News Satire Roundup: October 9th-October 13th

Sunday, October 9 – Understandably, we opened with Trump’s lewd comments about how sexually assault women is totally okay when you’re a celebrity.  I especially liked John taking Republicans to task for a) jumping ship now when they’ve gone along with all of Trump’s other ugliness and b) bringing up their wives/sisters/daughters as though Trump’s words are only a problem because they affect people these politicians know personally.  The main story was on Guantánamo Bay, Obama’s difficulties in closing it, and the question of what to do with detainees who aren’t plainly guilty or innocent.  I thought it was a good one – one former detainee comparing Gitmo to Azkaban really struck me, and I liked that John included clips showing international opinion on the detention camp.  At the end, there was just time for a quick update on Chechen leader Ramzan Kadryov and his new reality show to find a right-hand man.

Monday, October 10 – I loved Trevor’s coverage of the disgusting Trump tape.  He tore the “locker-room talk” excuse to shreds, wonderfully emphasizing the difference between “sex talk” and “sexual assault talk.”  I also liked his remarks on how Trump’s use of the word “pussy” has many people focusing on the term’s crudeness instead of the acts he’s bragging about being nonconsensual.  (On a side note, Trevor’s impression of Carson doing tai chi was great.)  Given the events of the weekend, the show only had time to touch on the second debate, promising more to come.  Here, Trevor focused on Trump’s claim that, were he “in charge of the laws of this country,” Clinton would be in jail, resurrecting his “Trump = African Dictator” analysis.  The guest, Representative Xavier Becerra, talked about the election, why he believes in Clinton, and how depressing it is that the phrase “the pussy tape” is an official part of American politics.

Tuesday, October 11 – Undecided voter Ken Bone was the first topic of discussion re:  the debate, with Trevor delightfully gushing over Bone’s adorableness.  He then tried to shift gears to a What the Actual Fact, but Desi threw up her hands at her talents being wasted on fact-checking Trump.  Next up was a debate-catchall breakdown with Michelle.  I loved her comparison between newscasters trying to say “pussy” and fathers trying to teach their daughters how to use a tampon, as well as her bit about how anyone who’s ever been on a wedding email chain would be shocked to hear Clinton managed it in under 33,000.  She and Trevor also threw some very rightful shade at Trump for creepily hovering behind Clinton when it was her turn to speak.  I’m not familiar with Charlamagne Tha God, the radio-show host who was the guest, but I enjoyed his interview; obviously sharp and quite engaging.

Wednesday, October 12 –This one was just so-so, I thought.  A few good jokes about the recent spate of creepy clown sightings, and I liked the segue to Trump.  The number of GOP leaders jumping ship continued, as did Trump’s lashing out at them for it on Twitter, and Trevor pointed out the incongruous weirdness of a number of Evangelicals still backing Trump – I appreciated Trevor’s observation that Trump was apparently not to be trusted with children or the church, but the nation was fair game.  Another “Outrage Court” segment, with Jordan and Desi arguing over university “safe spaces” for minority students and trigger warnings in classrooms.  Surfacy commentary, and not enough jokes.  I did really like the guest, journalist Bryan Christy, who discussed his new National Geographic article on rhino poaching.  Even in a brief interview, he was able to get into different angles of the poaching business that I’d never considered.

Thursday, October 13 – I appreciated Trevor’s argument against the “he said, she said” defense on Trump’s sexual assault allegations, pointing out that a) it’s more, “he said, she said, she said, she said…” and b) given Trump’s claims on the 2005 tape, the “he said” agrees with the “she saids.”  As Trump tried to deflect to allegations against Bill Clinton, Desi discussed how Hillary was probably to blame in a nice bit of satire.  Less nice was Jordan asking Trump supporters about the tape; most used the “that’s just what guys talk about” excuse, yet none would own to saying such things themselves or specify men they knew who did.  The first of two guests was Republican strategist Ana Navarro (“the woman who said ‘pussy’ on CNN.”)  It was good to see an interview with a Republican who’s completely anti-Trump, focused on how her party can repair itself after the election.  Second was the musician Jidenna, who gave a solid performance.