Watch, if you can, this moment from New York Congresscritter Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez while on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as she talks about the supreme court’s “overreach.” Pay attention to her demeanor, cadence of speech, hand gestures, and body language.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The Supreme Court “overreached” by returning power to the people on abortion and needs to be put “in check” pic.twitter.com/wltZJUaFuK
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 29, 2022
Watch this video back-and-forth between Jay Leno (late night legend) and Johnny Carson. The framing is what you will notice about the stars. How they sit, their postures, and their hand gestures.
Right off the bat, you’ll likely notice some major differences. Carson and Leno seem relaxed and connected to one another. They’re having fun. Despite being on-air, they’re not on the job. They’re not even technically addressing the audience but the audience is welcomed into the conversation, as they’re gestured to from time to time. It was fascinating to hear about airline topics between old friends who were sitting outside with cigars and bourbon.
AOC does not relax. She is focused on her job. She’s addressing the audience directly, only giving Colbert mere moments before returning her full frame to the audience. She holds her hands together while pointing her fingers toward the audience. Her cadence gives away the fact that she’s not answering a question improvisationally or engaging in random conversation, she’s saying something she’s practiced beforehand.
Leno and Carson are engaging in improvised chats, allowing their personalities make the conversation entertaining. AOC will be giving a TED Talk. It’s highly unlikely that Carson and Leno knew they would be talking about airlines before this segment began, or even if they knew the topic, there was no script to it. AOC was able to give her prepared speech because she knew it would come up.
Let’s look at another example. Here’s Maya Hawke, one of the stars of Stranger Things, talking to host Jimmy Fallon of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” about the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade. Hawke didn’t have a script to follow, but she does have bumper sticker lines she needs to use such as “access to safe and legal healthcare,” and “fundamental healthcare.”
She’s nervous, she’s balled up with her shoulders which are pointed directly at Fallon as if she’s trying to pretend he’s the only one in the room, and she’s consistently looking down. She knows she has to say these things but she doesn’t have a script in front of her so she bumbles and pauses her way through it. As her hands support her, she keeps her palms raised. This makes her seem more trustworthy in the eyes. But she shakes her hands wildly while she tries to get the words out.
She exhibits many nervous movements after the speech, including fidgety hands and clenching of her teeth. However, once she moves into fun territory, her shoulders begin to open towards the audience.
This isn’t to say Hawke doesn’t truly believe what’s she saying nor didn’t actually want to say it, but this was definitely an on-the-job moment. The moment was unscripted and scripted. While everyone was aware that abortion was coming up was a matter of course, it was up to Hawke and Fallon to determine how this would play out. Hawke’s “f**k the Supreme Court” quote even came off as something like a manufactured line to add punch to her monologue. They could make headlines or social media statements using this line to encourage people to watch, listen, and click.
In the past, late-night programming was about having fun after a hard day. Now it’s about selling political messaging, specifically in short bites made for TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. It’s about the sale of leftist ideas and “virtues.”
More importantly, it’s about selling them to young millennials and Gen Z. AOC’s primary superpower is that she has the attention of the younger generations. Hawke is admittedly one of the best parts of the 4th season of Stranger Things and she’s captured the nation’s attention. She will not be ashamed to say this.
The late-night comedy program that used to be is gone, it’s sad. These are now propaganda delivery systems cosplaying as the once great programs they’re descended from. They are designed to support activism, politicians and party-line political parties.
While it is sad, it’s not the end. It’s inevitable that everything will end in the wake-up, get broke moment.
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