September 15, 2021 • 9 mins
One of the funniest and most unique comics of our time has passed away. Norm McDonald was an A&G favorite for many years, and we were lucky enough to talk to him back in 2016 about his then-new book, "Based on a True Story: A Memoir".
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Armstrong and Getty Show. We get to
add to the list of former Saturday Night Live news
anchors we've talked to, because I believe we've talked to
Chevy Chase years ago. We've had Dennis Miller on many times.
I think we talked to Colin Quinn once when he
had a show out. So now we get to add
Norm McDonald, who I've actually paid to see do stand up.
Could not be happier to be talking to comedian, actor, writer, writer.
(00:22):
Now Norm McDonald is memoir based on a true story
is out. Norm Welcome. How are you sir? Oh? Great
stand up? I saw you at Caroline's in New York
City many years ago and it was fantastic. Thanks man,
you're in New York City? Yes, I was all right,
but enough fluffy go ahead? Sorry, Oh no, no, that's right.
(00:45):
I think we exhausted the conversation. Yeah, that's that was
my sense of it, and enough enough fluffery. Now the
tough questions, why aren't you as rich as Seinfeld? Oh?
Well felt what he did was smart. He created a
hit television program. Uh, I had a whole different idea.
(01:10):
I thought, Um, my plan was to watch television programs.
It's a lot more fun I can tell you that,
and a lot less stress. Yeah, it doesn't. It doesn't
pay well at all. I've heard this story million times,
but I had forgotten you were fired from the news
anchor on SNL because one of the suits didn't think
(01:31):
you were funny, which in itself is pretty funny. Um. Yeah,
that's the That's the tough part is it doesn't really matter,
like how many people think you're funny if it's just
one person that have us owned the camera and you're
in trouble, we know that. Yeah, yeah, how much you
(01:54):
I've actually read some reviews of of the book based
on a true story, um, which almost uniform we say
it's hilarious. How much memoir is it? Really? Are we
gonna hear about that sort of thing? Well? Yeah, what
I did was, um, you know, it's based on the
true stories of seven seven But what is what I did?
(02:15):
I didn't want to be suped reliable and uh you know,
so it's very hard to put in anything you know
true and and not flattering or you'll be sued. So
I I thought, what if I put true stuff but
mix it in with all ridiculous stuff, so that if
the guy tried to assume me, I'd go, wait a minute,
(02:36):
what about all that's ridiculous? Of course it's not. None
of it's true. So that's what I did. So there's
a you know, there's bombshells in the book, but you
have to find them. I can't tell you what they are.
So we read the book and try to figure out
which parts the ridiculous part, in which parts the true part.
I like that game, and then speculate on the internet. Yeah,
I had to put the parlor game, you know that
(03:00):
sweeping the country at the risk of of of turning
this serious norm am I correct, You're from pretty rural Canada,
very rural. Yeah, we had two towns, monk Land and
av and more and it's gonna seem strange, but everything
is relative. But we live in a fireman between Muggle
(03:21):
and Amore. Muggle was a hunter people. Amore was two
d sixty people. And I swear to guy, like the
town there was two und fifty people. We thought it
was like a big town. I'm from rural America. I
understand that I moved to a town to go to
college with twelve thousand people, and I and my first
day there, I thought, how am I ever going to
find my way around a place like this? But anyway,
the reason I bring it up is terrified. But then
(03:45):
you're in Manhattan, for God's sake, and you're dealing with,
you know, some people who may allegedly be complete snakes
masquerading as human beings. Um, you're getting banged around by
show business at this point. What's your view of humanity? Well?
I remember when I first came to New York, because
you know, you get this idea of New York from
(04:07):
from popular culture and everything, you know when you're when
you're from a small place. And uh so I remember
because I took the train and went to Grand Central Station.
Then there was a sign on the I was doing Letterman.
I was going to go do Letterman, And there was
a sign on the when you got out and said
do not go into any gypsy Calves. You know, So
(04:28):
I have my my suitcase and them, so I don't
know what a gypsy cab was. So then I got
into the street and like Calves, because I was carrying
two suitcases down the street. So Calves just kept stopping. Hey,
you know, I go not out forget it, like because
I figured they were a gypsy cab and then so
I walked like like you know, it's like Jethro Bodine.
(04:49):
I walk all the way. Then Uh, they put me
up at the Omni Berkship was just across from Central
Park and Central Park. I thought they you know, I
thought they put me at the worst place ever, because
I would has heard that Central Park was just you
got mugged. You know, you went to the Central Park
and you got mugged, and uh, you know, people think
it's kind of crazy, but I would just stay in
my room and I remember I would like race down
(05:11):
and get a COVID cola and race back because that's
that dangerous. I thought it was. Yeah, it's funny because
I'm I'm from Roald American. I had that view of cities. Also,
I've been so scared of it. Hey, um, do you
watch Saturday Night Live? Like, will you watch this Saturday Night? Yeah?
Well I think this Saturday is the premiere episode, so
we will definitely watch it this Saturday. I just wanted to.
(05:32):
I just wandered. Some of the alums seemed to the
we've talked to over the years seemed to kind of
you know, not be into it in some of them are. Yeah.
I mean, you know, I used to watch it every
single week, you know, because you know as one of
those things you watched ever since you're a kid. And
then there's a period where where you get old where
you're like, well, I don't know who these people who
who they're doing an impression of you know what I mean?
(05:54):
Right right, there is that, And I especially that with music,
even when I was on the show, like I would
always realize later that there were big music stars, you know,
Like the first show I was, I was Kurt Cobaine
in Nirvana, but I didn't know, you know, to me,
it was just a band. And then later I was
like I should have said, I don't know what I
(06:16):
should have done. Yeah, you should have told them, no
matter how bad things get, don't put a shotgun in
your mouth. That would have been a good piece of advice. God,
you're right. Our interview is good because we've got Norm
McDonald say oh my lord God, which is one of
my favorite things you always ever say. Norm McDonald is
(06:37):
on the line. His book is based on a true story.
Um and uh oh, By the way, I can't forget
to say this. There are a number of stand up
dates norms doing in the various towns where we're on
the air. Uh, just go to Norm McDonald dot com.
It's mac m ac norm McDonald dot com next weekend
in San Francisco. Yeah, and we'll have a link in
our website so people can be sure to find them.
(06:58):
But you know, and and we got no reason to
kiss your ass ONRM. But his stand up is fantastically
I don't pay to see a lot of people, and
I paid to see him. Yeah, yeah, thanks man. Well
that's the only thing I'm good at. Yeah, that's a
funny thing in show biz you're good at, especially stand
(07:19):
up for some reason. Then they go, do you what
about this? Would you like to be a bad actor?
And then you're like, yes, very much, thank you, that'll
be fun. I'll be a good idea. And uh, you
end up doing all this stuff. You have no idea
what you're doing or how to do it or anything.
But I never stopped doing stand up. So that was
(07:40):
a good thing. I never I never. I always realized
I should just keep doing it. Who's everything everything that
I got by acts, and because of stand up, well
I was doing that. I kept doing stand up at
same time, that's a hell of a skill because you know,
I've heard Jay Letto talk about it. He always feels
like he could get in his car and drive around
American support himself if he ever had to. And you
could do that too, which is cool. Yeah, Letto Letto
(08:03):
Letto is a kind of kind of guy we all
took from you. Yeah, we've seen his stand up two
live and it is it is laugh until you're in
pain funny, which always made the you know, hosting the
Tonight show thing a little odd for those of us
who are huge fans of stand up. But we're not
here to talk about Jay. Let him. Norm McDonald's new
book is based on a true story. He would not
(08:24):
answer my question about what he thinks of humanity. I
can only assume he dreams of genocide every night. Ladies
and gentlemen, The fantastic Norm McDonald. Norm is great to
talk to you. Thanks man, fun alright, good deal, Let's
do it again sometime. Would really enjoy that. Yeah. I
couldn't even have told you that's one of his regular lines.
But when I heard him say it, he said that
(08:45):
a million times. Oh lord God, I love him, And
you know what, he's a Canadian. There may be two
unlikable Canadians on Earth. He's a a Canadian from living
between a town of one people in a town of
two hundred people. Yeah, I a little nervous about going
to the town to two hundred A big city lost.
(09:09):
Some people just have a funny way of talking, no
matter what they say. I guess we've exhausted that conversation.
You're listening to The Armstrong and Getty Show.
Welcome to the Armstrong and Getty Show. We get to
add to the list of former Saturday Night Live news
anchors we've talked to, because I believe we've talked to
Chevy Chase years ago. We've had Dennis Miller on many times.
I think we talked to Colin Quinn once when he
had a show out. So now we get to add
Norm McDonald, who I've actually paid to see do stand up.
Could not be happier to be talking to comedian, actor, writer, writer.
(00:22):
Now Norm McDonald is memoir based on a true story
is out. Norm Welcome. How are you sir? Oh? Great
stand up? I saw you at Caroline's in New York
City many years ago and it was fantastic. Thanks man,
you're in New York City? Yes, I was all right,
but enough fluffy go ahead? Sorry, Oh no, no, that's right.
(00:45):
I think we exhausted the conversation. Yeah, that's that was
my sense of it, and enough enough fluffery. Now the
tough questions, why aren't you as rich as Seinfeld? Oh?
Well felt what he did was smart. He created a
hit television program. Uh, I had a whole different idea.
(01:10):
I thought, Um, my plan was to watch television programs.
It's a lot more fun I can tell you that,
and a lot less stress. Yeah, it doesn't. It doesn't
pay well at all. I've heard this story million times,
but I had forgotten you were fired from the news
anchor on SNL because one of the suits didn't think
(01:31):
you were funny, which in itself is pretty funny. Um. Yeah,
that's the That's the tough part is it doesn't really matter,
like how many people think you're funny if it's just
one person that have us owned the camera and you're
in trouble, we know that. Yeah, yeah, how much you
(01:54):
I've actually read some reviews of of the book based
on a true story, um, which almost uniform we say
it's hilarious. How much memoir is it? Really? Are we
gonna hear about that sort of thing? Well? Yeah, what
I did was, um, you know, it's based on the
true stories of seven seven But what is what I did?
(02:15):
I didn't want to be suped reliable and uh you know,
so it's very hard to put in anything you know
true and and not flattering or you'll be sued. So
I I thought, what if I put true stuff but
mix it in with all ridiculous stuff, so that if
the guy tried to assume me, I'd go, wait a minute,
(02:36):
what about all that's ridiculous? Of course it's not. None
of it's true. So that's what I did. So there's
a you know, there's bombshells in the book, but you
have to find them. I can't tell you what they are.
So we read the book and try to figure out
which parts the ridiculous part, in which parts the true part.
I like that game, and then speculate on the internet. Yeah,
I had to put the parlor game, you know that
(03:00):
sweeping the country at the risk of of of turning
this serious norm am I correct, You're from pretty rural Canada,
very rural. Yeah, we had two towns, monk Land and
av and more and it's gonna seem strange, but everything
is relative. But we live in a fireman between Muggle
(03:21):
and Amore. Muggle was a hunter people. Amore was two
d sixty people. And I swear to guy, like the
town there was two und fifty people. We thought it
was like a big town. I'm from rural America. I
understand that I moved to a town to go to
college with twelve thousand people, and I and my first
day there, I thought, how am I ever going to
find my way around a place like this? But anyway,
the reason I bring it up is terrified. But then
(03:45):
you're in Manhattan, for God's sake, and you're dealing with,
you know, some people who may allegedly be complete snakes
masquerading as human beings. Um, you're getting banged around by
show business at this point. What's your view of humanity? Well?
I remember when I first came to New York, because
you know, you get this idea of New York from
(04:07):
from popular culture and everything, you know when you're when
you're from a small place. And uh so I remember
because I took the train and went to Grand Central Station.
Then there was a sign on the I was doing Letterman.
I was going to go do Letterman, And there was
a sign on the when you got out and said
do not go into any gypsy Calves. You know, So
(04:28):
I have my my suitcase and them, so I don't
know what a gypsy cab was. So then I got
into the street and like Calves, because I was carrying
two suitcases down the street. So Calves just kept stopping. Hey,
you know, I go not out forget it, like because
I figured they were a gypsy cab and then so
I walked like like you know, it's like Jethro Bodine.
(04:49):
I walk all the way. Then Uh, they put me
up at the Omni Berkship was just across from Central
Park and Central Park. I thought they you know, I
thought they put me at the worst place ever, because
I would has heard that Central Park was just you
got mugged. You know, you went to the Central Park
and you got mugged, and uh, you know, people think
it's kind of crazy, but I would just stay in
my room and I remember I would like race down
(05:11):
and get a COVID cola and race back because that's
that dangerous. I thought it was. Yeah, it's funny because
I'm I'm from Roald American. I had that view of cities. Also,
I've been so scared of it. Hey, um, do you
watch Saturday Night Live? Like, will you watch this Saturday Night? Yeah?
Well I think this Saturday is the premiere episode, so
we will definitely watch it this Saturday. I just wanted to.
(05:32):
I just wandered. Some of the alums seemed to the
we've talked to over the years seemed to kind of
you know, not be into it in some of them are. Yeah.
I mean, you know, I used to watch it every
single week, you know, because you know as one of
those things you watched ever since you're a kid. And
then there's a period where where you get old where
you're like, well, I don't know who these people who
who they're doing an impression of you know what I mean?
(05:54):
Right right, there is that, And I especially that with music,
even when I was on the show, like I would
always realize later that there were big music stars, you know,
Like the first show I was, I was Kurt Cobaine
in Nirvana, but I didn't know, you know, to me,
it was just a band. And then later I was
like I should have said, I don't know what I
(06:16):
should have done. Yeah, you should have told them, no
matter how bad things get, don't put a shotgun in
your mouth. That would have been a good piece of advice. God,
you're right. Our interview is good because we've got Norm
McDonald say oh my lord God, which is one of
my favorite things you always ever say. Norm McDonald is
(06:37):
on the line. His book is based on a true story.
Um and uh oh, By the way, I can't forget
to say this. There are a number of stand up
dates norms doing in the various towns where we're on
the air. Uh, just go to Norm McDonald dot com.
It's mac m ac norm McDonald dot com next weekend
in San Francisco. Yeah, and we'll have a link in
our website so people can be sure to find them.
(06:58):
But you know, and and we got no reason to
kiss your ass ONRM. But his stand up is fantastically
I don't pay to see a lot of people, and
I paid to see him. Yeah, yeah, thanks man. Well
that's the only thing I'm good at. Yeah, that's a
funny thing in show biz you're good at, especially stand
(07:19):
up for some reason. Then they go, do you what
about this? Would you like to be a bad actor?
And then you're like, yes, very much, thank you, that'll
be fun. I'll be a good idea. And uh, you
end up doing all this stuff. You have no idea
what you're doing or how to do it or anything.
But I never stopped doing stand up. So that was
(07:40):
a good thing. I never I never. I always realized
I should just keep doing it. Who's everything everything that
I got by acts, and because of stand up, well
I was doing that. I kept doing stand up at
same time, that's a hell of a skill because you know,
I've heard Jay Letto talk about it. He always feels
like he could get in his car and drive around
American support himself if he ever had to. And you
could do that too, which is cool. Yeah, Letto Letto
(08:03):
Letto is a kind of kind of guy we all
took from you. Yeah, we've seen his stand up two
live and it is it is laugh until you're in
pain funny, which always made the you know, hosting the
Tonight show thing a little odd for those of us
who are huge fans of stand up. But we're not
here to talk about Jay. Let him. Norm McDonald's new
book is based on a true story. He would not
(08:24):
answer my question about what he thinks of humanity. I
can only assume he dreams of genocide every night. Ladies
and gentlemen, The fantastic Norm McDonald. Norm is great to
talk to you. Thanks man, fun alright, good deal, Let's
do it again sometime. Would really enjoy that. Yeah. I
couldn't even have told you that's one of his regular lines.
But when I heard him say it, he said that
(08:45):
a million times. Oh lord God, I love him, And
you know what, he's a Canadian. There may be two
unlikable Canadians on Earth. He's a a Canadian from living
between a town of one people in a town of
two hundred people. Yeah, I a little nervous about going
to the town to two hundred A big city lost.
(09:09):
Some people just have a funny way of talking, no
matter what they say. I guess we've exhausted that conversation.
You're listening to The Armstrong and Getty Show.
Hosts And Creators
Joe Getty
Jack Armstrong
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