Welcome to Better Know a Guest, your weekly guide to the wonderful and diverse array of personalities appearing on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show each week.
Are you ready (to be done with) some football? How many of you spent the Superb Owl furiously searching for Stephen in his pistachioed-spokesman glory? It is enormously exciting to see Stephen in such a high profile American pastime, and just as good to move on to a new week of really exciting guests. Before we do, congratulations are in order for the awesome writers, who have once again been recognized for their greatness by the Writers Guild. Bravo!
This week on the Report features a contributor to New York Magazine with an intriguing book on the modern state of parenting, members of the polemic Russian rock band Pussy Riot, indie pop/jazz group Lake Street Dive, and former Republican-turned-Democratic Governor Charlie Crist.
On The Daily Show, populist NYC mayor Bill de Blasio makes his first appearance. Actors Elizabeth Banks and the professionally handsome George Clooney will be talking up their new films. Finally, Toronto Star reporter Robyn Doolittle will be on hand to discuss her new book chronicling the antics/impact of her town’s entertaining and controversial mayor, Rob Ford.
Monday, February 3 (2014)
Jennifer Senior (Author: “All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood”)
Jennifer Senior is a contributing editor at New York Magazine. Her new book, All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood, explores how the nature of parenting has shifted over the past 70 years. She asserts that children have gone from being “employees to becoming the bosses” of their households, dramatically impacting and reshaping the relationship dynamic between modern-day parents and their children. This argument is reinforced throughout the book with heavy research and anecdotal reference. Andrew Solomon writes a great review of the work in The New York Times.
Follow: @JenSeniorNY
Tuesday, February 4 (2014)
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (Band Members of Pussy Riot)
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are members of the Russian punk rock feminist protest band, Pussy Riot. In February of 2012, the band staged a performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, to protest the church’s support of Vladimir Putin’s election campaign. Maria and Nadezhda were arrested and charged with hooliganism. They were convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. In December of 2013, having served 21 months in prison, they were released after the State Duma granted them amnesty. They are featured in the 2013 documentary Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.
Born: (Maria) June 6, 1988 (Moscow, Russia) | (Nadezhda) November 7, 1989 (Norilsk, Russia)
Education: (Maria) Institute of Journalism and Creative Writing in Moscow | (Nadezhda) Moscow State University
Awards: (Nadezhda) Lennon Ono Grant for Peace
Wednesday, February 5 (2014)
Lake Street Dive (Album: “Bad Self Portraits”)
Lake Street Dive have been performing together for nearly a decade after meeting as students at the New England Conservatory in Boston. The band, named after an actual neighbourhood of seedy bars in Minneapolis, became a YouTube sensation after a casually shot music video of the group performing a cover of the Jackson 5′s “I Want You Back” received more than a million views. Their latest album “Bad Self Portraits” sees the bands sound evolve from alternate-country jazz to 60′s influence pop-soul.
Band Members: Mike Olson (trumpet / guitar) | Rachel Price (vocals) | Bridget Kearney (bass) | Mike Calabrese (drums)
Follow: Website | @LakeStreetDive | Facebook | YouTube
Thursday, February 6 (2014)
Charlie Crist (Co-Author: “The Party’s Over: How the Extreme Right Hijacked the GOP and I Became a Democrat”)
Charles “Charlie” Crist, Jr. is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th Governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. In his new book co-written with Newsday columnist and Fox News liberal Ellis Henican, “The Party’s Over” chronicles his rise in Republican politics and his split from the party, and offers a focused indictment of the failings of the Republican Party, naming names and identifying where things went wrong.
Born: July 24, 1956 (Altoona, Pennsylvania)
Education: Riviera Middle School | St. Petersburg High School | Wake Forest University | Florida State University | Samford University Cumberland School of Law
Political Affiliation: Republican Party | Independent | Democratic Party
Follow: Website | @CharlieCrist | Facebook | YouTube
And now, let’s check in with our good friend Jon Stewart over at ‘The Daily Show’!
Monday, February 3 (2014)
Bill de Blasio (Mayor of New York City)
Bill de Blasio is the current mayor of New York City. Since succeeding Michael Bloomberg and taking office, he has maintained a humble, populist persona, calling a humble rowhouse in Park Slope home and opting to shovel his own sidewalk. A career politician whose credits include managing Hillary Clinton’s 2000 senate campaign, he has entered the mayoralty with the pledge of addressing “economic and social inequalities” in New York City.
Born: May 8, 1961
Education: Columbia University | New York University
Follow: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Tuesday, February 4 (2014)
Elizabeth Banks (Actress: “The Lego Movie”)
Elizabeth Banks is an Emmy-nominated American actress, producer and director. Banks graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and attended the Advanced Training Program at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. In 1998, she made her screen debut the independent film Surrender Dorothy. Over the next few years, she appeared in several movies and became well-known for her role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. On the small screen, she has had recurring guest star roles on Scrubs and 30 Rock. She is the voice of Wyldstyle in the upcoming animated film, The Lego Movie.
Born: February 10, 1974 (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
Education: University of Pennsylvania | American Conservatory Theater
Filmography: Surrender Dorothy | Wet Hot American Summer | Spider-Man | Swept Away | Catch Me If You Can | Seabiscuit | The 40-Year-Old Virgin | Invincible | Fred Claus | Definitely, Maybe | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | W. | Role Models | Our Idiot Brother | The Hunger Games
Television: Comanche Moon | Wainy Days | American Dad! | Scrubs | 30 Rock | Modern Family
Awards: Women in Film Crystal Award | Young Hollywood Award | MTV Movie Award
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview – January 19, 2012
Follow: Website | @ElizabethBanks
Wednesday, February 5 (2014)
George Clooney (Actor / Writer / Director: “The Monuments Men”)
George Clooney is an Oscar-winning American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. When not being one of the world’s most famous leading men, Clooney is also noted for his political activism and has served as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since January 31, 2008. In his latest film, Clooney stars, directs and co-wrote the “The Monuments Men”, an adaptation of Robert M. Edsel’s book “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History”. The film tells the true story of the seven art historians and museum curators who were sent behind enemy lines during World War II on a mission to recover some of the world’s greatest works of art, after the German army were ordered to destroy every art work in their possession. Despite the cast receiving great praise, the film has generally been ill-received by reviewers and film critics.
Born: May 6, 1961 (Lexington, Kentucky)
Education: Blessed Sacrament School | St. Michael’s School | Western Row Elementary School | St. Susanna School | Augusta High School | Northern Kentucky University | University of Cincinnati
Television: ER | Roseanne | Bodies of Evidence | Sisters
Filmography: From Dusk Till Dawn | One Fine Day | Three Kings | Batman & Robin | The Perfect Storm | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Ocean’s Elven | Syriana | Good Night, and Good Luck | The Good German | Michael Clayton | Leatherheads| The Men Who Stare At Goats | Up in the Air | Fantastic Mr. Fox | The Descendants | The Ides of March | Gravity
Awards: Academy Awards | Golden Globe Awards | BAFTA Award | MTV Movie Award | Satellite Award | Saturn Award | Screen Actors Guild Awards | People’s Choice Award | Teen Choice Award
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview: September 22, 2005 | November 29, 2006 | April 3, 2008
Thursday, February 6 (2014)
Robyn Doolittle (Author: “Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story”)
Robyn Doolittle is a city hall reporter with the Toronto Star. She began her career covering crime and moved to the municipal politics beat during the 2010 mayoral elections. In her new book “Crazy Town”, Doolittle aims to paint a broad picture of who Rob Ford is from his ascent from the fringes of city council to his election as mayor, and the allegations of substance abuse that have come to overshadow his political accomplishments.
Education: Ryerson University
Follow: @RobynDoolittle
That’s it for this weeks BKAG. Thank you to the Hub Staff for helping me piece the guide together, Linds will be back next week!! Don’t forget to vote in our weekly favourite guest polls, and share which guests and news stories your most looking forward to hearing from and about.
Better Know a Guest: February 3 – 6, 2014
Welcome to Better Know a Guest, your weekly guide to the wonderful and diverse array of personalities appearing on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show each week.
Are you ready (to be done with) some football? How many of you spent the Superb Owl furiously searching for Stephen in his pistachioed-spokesman glory? It is enormously exciting to see Stephen in such a high profile American pastime, and just as good to move on to a new week of really exciting guests. Before we do, congratulations are in order for the awesome writers, who have once again been recognized for their greatness by the Writers Guild. Bravo!
This week on the Report features a contributor to New York Magazine with an intriguing book on the modern state of parenting, members of the polemic Russian rock band Pussy Riot, indie pop/jazz group Lake Street Dive, and former Republican-turned-Democratic Governor Charlie Crist.
On The Daily Show, populist NYC mayor Bill de Blasio makes his first appearance. Actors Elizabeth Banks and the professionally handsome George Clooney will be talking up their new films. Finally, Toronto Star reporter Robyn Doolittle will be on hand to discuss her new book chronicling the antics/impact of her town’s entertaining and controversial mayor, Rob Ford.
Monday, February 3 (2014)
Jennifer Senior (Author: “All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood”)
Jennifer Senior is a contributing editor at New York Magazine. Her new book, All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood, explores how the nature of parenting has shifted over the past 70 years. She asserts that children have gone from being “employees to becoming the bosses” of their households, dramatically impacting and reshaping the relationship dynamic between modern-day parents and their children. This argument is reinforced throughout the book with heavy research and anecdotal reference. Andrew Solomon writes a great review of the work in The New York Times.
Follow: @JenSeniorNY
Tuesday, February 4 (2014)
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (Band Members of Pussy Riot)
Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are members of the Russian punk rock feminist protest band, Pussy Riot. In February of 2012, the band staged a performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, to protest the church’s support of Vladimir Putin’s election campaign. Maria and Nadezhda were arrested and charged with hooliganism. They were convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. In December of 2013, having served 21 months in prison, they were released after the State Duma granted them amnesty. They are featured in the 2013 documentary Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.
Born: (Maria) June 6, 1988 (Moscow, Russia) | (Nadezhda) November 7, 1989 (Norilsk, Russia)
Education: (Maria) Institute of Journalism and Creative Writing in Moscow | (Nadezhda) Moscow State University
Awards: (Nadezhda) Lennon Ono Grant for Peace
Wednesday, February 5 (2014)
Lake Street Dive (Album: “Bad Self Portraits”)
Lake Street Dive have been performing together for nearly a decade after meeting as students at the New England Conservatory in Boston. The band, named after an actual neighbourhood of seedy bars in Minneapolis, became a YouTube sensation after a casually shot music video of the group performing a cover of the Jackson 5′s “I Want You Back” received more than a million views. Their latest album “Bad Self Portraits” sees the bands sound evolve from alternate-country jazz to 60′s influence pop-soul.
Band Members: Mike Olson (trumpet / guitar) | Rachel Price (vocals) | Bridget Kearney (bass) | Mike Calabrese (drums)
Follow: Website | @LakeStreetDive | Facebook | YouTube
Thursday, February 6 (2014)
Charlie Crist (Co-Author: “The Party’s Over: How the Extreme Right Hijacked the GOP and I Became a Democrat”)
Charles “Charlie” Crist, Jr. is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th Governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. In his new book co-written with Newsday columnist and Fox News liberal Ellis Henican, “The Party’s Over” chronicles his rise in Republican politics and his split from the party, and offers a focused indictment of the failings of the Republican Party, naming names and identifying where things went wrong.
Born: July 24, 1956 (Altoona, Pennsylvania)
Education: Riviera Middle School | St. Petersburg High School | Wake Forest University | Florida State University | Samford University Cumberland School of Law
Political Affiliation: Republican Party | Independent | Democratic Party
Follow: Website | @CharlieCrist | Facebook | YouTube
And now, let’s check in with our good friend Jon Stewart over at ‘The Daily Show’!
Monday, February 3 (2014)
Bill de Blasio (Mayor of New York City)
Bill de Blasio is the current mayor of New York City. Since succeeding Michael Bloomberg and taking office, he has maintained a humble, populist persona, calling a humble rowhouse in Park Slope home and opting to shovel his own sidewalk. A career politician whose credits include managing Hillary Clinton’s 2000 senate campaign, he has entered the mayoralty with the pledge of addressing “economic and social inequalities” in New York City.
Born: May 8, 1961
Education: Columbia University | New York University
Follow: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Tuesday, February 4 (2014)
Elizabeth Banks (Actress: “The Lego Movie”)
Elizabeth Banks is an Emmy-nominated American actress, producer and director. Banks graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and attended the Advanced Training Program at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. In 1998, she made her screen debut the independent film Surrender Dorothy. Over the next few years, she appeared in several movies and became well-known for her role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. On the small screen, she has had recurring guest star roles on Scrubs and 30 Rock. She is the voice of Wyldstyle in the upcoming animated film, The Lego Movie.
Born: February 10, 1974 (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
Education: University of Pennsylvania | American Conservatory Theater
Filmography: Surrender Dorothy | Wet Hot American Summer | Spider-Man | Swept Away | Catch Me If You Can | Seabiscuit | The 40-Year-Old Virgin | Invincible | Fred Claus | Definitely, Maybe | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | W. | Role Models | Our Idiot Brother | The Hunger Games
Television: Comanche Moon | Wainy Days | American Dad! | Scrubs | 30 Rock | Modern Family
Awards: Women in Film Crystal Award | Young Hollywood Award | MTV Movie Award
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview – January 19, 2012
Follow: Website | @ElizabethBanks
Wednesday, February 5 (2014)
George Clooney (Actor / Writer / Director: “The Monuments Men”)
George Clooney is an Oscar-winning American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. When not being one of the world’s most famous leading men, Clooney is also noted for his political activism and has served as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since January 31, 2008. In his latest film, Clooney stars, directs and co-wrote the “The Monuments Men”, an adaptation of Robert M. Edsel’s book “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History”. The film tells the true story of the seven art historians and museum curators who were sent behind enemy lines during World War II on a mission to recover some of the world’s greatest works of art, after the German army were ordered to destroy every art work in their possession. Despite the cast receiving great praise, the film has generally been ill-received by reviewers and film critics.
Born: May 6, 1961 (Lexington, Kentucky)
Education: Blessed Sacrament School | St. Michael’s School | Western Row Elementary School | St. Susanna School | Augusta High School | Northern Kentucky University | University of Cincinnati
Television: ER | Roseanne | Bodies of Evidence | Sisters
Filmography: From Dusk Till Dawn | One Fine Day | Three Kings | Batman & Robin | The Perfect Storm | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Ocean’s Elven | Syriana | Good Night, and Good Luck | The Good German | Michael Clayton | Leatherheads| The Men Who Stare At Goats | Up in the Air | Fantastic Mr. Fox | The Descendants | The Ides of March | Gravity
Awards: Academy Awards | Golden Globe Awards | BAFTA Award | MTV Movie Award | Satellite Award | Saturn Award | Screen Actors Guild Awards | People’s Choice Award | Teen Choice Award
Previous ‘Daily Show’ Appearance(s): Interview: September 22, 2005 | November 29, 2006 | April 3, 2008
Thursday, February 6 (2014)
Robyn Doolittle (Author: “Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story”)
Robyn Doolittle is a city hall reporter with the Toronto Star. She began her career covering crime and moved to the municipal politics beat during the 2010 mayoral elections. In her new book “Crazy Town”, Doolittle aims to paint a broad picture of who Rob Ford is from his ascent from the fringes of city council to his election as mayor, and the allegations of substance abuse that have come to overshadow his political accomplishments.
Education: Ryerson University
Follow: @RobynDoolittle
That’s it for this weeks BKAG. Thank you to the Hub Staff for helping me piece the guide together, Linds will be back next week!! Don’t forget to vote in our weekly favourite guest polls, and share which guests and news stories your most looking forward to hearing from and about.