“The comedy must contain a certain amount of joy.”
One of the many topics examined in the excellent documentary Armando Britney Spears – who arrived at Hulu last week – is the unnecessary cruelty and misogyny that Spears received during his career struggles in the 2000s.
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The media was brutal – and the dawn hosts were no exception. Except, that is, for Craig Ferguson, whose monologue defending Spears during a 2007 episode of The Late Late Show has been circulating on the internet afterFramework.
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Scotsman Ferguson presented CBS ‘ The Late Late Show from 2005 to 2014 before being replaced by current host James Corden.
The nearly 13-minute monologue is below – and worth watching, as Ferguson begins by expressing regret for his previous celebrity jokes before defending Spears from media scrutiny.
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“This has happened in the media and in the press recently,” said Ferguson, comparing the media scrutiny to watching America’s funniest home videos: “You would be laughing at the falling child, and then you would say, ‘Wait a minute, drop the damn camera and help your son! What the hell is wrong with you?'”
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“People are falling apart! People are dying! That woman Anna Nicole Smith died! ”, He said. The studio audience laughed at the mention of Smith’s name, to which Ferguson replied immediately: “It’s not a joke!”
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Smith, an actor and model, died at age 39 in 2007 after an overdose of prescription drugs.
“I’m starting to feel a little uncomfortable about making fun of these people,” he continued. “For me, comedy must have a certain amount of joy. It must always be about attacking powerful people – attacking politicians, trumps and bucks. Go after them!”
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“We shouldn’t be targeting vulnerable people!” Exclaimed Ferguson before making a “mea culpa” for his recent jokes. “I think my goal has been a little wrong recently … so, tonight, no Britney Spears jokes.”
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“This woman has two children,” he said later in the monologue. “She is 25 years old. She is a baby herself. She is a baby. “
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Ferguson was obviously right – the scrutiny and criticism Spears faced at that age was far from acceptable in any way or form. It’s good that he was on the right side of the story when many were not.
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