Appearing on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday night – aired early Friday morning – left-wing comedian Samantha Bee revealed that her family in Canada has been so horrified by what they see in the news media about the United States that they fear for her safety. She even told Kimmel that her dad sent her a bullet-proof vest.
Kimmel introduced Bee by telling his audience: “You know, sometimes it takes a Canadian to help us Americans make sense of what’s going on in this country. And our first guest tonight is one such canuck.” Later in the interview, he wondered: “Do you feel like Canadians pay more attention to what’s going on in their government than Americans are paying attention?”
Bee asserted: “I think Canadians pay a little bit of attention to their government, but they’re very much paying attention to our government here, right now.” She added: “My family is very concerned for my life.” Kimmel asked: “They're watching us?... Like we’re The Desperate Housewives or something?...Are they taking any pleasure in it?”
While Bee admitted that her fellow Canadians may be getting “a slight smug pleasure” in watching American politics, she proclaimed that they were “worried about the condition of the world.” The Full Frontal host then reiterated her family’s concerns: “My family’s mostly just worried about me. They want me to come home.”
Kimmel followed up: “What do you mean they’re worried about you?” Bee explained: “Well, they kind of – like when they watch the news, they think it’s such a dangerous and decrepit place now....So they’re definitely like, ‘Just get home, your room is waiting for you.’” Going one step further, she admitted: “My dad bought me a Kevlar vest.”
Thinking she was joking, Kimmel replied: “He did not.” Bee insisted: “He did, yeah....it’s very heavy. It’s like 80 pounds or something.”
Kimmel observed: “Well, that’s kind of sad in a way, isn’t it?” Bee lamented: “I know, we’re not doing well in the world’s esteem right now. I’m sure we’ll get it back one day.”
Perhaps Bee’s family is so worried because they’ve been watching her show too much. On Wednesday, she compared the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to the Nazis and demanded it be abolished. Back in January, she announced an “Apologizing for America” tour in which her “correspondents will travel the globe to apologize for every garbage thing Donald Trump does.”
Of course, those are just two recent examples of Bee’s unhinged ranting. NewsBusters has chronicled many of her other outbursts.
Here are excerpts of Bee’s exchange with Kimmel, aired early on the morning of May 25:
12:02 AM ET
JIMMY KIMMEL: You know, sometimes it takes a Canadian to help us Americans make sense of what’s going on in this country. And our first guest tonight is one such canuck. Her very funny show, Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, airs Wednesday nights on TBS. Please welcome Samantha Bee. [Cheers and applause]
(...)
12:03 AM ET
KIMMEL: When can you even start – because things change so frequently – when do you even start writing a show that you tape on Wednesday?
SAMANTHA BEE: Well, we have – you know, because we have kind of three main acts to the show. So we have two-thirds of the show basically mapped out, and then by Friday, we start thinking about what the most topical segment will be. And then we really get into it on Monday, and then on Tuesday, when everything changes and the world is horrific, we throw all of that into the garbage and start over, as I’m sure you have to do basically every day.
KIMMEL: Almost every day that happens to us.
BEE: Yeah, I know.
KIMMEL: And it’s funny, because we’re watching cable news and going, “No! No!
BEE: Come on! Please!
KIMMEL: We’re actually rooting against world peace so we don’t have to rewrite our monologues.
BEE: We’re so happy with those jokes, just let them be! Please!
(...)
12:05 AM ET
KIMMEL: Do you feel like Canadians pay more attention to what’s going on in their government than Americans are paying attention?
BEE: No, I don’t think – well, I think Canadians pay a little bit of attention to their government, but they’re very much paying attention to our government here, right now.
KIMMEL: Really?
BEE: My family is very concerned for my life.
KIMMEL: They're watching us?
BEE: They’re watching us, yeah.
KIMMEL: Like we’re The Desperate Housewives or something?
BEE: They really are, yeah, yeah.
KIMMEL: Are they taking any pleasure in it?
BEE: Well, I think there’s a slight smug pleasure. But they are worried about the condition of the world. Mostly they’re – my family’s mostly just worried about me. They want me to come home.
KIMMEL: Your whole family’s still up there in Canada?
BEE: Yeah, my whole family’s up there.
KIMMEL: What do you mean they’re worried about you?
BEE: Well, they kind of – like when they watch the news, they think it’s such a dangerous and decrepit place now.
KIMMEL: Oh, oh.
BEE: So they’re definitely like, “Just get home, your room is waiting for you.” My dad bought me a Kevlar vest. I shouldn’t –
KIMMEL: He did not.
BEE [LAUGHS]: He did, yeah.
KIMMEL: He did?
BEE: Yeah, it’s very heavy.
KIMMEL: A real Kevlar vest?
BEE: It’s like 80 pounds or something.
KIMMEL: Where did he get that?
BEE: I don’t know, I don’t ask questions.
KIMMEL: He sent to it you and you opened it.
BEE: Yeah.
(...)
KIMMEL: Well, that’s kind of sad in a way, isn’t it?
BEE: I know, we’re not doing well in the world’s esteem right now.
KIMMEL: Wow, yeah.
BEE: I’m sure we’ll get it back one day. [Laughter]
(...)
