![]() It’s not just a matter of overt discrimination. That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. And it’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say ‘nigger’ in public. ![]() “The legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination in almost every institution of our lives-that casts a long shadow, and that’s still part of our DNA that’s passed on. On a show known for, and named after, F-bombs, the only dangerous word spoken was the N-word-and the President said it. The episode taped on Friday, two days after the shootings in Charleston, and Obama did talk thoughtfully about racism, gun violence, and politics. (This is why the “S.N.L.” skit about the Rock Obama hits a nerve.) He may have been as real as he gets, but you start to wonder if there’s a realer, messier, angrier him in there anywhere. Still, his conversation with the serene, even-tempered Terry Gross brought forth stories we’d never imagined we’d hear from her. Maron’s conversations with them often reveal interesting shades of that same restless curiosity and insight. Maron deals mainly with comedians, whose nature, quite often, is to be excoriating. His childhood was unconventional (not “crazy”): a peripatetic life, a loving, nontraditional family. When he mentioned parental craziness and the desire to not pass your own craziness on to your kids, Maron said, “How are you crazy?” Well, he isn’t. Play basketball, but he’s not as young as he used to be. What does he do for fun? Watch his daughters grow up he finds them spectacular. Part of what has become second nature to him is speaking so reasonably that it’s almost aggravating. As he put it, toward the end of the interview, being President is like being a comedian: “The more you do something and the more you practice it, at a certain point it becomes second nature.” His conversation, humor, and revelations are all intelligent and uncontroversial. Obama is by nature rational and pragmatic, and two terms of the Presidency have made him all the more so. ![]() A President’s heart and soul tend to consist of deeply reasonable sentiments, unless he’s Lyndon Johnson. Could Maron talk to the President the way he’s talked to comedians and other guests, getting to the heart and soul of things? It’s an environment that has fostered incredible conversations with hundreds of guests, most of whom reveal things about themselves you’d never expect. The comings and goings of Maron’s cats and the workings of his heart and mind are part of the appeal. We’re not just in a conversation-we’re in a garage, and in a life. “I ran the country from my couch for a couple of years.” “I used to be more politically involved,” he said. They shot the breeze, called each other “man.” Maron said he was nervous, but he sounded as charmingly riled up as ever. Obama admired Maron’s furnishings, and razzed him a bit. ![]() But the President coming to visit you in your garage- Pow!, as Maron might say. The success of “WTF” has led to widespread fame and adulation, TV deals, a turbocharged standup career, and other life improvements. ![]() Maron, famously, is a soul in progress he started “WTF” after a fitfully successful standup and broadcasting career, recovery from addiction, two divorces, many breakups. What’s it like when the President visits the Cat Ranch? If you’re a loyal What the Fuckaneer, it’s thrilling for Maron’s sake. He had tidied the garage, “moved the piles into the house.” “It’s crazy. There is something in here that looks like an armed yoga mat that I didn’t ask too many questions about.” Maron, even today, was reassuringly Maron. “I’ve heard there is going to be a sniper on the roof. I had to hide my cats in the bedroom,” Maron said. We listeners, the What the Fuckers and What the Fuckniks, were just “folks” the references to Squarespace were minimal Maron’s short opening monologue focussed on his getting ready for the President to visit his garage, which doubles as his recording studio. I didn’t sleep great because the President of the United States is on the show today.” The historic episode of “WTF,” buzzed about for days and discussed at the top of the Times home page after it was posted, was more straitlaced than usual. “Let’s do this! How are you, folks?” Marc Maron said at the beginning of today’s episode of his podcast, “WTF with Marc Maron.” “I’m excited, I’m nervous, I’m trying not to freak out. ![]()
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