Harvey Pekar's On-Air Implosion | Letterman

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  • Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
  • Spoiler alert: He did come back.
    (From "Late Night," air date: 8/31/88)
    #harveypekar #americansplendor #letterman
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    Welcome to the Letterman RUclips Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. And for those of you who like Miscellaneous, you may very well find some Miscellaneous here.

Комментарии • 2,6 тыс.

  • @bc1969214
    @bc1969214 9 месяцев назад +2612

    From Harvey's wikipedia page- After Pekar's death, Letterman reflected in 2017 that
    "He was great.... He would just go after stuff. He ... would go after me, he would go after the network, he would go after everything, in a very committed way. It wasn’t a gag, it wasn’t an act, he would really go to work on you.... [Pekar] was anti-establishment in a way that you don’t see guys like that anymore. And that used to really upset me, because I just thought 'Come on Harvey, don’t do this to us, just play the game, blah blah blah blah.'... I’m a completely different person now. And I would be so much more better equipped to view the immediate surroundings of that show now, than I was [then].... Now, jeez, I wish I could have had Harvey on every night.

    • @presto709
      @presto709 9 месяцев назад +145

      Wow, that's interesting. Thanks for sharing

    • @profile2047
      @profile2047 9 месяцев назад +38

      Pretty cool.

    • @danny1959
      @danny1959 9 месяцев назад +74

      It was great television, and Dave was no fool.

    • @presto709
      @presto709 9 месяцев назад +64

      @@danny1959
      Charles Grodin was very antagonistic and always had a great interview on Letterman. It was a little more playful than with Pecor.

    • @amra33
      @amra33 9 месяцев назад +14

      Thank you for sharing this.

  • @MrDuneedon
    @MrDuneedon 8 месяцев назад +1176

    "Sneakers and a suit -- that looks weird, man." THANK YOU, HARVEY.

    • @Taffey_Lewis
      @Taffey_Lewis 7 месяцев назад +18

      He f'n got him there wow

    • @StrikeTeam0316
      @StrikeTeam0316 7 месяцев назад +8

      Exactly! Sneakers 👟 don’t go with suits

    • @hannibalburgers477
      @hannibalburgers477 7 месяцев назад +4

      Looked 🔥 on 10th Doctor

    • @Skank_and_Gutterboy
      @Skank_and_Gutterboy 7 месяцев назад +5

      I have to agree. Buckaroo Banzai is quirky and loveable but it didn't work him, either.

    • @Braindead591
      @Braindead591 7 месяцев назад +10

      Harvey reminded me of Al Pacino here

  • @markjohnson7910
    @markjohnson7910 9 месяцев назад +978

    The unblinking stare. Right into Dave’s soul. Absolutely amazing.

    • @fatmunch6318
      @fatmunch6318 9 месяцев назад +36

      He didn’t blink the whole interview

    • @ParaousiaComingnow
      @ParaousiaComingnow 9 месяцев назад +60

      He didn't blink because he's a psycho... he's also high. Look at the gloss in his eye.

    • @andreaholcock8992
      @andreaholcock8992 9 месяцев назад +25

      @@ParaousiaComingnow that’s not an indicator of a psycho lol

    • @ParaousiaComingnow
      @ParaousiaComingnow 9 месяцев назад +27

      @@andreaholcock8992 I've worked with Schizo's for years, they don't blink... unless you used the phrase metaphorically, it absolutely is an indicator.

    • @andreaholcock8992
      @andreaholcock8992 9 месяцев назад +39

      @@ParaousiaComingnow a schizophrenic isn’t a psychopath, so even if you were telling the truth you’re still wrong

  • @Chris_34
    @Chris_34 7 месяцев назад +565

    Dude reminds me of Andy Kaufman doing a character. This was awesome.

    • @Skank_and_Gutterboy
      @Skank_and_Gutterboy 7 месяцев назад +14

      That's who I thought this was when I clicked the thumbnail. Then, "Wait, this isn't Andy Kaufman...." I needn't have worried.

    • @michaelgpartridge2384
      @michaelgpartridge2384 7 месяцев назад +8

      But if you were around to see it back then, you knew it was for real. It was awesome

    • @granthurlburt4062
      @granthurlburt4062 7 месяцев назад +10

      He;s nothing at all like Kaufman, who was a self-aggrandiizing entertainer who some people found funny. Pejar was honest.

    • @leucifer2
      @leucifer2 7 месяцев назад +4

      ​@@michaelgpartridge2384it wasn't real. It was staged

    • @marcowerner8739
      @marcowerner8739 6 месяцев назад +1

      Exactly what I thought!!!

  • @MensaGiraffe
    @MensaGiraffe 5 месяцев назад +367

    "How about another joke, Murr-Ray?"

  • @ahappyshow
    @ahappyshow 9 месяцев назад +674

    I watched this episode when it aired. Harvey was truly fearless, and you'll never see network TV like this again.

    • @JK-br1mu
      @JK-br1mu 9 месяцев назад +13

      Clearly a little "off".

    • @spb7883
      @spb7883 9 месяцев назад +60

      @@JK-br1muIf you read his work and understand his motivations, not in the slightest. What he *was* was his own person, and - unsurprisingly - that seems “off” to anyone in American culture.

    • @JK-br1mu
      @JK-br1mu 9 месяцев назад +16

      @@spb7883 very off, he didn't really make much sense here, and if he was going to attack Dave, he could do it in a coherent fashion.
      One of those counter-culture weirdos who aren't capable of forming coherent thoughts, but they're very anti. Very, very anti.

    • @derekderek2570
      @derekderek2570 9 месяцев назад +2

      What’s network TV?

    • @ahappyshow
      @ahappyshow 9 месяцев назад +4

      @@derekderek2570 NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, are all network television.

  • @evangalyen3407
    @evangalyen3407 9 месяцев назад +1812

    When you insult a man before he even comes on stage you’re bound to get something back

    • @stevec7770
      @stevec7770 9 месяцев назад +159

      Always despised Letterman

    • @useliteski3381
      @useliteski3381 9 месяцев назад +114

      Letterman is absolutely awful.

    • @57briben
      @57briben 9 месяцев назад +1

      awfully good.@@useliteski3381

    • @taylorbayouth998
      @taylorbayouth998 9 месяцев назад +24

      I get that, but look what he was wearing

    • @keithobrien7894
      @keithobrien7894 9 месяцев назад +75

      @@stevec7770yet here you are on a Letterman channel lmao

  • @Jimmietwotimes
    @Jimmietwotimes 8 месяцев назад +630

    Every now and then you can see a twinkle in Pekar's eye that says, "This is fun as hell."

    • @milesstover3724
      @milesstover3724 8 месяцев назад +15

      it comes with his unique cultural and ethnic heritage

    • @Bulvan123
      @Bulvan123 8 месяцев назад +13

      ​@@milesstover3724 there are quite a few Jews like this. Brilliant & "out there" but kookoo as well.

    • @PhilJRose
      @PhilJRose 8 месяцев назад +8

      Cough cough, Andy Kaufman.@@Bulvan123

    • @mr.blackhawk142
      @mr.blackhawk142 8 месяцев назад

      I see a GLASSY-eyed guy who writes comic books. What is the attraction here? BTW, I hope he DIN lol shave his back just for this appearance! :P

    • @mr.blackhawk142
      @mr.blackhawk142 8 месяцев назад +3

      Yup! It's a SKIT! They'll go for beers after and laugh at the audience!

  • @Zer0fuks
    @Zer0fuks 7 месяцев назад +229

    "meditation is silent..... *Dave* ....." 😂

    • @DrummerJacob
      @DrummerJacob 2 месяца назад +1

      Wasnt really a good roast. Dude was being silent when Dave said it. It made complete sense when he said it and Harvey was just snapping off hot remarks before he had a chance to even make sure it makes sense.

    • @animals_of_overtown
      @animals_of_overtown Месяц назад

      @@DrummerJacob "Dude was being silent when Dave said it" - yeah, that's how conversations work, dude. One person is audible, then the other, then the first one again. Sometimes both have a go at the same time. All auduble. Unlike meditation, which as Pekar said *is* silent.

    • @DrummerJacob
      @DrummerJacob Месяц назад

      @@animals_of_overtown You've completely missed my point and decided to write a block of text about how conversations work.
      Dave said meditation is silent as if he wasn't being silent, thus not truly meditating, but he was silent when he said that, thus the roast wasnt a very good one.
      That would have worked better if he was talking a lot or agitated but he really wasn't.

  • @nextworldaction8828
    @nextworldaction8828 8 месяцев назад +61

    my eyes are burning just watching him not blink!

  • @torgman
    @torgman 9 месяцев назад +1136

    I remember this. Harvey's beef was that Dave didn't honor the writers' strike that was going on at the time.

    • @Scorchy666
      @Scorchy666 9 месяцев назад +162

      That must have been why his first question was what Dave had been doing. Letterman looked very uncomfortable answering.

    • @fostena
      @fostena 9 месяцев назад +37

      Oh! That makes sense. And what about 5:20 "why you defended G"? "being a shill for G"?

    • @torgman
      @torgman 9 месяцев назад +13

      @@Scorchy666 if I remember right, that was the week that Dave returned to the show after honoring the strike for a bit

    • @jdsciano
      @jdsciano 8 месяцев назад +48

      For working people, most honorable thing is not to cross the Picket line in a Union strike-cannot blame Harvey but kudos to Letterman for having him on knowing that was his beef.

    • @dbadagna
      @dbadagna 8 месяцев назад +95

      @@fostena He might have actually said "GE," referring to General Electric, the owner of NBC at the time.

  • @foreleftyall
    @foreleftyall 9 месяцев назад +370

    "I want you to savor this appearance" is such a great line

    • @misterpsych3804
      @misterpsych3804 8 месяцев назад +28

      brilliant way to say you're never coming back!

    • @luskvideoproductions869
      @luskvideoproductions869 7 месяцев назад +8

      This is what I miss the most about Letterman...he was nearly perfect with pointed ripostes to guests off the cuff. The Between 2 Ferns out-take where he grills Zack about why the show is called between TWO ferns is just comedy perfection

    • @educateme8455
      @educateme8455 7 месяцев назад

      No. The way you yanks worship these tv shills is just depressing.

    • @jasonsgroovemachine
      @jasonsgroovemachine 7 месяцев назад +3

      Reminds me of when Joaquin Phoenix came on and did his "act" with the gum.

  • @terracottapie
    @terracottapie 9 месяцев назад +887

    Where was the implosion? That was just Harvey being himself. Seemed like Dave imploded, if anything.

    • @brt5273
      @brt5273 9 месяцев назад +42

      Exactly.

    • @Splandrocity
      @Splandrocity 8 месяцев назад +48

      Right, he couldn't match his energy so he tapped out.

    • @benjaminqmorris
      @benjaminqmorris 8 месяцев назад

      this is a definite EXplosion. see, imploding is silent; exploding is audible.

    • @svalbard01
      @svalbard01 8 месяцев назад +35

      Dave filled his diaper about 60 seconds in.

    • @sgt.thundercok4704
      @sgt.thundercok4704 7 месяцев назад +7

      We now find one of the people that could never rise above the joke, whether Pekar or Kaufman.

  • @Brandon-tk2rw
    @Brandon-tk2rw 5 месяцев назад +76

    I think the "you're in a rut, you do the same thing every night" stung a little for Dave, hence him falling back on his well used "thanks for dressing up" line .. and I love Dave

  • @markmorico5439
    @markmorico5439 5 месяцев назад +37

    Paul Giamatti played Harvey brilliantly

  • @wungabunga
    @wungabunga 9 месяцев назад +177

    I can imagine Dave getting extremely uncomfortable here, once that line is crossed it’s hard to pull back! Hahaha. Tough gig. Loved the guest.

  • @travelwell8098
    @travelwell8098 9 месяцев назад +440

    This dude knew how to get under David's skin... it's wonderful

    • @thegreatrenaldo7718
      @thegreatrenaldo7718 9 месяцев назад +11

      He was mad because he’s bald

    • @travelwell8098
      @travelwell8098 9 месяцев назад

      was does that even mean?@@thegreatrenaldo7718

    • @seanoleary1979
      @seanoleary1979 7 месяцев назад +27

      @@thegreatrenaldo7718 ...don't quit your day job. Comedy won't pay the bills for you!

    • @Hausbrauen
      @Hausbrauen 7 месяцев назад +4

      @@seanoleary1979 Seemed to me like a genuine hypothesis as to why he may not be a happy fella, rather than intended as a joke.

    • @noneofyourbusiness4616
      @noneofyourbusiness4616 6 месяцев назад

      @@thegreatrenaldo7718 Thanks for sharing the perspective of a small child.

  • @MrBradfordchild
    @MrBradfordchild 9 месяцев назад +436

    'Dave, you're wearing sneakers with a suit'. Dave quickly puts his sneakered foot behind the desk.

    • @djdonald243
      @djdonald243 8 месяцев назад +9

      Yah, Dave thought that made him anti-establishment edgy, but he was a midwesterner in New York

    • @DaveDexterMusic
      @DaveDexterMusic 7 месяцев назад +9

      no, he shifts his sneakered foot into view afterwards then moves it back. it wasn't like it was on display the whole time and only pekar's comment got him to hide it

    • @djhenyo
      @djhenyo 6 месяцев назад +1

      Dave's foot was already behind the desk when Harvey said that and was moved sideways, putting it in view for less than a second, while Dave rotated his body slightly away from Harvey and towards the audience. Your interpretation of events is horrible.

    • @NP-ux9xg
      @NP-ux9xg 4 месяца назад +1

      @@djdonald243 being a "midwesterner in New York" has nothing to do with being edgy one way or another. As a matter of fact someone going to New York (the center of the universe as far as boring and normal goes) is as much the opposite of edgy as you can get. Add to that someone working in the TV business in New York and you have as much of a square as someone can be.

    • @DrummerJacob
      @DrummerJacob 2 месяца назад +1

      Dave didn't do anything. He wore sneakers because you never saw his feet. Why would you lie about something we can literally instantly fact check?
      Watch it again. Zero reaction. You're just projecting. You wish he did something so it made sense but none of Harvey's roasts made any sense.
      Harvey was also silent when Dave asked if he was meditating and then started talking a lot to pretend like he wasn't zoning off but he did in fact zone off and appear to be meditating if you were being funny about it.

  • @williamoleary9330
    @williamoleary9330 3 месяца назад +63

    I’ve never seen Dave get this upset. He was steaming

    • @Zz2424zxcvbnn
      @Zz2424zxcvbnn 2 месяца назад +12

      No kidding! Most of these guys who dish, can never take it!

    • @Nantosuelta
      @Nantosuelta 2 месяца назад +3

      David Letterman is such a lame.

    • @DrummerJacob
      @DrummerJacob 2 месяца назад +5

      That's because Harvey carried a heavy darkness around him and loved pulling people down with him.

    • @tdbass2968
      @tdbass2968 2 месяца назад +2

      Dave didn't get upset he was playing along.

    • @Recessio
      @Recessio 2 месяца назад

      Dave later said in hindsight he wished he could have dealt with it better and had people like Harvey on every night.

  • @XeroFailGames
    @XeroFailGames 7 месяцев назад +9

    Bros intensity is insane i love it

  • @misterbonzoid5623
    @misterbonzoid5623 9 месяцев назад +185

    Anyone who can rock that hairstyle does not care what anyone thinks of him.

    • @ruok3351
      @ruok3351 9 месяцев назад +4

      Who sold comics about his life story. That’s ego and people with big egos actually care deeply about what people think of them.

    • @humphreygruntwhistle3946
      @humphreygruntwhistle3946 9 месяцев назад +8

      I doubt he even owned a mirror. Just a frivolous waste of money.

    • @ler5478
      @ler5478 3 месяца назад +2

      A suit and sneakers is better than t-shirt and a comb-over

  • @thenavajoknow
    @thenavajoknow 8 месяцев назад +321

    I admire how Pekar succeeded in dragging out Letterman's unflattering side into the open from behind the glib facade, live on camera, in Dave's control room.

    • @bobvp9434
      @bobvp9434 8 месяцев назад +8

      spot on.

    • @SorenPascal
      @SorenPascal 8 месяцев назад +7

      Great take, exactly.

    • @katg7965
      @katg7965 7 месяцев назад +11

      Unflattering side? Or just showing annoyance? Calm down

    • @SorenPascal
      @SorenPascal 7 месяцев назад +24

      @@katg7965 Unflattering not strong enough. Arrogant and condescending. Still calm over here. Letterman should stick to interns.

    • @MinecraftMartin
      @MinecraftMartin 6 месяцев назад

      You think we should always display our unflattering sides, and anything else would be fake and glib?
      ... Why?

  • @robatsea2009
    @robatsea2009 9 месяцев назад +195

    The unpredictability of the guests - and the sheer eclectic variety of who was appearing - made this show must-see each night.

    • @gordons-alive4940
      @gordons-alive4940 9 месяцев назад +6

      Yeah,. They lost that when Dave moved to an earlier time slot. It became a pretty conventional late night talk show.

    • @markbeames7852
      @markbeames7852 8 месяцев назад

      Pekar was on five or six times.

    • @crackawood
      @crackawood 8 месяцев назад +4

      ​@@gordons-alive4940but dave's influence was already well established. his effect on comedy reverberates to this day and every late night show is just a rehash of conventions that dave established

    • @olorin1710
      @olorin1710 7 месяцев назад

      Left version of Trump

  • @warrenenglish942
    @warrenenglish942 7 месяцев назад +7

    Harvey was one of a kind. Loved his visits to the show. I saw him once at a literary festival. He was just himself and I loved it.

  • @undeadspaghetti
    @undeadspaghetti 7 месяцев назад +108

    The "implosion" is Harvey knowing that Letterman was scabbing for Disney during a strike and not letting up on it.

    • @jackskerry2467
      @jackskerry2467 3 месяца назад +5

      Thank you, that puts a little more context to what happened here.

    • @aragorn767
      @aragorn767 Месяц назад +1

      Who cares. People need to work.

    • @michaelr.5676
      @michaelr.5676 Месяц назад

      Help me with the phrase "scabbing" for Disney...?

    • @henryhill92
      @henryhill92 Месяц назад +1

      @@michaelr.5676 Scabbing means taking the side of a company over unionized employees fighting for better pay and conditions.

    • @michaelr.5676
      @michaelr.5676 Месяц назад

      @@henryhill92 thanks!

  • @MsPea
    @MsPea 9 месяцев назад +457

    I met Harvey around this time. This was his normal. You never knew what to expect. My ex-husband illustrated a couple of Harvey's stories in American Splendor. Weird times it was.

    • @jamesjdm
      @jamesjdm 9 месяцев назад

      He has a personality disorder and needed therapy

    • @nighthawk5295
      @nighthawk5295 9 месяцев назад

      Maybe your husband left you because you're a raging feminist. (lol) 😑

    • @v4v819
      @v4v819 9 месяцев назад +18

      He seems like a reasonably agreeable, charming, elegant kind of fellow... I'm sure you enjoyed his company and i wish you and your family the best for 2024! :)

    • @jediryan9454
      @jediryan9454 8 месяцев назад +4

      So this wasn't staged or a bit?

    • @OTOss8
      @OTOss8 8 месяцев назад +4

      Val Mayerik?

  • @guardshack9865
    @guardshack9865 9 месяцев назад +237

    Harvey actually grabs Dave's pencil from him. That is the true source of Dave's power....notice how Harvey's demeanor changes to calm when he has it and Dave loses control.

    • @daveconnor6174
      @daveconnor6174 9 месяцев назад +18

      Haha that's wild. Dave really didn't wanna give it up.

    • @callmesceptical9114
      @callmesceptical9114 9 месяцев назад +18

      So true! The pencil grab was a savage move💪🏼

    • @autonomoustronomous5264
      @autonomoustronomous5264 9 месяцев назад +20

      That's because Dave went from getting laughs to getting laughed at and it broke him. Lol

    • @devonalomar9012
      @devonalomar9012 9 месяцев назад +5

      Harvey was actually trembling. Truly a sad mental case.

    • @CPRICEIV
      @CPRICEIV 8 месяцев назад +7

      I thought Dave was going to catch it in the jugular there for a minute!

  • @KurtChristensenPhoto
    @KurtChristensenPhoto 9 месяцев назад +259

    Nowadays you would never see a Harvey Pekar on late night TV. It's sad. Now it is just a bunch of actors and pop stars pretending they are excited to lip sync with Jimmy Fallon as he fake laughs and ruins every joke that every guest tells.

    • @hunterericson6782
      @hunterericson6782 4 месяца назад +20

      nailed it. the fakeness is so cringeworthy i cant dare to watch

    • @maddrop
      @maddrop 4 месяца назад +15

      Facts. It became so fake that it´s annoying.

    • @lablaine1981
      @lablaine1981 4 месяца назад +10

      Fake" describes late nite tv,

    • @cdgolem
      @cdgolem 3 месяца назад

      Last time I watched a late night comedy show was when Jimmy Fallon had Obama on and he was "slow jamming the news." They had the Roots playing and Obama stood their and gave a bunch of talking points to push Obamacare. It was literal propaganda from the State and the audience were too stupid to even realize what was going on. There was no comedy, there was no talent. It was simply propaganda.

    • @andrewrobert5019
      @andrewrobert5019 3 месяца назад

      Don't forget the absolute garbage heap that is Kimmel lol

  • @jallanb1963
    @jallanb1963 8 месяцев назад +72

    The way he kept saying Dave's name...reminiscent of the talk show scene in the Joker.

  • @danbrodsky57
    @danbrodsky57 4 месяца назад +6

    The perfect guest for Dave.. Wish there was more authentic folks like him which you don't see anymore.

  • @Kestrel13
    @Kestrel13 9 месяцев назад +150

    "Sneakers and a suit" really got me ☠️

    • @sinistergrin7053
      @sinistergrin7053 8 месяцев назад +2

      Harvey was everything Dave never was

    • @sgt.thundercok4704
      @sgt.thundercok4704 7 месяцев назад

      Well at least you got that going for ya.

    • @aolson1111
      @aolson1111 3 месяца назад +2

      @@sinistergrin7053 Dead?

  • @curtislindsey1736
    @curtislindsey1736 9 месяцев назад +172

    That stare though, no blinking.😂😂😂

    • @kdooms
      @kdooms 9 месяцев назад +6

      This. I've stared pretty hard at certain people in my life.....I'm not sure he actually ever does blink though....

    • @justinsixx90
      @justinsixx90 8 месяцев назад

      Cocaine

    • @randallf.4646
      @randallf.4646 7 месяцев назад +5

      A common trait of a psychopath....

    • @blazer3327
      @blazer3327 6 месяцев назад +1

      Pekar was the real deal amidst the phony personalities of the celebrity mill wheel.

    • @blazer3327
      @blazer3327 6 месяцев назад +3

      In a match I’d have to give Pekar the edge over Dave by virtue of his unpredictability and relentless focus.

  • @mkb7013
    @mkb7013 8 месяцев назад +34

    3:25 “Harvey, I want you to savor this appearance” 😂😂😂 you will not be asked back.

    • @LincolnsLawyer
      @LincolnsLawyer Месяц назад +1

      But was kinda refreshing, considering the 100% sychopantic segments we get on late night shows these days 😅

  • @mossbogger8366
    @mossbogger8366 7 месяцев назад +33

    the look of a man who has been up every night thinking about his interview since the day he was born

  • @georgehenderson7783
    @georgehenderson7783 Месяц назад +1

    3:20 "Harvey, I want you to savor this appearance."

  • @dustinprewitt
    @dustinprewitt 9 месяцев назад +725

    Him and Crispin Glover are the only two guests that I know of who have made Dave visibly lose his temper

    • @Nastyboy269
      @Nastyboy269 9 месяцев назад +49

      I remember him getting heated with Bill O’Reilly once, but you’re probably right. The weirder and more uncomfortable an interview the more he loved it. Especially the early days.

    • @dustinprewitt
      @dustinprewitt 9 месяцев назад +19

      @Nastyboy269 I sorta remember that interview.... but Dave seemed less angry and more annoyed

    • @peterjensen6233
      @peterjensen6233 9 месяцев назад +21

      Richard Simmons.

    • @thedude4672
      @thedude4672 9 месяцев назад +77

      Harmony Korine, who was a weird interview and who got banned when Letterman caught him going through Meryl Streep's purse backstage.

    • @thedude4672
      @thedude4672 9 месяцев назад +25

      Oh yeah, and we can't forget Andy Kaufman

  • @UberNeuman
    @UberNeuman 9 месяцев назад +147

    Harvey lived to flip the table over and he pretty much did that on every appearance. Still remember him complaining about not getting dounuts and then there's that thought-bubble picture of dounuts - I about died laughing that night. RIP, HP, you beautiful bastard.

    • @Hengry-hn7rb
      @Hengry-hn7rb 7 месяцев назад

      I’m making a t-shirt that says “ beautiful bastard “😂

  • @charlescowan6121
    @charlescowan6121 8 месяцев назад +34

    It's awkward as hell and amazingly fun! This guy is having a blast!

    • @DrummerJacob
      @DrummerJacob 2 месяца назад +1

      Is he? He looks like one of the most miserable people I've ever witnessed. If this is him having fun, that's a HUGE cope.

  • @willdotchill7607
    @willdotchill7607 6 месяцев назад +80

    If Michael Keaton and Andy Kaufman had a baby.

  • @squirelova1815
    @squirelova1815 8 месяцев назад +6

    Priceless. Like watching a Lone Piranha going a a big buffalo all by himself.

  • @ArchernAce
    @ArchernAce 9 месяцев назад +62

    I saw this when it happened when it was broadcast. I'm sure he meant it. He was always off the hook.

  • @wastedapathy22
    @wastedapathy22 9 месяцев назад +69

    “Harvey, I want you to savor this appearance!”
    Ooof…savage. Dave telling him he ain’t ever gonna be on again.

    • @thedude4672
      @thedude4672 9 месяцев назад +22

      But he did come back on ... two or three times

    • @wastedapathy22
      @wastedapathy22 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@thedude4672 was he as worked up in those later appearances as he was here?

    • @chiefscheider
      @chiefscheider 9 месяцев назад +8

      Thanks for explaining what Dave meant by that

    • @Brendan-Black
      @Brendan-Black 9 месяцев назад +2

      ​@@wastedapathy22Nope, Pekar was much more subdued when he finally came on again.

    • @simonfeakes
      @simonfeakes 7 месяцев назад +2

      ​@@wastedapathy22he came back after a number of years, and before it started Dave opened that they had a misunderstanding/disagreement previously but they'd got over it.
      Harvey was still his awkward weird self, but definitely less antagonistic towards Dave than he was in this particular interview

  • @johnskrizniak6573
    @johnskrizniak6573 2 месяца назад +11

    Back story on GE and Dave. GE owned NBC at the time and would give Dave a hard time for having unpredictable guys like Pekar on. Dave had to play a balancing act because CEO of GE at the time would not hesitate to cancel any show, no matter how successful. So Pekar calling Dave a shill isn't right. If it wasn't for Dave pekar would never be on the show at all. Dave took a lot of heat for Pekar and fought for him to be on and be invited back after this. GE hate Pekar, Despised him.

  • @phrozac
    @phrozac 6 месяцев назад +12

    One of the best interviews I've ever seen. Harvey just being Harvey and Dave trying to navigate the storm on live TV. Brilliant for as long as it lasted. RIP Harvey

  • @The_Notorious_N.O.E.
    @The_Notorious_N.O.E. 8 месяцев назад +53

    I hope Dave still has that autographed comic from Harvey. What an amazing collectable it is now

  • @JockoV
    @JockoV 9 месяцев назад +40

    If anyone is wondering what the donuts were about they were used in a comedy bit earlier in the show. The bit started with a stage light crashing down next to/on Dave's desk and it turns out it was Biff Henderson's (stage hand) plan to kill Dave so he had more donuts to himself in the breakroom. So the bit ended with the camera fixed on a disappointed Biff thinking about the extra donuts he's missing out on. Some genius in the control room decided to bust out the donut graphic again to use on Harvey. I saw this when it first aired and I lost my mind laughing 😆 It's been quite a while but that's the way I remember it.

    • @lowkeysoundsystem6174
      @lowkeysoundsystem6174 9 месяцев назад +4

      Nice. I thought it was from one of their previous interviews where Harvey asks Dave for doughnuts. 😅

    • @derekderek2570
      @derekderek2570 9 месяцев назад +1

      40 years!!! Is quite awhile. Better times back then I’m sure

    • @ADrunkBassist
      @ADrunkBassist 8 месяцев назад +4

      he was promised donuts the next time he came to the show in a previous interview.

    • @caderoger
      @caderoger 8 месяцев назад +4

      haha without any context it looks bizarre and random

    • @thjola
      @thjola 8 месяцев назад +4

      On his first visit on the show, Harvey complained about the lack of snacks in the green room, e.g. donuts, to which Dave replied that Tom Brokaw ate them all when he was a guest a little earlier on the same show.

  • @drillbag
    @drillbag 9 месяцев назад +242

    Harvey was one of the few people who would have no problem with talking to Dave the way he spoke to his guests and called BS anytime he smelled it!!!!

    • @MikeSchmidt969
      @MikeSchmidt969 8 месяцев назад +9

      Yeah those types of folks are invited to parties once and only once.

    • @TheGeenat
      @TheGeenat 8 месяцев назад +13

      @@MikeSchmidt969good. Those types of people are superior to the idiots at the party (sheep fest) anyway.

    • @blakfloyd
      @blakfloyd 7 месяцев назад

      Indeed. I thought the exact same thing.

    • @westerling8436
      @westerling8436 3 месяца назад +1

      ​@@TheGeenat being loud doesn't make you smart

  • @stardustshakedown
    @stardustshakedown 24 дня назад +1

    At the end it seems Daves kind of says "He's a dumb ass" in a way that sounds like Dumb Ads. Pretty funny.

  • @iAmiSaid
    @iAmiSaid 17 дней назад

    These early vintage clips of lettermen interviews, they're like the antiques roadshow finds of vintage clips

  • @westleywest7259
    @westleywest7259 9 месяцев назад +177

    I remember when Dave used to have actual psychos on the show. We at home were never really sure how much was real or fake. BEST TELEVISION EVER!

    • @mwdiphone
      @mwdiphone 9 месяцев назад +36

      Your comment is exactly why Harvey finally went off. He wasn’t a psycho. Not even close. He was a brilliant writer. A regular guy with a job who had a talent. Dave and the audience played him and his words like he was a fool. Harvey felt like he was being used instead of being listened to. Thats why he went off.

    • @sonicdiablo8968
      @sonicdiablo8968 9 месяцев назад +9

      How is he a psycho?

    • @thedude4672
      @thedude4672 9 месяцев назад +12

      I don't think Harvey was a psycho at all, but Dave was good about having eccentric people on who wouldn't make you comfortable

    • @porflepopnecker4376
      @porflepopnecker4376 9 месяцев назад +11

      Harvey was pushing Dave's buttons hard that night and he knew it. Dave kept things comedy-oriented while still demonstrating that he wasn't a pushover for someone like Harvey to steamroll on his own show.

    • @Mozart1220
      @Mozart1220 9 месяцев назад +8

      @@mwdiphoneI don;t know him but from this interview he's a psycho.

  • @perrymihalakos2119
    @perrymihalakos2119 8 месяцев назад +14

    Kudos to Pekar. Love the guy.

  • @chiefscheider
    @chiefscheider 9 месяцев назад +12

    "Look Dave, I signed the paper, I'll talk when I wanna talk."
    This guy was great 😄

  • @ChrisCarnage-jp4fc
    @ChrisCarnage-jp4fc 5 месяцев назад +10

    Priceless. Someone who saw hollywood for what is was long before now.

  • @ignatiusgrippa
    @ignatiusgrippa 3 месяца назад +2

    Absolute legend. Stuff like this is why Late Night was so entertaining and unpredictable. Nothing like it since.

  • @danielstoddart
    @danielstoddart 9 месяцев назад +53

    I loved this one. I remember staying up late in college to watch this episode. Amusingly, right from the get-go Pekar's body language and the way he shakes Dave's hand is very telling. And it goes downhill from there...

    • @brt5273
      @brt5273 9 месяцев назад +19

      I think it was going downhill before Pekar even came out. Letterman's tone is already dismal, probably because they exchanged words before the show and he got an idea of the sort of ride it was going to be.

    • @danielstoddart
      @danielstoddart 9 месяцев назад +10

      @@brt5273 My fave Letterman guests were Pekar, Charles Grodin, Harrison Ford, Harmony Korine (before he got banned), Crispin Glover, and Andy Kaufman. Those were absolute musts to stay up late.

    • @kbrewski1
      @kbrewski1 9 месяцев назад +1

      ​@danielstoddart
      Man, I don't remember issues with Grodin and Kaufman, those guys were Dave regulars, especially Grodin. I'm going to have to search for those clips.
      Joaquin Phoenix is the one that stands out for me. He appeared like he was drugged and Dave couldn't get him to talk.

    • @danielstoddart
      @danielstoddart 7 месяцев назад

      @@kbrewski1 They weren't really "issues" because especially in the case of Grodin, it was a bit. A gag. Grodin's entire act was to be antagonistic to the host. But all of the guests mentioned above scored high on the passive-aggressive quotient.

    • @kbrewski1
      @kbrewski1 7 месяцев назад +1

      @danielstoddart
      That was my point. Dave didn't have issues with Grodin because he knew Grodin's shtick. This Pekar wasn't in that category, he was truly so odd and obstinate he wanted to upset the apple cart.

  • @jasperburchfield2028
    @jasperburchfield2028 9 месяцев назад +21

    I think calling him "whining" in his intro is what started it.

  • @blurredlenzpictures3251
    @blurredlenzpictures3251 9 месяцев назад +22

    There's a very funny, well-made film about Harvey, with Paul Giamatti playing him. American Splendor.

  • @Jivolt
    @Jivolt 6 месяцев назад +2

    This is just two guys having a good time playing off each other. It’s gorgeous.

    • @vegaslimoguy2376
      @vegaslimoguy2376 2 месяца назад

      Finally someone with a brain. All these morons in the comments

  • @dylanmartin9190
    @dylanmartin9190 Месяц назад +2

    Letterman rises to the challenge and almost reveals his hand

  • @Deadfoot-Dan
    @Deadfoot-Dan 9 месяцев назад +15

    I watched this live, one of those many interviews on Late Night that you never, ever forget.

  • @AlanDavidDoane
    @AlanDavidDoane 9 месяцев назад +359

    Harvey was one of the greatest comic book writers in history. His American Splendor comics are absolute genius. I cannot recommend them enough. Anyone interested in him should check them out and also watch the great Paul Giamatti bring him to life in the American Splendor movie.

    • @mwdiphone
      @mwdiphone 9 месяцев назад +24

      His appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation Cleveland episode is a classic as well. The entire show was pretty much themed to go with Pekar’s comics.

    • @dengueberries
      @dengueberries 9 месяцев назад

      oooooh i have to check that out, thanks a lot @@mwdiphone

    • @keefriff99
      @keefriff99 9 месяцев назад +4

      @@mwdiphone
      Oh damn, I gotta look this episode up now! Thanks for the suggestion.

    • @brt5273
      @brt5273 9 месяцев назад +1

      Good stuff. Available online.

    • @BiffJackson-o4i
      @BiffJackson-o4i 9 месяцев назад

      Oh, shut up. He's a social misfit. He's the problem not everybody else.

  • @ricebrown1
    @ricebrown1 9 месяцев назад +37

    Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.

  • @lamelama12
    @lamelama12 7 месяцев назад +7

    Harvey was a genius captured David held him hostage for like 15 minutes a thing of beauty.

  • @212days
    @212days 2 месяца назад +1

    " ... to promote your little Mickey Mouse magazine here, your little news letter, your little club house rainy day fun for boys and girls, your little weekly reader deal..." 🤣

  • @jean-paulgagnon8479
    @jean-paulgagnon8479 9 месяцев назад +13

    Unmatched intensity.

  • @emerpus01
    @emerpus01 9 месяцев назад +39

    Pekar covered the whole thing from his perspective in an issue of American Splendor labeled “David Letterman Exploitation Issue” showing Dave telling Harvey (in front of the audience) “You f-cked up a great thing!”.

  • @bmewes
    @bmewes 9 месяцев назад +68

    I gotta admit, that’s the first I saw Dave loose an interaction. But he got owned.

    • @krewgarr
      @krewgarr 8 месяцев назад +16

      "Lose" is the word you're looking for.

    • @blakfloyd
      @blakfloyd 7 месяцев назад +5

      @@krewgarra one-letter typo doesn't change the validity of what they're saying.

    • @morb0yo
      @morb0yo 7 месяцев назад +3

      @@blakfloydWho says it did?

    • @blakfloyd
      @blakfloyd 7 месяцев назад +2

      @@morb0yo ya mama.

    • @Prince.Hamlet
      @Prince.Hamlet 6 месяцев назад +1

      @@blakfloyd Nah, we're tired of y'all spelling lose wrong.

  • @jasonf9325
    @jasonf9325 Месяц назад

    It's hilarious how he always puts the emphasis on DAVE!
    Dave: "Did you get those free with your subscription to Field and Stream?" 🤣🤣

  • @DrAMP1022
    @DrAMP1022 2 месяца назад +2

    "From off the streets of Cleveland" ... that's it right there. RIP, Harv.

  • @jayess7177
    @jayess7177 9 месяцев назад +72

    Harvey was a simmering volcano of saccharine contempt, God love him!

    • @zimmerman1031
      @zimmerman1031 8 месяцев назад +6

      What was saccharine about his contempt?

    • @jamescarter3196
      @jamescarter3196 7 месяцев назад +2

      "saccharine" means 'artificially sweet' and he wasn't artificial or sweet, just extremely focused on whatever he was thinking

  • @BenGates
    @BenGates 9 месяцев назад +138

    I would pay good money to see Eric Andre flip his own script and do a whole season where every guest is combative and angrily talking over him like in this interview.

    • @andrehendrik
      @andrehendrik 9 месяцев назад +10

      really? I tried watching his show, kind of empty shock value, I thought it got boring pretty fast

    • @mralexforbes
      @mralexforbes 8 месяцев назад +6

      100% the show is pure shit​@@andrehendrik

    • @thechosenmountain9815
      @thechosenmountain9815 8 месяцев назад +1

      or eric andre having harvey pekar

    • @D2ezbmu
      @D2ezbmu 8 месяцев назад +2

      except this sint a skit or an act or a gag.

    • @steventhana8314
      @steventhana8314 7 месяцев назад +2

      Found the smooth brain who enjoys eric andre elementary school humor

  • @RajeshJustaguy
    @RajeshJustaguy 9 месяцев назад +70

    actually this is the first time ive seen Dave visibly losing patience at 5:14, very rarely have i seen him shaken... You can see he isnt happy at all

    • @Road2acept
      @Road2acept 9 месяцев назад +8

      Harvey Pekar looked ready to fight him. The way he grabbed the pen. Privately these 2 definitely would have traded blows.

    • @Cockneyartist
      @Cockneyartist 7 месяцев назад +5

      Good, Letterman is awful

    • @asdf2593
      @asdf2593 7 месяцев назад

      @@Road2acept you're projecting, why would anyone fight over words? because they are an idiot

  • @phdtobe
    @phdtobe Месяц назад +7

    Looks like David Letterman imploded! 😂

  • @HexagonFL
    @HexagonFL 7 месяцев назад +4

    It was honestly pretty refreshing to see Letterman get called out. He bullied a lot of his guests and I found that to be not so upstanding of him. I don’t have much respect for people like Letterman.

  • @davebushmediadesign
    @davebushmediadesign 9 месяцев назад +73

    Harvey was the absolute best guest of Dave's entire career. RIP

    • @joeschmo2693
      @joeschmo2693 9 месяцев назад +5

      Dude, get serious - it's Brother Theodore.

    • @thedude4672
      @thedude4672 9 месяцев назад +5

      I'd go with Norm Macdonald

    • @M-ps6ve
      @M-ps6ve 9 месяцев назад +1

      not a funny bone in his body

    • @theshapeexists
      @theshapeexists 9 месяцев назад

      ​@@thedude4672agreed

    • @pinecone9045
      @pinecone9045 9 месяцев назад +3

      @@joeschmo2693 My first thought Brother Theodore was the consummate Letterman guest he didn't have the need to insult Dave to make his point.

  • @lostsols-ancienttreasure6457
    @lostsols-ancienttreasure6457 9 месяцев назад +71

    Letterman was so much better when it wasn’t just about spoiled celebrities.

    • @OMGWTFLOLSMH
      @OMGWTFLOLSMH 9 месяцев назад +6

      I gave up on talk shows because of celebrities shilling their crappy projects, well before The Late Show ended. I watched the last few weeks, which I enjoyed, and I watched/watch clips of Conan and Kimmel on RUclips, sans celebs.

    • @fatalmodelmadhatter
      @fatalmodelmadhatter 9 месяцев назад +4

      Thank you! Funny how the "talk" parts of a talk show are often the less interesting unless there is chemistry with a guest or it's not a celebrity pandering. Dave usually made an effort to go beyond the shilling and when the celebrity went along with it got gold, but modern talk shows don't even bother, everybody comes rehearsed and all is insufferable because of it!

    • @keefriff99
      @keefriff99 9 месяцев назад +3

      @@fatalmodelmadhatter
      There are some celebrities who are REALLY great at talk shows…relaxed, funny, conversational, not overly scripted, but they’re few and far between.
      Nothing is worse than a comedian who’s being prompted by the host for anecdotes. It’s so fake that it drives me crazy…can’t do it.

    • @apchsiri1156
      @apchsiri1156 9 месяцев назад +3

      ​@@keefriff99Comedians doing bits from their latest show during their talk show interview: uggh.

    • @jonesnbones
      @jonesnbones 4 месяца назад +1

      I loved when Dave really did get uncomfortable. It made for good tv.

  • @calixa
    @calixa 9 месяцев назад +16

    I don't know him or anything about this, but I like Harvey.

  • @tuffteddy1446
    @tuffteddy1446 7 месяцев назад +10

    "Three and a quarter Dave, but for YOU - two fifty. We'll settle up after the show, you got it on ya?!"
    Man, Harvey was fantastic!

  • @oulosvie
    @oulosvie 8 месяцев назад +6

    I love Harvey, straight to the point.

  • @gzayas08
    @gzayas08 9 месяцев назад +46

    I used to love watching Letterman growing up, even though I didn't get half the jokes. I have never heard of Harvey Pekar before, he's awesome!

    • @lesweizman388
      @lesweizman388 9 месяцев назад +5

      you should read american splendor

  • @joelzulueta5585
    @joelzulueta5585 9 месяцев назад +64

    Love Harvey, and love his comics. Kudos to Dave for keeping this interview in the show. I thought it was one his best interviews, ever.

    • @hughmcaloon6506
      @hughmcaloon6506 9 месяцев назад +6

      Harvey was interviewing Dave, from the outset. It's really stunning to see; fascinating. Harvey was large and in charge until Dave blew his top.

    • @carewser
      @carewser 9 месяцев назад +2

      @@hughmcaloon6506 Dave never "blew his top", he just got rightfully annoyed with Pekar

    • @useliteski3381
      @useliteski3381 9 месяцев назад

      Yes, he did. Harvey is an incredible man, Dave is not.@@carewser

    • @chrisisnowliftingstuff3248
      @chrisisnowliftingstuff3248 9 месяцев назад +3

      This was Harveys 6th appearance and they were all like this one. After this appearance Harvey continued to come on. Dave and Harvey loved going back and forth. It wasn't scripted or rehearsed but this was the magic they knew would naturally happen.

  • @cappystrano1
    @cappystrano1 3 месяца назад +2

    I am old, but every Harvey I have ever met in my life, has been an exceptional and interesting person, seriously.

  • @karrdashen9190
    @karrdashen9190 6 месяцев назад +4

    That. Was. AWESOME!

  • @TandemKnights
    @TandemKnights 9 месяцев назад +10

    Ah, the good ole days of television.

  • @ronehill
    @ronehill 9 месяцев назад +36

    The comic store I own had the pleasure of selling books for Harvey at a New York Comic-Con 20 plus years ago. On the first day, one of our managers showed up and gave Harvey a two liter bottle of Sunkist, which pleased Harvey to no end. Harvey's wife at stop by the booth and it kept asking her if she wanted some pop, and she was like "Harvey Do you have a glass? " Which of course he didn't. He was insisting she just drink some straight from the bottle like he was!

    • @ronehill
      @ronehill 9 месяцев назад +13

      On Day 2 I was personally doing the vending. Harvey was very much the guy you see here on TV, telling me the only reason he's here at this show was to get the free trip to New York. The convention area he was in was filled with all kinds of b movie celebrities, and sitting directly across from us was Peter Tork, from the Monkees (another classic late night guest!).

    • @Zepster77
      @Zepster77 8 месяцев назад

      What???!

    • @claytonbouldin9381
      @claytonbouldin9381 4 месяца назад

      @@ronehill I met Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz at Chicago Comiccon YEARS ago. Taylor Dayne was there too. Lots of wrestlers too for some reason.

  • @davemustaki134
    @davemustaki134 9 месяцев назад +50

    He had an Andy Kaufman vibe to him here

    • @kbrewski1
      @kbrewski1 9 месяцев назад +5

      More of a Son of Sam vibe....

    • @davemustaki134
      @davemustaki134 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@kbrewski1 nah lol

    • @April21Volunteer
      @April21Volunteer 8 месяцев назад +2

      Yes, with a little Christopher Lloyd's Reverend Jim from Taxi mixed in.

    • @davemustaki134
      @davemustaki134 8 месяцев назад

      @@April21Volunteer yeah kinda....

    • @jamescarter3196
      @jamescarter3196 7 месяцев назад

      @@April21Volunteer Like Reverend Jim if he was a scary crackhead

  • @nork24
    @nork24 2 месяца назад +1

    Man didn't blink but once!😬

  • @roleplayingpain4349
    @roleplayingpain4349 3 месяца назад +3

    omg i love this man and now need to find his comics

  • @deathisaprimitiveconcept
    @deathisaprimitiveconcept 9 месяцев назад +10

    It’s funny how on other nights their banter was in good spirits, this particular night was a perfect storm of Harvey been a little more toxic than usual and for whatever reason Dave just not being in the mood for Harvey.

  • @AhPhoey
    @AhPhoey 9 месяцев назад +68

    Harvey was great television.

  • @BenjaminRay
    @BenjaminRay 3 месяца назад +4

    What a wild interview. I would have loved to be in the audience to feel how uncomfortable it might have been in the studio!

  • @Steviecraig7
    @Steviecraig7 5 месяцев назад +7

    Being from the other side of the pond, I'd never heard of Harvey Pekar before tonight. Which is a shame, seemed like a good guy.

    • @guins99
      @guins99 3 месяца назад +2

      Seemed like a flake with angry tendencies…

  • @tuffteddy1446
    @tuffteddy1446 7 месяцев назад +6

    This is Harvey at the peak of his powers!

  • @ryanhennessy
    @ryanhennessy 9 месяцев назад +5

    7:09 is the moment I was looking for!

  • @maximehamelin156
    @maximehamelin156 9 месяцев назад +33

    Ordered 3 of his books last month! Thanks to you, Dave!

    • @maximehamelin156
      @maximehamelin156 7 месяцев назад

      @flatearthlogicdotnet Really, ordering more.
      I grew up with Archies in the restroom,. Harvey replaced them :)

  • @ChrisIrving-f7k
    @ChrisIrving-f7k 9 месяцев назад +9

    A real New York interview

  • @LTD-7
    @LTD-7 7 месяцев назад +3

    In 1999 i won a post card mail in contest on Dave Letterman's show. I set beside Tony Randall and it was a blast.

  • @miked6426
    @miked6426 7 месяцев назад +2

    Waiting for him to pull a joker...i want you to savor this last time youll ever be on this show...😂

  • @rangers11ization
    @rangers11ization 9 месяцев назад +9

    Paul was getting nervous😂

    • @jeff-ds2pr
      @jeff-ds2pr Месяц назад

      He's a kiss ass for Dave, so seeing someone challenge him probably made him wet himself.

  • @exciteproductions4two0
    @exciteproductions4two0 9 месяцев назад +9

    This reminds me so much of the ending of the new joker movie. Just waiting for him to pull out a snub nose and pop him live on air. Lmfao