During an interview with NBC’s Maria Shriver aired on Tuesday’s Today show, left-wing comedian Chelsea Handler promoted her new book about undergoing a year of therapy following the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Doubling down on her remarks to HBO’s Bill Maher over the weekend, Handler described the “mid-life crisis” she suffered after the President defeated Hillary Clinton.
The friendly exchange began with Shriver hailing Handler as “a talk show host, a best-selling author, and a cultural provocateur with her trademark sass and wit.” Talking about the book, Life Will Be the Death of Me, the correspondent observed: “So Chelsea, this book is really about your mid-life awakening.” Handler interjected: “Or crisis.”
Moments later, Handler melodramatically recalled how the outcome of the last presidential race impacted her: “I had an awakening after the election in 2016 because I just couldn’t believe that something that terrible could happen in my perfect universe. It made me really dive into myself. To understand why I was so – felt such outrage, why I felt so unhinged.”
Shriver set the scene of the sympathetic interview: “We met up at her home in L.A. for a funny and very emotional conversation about the book, which recounts her year in therapy that healed and revitalized her.”
After Handler discussed some personal stories in the book, like losing her brother at a young age, Shriver steered the conversation back to politics: “In the book, you write a lot about Bob Mueller.” Handler eagerly professed her love for the Special Counsel who investigated Trump: “I’m attracted to Bob Mueller and I think you might be too.”
Shriver denied sharing the attraction, but wondered: “I want to know, are you still attracted to Bob Mueller even after the report came?” Handler declared: “I have to read the report to give a full report on my attraction to Bob Mueller. But I would say that I’m still – yes, I’m attracted to him.”
Wrapping up the sit-down, Shriver touted Handler’s next politically-charged project: “She’s making a documentary for Netflix about white privilege, sure to be a talker, just like the lady herself.”
Following the taped segment, Shriver offered this glowing review of Handler’s memoir: “Chelsea’s new book, Life Will Be the Death of Me, is out today. It’s heartwarming, funny, sad, uplifting, and it really gets you thinking.”
Co-host Savannah Guthrie applauded the interview: “I can’t think of anyone better than you, Maria, to do that interview too. You can see you two are just clicking there, so it’s awesome.” Shriver gushed: “Yeah, she’s a good friend. She’s really smart, wise. And she really kind of is self-reflective in this book. And it’s really inspiring actually.”
Just imagine if a conservative talk show host had required therapy to deal with election of Barack Obama in 2008, would NBC provide that person with air time, let alone call them “really smart” and “wise”? That simple thought exercise demonstrates the blatant bias on display by media outlets when it comes to providing platforms to controversial political guests.
Here are excerpts of Shriver’s interview with Handler, aired on the April 9 Today show:
8:42 AM ET
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MARIA SHRIVER: Well, Chelsea Handler has been a talk show host, a best-selling author, and a cultural provocateur with her trademark sass and wit for years. But now, in a very personal book, Chelsea is going really deep, opening up about her grief, her family, and relationships, and some surprising discoveries she’s made about herself.
So Chelsea, this book is really about your mid-life awakening.
CHELSEA HANDLER: Or crisis.
SHRIVER: Or crisis. I was trying to be kind. You don’t like the word “journey,” but it’s really about you kind of going, “Whoa.”
HANDLER: I had an awakening after the election in 2016 because I just couldn’t believe that something that terrible could happen in my perfect universe. It made me really dive into myself. To understand why I was so – felt such outrage, why I felt so unhinged.
(...)
SHRIVER: We’ve seen her unhinged on TV for years. Now in her new memoir, Life Will Be the Death of Me, Chelsea Handler opens up about her struggles behind the scenes. We met up at her home in L.A. for a funny and very emotional conversation about the book, which recounts her year in therapy that healed and revitalized her.
(...)
SHRIVER: In the book, you write a lot about Bob Mueller. Since we don’t have –
HANDLER: I’m attracted to Bob Mueller and I think you might be too.
SHRIVER: I’m not attracted to Bob Mueller. But I want to know, are you still attracted to Bob Mueller even after the report came?
HANDLER: I have to read the report to give a full report on my attraction to Bob Mueller. But I would say that I’m still – yes, I’m attracted to him.
SHRIVER: As for work, Chelsea says she’s now only attracted to projects that have meaning. She’s making a documentary for Netflix about white privilege, sure to be a talker, just like the lady herself.
(...)
SHRIVER: Chelsea’s new book, Life Will Be the Death of Me, is out today. It’s heartwarming, funny, sad, uplifting, and it really gets you thinking. And by the way, you can watch the entire interview that Chelsea and I did if you go to Today.com. And it’s a very emotional interview, it was long. And it was windy and it was really kind of moving. So, throwing it back to you guys.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: I can’t think of anyone better than you, Maria, to do that interview too. You can see you two are just clicking there, so it’s awesome.
SHRIVER: Yeah, she’s a good friend. She’s really smart, wise. And she really kind of is self-reflective in this book. And it’s really inspiring actually.
HODA KOTB: Well, Maria, thank you so much.
CRAIG MELVIN: Good to see you, Maria.
GUTHRIE: Thank you.
SHRIVER: Thank you.
KOTB: Fun to see that side of Chelsea. I’ve never seen it before, wow.
SHRIVER: Well, good for her. I’m sure the writing of the book itself was really –
AL ROKER: Cathartic.
GUTHRIE: Yeah, therapeutic.
