Norm Macdonald Talks About Getting Fired From "Saturday Night Live" | Letterman
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 เม.ย. 2022
- The NBC pinheads fired Norm from Weekend Update and Dave isn't happy. #quisling
(From "Late Show," air date: 1/7/98)
#NormMacDonald #SNL #Letterman
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Don Ohlmeyer went on to live for nearly 20 more years after this incident, and still the most notable thing about his entire life, the first thing Wikipedia has to tell you about Don Ohlmeyer is "He received notoriety for firing Norm Macdonald from Saturday Night Live in early 1998"
A real quisling
@@callmeshaggy5166 He was? Of which game show?
It's the only actual notable thing that worthless shell of a man did in his entire life.
Imagine being an executive of a big company and all being known for are firing a comedian and being friends with an alleged killer.
That and a sexual assault allegation
“You’re not funny ..” “oh, I got nothing to fall back on now..” I’m DEAD 🤣🤣🤣
Love it🎉 whiskey and had some left over the next day just great.....even a year old....whiskey is good😅 were is he now....
Yeah! That was a great line! haha
I love how innocent and disarming Norm seems but he's always the sharpest tack in the room
You always show up in obscure comments on random stuff I love, and I always just think IMACREEPAMINECRAFTSGRIMREEPAH
Coal's not that sharp, though.
Norm was always quick and dry and hilarious!
@@rogeranderson5578 reminds me of that thing uh what was it called? oh yeah coal
❤Totally Agree With You 💯 That's Wasn't Right To Fired Norm❤😂
Dave standing up for Norm, love it. Makes even more sense now why Norm was so emotional at Daves last show.
clip?
Letterman was norms first ever talk show appearance . Letterman has believed in and had Norms back since the start of his carreer.
Norm said once that he decided to do stand-up comedy after watching a gig from from him. He also said that he considered him as some sort of father figure.
It wasn't Dave's last show, it was Norm's last appearance on his show.
@@will.a.benjamin nope, it was Dave's last show.
One of the all time great talk show appearances. Norm played it perfectly- he was innocently hilarious while letting Dave doing all the real bad mouthing.
norm must have been going thru hell.
@@jorgegonzalez-larramendi5491 But there's some whisky left.
Norm was also on Xanax, he talks about it on a later show, I cannot remember where
A real class act
he was a guest on CBS, and let Letterman do all the bashing.
NBC firing Norm was the worst move they could possibly make.
Modern SNL is not funny at all
@grantkeller4634 it really has been the same quality for the whole time it has been on air. A lot of bad sketches and some good ones
5:00 God bless Norm. OJ jokes are the reason they fired him, and he still managed to keep it up. This man was a king.
Didn't know that.
I wonder if Olmeyer still defends OJ?
@@Barnaclebeard they were friends at the time, it had nothing to do with him being funny, anyone I knew loved him as the weekend update guy
@@deicide666100 Olmeyer explicitly told Norm to knock off the OJ jokes. Norm went out and made an entire Weekend Update out of nothing but OJ jokes. Olmeyer called down and had him fired.
@@RJStockton to me the funniest thing about Norm's OJ jokes was that he would always make a stabbing motion with his hand when he would talk about him (to drive the point home, so to speak). Norm will be remembered as a comedy legend. Don Ohlmeyer will be remembered as the chump who fired Norm for making fun of his bestie OJ "Even if I did do this, it would have to have been because I loved her very much, right?" Simpson (if he is remembered at all).
> Gets fired for making cracks about OJ being guilty.
> Makes another crack about OJ being guilty while discussing his firing.
Legend.
untouchably goated
Glad he got fired… long live the flawless honorable legacy of OJ Simpson
Like they said. He's not funny.
@@william-lloydgarrison Sarcasum much.
Or, you know.... STUPID. Yes, OJ was maybe guilty. But A. they didn't prove it. B. Ha ha neh neh nuh neh neh.
“Dave was angrier about it than I was because Dave was not under the influence of xanax”
“I’ll tell you who’s taking your place. Nobody can take your place, Norm Macdonald.” The truth of this statement is so keenly felt now that he is gone forever. ❤️ I truly enjoy watching these appearances over and over. Thank you!
Has Letterman ever paid any guest a higher compliment? RIP Norm.
I just lmao hes not gone lol
@@zindi1138 Uh what? Norm is gone
I read this as he was saying it
Two funny guys talking to each other. 😂
Norm was so underrated. I really love his delivery. He was totally unique.
That joke about still having whiskey left is so finely crafted and delivered, Truly a master of his art.
Agreed
And he isn’t really trying 🐐
His best moment was on Conan, where he totally destroyed Courtney Thorne-Smith.
It's such a fine line between finely crafted and random drooling
@@Dulcimerist I think it was less directed to Courtney, and more so towards Carrot Top and the decision to cast him as a lead. She actually spoke well of Norm afterwards, and I she was in an episode of his sitcom afterwards.
The fact that Norm noticed Dave still standing and immediately got up shows how much of a respect he has for his idol.
3:46 imagine being fired from your job, and one of your idols says this to you in front of an audience and on live television. Both of these guys are class acts
That old chunk of coal looked so happy to hear that
@@pmbbmp well now you just sound like one of them fellas what doesn't own a dog house
@@pmbbmp there's a back story. The producer was close personal friends with OJ Simpson. Told Norm to stop OJ jokes on Weekend Update. He instead added MORE!!! Go back...listen to the part about OJ & the producer in this interview and then...you'll get the inside joke of it.
Norm said he stunk in sketches. Meanwhile, he was one of the most important, hilarious parts in one of the greatest sketches ever: Celebrity Jeopardy.
Couldn’t have said it better.
The crowd's support of Norm is heartwarming.
“Oh that’s not good” - genius RIP
DOn Ohlmayer was an idiote.
What's crazy now is knowing what really happened with Norm.Jim Downey was on a recent Conan podcast and they talked about what really happened. They came to Norm and told him Downey ( who wrote Weekend Update with Norm) was going to be fired but they wanted to keep Norm on. Norm said he wouldn't do the show without Downey. That's when they fired Norm. What a stand up guy.
Jim Downey had one of the most classic lines in Billy Madison
When one of my co-workers start uttering completely idiotic drivel,I usually drop that line on them.
I award you no points and may GOD have mercy on your soul.
The truth is Norm wasn’t fired…he was forced out bc Don O wanted to get rid of Downey, the head writer for the segment and the reason Norm got the part, and Norm refused to do Update without him.
Not only that Norm didn’t tell Downey until years later.
Norm was a true friend in business that’s full of backstabbers
What a legend.
he was no quisling
So many fine jokes in this interview and the timing was amazing. Real genius. And Letterman was up to the task. Kudos.
"then I remembered I had more whisky"
Fuckin LOL. Norm was so effortlessly funny.
Dave running on all cylinders trying to save the good name of comedy (incarnated by Norm) is almost moving to me. Moving and absolutely hilarious. This is a stone cold classic of LN television and of comedy in general. RIP Norm.
It’s even more special because Letterman was and isn’t considered a warm, nice guy necessarily. As Billy Crystal put it - “I’ve known Dave for over 20 years and I’ve never talked to him”
@@chadgrov Although that's his reputation, he was known to be very generous and respectful with his staff. Most of them worked with him during his entire 30+ year-run. He's also been incredibly supportive of his fellow comedians. He's now doing a Netflix series where he's helping new stand-up comedians promote themselves.
Dave being a good friend to Norm and they both making us laugh throughout, good guys!
RIP. Norm.
I think Dave had every bit of the hatred for NBC that Norm did (for obvious reasons). But Norm was also concerned about burning bridges at that point in his career. Still, nobody has ever taken a firing as well as Norm.
So bittersweet....
I think David Letterman showed who he is more here with Norm than anywhere else, a legend of comedy who stood up for the art, for the little guy and for what’s right, gotta love both these men.
Dave did a really classy thing here, he basically validated Norm and it was back when Letterman was at his peak
Dave never passed up an opportunity to take shots at NBC executives.
You can tell that Dave really liked Norm.
@@anthonygordon9483 What you are suggesting is nothing short of madness. Are you willing to submit that Letterman's humour was partially solidified by his brief stint as a weatherman? I will most certainly not stand for this. Good day to you Sir!
@@anthonygordon9483 Norm was a highly intelligent guy who understood perfectly what was going on. He made a conscious choice to stay true to his craft and what he thought was funny regardless of the consequences. Norm himself has said that during his time at SnL Lorne Michaels would try to convince him that it's OK to make some compromises to advance in the business but he disagreed with that premise.
@@anthonygordon9483 And here is proof from Norm himself:
th-cam.com/video/WyuGJb0lagI/w-d-xo.html
Today is the day I really wish he was still alive, and that he could go on SNL and do one more Weekend Update.
Oj on his deathbed praying norm went to heaven so he doesn’t have to face him in the afterlife
@@margaretelford8309 HAHAHAHA!!! 🤣
Amazing how the internet has made these interviews iconic. These guys didn’t know this would play forever.
"Yeah, I know Don Ohlmeyer, and just between you and me, he's an idiot." Truer words were never spoken.
You have dinner with Don? Hmmmm.. I've heard people say that about norm.
Mr. Big shot cologne and cufflinks to you
@@jamesogorman3287 - Protective of a double murderer. That shows you the type of person Don Ohlmeyer was.
@@ranlive1 Josh was quoting Letterman. See the "quotation" marks?
I read the book about must see tv and the people who worked there. Don was a monster.
Much respect to Dave for not pulling punches. I can't imagine current hosts talking like this.
For real. It's also so lame now, everyone's walking on eggshells. Whatever happened to not giving a care what people thought? Now it's like we have to consider what everyone thinks at all times and the cardinal sin is to upset someone. Nah, to hell with all that, that's what I say.
One of the most legendary late night appearances ever. The dynamic here was perfect with Norm playing coy and Dave taking no prisoners. Norm, probably gotta be the funniest guy who ever lived… I’d also recommend Norm’s Letterman appearance from a few months after this (May 1998 I believe) - it may be even funnier, his bit about going to a Broadway play is hysterical. And it’s so wonderful seeing how much Norm made Dave crack up. Few people could make Dave laugh as much as Normie. Love them both, absolute legends.
Sure, so long as you're willing to forget how much Robin Williams made him laugh.
The funniest person that ever lived? Get real dude.
@@donovandey1196 It’s an opinion. dude.
@@CircuitRider it's a terrible one. Noone ever thought he was funny until he died.
@@donovandey1196 I thought he was funnier before he died, personally. The whole being dead thing gets in the way of comedy.
The chemistry between these two is amazing. Been down a Norm rabbit hole lately. His last appearance on Letterman was one of the best sets ever. Its definitely a rollercoaster of emotion. Especially knowing the history between them.
What Dave did here for Norm is whatnNormmdid for Conan. A whole Lotta heart and a whole Lotta beauty
The weird part is, with all his talkshow appearances out there it took me a while to figure out that he's actually always in character. In comparison, there seems to be one real interview clip for every 20 talkshow snippets youtube will show you.
David Letterman really did try to get Norm on CBS as host of The Late Late Show, but Les Moonves, president at CBS, wanted to go with Craig Kilborn instead who ended up getting the job as Tom Snyder's replacement on the program from 1999-2004 and was later succeeded by the great Craig Ferguson. So it wasn't empty platitudes when Dave said to him he said come to CBS we'll get you a show over here. They did have a lot of respect and admiration for each other. Norm was one of Dave's last guests before Letterman retired from hosting in 2015, and Dave later appeared as a guest on Norm's Netflix show, Norm Macdonald has a Show in 2018. After being fired from SNL Norm meanwhile continued to do his nightclub act, wrote and starred in the comedy film Dirty Work in 1998 directed by America's dad Bob Saget and also had a sitcom on ABC called The Norm Show which i believe was later shortened to Norm that ran for three seasons from 1999-2001. It's cancellation was a national tragedy.
I see what you did there. Ha
It never crossed my mind when I was watching SNL as a kid, but my lord, NORM was a strikingly beautiful man.
I must agree 🎉❤😂
Yes! As a matter of fact- he was hot 😂❤
From some angles, he looks like Paul Newman.
He actually really IS pretty !!! Look at that fair skin, those dimples, that smile and that thick dark hair. 😮
He always reminded me of a young Burt Reynolds that was high as balls because he was always grinning.
Never had anything against letterman but this gave me a new found respect the way he stood up for Norm.
".......... and then I realized my father's dead". Holy mother of god, I lost it. The ingenuity of that comedic misdirection is priceless.
Lol, SAME! Didn’t see it coming at all and I burst out at my desk.
@@benjaminscherliss4594 Great minds my friend.
Norm was such a genuine guy. Such a rare commodity in the entertainment industry. Dave was right on… NO ONE can take Norm’s place. Not then, not now. Not ever.
He had a certain vulnerability and charm that made him endearing to people.
This guy had balls of steel. And despite the shock humor, actually handled himself like a gent.
"He said to me he said to me he says..." 🤣
"And then all of a sudden I realize my Dad's dead" What a set-up and delivery Norm had 😊
One of the truly great Norm talk show appearances -- and in HQ at last. We miss you terribly, Normski. Funniest dude EVER.
that style was fantastic.... i remember discussing his style with a co-worker & we would roar with laughter......
His "sorry's" was so canadian. Love it.
This was Norms hero not only praising him, but validating him in a way no other man could. Norm decided to go into comedy after seeing Dave do a set.
He was speechless in the moment
Dave: 'Enjoy your complimentary beverage.'
Norm: 'It ain't whiskey, but it's good.'
Dave: 'Now there's a song.'
Apart from Norm being awesome as always, I love that Dave (and no one else to my knowledge) could call some NBC executive "an idiot" at 1:42 and get away with it.
It’s pretty easy when your show is on CBS.
@@Johnboy2k7 He used to call the NBC brass pinheads and idiots when he was ON NBC.
He also used to do the same to Les Moonves at CBS. He didn't like the network executives anywhere.
Network execs dont know the first thing about comedy. They're bean counters and pencil pushers with an inflated sense of self worth.
Naturally they would not be respected by comedians. People don't tune in to see network execs 😂
Letterman “no one can take your place” what a truth
You can see how much Dave really loved him. Beautiful
It's because he kept doing OJ jokes and the big cheese was a friend off OJ and of course every time they told him to tone it down, he upped the Jokes on OJ game.
If this channel wanted to post a Norm interview every week, I wouldn’t complain. In fact, I would love it.
Weekly? We need norm daily
@@toddbashem1430 haha I won't argue with that. Like many of us I'm addicted to normahol.
check out the don giller @dongiller TH-cam Channel. You'll find all Norm Mcdonald appearance at David Letterman @meg5202
Love how Dave supports Norm!! What an awesome demonstration of faith from an industry legend!
This man is one of a kind. We lost a real one.
Thank God
Don Ohlmeyer was a good friend of OJ Simpson and he thought that McDonald did too many jokes about OJ.
Yes, we all know the story.
@@morbidmanmusic , Really? Everyone?
I did not, in fact, know this story.
I also did not know this.
i never realized until now how nice of a smile norm had
David Letterman is a real class act. Honest abiut his feelings, and loyal to his friends. He really seems like the kind of guy that once you've earned his respect, you could trust him with your life.
The bill Cosby impression and story were off the chain hilarious. Respect to Norm and may he rest in peace ✌️
Its hard to watch Norm without getting a little sad. What a unique guy.
Make me happy that Dave was upset that Norm was fired
Norm just had it- naturally funny and quick wit. Masterclass
David Letterman giving GE the business is timeless.
I watched this on its first airing. Never missed Norm on Letterman. I was 14 and I loved Norm and Letterman so much. I remember being so shocked that Norm was fired from update. I was also so angry I wrote NBC an email saying they made a terrible mistake.
I loved watching these two comedy behemoths together. The very best in the world.
Omg, you really did write to NBC? Isn't that something?
You wrote an email to NBC? In the 1990s? That shows a level of commitment!
@@forbiddenhistory2331 You know they got the email too. No one was writing emails to networks at that time.
@@forbiddenhistory2331 Umm, email was up and running by 1998 my friend.
@@johnnyhammer Umm, never said otherwise, my friend.
Well, Don Ohlmeyer died at 72 in 2017, so there's that positive note.
About 20 years too late...
God knows what is ŕight.
Norm was a "punchliner"... he was a thorwback to real comics.. you HAD to think, a little, or a lot, at times, and he hands you the payoff... and sometimes it takes a second, then, you laugh, or laugh even harder..
he is and was.. a great addition to what ONCE was a great SNL show.
Ya mean throwback?
Great summary of Norm's style, one of the best, always
@@deanflorence6061nope, a Norse god, Norm "W" McDonald, the God of lightning fast comebacks and meandering stories. Now in Valhalla with the greats.
I don't think that there has ever been anyone fired that has taken it this well. Ever. RIP Norm, you were treasure of comedy!
Norm was on a heavy dose of xanax according to him in this interview lol
@@mattm1982 That makes a lot of sense.
I enjoyed Norm's work when I was young, but as I've gotten older, I've realized just how clever he was.
his comedy aged very well. Now with OJ dying, he is in the spotlight post-humorously again.
@@darcos7535post-humorously and post tumorously
I met him in 2006 at the ice house in pasadena before his set. I introduced myself, shook his hand and asked if I could buy him another whisky to which he said yes. Later in the parking lot he seemed like he wanted to hang out and stood by his limousine and nodded at me. His set was amazing. He is amazing.
How did it feel when he laid on top of you?
I can picture him saying " Hi jack - thanks for the whiskey" to you....... 😂
The thing that gets me the most is watching this knowing that Letterman was his standup hero, and seeing him get all riled up on Norm’s behalf… it must’ve felt incredible for Norm. The final noise of overwhelmed appreciation he makes at the end says it all. God I love this clip haha.
When I was 13 or so years old I would always wait until Norm’s weekend update segment was done before going to bed because it was easily the funniest part of the whole show every night and I knew it even at that young age
I like Will Ferrell and many of the other cast members from that era but I could not watch SNL back then. But my SNL hatred blinded me and I missed out on a lot of a good Norm.
The groan at the end is everything 🤣🤣 Normy, you're the best 😇
I can't look at Norm without grinning. I sure miss him, RIP you very funny man.
I watch this approximately every 3 months, I appreciate how Dave recognized the brilliance of Norm and had his back. Norm was one of a kind and will never be replaced. Miss that Ol'Chunk of coal
Dude we will NEVER have someone like Norm again, truly a unique legend, completely fearless, went on a talk show right after getting fired from his main gig and just joked about it😂 He was and always will be the MAN, RIP norm the GOAT of stand up and just being hilarious 🐐🔥
Rest in Peace Norm. What a great interview.
Let's hope they let quizlings in Heaven.
The way Norm flinches at 9:04 has me cracking up
I was NOT expecting Snnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnesdrunk!
But okay! :) :D
I'd know that icon anywhere! Love spotting my favorite creators out in the wilds of TH-cam. :)
I saw it immediately and was like... wow. Okay then :D
Doesn't look like a flinch, more like he's acting to letterman yelling
Fancy seeing you out here in the wild. I mostly see your posts on other obscure Vikings related content, but this is a national deal with millions of views. Long live Richfield
They replaced him with Colin Quinn who got zero laughs during his entire tenure on Weekend Update...he was just awkward and had no timing...at the time I had no idea of the back story but was just confused on how they would put Quinn in that role who was never funny in anything he did
Wrong
colin quinn is great. dennis miller, too.
even the new guys are okay, update's always been killer.
I love how Dave honestly laughs so hard by Norm being so funny. I'd sure like to be a fly on the wall with them just talking for an hour. 😂
Norman Macdonald was such a sweetheart.
Hilarious. You can see Dave really respects him. He's leading him which is essentially helping him. You don't see that too often.
Either way, great talk. I love the innocence of Norm.
"And then all of a sudden I realize that my father's dead . . . "
That's pure Norm Macdonald.
I feel like, so far, this is the sweetest I've seen Dave be to a guest. And how could he not love Norm? Very wholesome, this clip.
God I haven’t had a laugh this hard in a while, I was on the floor after the Cosby story. You’re gonna live forever in our hearts Norm
I've watched this at least a dozen times and it still makes me laugh. I'm already feeling the loss of Norm and Gilbert Gottfried. Of the countless comedians to be found on you tube there are only maybe two left that can make me laugh out loud.
Ah Norm , you left us too soon
Norm was so very, very funny in such a very different way. It's true that nobody can take his place.
I always loved when Norm was on the show. You and him were so great together. I loved how you helped him Mr. Lettermen.
I am David Lettermans assistant. I will deliver your message to Mr Letterman promptly, thank you for your input.
I am assistant to Dave lettermens assistant he has only now passed this on to me,I will get this to Mr lettermen promptly.thank you for your input.
I am assistant to assistant to Dave lettermens assistant he has only now passed this on to me,I will get this to Mr letterman promptly.thank you for your input.
Adam will pass it on for you down underneath the Queensboro bridge later.
Anytime
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss Norm!
Just listening to norm and his smile makes me smile. RIP to this legend
Its lovely to see Dave let Norm do his thing. He knows him and keys him work his genius
I quit watching SNL after his firing, he was the funniest person on the show. I've gotten sick and tired of people who get upset like that. Seeing Norm on the View they were so OUT of their element not one of that nits could have one brain cell among them.
This is one of Letterman’s best interviews - real chemistry between them. Play off each other perfectly
Weekend Update with Norm was by far the best part of the show. RIP Norm.
His OJ jokes were the very best part of the show.
Norm: the greatest comedian ever.
Dave: the greatest late night host ever.
George Carlin was the greatest comedian..
But, David letterman remains the greatest late night host ever !
@@tomypreach
Carlin was great, but he wrote a script and didn't vary from it in his routine, Norm was naturally funny, like Dave, he was just hilarious just ad lobbing just off the cuff.
Norm and Dave just being interviewed were hilarious, no prepackaged jokes.
Don't you worry. George was naturally funny. How they present is different only. ... and they are both funny. Period.
@@tomypreach to you. love George but he wasn’t the greatest stand up ever. see? You should look up the word subjective.
@@tomypreach Carlin was good, but he got weird at the end.
Norm is GREATLY missed!
Dave really loved him and you can clearly see it, what a great friendship 🤟
Dave is pure gold in this
One word ... GENIUS.
A true man among men..... Beyond such a genius that he rips into NBC while on CBS in perfect performance of his contract and general common sense of the peeps, the sad part is too many people didn't listen to it until after his career continued and then especially after his sad passing
Norm was one of the greats. His humility while completely knowing how bad he was being screwed was so classy. SNL has to regret letting him go.
He got fired for telling the truth about O.J. slaughtering Nicole and Ron. 😊
Norms smile is my favorite part. Beautiful guy 💯