Letters to the Editor
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Dunno about prudish...
...but I always find it uncomfortable to watch someone being publicly embarrassed, by whatever means.
But as Rebecca Traister aptly put it in her Broadsheet column, Colbert, while "discombobulated," handled it well. He didn't seem to mind looking a bit foolish, perhaps--showman that he is--recognizing the role reversal at his expense made for great television.
In other words, he gave us permission to enjoy his discomfiture. And after my initial impulse to look away, that's just what I did.
I also imposed my own fantasy on the scene, imagining that Fonda was, in effect, giving him a sort of thank-you from all of us, expressing our passionate appreciation for who he is and what he's doing. If I had the opportunity, I'd kiss him too.
I have no idea whether Fonda had anything like this in mind, but that interpretation suited me just fine and completely neutralized the cringe factor.
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Aging coquette an embarrassment
Joan, don't think it was your imagination. I, too, got a case of the creepy crawlies watching
Jane fondle and purr her way to cable infamy on Stephen's lap. I know I'm perhaps super
sensitive to the subject since I turn 60 myself this summer, but I do believe that we have to
try and maintain some sense of what's appropriate--and that wasn't appropriate. But,
worse, it seemed somewhat desperate--as though Fonda needed to still play that role to convince herself of something. And the aging femme fatale has always struck me as one of
the more pathetic stereotypes in our culture.
Stephen tried to deal with it, but I doubt that he was in on it.
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MarieA. explained it best
"I don't think it is really so much about Fonda being "an over-the-hill vamp" as it is that she isn't a comedienne. Even though she has decent-enough timing as an actor, she is not fully comfortable with the nuances of comedy.
Thus, the problem seems one of this being just not being a funny bit over the course of the interview."
I'd add that Colbert likely struggled for a comeback b/c the most obvious ones risked hitting Fonda where it hurts, and he respects/likes her too much to do that. So the bit wound up floundering a bit. Still, Fonda took a real risk. That's admirable (and sexy) anywhere these days!
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Not a prude
No, you're not a prude. When she initially sat on her lap, it was mildly funny given, but the longer she persisted the less humorous it was. As others have indicated, I too do not believe Colbert knew what she was going to do. And, as someone else has observed I think he was conflicted -- conflicted by his sense of decency and commitment to his wife and family (which he protects fiercely) against his need to stay in character. He was totally caught off-guard. While Jane Fonda may have aged gracefully and well physically, emotionally she's still stuck in her adolescent phase where she needs to be provocative and be the center of attention.
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Age difference?
I'd like to gently suggest, Ms. Walsh, that perhaps the difference in age between Stephen Colbert and Jane Fonda is what made you uncomfortable. We're all used to seeing older men with younger women. But older women with younger men?
Cue the alarm bells!
My significant other is ten years younger than me, so I've adjusted.
Sincerely,
kmblue
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Has anyone noticed ....
... that those "uncomfortable" with Fonda sitting on Colbert's lap happen to be women? Just a thought.
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Has anyone noticed ....
... that those "uncomfortable" with Fonda sitting on Colbert's lap happen to be women? Just a thought.
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I couldn't agree with you more!
I felt the same way, that there was something unseemly about Jane Fonda putting Stephen in this awkward position. Partially, like you, I have come to believe that Stephen is one of the most decent people in the media, and that he is someone who does not base his comedy on base instincts. The feminist in me thought, for a tiny second or two, that it was interesting to see the tables turned, and to have a male essentially put in the helpless role as a necessary position to get his interview, or putting it another way, to be the victim of sexual harrassment in order to make a living. I think that if Jane had simply gotten up, gone and sat on his lap for a minute, and then had shown the good sense to sit in her own chair I would have been cringing less. It simply went on too long and way way past the comfort stage for those of us observing, and also for Stephen himself. I don't think of myself as a prude either, by the way.
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Now that I've finally seen the clip
I was prepared to be creeped out, but mostly I just laughed. It was mildly uncomfortable, but that kind of joke usually is. And I agree that Marie A described it best when she said the problem is that Fonda is not really a comedienne. However, she has a very strong sexual persona, and our culture pretends to like that in a woman, but doesn't really. (But what if it had been Candace Bergen, who also has a strong enough sexual persona, but is more of a comedienne?)
From what I've read in some of the other comments, Colbert may have unknowingly set himself up in his promotion of this episode.
Bottom Line: After last year's WH Press Corps dinner, there were a lot of us mature women who thought Stephen Colbert had really raised the bar on what it means for a man to be HOT! Apparently, Fonda was one of them, too. I agree that she was "thanking him" for all of us.
I just hope his wife was understanding when he got home...
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TV stars! What difference?
Disclaimer: I know communication is more visual than verbal, but words are here to ask, " What's the difference what comics, soap stars, and anchors say or do?" YouTube etal is ruining the verbal significance of political issues IMO. Performers of all stripes should understand that John and Jane Q Public have other things on their agendas.
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Another reason to love Colbert and his show.
Maybe your crush on Colbert got in the way of you seeing how wonderful this shtick was ... for so many reasons. How many times do we see older men drooling over and acting sexual with much younger women and no one says a word. A very attractive, though not young, Jane Fonda sits on the lap, obviously in character, of the lap of a younger, though very adult, Stephen Colbert and totally flusters the master who's objective of his interviews is to create some degree of fluster in his guests. Didn't you get it? She turned the tables beautifully and in a way that was not mean or insulting. Maybe the people who have a hard time with this aren't very comfortable with strong, smart, in control, mature, attractive, sexual women. Bravo Jane! Bravo Stephen!