Will Ferrell's ANCHORMAN character Ron Burgundy stormed the late-night TV circuit on Thursday for a stand-up act spread across multiple programs.
In just one evening, Burgundy appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Conan – bringing his signature brand of cringe comedy to the masses. The multi-show stunt was part of a promotional campaign to hype the new season of The Ron Burgundy Podcast, which is an iHeartRadio Original Podcast co-produced with Funny or Die.
It's to be thought that Ferrell had filmed the segments prior to their late Thursday air dates, seeing as Colbert, Fallon, and Meyers broadcast out of New York City, while the remaining programs are taped in sunny California. It was a well-orchestrated stunt to be certain, but was it funny? My short answer to that question is no, it was not. Be that as it may, humor is subjective, and while I've been a fan of Ferrell's for quite some time, the Ron Burgundy character has never been my cup of tea.
To be honest, I can't tell if the routines were supposed to bomb or if Burgundy's college try needed to go back to school. During the multi-show run, Burgundy joked about the world's ongoing trade war, how dating is difficult in this day and age, and subjects such as tourism and party planning. Perhaps the most awkward performance was the one in which Burgundy was a guest on the Late Show with Seth Meyers, where the Channel 4 news anchor was accompanied by ventriloquist dummy named J.J. Hipster. I would describe it for you, but it's the sort of slow train wreck you'll want to experience for yourself, if you dare.
After each bit, Burgundy joined his late-night hosts for a rousing interview that involved him talking up the new season of his podcast. Needless to say, the interview bits went over slightly better than the stand-up portions of the respective shows.
Like I'd said, comedy is subjective, and there were definitely people in every audience that sounded as if they were having a great time. Laughs or no, the coordination of the event(s) is most impressive, and made for a unique evening of late-night entertainment, absolutely.
“My podcast, quite simply, can only be described as a raging success,” says Burgundy about his hilarious radio show. “I’ll admit – when I first started in this rodeo, it was my first rodeo, and I had no idea what a podcast even was. But through diligent research and persistence, I quickly climbed my way up to the top. And now, it is not my first rodeo. It is now, literally, my second rodeo. And word on the street is that I am already the best rodeo rider that has ever lived… and podcaster, too. This is a fact, folks.”
“When Ron first started trying to force us to make this podcast with him, we resisted, as it’s clear he’s an unhinged man,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “However, people are actually listening. I have no idea why. Doubly baffling, and for reasons beyond my grasp, they actually want more. Seriously? We have to go through this whole thing again? Fine. Here. Season two. Whatever.”
Season two of the podcast will be even more brilliant than season one. In addition to Kamala Harris, Burgundy will sit down with other cultural forces of nature including actress Brooke Shields, historian and political commentator Doris Kearns Goodwin, feminist activist Gloria Steinem and more.