The left has made it clear that, in this election, no parodying of themselves are allowed given what they perceive as an existential threat to American lives and the country itself if former President Trump were reelected. Such was the case on Friday’s CBS Mornings Plus with Armando Innucci, the creator HBO’s Veep, complaining about comparisons between his fictional vice president-turned-president Selina Meyer and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Co-host Adriana Diaz pointed out the obvious the “[f]rom the moment that Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee, fans of the hit HBO show Veep drew comparisons between its lead character Selina Meyer and Kamala Harris, but one person who isn’t laughing at that comparison is the show’s creator, Armando Iannucci.”
The creator of 'Veep' is big mad and went whining to CBS that people think Kamala Harris reminds them of the character he created, Selina Meyer:
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 25, 2024
"I know the Trump campaign would like to say that Kamala is Selena, but it's not. Every episode of 'Veep' shows Selena caught in a… pic.twitter.com/NeMhtLowNj
“In fact, he’s warned that this election is being dominated by contrary conspiracy theories, manipulated foliage — footage, cheap jokes and lies at the cost of real issues,” she added.
Foreign correspondent Holly Williams gave a brief outline of his resume as an Oxford-educated filmmaker behind not only Veep, but other films such as the Death of Stalin:
Nobody knows more about getting laughs out of politics than Armando Iannucci, an Oxford educated political satirist, famous on this side of the pond for skewering the British establishment...He’s even found comedy in the worst abuses of the Soviet Union...in the film The Death of Stalin. But in the U.S., Iannucci is best known for creating Selina Meyer, the ethically challenged vice president in Veep.
Without any evidence, Iannucci huffed to Williams that while he’s aware “the Trump campaign would like to say that Kamala is Selina, but she’s not” and, when she asked why, he claimed “every episode of Veep shows Selina caught in a trap, usually of her own making.”
In other words, not an answer. As our friends at the Free Beacon have shown in compilations, Harris has created quite the highlight reel.
Iannucci continued to spin: “We wanted to show what Washington does to someone who goes into politics for the best of reasons, goes into public service, and then gets crushed or transformed by it in a dangerous way.”
Williams referenced a New York Times guest column he wrote making the same case:
Iannucci sounded downright angry at the comparison in a deadly serious New York Times opinion piece complaining that the issues are being ignored in a U.S. election that’s rolled in conspiracy theory and baked under manipulated footage.
She made sure to toss him a softball: “You’re saying the kind of post truth era has developed after Veep?”
“It — it’s — it’s politics by social media, where it’s harder and harder to know what is actually a fact,” he replied.
Iannucci later closed with more hyperventilating about 2024: “The world still looks to America for how it conducts its democracy and its advocacy of freedom. So, you know, if central figures in that fight are just making things up, then that gives a green light to a lot of would be dictators around the world.”
Back live with Diaz and co-host Tony Dokoupil, Williams gave her high-altitude opinion of how the world (particularly Europe) is viewing the presidential race (click “expand”)::
CBS's Holly Williams laments the United Kingdom is scared of a Trump presidency since 64% of British voters view Harris positive if they could, but only 18% for Trump and that countries around the world "are puzzled by the system" and "complexity" of our electoral system pic.twitter.com/B86e9okXMN
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 25, 2024
WILLIAMS: Yeah. It’s a — it’s a big deal. I mean, look, I travel all over the world for my job, right. So I’m having these conversations with people in different countries. It’s really interesting what you hear. And I’ve spoken to people in the Middle East who’ve said to me, you know, we like Trump because this is -- he just saying things that we thought Americans thought about us all the time. And at least, you know, he just kind of openly says it. On the other hand, in the U.K., the United Kingdom where I live, there was a recent poll that showed that Harris has 64 percent amongst British voters, 57 percent support amongst Conservative British voters and only 18 percent of British voters have a positive view of Trump. So Harris would win easily —
DIAZ: Yeah.
WILLIAMS: — in the U.K. But I think it’s also, you know, people are puzzled by the — the system as well, just the complexity of it.
DIAZ: It’s so complex.
WILLIAMS: The Electoral College and the conventions and the, you know, all of that stuff confuses even people in other democracy.
To see the relevant CBS transcript from October 25, click “expand.”
CBS Mornings Plus
October 25, 2024
9:50 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: All Joking Aside]
ADRIANA DIAZ: From the moment that Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee, fans of the hit HBO show Veep drew comparisons between its lead character Selina Meyer and Kamala Harris. But one person who isn’t laughing at that comparison is the show’s creator, Armando Iannucci. In fact, he’s warned that this election is being dominated by contrary conspiracy theories, manipulated foliage — footage, cheap jokes and lies at the cost of real issues. Our Holly Williams spoke to the Emmy and Pulitzer winning writer, director and political critic.
ARMANDO IANNUCCI: So the thing about being vice president is, you know, when you go into a room, people treat you with respect. But when you leave, people are making jokes about you. It’s — it’s — there’s something fundamentally comic about this so near and yet so far.
HOLLY WILLIAMS: Nobody knows more about getting laughs out of politics than Armando Iannucci, an Oxford educated political satirist, famous on this side of the pond for skewering the British establishment.
[SCENE FROM DEATH OF STALIN]
WILLIAMS: He’s even found comedy in the worst abuses of the Soviet Union.
[SCENE FROM DEATH OF STALIN]
WILLIAMS: In the film The Death of Stalin. But in the U.S., Iannucci is best known for creating Selina Meyer, the ethically challenged vice president in Veep.
MAN: They’re calling you the no BS VP.
SELINA MEYER [in HBO’s Veep]: Damn right they are. I mean, I lied and everything, but it sounded true at least.
MAN: Uh-huh.
WILLIAMS: The show won 17 Emmys, a Peabody Award, and a cult following. And just like Kamala Harris, Selina Meyer eventually gets a shot at the top job.
MEYER [in HBO’s Veep]: POTUS is leaving. He’s not going to run for a second term. I’m going to run.
IANNUCCI: I know the Trump campaign would like to say that Kamala is Selina, but she’s not.
WILLIAMS: Why would the Trump campaign like to say that?
IANNUCCI: Because every episode of Veep shows Selina caught in a trap, usually of her own making. We wanted to show what Washington does to someone who goes into politics for the best of reasons, goes into public service, and then gets crushed or transformed by it in a dangerous way.
WILLIAMS: In fact, Iannucci sounded downright angry at the comparison in a deadly serious New York Times opinion piece complaining that the issues are being ignored in a U.S. election that’s rolled in conspiracy theory and baked under manipulated footage.
WILLIAMS: You’re saying the kind of post truth era has developed —
IANNUCCI: It’s this —
WILLIAMS: — after —
IANNUCCI: Yes.
WILLIAMS: — Veep?
IANNUCCI: It — it’s — it’s politics by social media, where it’s harder and harder to know what is actually a fact.
WILLIAMS: Born to an Italian immigrant family, Iannucci recently became a commander of the British Empire, an award for his work in broadcasting. He told us he has great affection for America, though not for some of its politicians.
IANNUCCI: It — it — it always worries me when a — when a politician can’t laugh.
WILLIAMS: Yeah. Are you thinking about anyone in particular there in U.S. politics?
IANNUCCI: Well, you know, well, Trump was in office, he was — he — he kind of judiciously watched Saturday Night Live and then did a critique on Twitter straight after it.
WILLIAMS: He didn’t get the joke.
IANNUCCI: He didn’t get that? No. Well, he said it was a bad joke. You know, if a politician can laugh at themselves, then I think that’s a good sign.
WILLIAMS: In Veep, Selina Meyer’s run for president ends in chaos.
MEYER [on HBO’s Veep]: No, I’ll tell you what’s unprecedented, Kent, a tie is unprecedented.
WILLIAMS: But with this year’s real life election too close to call, Iannucci says there’s nothing to laugh about.
IANNUCCI: The world still looks to America for how it conducts its democracy and its advocacy of freedom. So, you know, if central figures in that fight are just making things up, then that gives a green light to a lot of would be dictators around the world.
DOKOUPIL: Got very real. Holly Williams joins us now. Holly, it’s so glad to have you here. You know, we have this election coming up in a matter of days. He clearly thinks it’s a very big deal. You cover the world. You’ve been all over the world as a correspondent. What -- what -- how does the world viewing our election?
WILLIAMS: Yeah. It’s a — it’s a big deal. I mean, look, I travel all over the world for my job, right. So I’m having these conversations with people in different countries. It’s really interesting what you hear. And I’ve spoken to people in the Middle East who’ve said to me, you know, we like Trump because this is -- he just saying things that we thought Americans thought about us all the time. And at least, you know, he just kind of openly says it. On the other hand, in the U.K., the United Kingdom where I live, there was a recent poll that showed that Harris has 64 percent amongst British voters, 57 percent support amongst Conservative British voters and only 18 percent of British voters have a positive view of Trump. So Harris would win easily —
ADRIANA DIAZ: Yeah.
WILLIAMS: — in the U.K. But I think it’s also, you know, people are puzzled by the — the system as well, just the complexity of it.
DIAZ: It’s so complex.
WILLIAMS: The Electoral College and the conventions and the, you know, all of that stuff confuses even people in other democracy.
DIAZ: Every state does it differently. Holly Williams, thank you so much for being here.
DOKOUPIL: Yeah. It’s so great to see you.
WILLIAMS: Thank you for having me.
DOKOUPIL: Really appreciate it. We’re confused sometimes too.
