Jim Downey On The “Anarchy” Of Norm Macdonald’s “Weekend Update” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
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- čas přidán 24. 09. 2023
- Jim Downey and Conan recite some of their favorite Norm Macdonald “Weekend Update” jokes.
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ABOUT CONAN O’BRIEN NEEDS A FRIEND
Deeper, unboundedly playful, and free from FCC regulations, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend is a weekly opportunity for Conan to hang out with the people he enjoys most and perhaps find some real friendship along the way. Watch highlights of Conan, Sona Movsesian and Matt Gourley chatting with celebrities and meeting fans, along with special segments like “Review the Reviewers” and “Big Dick History.”
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Literally! with Rob Lowe, Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer, The Three Questions with Andy Richter, and Scam Goddess with Laci Mosley.
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Jim Downey explaining the fine tuning of their alien autopsy joke is gold.
"Surprisingly" golden.
I wish they would cover the Michael Jackson jokes too, because they were right about him and OJ.
(EDIT) Was the alien autopsy joke the genesis of the "i can't fap to this" memes? 🤔
@@Psychol-Snooper same. Especially, I'd love to know who came up with "...but make no mistake about it: he is a *homosexual* pedophile". "Homosexual" here is at least as good as "surprisingly" there
MJ innocent@@Psychol-Snooper
@@DLites151 You are sick.
"Well, it is finally official. Murder is legal in the state of California."
One of the greatest jokes ever told.
I ❤ this one
Or, so the German's would have us believe.
I think Norm's best joke was at the ESPY's when he told Charles Woodson Congratulations on winning the Heisman Trophy, that's something they can never take from you, unless you kill your ex wife and her waiter friend, then all bets are off the table.
And rings true today! 😂
Norm's full on attack of OJ Simpson was so incredible.
The pure joy Conan feels talking about Norm makes me so happy. He was a legend fought cancer to a draw.
I didn't even know he was sick
Or so the germans would have us believe.
Well I blame it on, yup you guessed it, Frank Stallone.
Quote “Conan is happier, Norm is dead.”
And he beat his heart too. Never had a chance to attack him.
I miss Norm so much. I have a cat called Norman Macdonald and before Norm died and back when I had an Instagram, Norm would click the little heart button whenever I posted a photo of him, that was the extent of our interactions, and it was lovely.
That is really sweet. Norm was a class act; it feels like you brought a little warmth to the old lump of coal
Not jealous at all.
I named my cat Norm too! Norm Catdonald
Norm's cat joke was one of my favorites.
Vet: "the bad news is he's not gonna make it...the good news is... he's just a cat." 😂
I’ll name my first kid Norm, doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl
Conan and Jim downey talking about Norm? never clicked faster.
Me too. Would do anything to listen to these guys celebrate the best comedian who ever lived.
@@perry0547 Or so the Germans would have us believe....
The reverence Conan has for Jim is very apparent. If this is the first time you're hearing his name, look him up and realize how much he's contributed to comedy. Living legend.
Downey as long as he's alive with be one of the finest comedy craftsmen in any writer's room
Apparently, his wife is "a dirty, dirty tramp."
@@danielm4114 Morton Downey, Junior (RIP), was Comedyier.
@@ihavefallenandicantreachmy2113What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought.
Sona Movesian adds nothing.
That last bit with the alien autopsy joke was hilarious! Especially Downey acting it out! HAHA
It was Hot!
So funny!
What's great about that is that he knows it's funnier, but even in this room of talented comedy people it's not until he fully articulates it that they can appreciate just why it is so much funnier.
That was pure comedy gold and thats how you structure a great line...so good...
He tells us what the punch line is in advance and it still killed! 3 times! Unreal.
I absolutely loved watching Norm making half the audience feel awkward and uncomfortable on Weekend Update. His delivery was pure gold!
He reveled in those long pauses.
His face when a joke didn't land was priceless. He loved that.
The man was fearless...
99% of the SNL audience felt awkward because they werent ready for him or understood his sense of humor but after awhile…people finally “got it” and loved him.
Norm was so good @ bombing. Sometimes he would intentionally bomb his own sets. Fearless comedian.
It means so much that Conan is using his platform to keep the memory of Norm alive. I hope entire new generations get to experience Norm's brilliance even after his passing.
Thankfully there are hundreds of hours of his material on this website.
That’s my lucky stabbing hat! 😢
"Clapter" is a great word that perfectly describes the late night scene now that Conan is no longer in it.
It's pretty much the bottom of the barrel with Fallon Colbert and Kimmel
his trip to Haiti was clapter incarnate
@@h.d.5194 I love that you didn't even mention the worst of them: Corden. That this person took over from Ferguson is simply a crime against comedy.
@@pfzt Corden left, he doesn't have a late show anymore thankfully
Exactly what late night is now, including Seth Meyer’s unfunny ass. I’m not sure how this guy went from working with a legend like Norm, to Seth Meyers.
I will never forget his appearance in Billy Madison and his response to Sandlers answer "At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." ... God I laughed so hard, and still do to this day! Love Jim Downey!
wtffffff thats Downey?!
@@ajnodeyes. Also the main homeless guy in Dirty Work
Yes!! This guy is a meme. One of the best lines ever delivered.
@@JVIZ213 good call!
The best line of dialogue ever written and delivered by the same man.
Norm fans have good hearts.
We will click on anything just to hear someone say good things about him.
Like a moth at the pediatrist's office.
Facts
💓
The Better than Ezra joke is my all-time favorite Norm MacDonald line. I think about it every time I hear one of their songs.
In a weird twist, one of the British singer George Ezra's first US shows was opening for (and this really happened) Better Than Ezra.
Same here.
Heard a lot about Jim Downey on this podcast and others but never heard from the man himself. Does not disappoint. Legend!
He showed up in a few SNL sketches back in the day, one of the greatest SNL comedy writers, along with Conan, Al Franken, Robert Smigel & Tina Fey!
He was also the man that played the older homeless gent in Dirty Work that says “We are the more broken, spiritless, “I’ve lost the will to live” type homeless guys.”
@@brianmay3669 and lest we forget the principal in Billy Madison!
@@maestrogringoI think he’s the trivia moderator in BM.
@@opaljk4835 yep!
Downey is on the Mount Rushmore of late night. What a legend. This was when late night cared about comedy and was truly punk rock.
Please have more guests like Jim Downey!
Please have more Jim Downey!
There is an excerpt from a Norm Macdonald interview with Jim Downey that I revisit every so often. They spoke about everything from Iran Contra, to Women Comedians to There Will Be Blood. RIP Norm and thank you Team Coco for interviewing this comedic genius ! Massive respect from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹👏.
I have to check this out! Thanks for sharing!
Ay ay Matey. Ship o hoy. From the high seas with Tumbaga we charter to Tobago. We shall rule the oceans... Oh darn there she itches, my damn wodden leg needs a scratching...
That was when Norm guesthosted Dennis Miller's radio show.
The problem is Jim only reads revisionist history... he knows a lot of BS history written by Communists who hate America... and believes it's newly uncovered facts when it's just propaganda. I can't wait until he finds out the truth about people like Bob Woodward.
"So Jim, Watcha got pokin' in the fire?"
i wanna sit and listen to Jim Downey stories all day every day for an entire year. what an absolute gem
This one still hurts. It's weird. I never even met Norm Macdonald, but somehow it's like grieving for a lost friend. Ya know?
I feel the exact same way!
I came across him years ago, but not in a doghouse way
He just comes across as very...warm? Like he didnt seem to do anything with bad intentions, and i've spent so many hours watching and rewatching his stuff, to think theres nothing to explore going forwards it really pulls me down
He was one of a kind. I never met him, but I love him
@@joshyc2006damn. I just realized. I do not own a doghouse!
@@yamahamutha1I do too.
I was in college during the OJ trial. The OJ jokes absolutely killed everyone I knew. My god, that was all gold. Norm was the best Weekend Update ever.
Also, I was driving listening to this, and I about crashed my car during the alien joke.
Norm's OJ jokes always killed, almost as much as OJ Simpson.
Murder is now legal on SNL
Love it when Conan chats to old TV heads. He's the only talk show host that's charming and intelligent enough to really have great conversations.
Can't imagine Jimmy Fallon doing anything like this at all.
colbert?
Colbert would be offended by OJ jokes, because Colbert is puppet boy.
I love whenever Conan talks about Norm...that's why I tune in. Not a doubt in my mind Norm was by far his funniest guest on his show over the years, and I'm so happy we have those great memories all on CZcams to relive them again and again.
Yes, same with David Letterman and Dennis Miller.
@@majcrash totally agree!
Rip Norm. As a long time fan I feel so cheated he was taken just as he seemed to be hitting another level of success. He had really cultivated a whole new group of fans the last 10 years of his life 💔
The fact that this is available online for free is a miracle. It’s amazing to watch. Long live Norm
It's crazy how 1 word can make a joke 10 time funnier.
The whole line of Norm Mcdonald OJ jokes wasn't only one of the most funniest things I've ever seen; it was one of the most heroic. The way he kept going despite the straight-faces and boos was inspiring.
And getting fired for it lol
There’s a term for it actually, it’s called “‘Gracie’s Maxim” if anyone’s interested:)
Huh? Grice? Which maxim? And it's the flouting of communicative norms that can be comedic, not following them.
Norm MacDonald was not only one of the funniest people that ever lived, he was one of the greatest trolls that ever lived. Trolling is an art form, when done right.
I want (and would pay good money for) a 90 minute podcats of Conan remembering Norm's bits with a different guest every week.
I miss Norm. I’ve been saying that regularly since he passed away way too early. Thanks for keeping his memories and laughs alive, Coco!
Norm deserves all the respect his timing and delivery are ground breaking
"Let me ask you this. Have you ever tossed a prostitute off a bridge?". Lmao
Oh Norm was the best.
The SNL skit with Downey that still gets me is the bank that only gives change. "We're not going to give you 2000 nickels, unless that meets your particular change needs."
Same, that's how I always seem him
Change Bank! Fantastic piece.
Love that one
I've been quoting that commercial for years - I thought I was the only one who loved it that much!
This is perfect. More Jim Downey and Norm stories.
Jim Downey is an absolute legend and a sharpshooter of a comedy writer, so awesome to hear him speak especially under Conan's auspices!
Jim Downey and Norm MacDonald are comedic legends. It's great to hear his side of the bits and jokes!
Can listen to Norm stories for hours. Brings him back at least for a little while.
I always thought of Norm was one of the most punk rock guys in comedy. So nice to hear that validated. Incredible human being and is needed nowadays more than ever
To this day I'm still devastated that Norm is gone. I really can't get over it.
Same. I can’t believe he’s gone
The love that Conan has for Norm (and other comedians) makes him even more lovable. He appreciates the craft in the way that we appreciate art.❤
The Better Than Ezra joke killed me in the 90's and it still kills me today
The Better Than Ezra joke was my all time favorite Norm joke from Update. So glad Conan brought it up.
The one time explaining the joke is even better.
Norm's passing spurred me on to finally try stand up.
I'm just an open mic'er, but Norm was so influential to me, that losing him made me realize if i never tried, I'd actually regret something in my life.
I love you and miss you, you old chunk of coal.
Same boat. Norm made it ok not to conform to traditional stand-up routines and joke about awkward things with equally awkward timing.
Best of luck wish u the best
I have DMs from after I sent him a joke when he was encouraging me to try stand up. I told him I was a single father and didn't quite have the time. He told me to record myself doing jokes over the weekend and send it to him by Monday. He was a very kind man.
I still need to try an open mic night. I feel like I kind of have to now.
Thank you all for sharing. I didn't realize this would resonate with so many.
I'll keep going for Normie. Love and thanks to all of you!🧡
I was just thinking of that ''Better Than Ezra'' joke today... Norm was such a national treasure. We miss you!
OMG Where have you been hiding this GEM of a man?? I need several more hours of Jim Downey.
Norm loved you and Andy so much Conan. You understood you had nuclear fusion so you let him shine like a star. Likely THE BEST talk show sessions in history. You were all so beautiful to him and he knew he was loved. Genius set free.
"I award no points and may God have mercy on your soul" - I never would have recognized Jim Downey until I heard that voice.
Conan REALLY channeled Norm when he stared directly into the camera as Norm would do
Totally, he did that ever so subtle nod to to the viewer exactly like him.
Conan needs to be back on late night. The best interview ever. Best host ever. We sure miss you.
How I wish I could THANK Conan, first of all for influencing my own sense of humor, and very much improving my life as a sad teenager. Secondly for introducing me to Norm, whose comedy completely rocked my world like nothing else. My first contact with Norm was a re-run some 20 years ago of the infamous Courtney Thorne-Smith episode that I saw on my "Tee-ve". (Only Norm-fans will get that). Conan and Norm, thank you!
CONAN: Do something with that, ya freak.
NORM: I bet the "board" is spelled ...
That whole appearance should be on the Mount Rushmore of talk show segments.
Some Canadians actually pronounce it that way. Not me, but some.
Norm's roast of Bob Saget was a masters class in comedy. He wrote and performed jokes that were meant to bomb, which had to be extremely hard to do. That made his performance incredible. And, he was right. Everybody would love to see Henry Fonda pick blueberries.
This moments like these that show the true value of filming these podcasts, rather than just recording the audio. I listen to this episode earlier today, but watching the clip and seeing Jim actually miming the motions at end was even funnier.
I am stuck in traffic and watching this and am crying at that.
OJ died yesterday and CZcams recommrnnded this video to me today.😆
Jim and Norm sounded like an amazing team.
So many great jokes. And Conan's delight and raucous laughter is infectious.
Downey is a bona fide legend. Damn I miss Norm so much..
I went to a comedy club to see Norm. A few comedians opened for him. They were funny. When he took the stage I have never seen anything like it. Dude was such a genius. He made up jokes about the area where I lived off the cuff. The professionalism was unmatched.
I could listen to this discussion for hours on end. What a master of comedy, and what a pairing he had with Norm. I remember seeing a few of those jokes during their first airing, especially the Sharks one
what an amazing writer and storyteller. that memory is crisp. could listen to him tell the jokes all day. great interview!
I was really impressed with his memory, too.
Jim Downy is now in my top five Conan guests. This was a great episode. So funny!
I could listen to Norm stories forever. An absolute legend. Thanks for sharing.
My favorite OJ joke: “OJ Simpson said in an interview that Nicole Brown used to beat him up. He also claimed that Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown KILLED HIM.”
I smiled through this whole thing, which reminded me of my favorite thing about Norm, his smiling eyes. And then I realized his smiling eyes are contagious and live on in everyone who appreciates him.
One of the better guests from the SNL days. Could listen to these two recount Norm stories for many hours
Please have Jim Downey again! This was just pure gold! I don’t care how much it costs!
Thank you. I was fortunate enough to recognize him at a restaurant in CT after taking my young family to a midday movie in 2008.
He graciously told me to call him and he'd set me up to go to SNL.
When I called, we chatted for maybe 15 minutes or so. During that conversation, he explained that rhythm of the jokes and used the shark joke as the example.
We got to sit on the floor for Valentines Day with Alec Baldwin as the host.
Thank you Jim (and Norm) for the best Weekend Update.
WOW
Thank you Conan, Jim Downey, and (of course) Norm Macdonald for making me double over with laughter for most of my life.
Explaining a joke doesn’t always ruin it; sometimes it makes it funnier
I could watch them talk about Norm jokes forever. RIP Norm.
Jim Downey is an absolute legend
I love how much he has true friendship with Norm. I miss Norm so much
It's funny, I've heard the name Jim Downey, but it's great to finally see him and hear him talk about working with Norm and the great comedy they created together!
The irony of Seth myers coining “claughter”..
That Better than Ezra joke slays me every time
You’re only truly dead, the last time someone speaks your name….. thank you Conan & Jim for keeping my hero alive ! ❤
Conan and Downey are comedic geniuses.
That penthouse joke is absolutely hilarious 😂
more than any other comedian I've ever seen, Norm really did not care if a joke bombed. It only made him stronger
Jim Downey is a very intelligent and smart mind.
I loved that, long after people stopped talking about OJ, Norm kept going. Ruthless and relentless. Loved it.
I wasn't even born when these two were doing their thing but they both sculpted my sense of humour so profoundly I can never repay them. RIP Norm et a la prochaine.
I miss Norm a lot. One of the funniest people ever. I don't know why his full youtube shows aren't up. They were brilliant.
Professor of logic.
Jim Downey is a man unheralded comedy king.
Conan earnestly seems to have loved Norm. In so many interviews, he finds a way to segue to recollecting about Norm. And not only with people like Downey, but with anyone in comedy.
I worried when Norm didn't appear on Conan's final show that perhaps Conan had relented to cancel him in the wake of his earlier comments defending Roseanne (Roseanne was obviously in the wrong, but Norm paid an immense price for defending his friend). So I have been very grateful to know the truth was Norm simply wasn't well-enough to participate and that Conan tried repeatedly behind the scenes to include him.
And now, perhaps more than anyone, Conan works to keep Norm's comedy and character alive.
yes I think a lot of Norm fans unfairly condemned Conan for not having Norm on. Definitely had to reassess a lot of things after Norm died and his cancer diagnosis was revealed
I've been waiting for a Jim Downey interview like this. Thank you!
I love these joke structures Downey talks about. One of my favorites:
"In Duluth, Minnesota, authorities suspect arson was to blame for a fire that destroyed a mobile home and killed seventy-three cats. The chief suspect so far...? This dog." [behind Norm, a picture of "bully breed" flashes onto the screen]
I hope they talk about Norm’s departure. They only fired Downey for the OJ jokes, when they told Norm out of absolute loyalty and gratitude for bringing him on the show said “if Jim goes I go”, unfortunately he didn’t have enough pull and they said “fine”. Norm kept it a secret from Jim and everyone until a few years ago. Ironically they brought Jim back to the show later on.
Norm was perfect at the side-eye after a joke, and would hold it until the laugh simmers enough to be fully cooked
Jim Downey talking through his edit of the alien autopsy joke combined with Conan's belly laughter at the memory of Norm telling is a fine moment to share with the folks at home.
Norm was brilliant. Very smart guy and someone who would back his friends to the end.
The Better Than Ezra joke is literally one of my first memories of something being funny to me as a kid. As a kid of the 90s, Norm was a constant comedy presence in my life.
im ashamed to say I didnt know anything about Jim Downey, other than hearing his name over the years, and Im now convinced hes the funniest person on the planet. what a great episode!
That last penthouse bit was gold!
I love that last bit, really shows the inner workings of a comedian.
Surprisingly good segment!
Surprisingly?
Will always remember how even when Norm was dead in the ground, Richter was still butthurt about the Swedish-German joke
I listened to this specific podcast episode and have replayed clips so often. Best CONAF episode of all time
I’m from London, UK, we didn’t see a lot of Norm, but I saw a lot on TY and his own podcast and he was simply a genius. Never failed to make me laugh.
SNL didnt really want to fire Norm they wanted to fire Jim Downey, but Norm said if he goes I go. True friend and never brought that up in interviews he was a real class act.
Jim smiled, ''That's what I meant. It'll have a punk rock ethos''. ''I said no singing god damn it!'' Read Norm's book for Norm's great take on this.