In just another example of blatant media hypocrisy, on NBC’s 3rd Hour Today show Friday, co-host Al Roker enthusiastically talked to the cast of the Netflix film The Trial of the Chicago 7, which lionizes the far-left radicals who incited the violent 1968 riot at the Democratic National Convention. Amazingly, the deadly January 6 Capitol Hill riot never came up in the discussion, even as the ’68 Chicago rioters were given glowing labels like “iconic” and “hero.”
“The Netflix film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, tells the story of a group of anti-war protesters accused of conspiring to start a riot during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago,” Roker declared at the top of the segment without judgment. He then aired the taped interview with actors Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Turning to Cohen, Roker asked: “This film was first written 13 years ago, and ever since, you wanted to be part of it?” In part, Cohen talked about how enamored he’s been with Chicago rioter and “loudmouthed communist” Abbie Hoffman for years: “I’d heard about Abbie Hoffman in my 20s, actually and I’d done my thesis on Jewish radicals in the civil rights movement. Yeah, I’ve been sort of obsessed with Abbie Hoffman and this movie for a long time.”
His co-star Redmayne spoke of what a joy it was to be able to play people who liberal screenwriter Aaron Sorkin turned into “very intelligent characters who speak incredibly quickly and are basically substantially brighter than you are.”
Roker swooned over Abdul-Mateen playing a far-left Black Panther Party co-founder: “Yahya, this is the first time you’re portraying a real person, and you’re portraying Bobby Seale. When you’re portraying somebody who is so iconic, is there more pressure to feel like you, quote, ‘get it right’?” Abdul-Mateen spoke with pride about playing his “hometown hero”:
You know, I never really interacted with the word “pressure” around this. It was an honor. I think the word that comes to mind is a “responsibility.” You know, I grew up in Oakland, definitely knew about Bobby Seale being a hometown hero. So for me, I dove into this with an opportunity to honor his legacy, you know, to honor the work that, you know, that he did in Oakland as a founding member of the Black Panther Party.
Going back to Cohen, Roker vaguely connected the movie to current events: “Are you struck by the fact that this film is probably more relevant today than it would have been 13 years ago?” Cohen positively compared the Chicago riot to the leftist 2020 violence seen in cities across the country: “We shot this movie prior to the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter mass protest movement, and, obviously, it’s about, upsettingly, some of the issues that you see in the movie still exist and are still as pertinent as they were there.”
Apparently NBC failed to see the irony of promoting a movie celebrating the inciters of a violent riot in between it’s coverage of a Senate impeachment trial accusing former President Trump of inciting a violent riot.
On January 22, CBS This Morning offered a similarly tone-deaf segment cheering Cohen as “brilliant” and “revolutionary,” while favorably comparing him to the communist Hoffman.
NBC’s glowing celebration of rioters was brought to viewers by Amazon and Neutrogena. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a full transcript of the February 12 segment:
9:34 AM ET
AL ROKER: The Netflix film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, tells the story of a group of anti-war protesters accused of conspiring to start a riot during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. I got the chance to catch up with three of the stars of the film: Sacha Baron Cohen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eddie Redmayne.
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT [AS ATTORNEY RICHARD SCHULTZ]: At the defense table, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Dave Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Lee Weiner, John Froines, Tom Hayden, and Bobby Seale. These defendants had a plan, and the plan was to incite a riot.
ROKER: This film was first written 13 years ago, and ever since, you wanted to be part of it?
SACHA BARON COHEN: Yes, 13 years ago, Aaron Sorkin had written the script, Steven Spielberg was directing it. I found out about it and I called up Steven Spielberg and asked him to let me audition. I’d heard about Abbie Hoffman in my 20s, actually and I’d done my thesis on Jewish radicals in the civil rights movement. Yeah, I’ve been sort of obsessed with Abbie Hoffman and this movie for a long time.
ROKER: Eddie, were you familiar with the trial before getting involved?
EDDIE REDMAYNE: I wasn’t at all. In fact, it was a moment in history that I was pretty ignorant of. So for me, it was just a script that arrived, written by a writer whose work I adored. Most actors love Aaron Sorkin’s writing because he writes very intelligent characters who speak incredibly quickly and are basically substantially brighter than you are. And so you get to come off as if you’re brilliantly intelligent.
ROKER: You know, Yahya, this is the first time you’re portraying a real person, and you’re portraying Bobby Seale. When you’re portraying somebody who is so iconic, is there more pressure to feel like you, quote, “get it right”?
YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II: You know, I never really interacted with the word “pressure” around this. It was an honor. I think the word that comes to mind is a “responsibility.” You know, I grew up in Oakland, definitely knew about Bobby Seale being a hometown hero. So for me, I dove into this with an opportunity to honor his legacy, you know, to honor the work that, you know, that he did in Oakland as a founding member of the Black Panther Party.
ROKER: Are you struck by the fact that this film is probably more relevant today than it would have been 13 years ago?
COHEN: I am. We shot this movie prior to the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter mass protest movement, and, obviously, it’s about, upsettingly, some of the issues that you see in the movie still exist and are still as pertinent as they were there.
ROKER: Eddie, was it difficult getting into a rhythm or how easy was it, when you’re working with actors of this caliber?
REDMAYNE: Honestly, it makes it pretty joyful. One of the great pleasures of this film for me was being surrounded by this extraordinary band. It felt like a sort of wonderful clashing of different types of music. So you had a bit of jazz, you had a bit of, you know, punk, a bit of classical, all of these things combining.
ABDUL-MATEEN II: Good material is so rare in this business, so, you know, when I found this, this was a project that kept me up late at night and, you know, got me up very early in the morning for all the right reasons. And that’s just on the acting side. On the other side, you know, we were coming together for a really good, really good cause.
ROKER: You guys are nominated for Outstanding Cast at the SAG Awards, and congratulations, also, Critics Choice. When did you know that you were part of something very special that was being captured?
REDMAYNE: I would honestly say, for me, it was the first time I read the script. The words were so wonderful. People often say with theater, how can you go and do a play for six months, going back every night and doing it again and again? And the answer is, you never get it right. You keep going to try and get it right. Often with film, you only have a day to do that. With this, some of these scenes, when you did them, you got home, or in the car on the way home, and you’re like, “Oh, I could have done it this way.” Because the writing’s so muscular and full, that actually you were just so sad not to get to say those words again. So maybe there’ll be – I heard that originally, Aaron thought about doing it as a musical. So maybe, guys, we will be in the musical version of Chicago 7.
ABDUL-MATEEN II: Oh, my gosh, the musical.
REDMAYNE: You know you want it, Yahya.
ABDUL-MATEEN II: I don’t know if I would touch the musical.
REDMAYNE: Yeah.
ABDUL-MATEEN II: But I would touch the play. I don’t know about the musical.
ROKER: Sacha, you’ve got multiple nominations, Golden Globe nominations, for Borat and for this film. I would think that that’s sort of like, you know, when your kids are competing or something. You want them both to win, but –
COHEN: Listen, I’m very happy that both of the kids are getting a chance to be in the game. I don’t want to adjudicate between a physical fight between Abbie Hoffman and Borat. Because, I mean, that would be an interesting fight.
ROKER: Who do you think would win?
COHEN: I think Abbie Hoffman. [Laughter]
ROKER: It’s just a terrific cast, a terrific movie. The Trial of the Chicago 7 streaming now on Netflix.
SHEINELLE JONES: Looks good.
