Netflix users can skip Donald Trump jokes in Seth Meyers’ new stand-up special Lobby Baby. As host of NBC’s Late Night talk show since 2014, Meyers has gradually grown in popularity over the years and gained particular notoriety for his political humor.
As host of SNL’s Weekend Update, Meyers spent one year co-anchoring the iconic sketch comedy series’ news segment before becoming the solo anchor for six years. In total, the comedian spent thirteen years at SNL, and it was undoubtedly during this time that he honed his politically-charged comedy. Perhaps one of the most notable moments of Meyers’ comedic career came when he hosted the 2011 White House Correspondent’s Dinner, during which he proceeded to lambaste Donald Trump, who was then still mulling over the idea of running for president in the 2016 U.S. presidential race. The jokes hit hard and fast, and Trump reacted by looking utterly unamused. For others in attendance, however – including then U.S. president Barack Obama, Meyers was a certified hit.
Since those days, much has certainly changed, both in the world and with regard to Meyers’ career. Late Night With Seth Meyers has consistently performed well, and the comedian now finds himself with his own Netflix stand-up special, Lobby Baby, which is set to be released November 5. But for someone who has made a career for himself out of political humor, Meyers has introduced a rather unconventional feature to his comedy special. According to CNN, Lobby Baby will give viewers the ability to skip through all of the special’s Trump jokes. The concept was Meyers’ idea, and he had this to say about its inclusion:
The button works in much the same way as does the button to skip the intro of television programs on Netflix. It may seem odd that fans of Meyers would wish to skip a significant portion of the comedian’s stand-up special, but while skipping the Trump material is very much a real option, Meyers doesn’t take it all that seriously. The Late Night host compared the skip option to parsley, of all things, in that it is a nice touch, but ultimately little more than an aesthetic addition that he doesn’t really expect all that many people to use.
“It dawned on me that because it was on Netflix, there would be this opportunity to put in technology that would allow people to skip it. It was a way to build in the response to anyone who would say, ‘Oh, let me guess there’s going to be jokes about the President.’”
While it appears that Meyers included the skip option as a bit of a tongue-in-cheek nod to the never-ending media commentaries on American politics, this isn’t the first time that Netflix has been keen to offer an altered version of its programming. Most recently, the streaming giant raised concerns from customers and directors when it began to toy with the concept of allowing viewers to watch films and television content at 50% faster speeds than normal. If skipping chunks of comedic specials like Lobby Baby unintentionally catches on, this could very well be yet another for the world of streaming platforms. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing invariably depends on how viewers react.
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Source: CNN
