Conan Explains The Origins Of His Nixon Impression | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Hey, let's do a voicemail. I agree. Voicemail sounds like a good idea. And. hey, if you want to send us a voicemail, just uh call us. Give us your thoughts. 669-587-2847. That number again, 669-587-2847. We'd like to hear your thoughts. and we'd like to reply. Eduardo, you are. go. Hi, uh my name is Ray. I am calling from. the great state of North Cackalacky.

There's a recurring character on the. podcast, uh our late great president, or. not so great president, uh Richard. Nixon. He's probably the one of the most. common recurring characters. Uh my. question to Conan is. what is the humor in Richard Nixon for. you? I would be fascinated to know. This is a very good question. You know, people always talk about when. they were born, but. really what's more significant is you. have to add like 7 years to that, because that's when you really come of.

age. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I do. So, uh. there's just, you know, I'm born in. 1963, and then there's a bunch of years. there where I'm just they're just. shoving ham into me, and I'm slowly. growing, and my my brothers are kicking. me and slapping me, and uh. uh you know, I'm whatever. I mean, that. sort of state of chaos. And then I kind. of start to wake up. and slowly realize things around. 1968-69, and the character who fascinates me is.

this guy Richard Nixon, who uh you know, uh gets elected in uh '68. So, just as. I'm sort of coming into my awareness as. a human being, Richard Nixon is someone. you hear about every day. He's the. president of the United States, but. also, he's this comedy figure who. doesn't even seem real to me. My parents. got these records, and these records were made by a guy. named David Frye, who. would make these whole albums and he did. a funny Richard Nixon impression and he.

would play out all these scenarios and. there were I think there were four. albums and my parents had them all. to get us to go to sleep at night cuz my. brothers and I were rambunctious and we. had two sisters, too. We were all on the. same floor. My mom would just put a. comedy album on in the center of the. hallway and we would all listen to it as. we went to sleep. So, I would go to. sleep listening to this guy doing these. crazy Richard Nixon sketches. coming from out in the hall? Coming from out in the hall. Well, our. our rooms were all, you know, sort of. right around that central hallway, so.

you so you had the doors open, so you. could listen. But, that's so eerie thinking like Nixon. is just floating around in the. Well, Nixon also did hang out in our. hallway, yes, which was also confusing. But, anyway, so I grew up with Nixon as. a, you know, "Hi, I'm not a crook." And, uh there were all these impressions and. every comedian was doing Nixon material, so you got to imagine he's just this. formidable. he's not just the president of the. United States, but also felt like kind. of a comedy figure to me, like a Bugs. Bunny cartoon. So, um and then, of. course, all these years later, I mean,

that's in my core DNA. And then, all. these years later, we'll just be. babbling and suddenly Nixon just comes. out to make an appearance. Yeah. And I have to credit this uh this. comedian impressionist David Frye and. also. uh just President Nixon himself, who no. one did a better Nixon impression. than President Richard Milhous Nixon. So, yeah, I I do think uh that's just. coming from me. That's coming And also, I think there are probably a lot of. people I remember when I worked at The.

Simpsons there were these two writers, uh Oakley and Weinstein very funny, talented writers, uh and I would I went. into their office once and they were. they'd grown up in the DC area and they. were a couple of years younger than me, but they had a giant the other way other. people have posters of rock stars, they. had posters of all the Watergate. conspirators. god. that's amazing. I would find their wall and I'd go in. and go, "What?" And they'd go like, "Oh, yeah, no." And it was like flowcharts of. who was who and it was almost like,

"Who's your favorite of the burglars?". And now, "What about the lawyers?" You. know, are you What are you a Haldeman. guy or an Ehrlichman guy? And it was. just hilarious. I mean, they knew it was. funny, but um. it was just such a funny thing to to. joke about. So, yes, uh. things burble up from deep within my. psyche and uh I don't even understand. why, but now that this person has called. in, Ray,

um. and brought it up, I'm remembering. listening to these records and thinking, "This is all seeped into my brain as I'm. falling asleep every night.". Yeah, it does seem like it takes like. generational gaps, but you get these. presidents that you know, cuz there was. Reagan, Clinton impressions and Bush, but they're okay. Nixon. Nixon's the top. Yeah. And then you get Trump like, you. know, but he's a good impression. There's a. lot of stuff to do there. The problem I always find with uh with. with Trump uh and I've said this before,

uh and and no, this is not the problem. with Trump, but whatever your politics. are aside, the problem with Trump is. that he's so he's so improbable and. cartoonish as a real person. that when a comedian's doing an. impression of Trump, I think you can't make this. character do anything crazier than what. they've already done. You You know what. I'm saying? Or than what how they are in. real life. Whereas, Nixon was this. person that went to China and was this.

person who. uh. seemingly was a very in some ways a very. crafty and intelligent statesman. So, then when and very had a you know, very. stiff. And he really cared about keeping up. appearances, too. keeping up appearances, so that when you. made him act crazy in a comedy album, it. was very funny. As opposed to. uh you know, Trump uh. Trump is such a uh. fire hose blasting water that's just. zipping all around. That's what he is in.

real life. And when a comedian comes out. and says, "Here's my impression of. Trump." and does that, I think I don't. know. Okay, I'll just watch the real. thing. I don't see how this is an. improvement. Sona, do you have a Nixon. impression? No. Would you like to? No, I'm good. Couldn't you try? No. Come on, just say, "I am not a crook.". I'm not a crook. What? Oh, that's post-stroke Nixon. Let me just be here. Let me just Okay. Okay, uh I'll get your check for the.

podcast. Yeah, thank you. Here it is. I have actually zero to add to this. conversation. no, here you go. know what the you guys want me to. say. No, no, it's fine. grow up during the Nixon. I have no idea. Listen, if you had grown up Okay. how to add to it. Thank you very much. I. There you go. The dog. Hey, let me just be here. All right? Oh, and by the way, uh I think it's time for a raise.

Yeah. I think I see a little something extra. in my paycheck. Okay, well, do you mind. if maybe you could just give us a LITTLE. NIXON YOU. PAY ME. YOU. PAY ME. WHAT? I don't know what to do. I don't. do impressions. But, okay. you for your impressions. DO YOU. DO YOUR FRENCH GUY. DON'T make me do these. Come on, FRENCH GUY. OH. I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CIGARETTE always. comes up. Uh. from Paris. I drive a baguette in my.

bicycle. That's why when I saw that, I thought, "She does impressions.". She's got That's just the tip of the. iceberg. I like your first guy was just a French. guy orgasming. You mean a French guy? All right. French guy biting into a baguette. All right. I think we answered that. question. Yeah. Um. Clearly. Yeah. Nixon man, keep the dream alive. Yeah.