Tiangong Space Station.
16:17What the hell?
16:19There was barbecue in space and America didn't invent it?
16:22I demand that NASA strike back by deploying the first deep-space deep-fat fryer.
16:30Not easy to say.
16:31The oven was sent from China's space agency to the station.
16:35It's known as a microgravity microwave and actually functions more like an air fryer.
16:40And while I'm sure they were excited, I bet at least one of these astronauts was like,
16:43Oh, they invented a space air fryer.
16:45That's cool.
16:46Quick question.
16:47We still got to poop in a tube?
16:50Yeah?
16:51No problem.
16:52Just checking.
16:53So you got the air fryer going, but we're still got the Hoover.
17:00Next up on the South side, bird experts have revealed that woodpecker hammering is a full-body affair.
17:06Also, I can reveal that Googling full-body woodpecker hammering gets you a real quick call from HR.
17:15Next up, I hope you all looked up in the night sky last week to see November's full moon, also known as a beaver moon, shine across the U.S.
17:28By the way, Googling beaver moon gets you a second, far more intense call from HR.
17:40Next up, scientists say that the largest observed flare from a black hole unleashed the light of 10 trillion suns.
17:49Now, to put that in layman's terms, 10 trillion suns is almost as bright as the veneers on a real housewife.
17:56All right.
17:58Now...
17:59Next up, it's recently been discovered that plants have a secret language that scientists are only now starting to decipher.
18:13The scientists have released this first-ever recording of a plant talking.
18:17Psst!
18:18Just so you know, she's going to go on vacation, and we're both going to die.
18:22Yeah.
18:23That happens.
18:24That does happen.
18:26Next up, new research is explaining the reasons why some humans grow horns.
18:35And it's because of compacted keratin masses that develop from skin lesions.
18:41Or because that person has formed a blood pact to serve the wolf-faced dark lord mammon, eater of light, suckler of the unrighteous, and birth mother of homunculi.
18:54Or the lesion thing.
18:57Next up, surprising new study shows that weightlifting beats cardio for blood sugar control.
19:02Then I guess I better start not doing that instead.
19:09Next up, that.
19:15Next up, paleontologists have long struggled to tell whether dinosaur fossils are male or female, but now say mating injuries may help them identify the sex of dinosaurs.
19:26Turns out if the bones have mating injuries, the sex was pretty good.
19:33Now, paleontologists have long sought a way reliably to differentiate between male and female dinosaurs based on their fossils.
19:45Well, that's easy.
19:46The males look like this, and the females look like this.
19:53And they wave a handkerchief and go, Yoo-hoo!
19:58There's some more science from the science people.
20:00According to the new science research, pets contribute to greenhouse gases just like us, because it's become so popular to feed pets human-grade meat as opposed to animal parts that would otherwise have gone unused.
20:12By the way, animal parts that would otherwise have gone unused, still the official slogan of Lunchables.
20:17We'll be right back with Demi Moore.
20:21Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen.
20:22My first guest this evening is a Hollywood icon, you know, from such films as The Substance, A Few Good Men, and Go.
20:26Please welcome back to The Late Show, Demi Moore.
20:55Hello.
20:56Hello.
20:57Nice to see you again.
20:58Nice to be back.
20:59Thank you so much.
21:00It's not only nice to have you back, but to have this little star on here.
21:01Yes.
21:02This is Pilaf.
21:03This is Pilaf.
21:04Pilaf the little mouse.
21:05Yes.
21:06Pilaf was on last time, too.
21:08She did.
21:09She made a brief appearance last time.
21:10She did.
21:11Yes.
21:12And quite a splash.
21:13It's been a big year for Pilaf.
21:14We're going to get to you in a minute.
21:15Oh, yes.
21:16Please.
21:17But a big year for Pilaf.
21:18I understand this is Vogue put this cover out.
21:19Yes.
21:20Just for Pilaf.
21:21Just for Pilaf.
21:22Called Doeg.
21:23It's Pilaf.
21:24Right now.
21:25It's not only nice to have you back, but to have this little star on here.
21:26Yes.
21:27This is Pilaf.
21:28Pilaf the little mouse.
21:29Yes.
21:30Pilaf was on last time, too.
21:33She did.
21:34She made a brief appearance last time.
21:35She did.
21:36Yes.
21:37And quite a splash.
21:38It's been a big year for Pilaf.
21:39We're going to get to you in a minute.
21:40Oh, yes.
21:41Please.
21:42But a big year for Pilaf.
21:43If you understand, this is Vogue put this cover out.
21:46Yes.
21:47Just for Pilaf.
21:48Called Doeg.
21:50There's Pilaf.
21:52Right down there.
21:53There you go.
21:56Well, now that she's a superstar and a guest on the show for a second time, we have a little
22:00gift bag.
22:01Oh.
22:02A little gift bag.
22:03A little tote bag for her.
22:04It's a little polish and stuff in there.
22:05Oh, my God.
22:06Look.
22:07And it has a name right there.
22:08I mean, this might drag her down, but.
22:11Says the late show on the side.
22:13There you go.
22:14Oh, Mouse.
22:15Look at that.
22:16Yeah.
22:17Oh.
22:18Look.
22:19Do you want to see?
22:20I mean, maybe.
22:23I mean, she has a pound and a half.
22:25Yes.
22:26She can use that bone as a life raft.
22:28You know, yesterday was her birthday.
22:30And how old is, I know you're not supposed to escalate her age, but how old is Pilaf?
22:38She turned five.
22:39Oh, wow.
22:40Yes.
22:41She's five years old.
22:42Wow.
22:43Five years young.
22:44Yes.
22:45She looks great for her age.
22:47Right.
22:48Okay.
22:49Now, this is not the only animal in your life.
22:52Yes.
22:53Here we go.
22:54Okay.
22:55Tell me what's going on.
22:56Here we go.
22:57What's going on with you and the ducklings?
22:58Okay.
22:59Right now.
23:00There you go.
23:01Okay.
23:02Before summer hit, I live, you know, a good portion of the time in Idaho.
23:08I did not know that.
23:09And it was going to drop to below 40.
23:11And I was out walking my dogs and I looked down and my daughter's fiance said, what is that?
23:20And it was a baby duckling that was orphaned.
23:23We went looking for the mother.
23:25Anyway, I took in three baby ducklings that had been orphaned, kept them until they had gotten to the point of being waterproof, which I didn't know this.
23:34Two months it takes.
23:36Ducks are not waterproof in the beginning?
23:37They were living in, they were, no, they are not.
23:39And so they would have.
23:40Do you have to scotch guard them?
23:41What do you do?
23:42I didn't look into that.
23:44Okay.
23:45That could have been very helpful.
23:46Yeah.
23:47No, instead they lived in my bathroom.
23:49Wow.
23:50And then I would take them out in the day so they could get some sunshine.
23:54Wow.
23:55Wow.
23:56And then I slowly integrated them back and re-released them, but did go out and feed them just to keep interacting.
24:05It was a joy.
24:06How did Pilaf feel about these ducks?
24:07She liked them very much.
24:08Yes?
24:09Yes.
24:10Okay.
24:11So what happened here?
24:12And then somehow the word got out and now this is what shows up every day.
24:22Last count was 40.
24:25Yesterday was 40 ducks.
24:28You're like a Disney princess.
24:30The birds just come to you.
24:31No, I think they're like, they're like Timmy's Diner, free food.
24:35That's more like it.
24:36Well, tomorrow is your birthday.
24:38Happy birthday ahead of time.
24:39Thank you very much.
24:40There you go.
24:42It's been a big year.
24:43Yes.
24:44This past year has been very big for you.
24:45Obviously, we all saw The Substance, the Golden Globe winner for that.
24:49nominated for an Oscar for that.
24:51Now you're starring in Landman.
24:53Landman.
24:54Okay.
24:55What's it like to reflect on this past year?
24:56How do you feel about it?
24:57I just, wow.
24:58That's how I feel.
24:59Wow.
25:00What a great, fun year.
25:01I just feel like this is an amazing time.
25:05And anybody who thinks that getting older means life is less is sadly mistaken.
25:19You were one of Glamour's Women of the Year.
25:21Yes.
25:22I have a sister.
25:23I've never been a sister.
25:24What does sisterhood mean to you?
25:25I mean, sisterhood, it's for me, it's community.
25:29It's, you know, it's the women in my life that are there who pick me up when I stumble,
25:40that are there to celebrate me when I rise.
25:44And, you know, for me, it's so important, particularly, you know, at this time that women come together,
25:52not to compete from scarcity, but to collaborate from abundance.
26:01And I think that we were sold a bill of goods long ago that there wasn't room for all of us.
26:07But the truth is, when one rises, we all rise.
26:17You weren't always a big star.
26:18You had to scramble like everybody else when you were first starting out.
26:22In the article, and I love learning about people's early gigs.
26:26And you tell the people about a really early gig you had on the telephone.
26:31What were you doing?
26:32Yes.
26:33So I was about 14, and my job was to work at a collection agency because I had a very deep voice.
26:43So they didn't know it was a 14-year-old on the other end of the line.
26:48So it was a very funky office in deep Hollywood, and I would take the bus.
26:55I would work four hours at school, and then I would take the bus deep into Hollywood in this really dingy, dark office and get on the phone.
27:03It was really kind of embarrassing having to call people to say that their bills were overdue.
27:08Give me an example.
27:09Like, hello?
27:10You know, I couldn't even remember.
27:14But, you know, just to say, like, you know, you're, you know, going to beat, I can't tell you.
27:21I'm going to send two guys named Rocco over there to repossess your Cutlass Supreme?
27:26Yeah, that could be it.
27:27Yes.
27:28Wow.
27:29Yeah.
27:30You're a 14-year-old.
27:31I was, I was being assertive.
27:32Sure.
27:33Assertive.
27:34Professionally assertive.
27:35Yes.
27:36All right.
27:37Okay.
27:38It's good training because you had to act.
27:40It's, it was definitely a role I was playing.
27:43We have to take a quick break.
27:44We'll be right back with more of Demi Moore, everybody.
27:46Stick around.
27:56Hey, everybody.
27:57We're back with Demi Moore.
27:59You also grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, which I can't believe I did not know this already.
28:03How did you not know this?
28:04I don't know.
28:05I haven't kept up on my dream as I should have.
28:06Well, I just heard of your fascination with aliens, of which my children often have said
28:11that they think I'm part alien.
28:13And why do they say that?
28:15I, I don't know.
28:16Maybe it's just because I was born in Roswell.
28:17Right.
28:18Well, I mean, obviously, when you're growing up there, because the, the, the Roswell rumors
28:22started in like the late forties.
28:23It's been a long time.
28:24The crash was there, supposedly, and there's like advanced materials.
28:28They're in a lab now.
28:29Something definitely happened.
28:31But when I was a kid, it was never spoken about.
28:33No one talked about it in Roswell?
28:34Never.
28:35It was never spoken.
28:36Like you weren't supposed to talk about like family secret?
28:38It just, it just was not ever, ever talked about.
28:43Not even in passing.
28:44It was as if it was a secret.
28:46And then when the documentary came out and then the show, now there was a museum and,
28:51and now there's actually a somewhat comprehensive museum discussing how they shut all communication
28:58down about it.
28:59Now, you, you, you just said a moment ago something happened there.
29:03Something happened.
29:04We don't know what.
29:05I don't know.
29:06What, what do you think?
29:07Um, well, you know, it's the largest landing strip in America is in Roswell outside.
29:15Yes.
29:16So there's a lot of testing that goes on.
29:18It's like the Lockheed Skunk Works or something like that.
29:21I mean, I don't know.
29:22I mean, I think legally you can't say anything or else they'll take you out.
29:26It's possible.
29:27Well, I mean, I don't want to be seen as illegal.
29:30No, no, no one's going to come get you.
29:33Pilaf will protect you from anybody.
29:34She will.
29:35You can tell she's so, but what is your fascination with aliens?
29:42What's the fascination, what's not to be fascinated about?
29:44The possibility there are aliens, you know, the navies, the, the, the, the, the, the,
29:48the other branches of the military, the air force have been putting out these videos
29:51of unexplainable pill shaped things that go into the water and come out and go from like
29:55zero to 6,000 miles an hour with absolutely no G force impact.
29:59Okay.
30:00And they're tracking it with their, come on, come on.
30:03What's not, what?
30:04I'm not the one with the problem.
30:05Do you know Betty and Barney Hill?
30:06You know, I'm working on a film that's about Betty and Barney Hill.
30:09No, I don't.
30:10They were one of the first couples to ever experience an alien abduction.
30:14Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
30:15Yes.
30:16They're no longer still with us, are they?
30:17No, they're not.
30:18Okay.
30:19Yeah.
30:22You know why?
30:23Just saying.
30:24Because they talked about it.
30:27Yes.
30:28Okay.
30:29So now I want to talk, I want to talk about the, the series Landman.
30:31Yes.
30:32Season two comes out starting this Sunday.
30:33You star alongside Billy Bob Thornton, who I'd forgotten.
30:37You also, uh, uh, were in the movie Indecent Proposal with there.
30:42Yes.
30:43Which he had to remind me of.
30:44Would you even know that was him?
30:45Let me see.
30:46Look.
30:47Yes.
30:48You would.
30:50Well, I mean, what, what do you remember of doing this movie with him?
30:52I mean, he had, he was, he, he said he was there for weeks to do the one scene.
30:57Um, that's about all I know.
31:02Man made an impression on Demi Moore.
31:04Okay.
31:06Okay.
31:07I love Billy Bob.
31:08I love him.
31:09Who doesn't?
31:10And I have known him now, obviously for years.
31:13Yes.
31:14Yeah.
31:15We have a clip here.
31:16Oh, okay.
31:17Do you need to tell us what's going on in this clip?
31:18Watch it.
31:19Let's see.
31:20What is it?
31:23Peel off.
31:24You want to set this one up?
31:27Look, she's asleep.
31:29Go ahead.
31:30Yvonne.
31:31Underestimating me is how I buy you out.
31:34Now I have no speech on the futures of energy or my commitment to innovative approaches on drilling or philanthropy or any of that other bullshit you guys like to spew with these things.
31:50I'm the largest independent oil producer in the region.
31:56The only difference between me and money is I'm meaner.
32:01Test me and you'll find out how much.
32:05Enjoy your lunch.
32:07I paid for it with your money.
32:14Janie, so lovely to see you.
32:16Thank you for being here.
32:17Peel off, good to see you.
32:19Season 2 of Landman premieres this Sunday on Paramount+.
32:22Demi Moore, everybody.
32:24We'll be right back with Ken Burns.
32:40Welcome back, everybody.
32:41Ladies and gentlemen.
32:43My next guest has been making documentaries for nearly 50 years.
32:46His latest, The American Revolution, premieres this Sunday on PBS.
32:50Please welcome back to The Late Show, Ken Burns.
32:53Good to see you again.
32:54Good to be with you.
32:55Good to be with you.
32:56Good to be with you.
32:57Really enjoying the American Revolution.
32:59Evan and I watched, we got to episode three last night, and I had to stop just to rehydrate, because I didn't know that you could be with you.
33:01Uh, openly weep over George Washington addressing his troops.
33:02Yeah.
33:03Yeah.
33:04Good to be with you.
33:06Good to see you again.
33:16Good to be with you.
33:17Really enjoying the American Revolution.
33:20Evan and I watched, we got to episode three last night,
33:23and I had to stop just to rehydrate
33:25because I didn't know that you could make me openly weep
33:28over George Washington addressing his troops.
33:31Yeah.
33:32You're a wizard.
33:33Okay, also, there's so many amazing performances in this
33:35because, again, you don't have the photography
33:37that you had in the Civil War.
33:39No newsreel.
33:40But you have these incredible actors
33:42who have lent their voices to many of your films
33:44over the years, but this is extraordinary.
33:46Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Ethan and Maya Hawke,
33:48Claire Dames, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Giamatti,
33:51and Edward Norton, just to name a few.
33:53And I am...
33:54I'm asking for a friend who's going to need a job.
34:00How does one land a gig with Ken Burns?
34:04I could do that.
34:04My dearest Martha.
34:06I can do it.
34:08Well, what we've usually done is waited for people
34:11when they weren't working.
34:12So, you know, if you know somebody that's going to be out of work,
34:16just let me know.
34:17Sure.
34:17We'll have a trial.
34:19I'll write it on his bathroom mirror in soap.
34:21Yeah.
34:22Okay, as I said, the latest film is The American Revolution.
34:25How long have you been working on this, The American Revolution?
34:27It is now nine years and 11 months.
34:29So, we began when Barack Obama had 13 months to go in his presidency.
34:35Sure.
34:35So, a million years ago.
34:37A million years ago, exactly.
34:39Now, you've said this is a good time for us to look at this particular story.
34:44Why now?
34:44Well, I mean, obviously, we feel that we're so divided.
34:48And I think you can treat a country the way you might treat an individual.
34:53If someone's in crisis, you see a pastor or you see a professional.
34:57And the first thing they ask you is, who are your parents?
34:59Where were you born?
35:00What was your childhood?
35:01Like, you get the origin story and you sort of begin to rebuild.
35:05And I think going back for anyone, whatever your politics may be,
35:09and understanding where we came from, what the story of us is,
35:14helps to put you back together again.
35:22We have a clip right here, Ken.
35:23What do we need to know and why?
35:25Was this a moment you wanted to share with us?
35:26Yeah, well, so we've been following lots of people,
35:29dozens of people that you've never heard of,
35:31a lot of the top-down people you have.
35:32But one of the people is a German Hessian soldier
35:35named Captain Johann Ewald,
35:37and he's openly contemptuous of these rebels, as he calls them.
35:41But he also happens to be in the surrendering army
35:44at, spoiler alert, Yorktown.
35:47And he's got sort of the last word of the Battle of Yorktown for us.
35:51With what soldiers in the world could one do
35:56what was done by these men?
35:59One can perceive what an enthusiasm
36:02which these poor fellows call liberty can do.
36:06Who would have thought a hundred years ago
36:09that out of this multitude of rabble
36:11would arise a people who could defy kings?
36:16Johann Ewald.
36:17There's so many beautiful, beautiful letters
36:22from people that we don't know.
36:24There's so many things to learn about the American Revolution
36:27that I had no idea.
36:29For instance, I was so surprised to find out
36:32how many people in New York,
36:34after New York, the Battle of Brooklyn Heights
36:36or Battle of Long Island,
36:37after Washington just got his ass handed to him.
36:40Because of the mistake he makes.
36:41Yes, exactly.
36:42And then they managed to get over to Manhattan.
36:46But then they also get driven out of Manhattan.
36:48Exactly.
36:49So the British come in and they go,
36:52hey, anybody who wants to renounce your independence,
36:55you're all cool and you can come fight for us.
36:57And thousands of New Yorkers signed something
36:59called the Declaration of Dependence.
37:02And they flocked in.
37:03This is happening not just in New York,
37:05but all over New Jersey as the Brits take over there.
37:07New York is ceded to the British on September 15th, 1776,
37:13just a couple of months after the Declaration.
37:15It will not be back in George Washington's American hands
37:18until November 25th, 1783.
37:21That is seven years and two plus months.
37:24It is a stronghold for Loyalists
37:26and the British Army here, right here.
37:28A real conflict between Loyalists.
37:30We think of the Civil War as being like brother against brother,
37:32but also the Revolution.
37:33I think in our Civil War, it's a sectional war.
37:36Maybe the brother against brother happened five times,
37:39but it is the story of the Revolution.
37:41Thomas Jefferson, I mean, Benjamin Franklin's own son
37:44was the royal governor of New Jersey and he was deposed
37:48and he spent some time in prison
37:50and it was assumed he would go back to England
37:52when he was released.
37:53And instead he started a terrorist organization
37:56killing Patriots,
37:57just as there were Patriot organizations killing Loyalists.
38:00It is an unbelievable Civil War
38:03and you don't want to be in New Jersey
38:04or South Carolina when it happens.
38:06So sorry.
38:08South Carolina, Moultrie drove off the British fleet.
38:13No one else did that.
38:14No, no, no.
38:14Exactly.
38:15In the very beginning in 76.
38:16Don't you talk smack about South Carolina.
38:19Beyond the obvious history
38:22and it's an exciting story.
38:26It is.
38:26What do you hope audiences take from this?
38:29Well, first of all,
38:30this is the most important event in world history
38:32since the birth of Christ.
38:34This is the beginning of the time
38:36when human beings were no longer subjects,
38:39but citizens.
38:40Thomas Jefferson,
38:41a couple sentences after Pursuit of Happiness,
38:43which is the second greatest sentence
38:46in the English language,
38:47we hold these truths to be self-evident.
38:48The first one is, of course, I love you.
38:50He says all experience has shown
38:52that mankind are more disposed to suffer
38:55while evils are sufferable.
38:56Very easy to understand.
38:58It means heretofore everybody is put up
39:00with the authoritarian rule
39:02and right now we are breeding a new class of people
39:06who are resistant to that,
39:08who are citizens,
39:09who have to show a virtuous life
39:11in order to earn this honor of being a citizen.
39:15And I think for us right now,
39:16I would like us to go back into this origin story.
39:19to all of us and collect how we began
39:22and maybe collectively we can all
39:25put the us back in the U.S.
39:29Thanks so much for being here.
39:30Thank you for the beautiful film.
39:32The American Revolution,
39:35which has a beautiful companion book,
39:39premieres this Sunday on PBS.
39:41Ken Burns, everybody.
39:49That's it for The Late Show, everybody.
40:04Tune in tomorrow.
40:05And my guests will be Claire Gaines
40:06and Congressman Jim Clyburn.
40:08Good night.
40:09Good night.
40:15Good night.
40:21Good night.
40:27Arrgh!
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