Our Favorite intrepid investigative reporter (sorry Lawrence) and feminine superhero Journo Extraordinaire, Rachel Maddow schlepped over to Howard Stern’s Studio for a lively and entertaining interview last night after her show, that began, Stern style, with asides on her sexuality, her short hair and unisex togs, Stern eventually, according to the rarely linked here but in this case informative Daily Caller, calling her “The queen of MSNBC” and asking about Morning Schmo and Mika…
Rachel demurred on that subject:
“Obviously Stern broached the supposedly secret “banging” going on between her colleagues, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, and got a big goose egg. “Now, not scandalous,” Maddow said. Besides that, she opened up about all kinds of weird, intriguing stuff.”
Once the sex stuff was out of the way, they turned to more serious subjects...
On Roger Ailes and Fox:
Rachel told Howard about the career advice she received from Ailes as well as the surprise job offer he once made her.
"He once told me that he wanted to hire me at Fox," Rachel said. "And then he told me he'd never put me on the air." Ailes seemingly wanted to pay Rachel to not go up against his own conservative TV channel. The deal never came to be and "The Rachel Maddow Show" stayed on MSNBC, but the conversation between her and Ailes didn't stop there. The two formed a sort of friendship, with Ailes even giving Rachel broadcasting tips.”
“The show is terrific and I’ve always said that,” the shock jock said as he continued to source grease her. “Like I was a viewer, but not a consistent viewer. And then I became a consistent viewer when Trump won. As soon as he won, I said I needed someone to explain. My wife who is is so not into politics, we get into bed at night and she says ‘Put on Rachel Maddow.’ It kind of sucks that they fired Bill O’Reilly because you would’ve shut his fucking ass up. Like you’re now number one in cable news and he’s not even there so you can’t say ‘Hey asshole, I beat you.'”
Howard wondered if Roger ever acted inappropriately towards Rachel or suggested she wear a miniskirt on her show.
"He's a smart enough guy to know how that would have ended," Rachel replied.”
Stern admitted to stealing her shtick:
“Stern says he needs someone like Maddow to interpret what’s happening.
“I’m the kind of asshole who never credits you,” he told her, explaining that he parrots what she says to his kids.
She laughed.”
They then discussed Naval Power…
"Russia is not a superpower," she said."Russia wants to think of itself, still, as a superpower," she continued. "Russia has one aircraft carrier where they don't even have a catapult on it. It goes up at the end like a ski jump. Like, it looks like it's got a bucktooth, and it belches diesel, and every time they send it out on a little deployment, they have to send a flotilla behind it."
And Rachel’s aquatic hobby, fishing, when she makes it her home she keeps in Massachusetts with her partner Susan:
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“Fishing is a fine hobby for Rachel, but Howard shared with her a horror story he once endured while fishing with his pal Jimmy Kimmel. While out on the water, Howard recalled being attacked by violent swans who came right up to the boat looking for a fight.
"We rowed like crazy," Howard told Rachel. "They actually stand up on the water and come after you, and they're as big as a human being. It is scary!"
"Killer swans attacked you and Jimmy while fishing?" Rachel asked with a laugh.”
It was a fun talk, I wish I had a video, but it’s not posted anywhere as far as I can tell. But you can read more at the links.
The Caller kinda put a cap on it.
“Stern asked about her relationship with MSNBC President Phil Griffin and NBC News and MSNBC Chairman Andy Lack. “Do they give you a lot of notes or do they shut the fuck up?” he asked.
She called them “good guys” but explained how she’s managed them. “When I got my first contract with them I made an editorial freedom deal with them: ‘You can’t tell me what not to cover or what to cover or how to cover it.”
There’s a catch. If Griffin leaves, so does she.
He hired her. She says she won’t stay without him.”
Lets hope Griffin outlasts Lack.