Robert Smigel Found The Triumph Puppet While Furniture Shopping | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Triumph comes out of this You Know. sketch doing on the show and you you. come in with this dog whose Talent is. he's an insult comic yes and then I. think what we have to do which I have to. give you credit for is uh two things the. choice of the puppet is exceptional and. and and and I like I say the fact that. the puppets has kind of a realistic face. but the eyes are the eyes are dead and. so he says these jokes and stares and I. think.

not unlike why I often found Norm. McDonald so funny is Norm could make his. eyes go dead and and just kind of stare. at you after he said a joke and I do. think that Triumph has that I look into. those puppet eyes and I can watch it. forever but the other thing yeah is the. voice because anybody else doing it who. had that idea oh yeah it's a dog who's. an insult comic would have done borch. belt hey you over there what do you suck. you know Armenia hey what Armenia is. that even a country sounds like a tin of.

diarrhea you know what what that's a. good one no don't write it down yeah. it's really good diarrhea of yeah but. anyway what I'm saying is that's what. anybody else would have done Robert is. the only person I know who would have. done I think it's an old Russian Jewish. woman am I correct I had grandparents. that were first generation immigrants. you know who who escaped Russia during. and they actually immigrated to China.

first uh to' be so proud of what you've. done they oh they we must escape. persecution so that so Robert F. Generations may be able to watch to. witness a realistic looking puppet have. sex with a live. animal on television and she's like oh. yes stop yes what is this television. well it's going to be a thing in. starting with a Milton. Bur trying to kill us but if we can.

escape then one maybe one of our. grandchild our grandchildren contribute. will turn us into a hor puet the world. yeah I have to credit I have to credit. my wife so because she's the one who so. I found Triumph on this rack of. whimsical puppets that were when we were. shooting when we were newlyweds and we. were hunting for furniture at a country. store and we saw this and the puppet was. so funny to me these dog puppets and. there was a sheep and a cat so I. immediately put on one of the dog.

puppets sniffed her ass with it in the. in the room in the in the furniture. store and of course she found it funny. because she's the perfect woman for me. and then she surprised me like in. February like two months later after we. were married with like seven of these. puppets and that's what gave me the idea. for this Westminster thing and like Dave. was having Westminster dogs run up and. down the aisles of the edsen theater. very Dave very found humor and I was. like so our version of that our version. is make it up y yeah so that's um well.

so I remember that that that and then I. remember early on before there were. remotes we'd have guests on and Triumph. would roast them and we like catharsis. for the audience yeah and and and so. Triumph would be over behind this little. stand and then and and I would have. interviewed the guest already and then. they go after the guest and I'll never. forget guests would say yes to it not. knowing what it was Simon is on it's the.

height of uh the first couple years of. American the first year of American ID. he was like the biggest thing he was. huge he was huge and he comes on the. show and we said do you mind and he went. oh no you know please whatever whatever. these you chaps do go ahead I'll just be. here with my two tight t-shirt and um. and so uh I interview him it goes you. know we have a nice interview and then. we come back and I go oh look there's. someone here to say hi to you uh Simon. you know and then you come on and you he. doesn't know what's happening you rip.

into him and he's chuckling the crowd's. going crazy laughing cuz this is the. beginning of Triumph Mania the crowd's. going crazy laughing you're ripping into. him and he's watching and then when it's. over I say we'll take a break we'll be. right back and he turns to me and he's. covered in sweat he was covered in sweat. and he. said that was. rough and I like a guy who had just been. beaten with a stick so funny and then. later I saw him afterward and I was like. was that that okay and he he had come to.

understand by then he was like no this. is uh this would be good for me and some. way would be able to show that I can. laugh at my and blood came out of his a. tear with blood in it but uh then it was. really fun because. before before the remotes that Triumph. did he was already people sitting there. and so it was you know all these great. people would sit there and and this. puppet would go out great people well.

please yeah at the time joh Tes yeah um. I love John Tes I love him too I'll go. to the map for John Tes but but anyway. you would go after him and then yes what. you go to do a remote Westminster dog. show and of course CH I think chelmi. goes with you no it was that the first. one was was Jordan and we couldn't get. in first apparently Andy had done. something at Westminster that they. didn't like so they weren't going to let. us in and I was like okay I guess we'll. never do it and and if I never done it.

maybe I would have never done a remote. because that was the obvious one to do. it was Sweeny suggested why don't you go. to West and hit on these dogs yeah and. uh real dogs yeah because i' been well. i' been sort of doing it on the show but. here's all these dogs and I loved it but. so then Jordan like creates this scam. like we gave us he printed out all these. fake NBC pass law he broke the law and. he figured out a side entrance and he. said it's not technically um it's not. technically deception because we.

actually are NBC employees you know it's. very Jordan rationalization yes but it. we got in and it's all because of him. that these remotes exist we tip we tip. our cap now to a man I uh professionally. loathe uh I've made a career a fifth. career out of uh being irritated by. Jordan slansky but um but no in in real. life he saved the day and then you know. remotes come fast and furious and then.

the iconic crazy Star Wars remote where. there's not there's not a there's so. many and I remembered it was all still. again before the internet like things. couldn't go viral but I remember the. night we played that the audience. screaming and going wild and thinking. this if there's only some way this can. be replayed for everybody throughout all. time unfortunately now there is no but. actually it was the first thing on the. show that did because before YouTube. there was something called iilm bler. will know this because he's pathetic.

nerd right yes that's true okay perfect. I remember this too I watched this over. and over and over iil and they created. the term viral video too I know that. yeah yeah and um so it that's that is. why everybody even knew it back then it. was the first thing on the show that. that was like put on I film or whatever. it was called and um it was the happiest. experience I ever had doing Triumph. because everybody was like I don't.

really like making people unhappy I know. it's good television sometimes. especially if it's like a person nobody. likes but it's so much more fun these. guys were fans of you yeah and they knew. who Triumph was it was like they wanted. to meet Triumph and it was like when I. met Don Rickles what makes it so nice is. that because I'm the same way if I think. I've hurt someone's feelings I don't. sleep for like two days if I think they. really got you know and so um I'm just.

saying that to appear nice but you must. never sleep I sleep like a baby no you. know how he solved that it was like an. aversion therapy he decided to be mean. to everybody and that way he he got numb. to it yeah yeah my little my son I'm. just everybody and so um but I think the. magic of that was all the people in line. who you're making fun of for being never. seeing a woman or you know what which do. you push to have your mother come pick.

you up whatever all they're all all. loving it and and and that's the key is. and they're just delighted and now. they're part of History they're the like. the funniest straight men that you could. ask for and the fact that they're. enjoying it just made it like just a. mutual pooper and poopie United as one.