okay, yeah. [ laughter ] i should have guessed. [ cheers and applause ] i should have guessed. according to "the new york times" the white house kitchen has been stocked with president trump's favorite snacks, including lay's potato chips. [ light laughter ] and his cabinet has been filled with crackers. [ laughter and applause ] that's weird he likes lay's potato chips. i figured he would be more of a pringles guy, since he's the only person whose hands are small enough to reach the bottom of the can. [ laughter and applause ] "i -- i personally can't stop. [ light laughter ] it's true what they say." u.s. -- u.s. "us weekly." [ laughter ] america's magazine. [ laughter and applause ] stars are just like u.s. [ laughter ] "us weekly" release their new cover story on donald trump's children, and promised everything you didn't know about the trump kids. "is it their names?" asked trump. [ light laughter ] "there's ivanka and then, you know, the field." [ light laughter ] today was national fluoride day, while next week starts plaque history month. [ light laughter ] zero out of five audience members approve of that joke. [ laughter ] three people were arrested and charged in new jersey today after leaving behind a pound of marijuana in their hotel room. how could you forget a pound of mari -- oh, right, right. okay, of course. [ laughter and applause ] netflix has announced a reboot of the tv show "queer eye for the straight guy," and their first episode is making over vice president mike pence. just check out this before and after. [ laughter ] really good. really good. [ laughter and applause ] tostitos has developed a new chip bag that contains breathalyzer sensors, and can help order an uber ride if a person is too drunk to drive. while combos have gone with a different approach. [ laughter ] according to a recent study, men on dating sites are more popular if they mention dancing or cooking. because if there's one thing women love, it's a man who can lie. [ laughter ] and finally, investors have announced that "playboy" is bringing back its playboy club brand by opening a location here in new york. man, how many executive orders is this guy going to sign? [ laughter and applause ] ladies and gentlemen, we have a fantastic show for you tonight. [ cheers and applause ] she's got an upcoming documentary on nat geo, "gender revolution." katie couric is here tonight. [ cheers and applause ] so excited to have her here this evening. also, star of the new film "gold," bryce dallas howard is joining us. [ cheers and applause ] and he is a contributing editor for "rolling stone," and his new book, it's a bestseller. "insane clown president" is out now. matt taibbi will be joining us. [ cheers and applause ] before we get to all of that, today, president trump doubled down on his false claims about nonexistent voter fraud, amid reports of concerns from some people around him about his behavior. for more on this, it's time for "a closer look." ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: it hasn't exactly been a reassuring start for the trump administration, and some people close to trump are seem very eager to give reporters damning details about where he gets his information from, expressing concern in particular, that he watches too much tv. politico reported this week that, quote, "one person who frequently talks to trump said aides have to push back privately against his worst impulses in the white house, and have to control information that may infuriate him." he gets bored and likes to watch tv. so it is important to minimize that. [ light laughter ] hey, i hear you, i'm dealing with the same issue with my son. he's nine months old, and we're trying to observe a "no screens" rule, but sometimes he gets cranky, and the only thing that works is "dora the explorer." so -- been there. [ laughter and applause ] been there. why do trump's aides have to regulate his tv consumption? well, according to "the washington post," trump has been resentful, even furious at what he views as the media's failure to reflect the magnitude of his achievements. and he feels demoralized that the public's perception of his presidency so far does not necessarily align with his own sense of accomplishment. [ light laughter ] accomplishment? you've been president for five days. [ light laughter ] and it seems most of that time has been spent signing giant documents and then showing people that you signed them. [ laughter ] it's like how -- [ applause ] it's like how you read a book to kids -- "and then donnie built a wall. and then there's a picture of the wall." [ laughter ] in fact, trump has apparently been so obsessed with media coverage of his crowds and his so-called achievements, that, according to "the new york times," several senior advisers urged him to move on, and focus on the responsibilities of office during his first full day as president. just let that sink in. the president's aides had to urge him to focus on the responsibilities of his office. what's he going to be like in an actual crisis? "mr. president, north korea has fired a nuke." "hold on, dora and boots are helping a baby fish find its mother. [ laughter ] so there's a lot going on." [ applause ] trump staffers are even making snarky comments about how lazy he is. referring to white house counselor kellyann conway, one trump confidante suggested that conway's office on the second floor of the west wing, as opposed to one closer to the oval office, was a sign of her diminished standing, and dismissively predicated that trump would rarely climb a flight of stairs. [ light laughter ] that sounds right. i think trump would look at a flight of stairs and say, "this escalator's broken." [ laughter ] and then someone close to trump told the associated press that, quote, "the bad press over the weekend has not allowed trump to enjoy the white house as he feels he deserves." hey, man, you're not supposed to enjoy the white house. that's why dudes go in looking like this, and come out looking like this. [ laughter ] that's not a guy who was at a super fun party. [ cheers and applause ] that's not a guy leaving a carnival, that's a guy who was just visited by three ghosts. [ laughter ] only one president ever really enjoyed the white house, and he got impeached for it. [ laughter and applause ] the same article continues, "those around trump are trying to get the cable news consumer in chief to be near a television less often." have you tried hiding the remote some place he would never look, like under the constitution? [ laughter and applause ] and you can see trump's cable news consumption influencing his thinking in real time. on tuesday, for example, at 9:25 pm, trump tweeted, "if chicago doesn't fix the horrible carnage going on, i will send in the feds." where could trump possibly have gotten that idea? was it maybe uttered about an hour earlier on cable news? >> gang violence in chicago getting worse. will president trump step in and override local authorities? >> seth: if you're going to copy your work, at least change it enough to hide your tracks. didn't you learn anything from your inauguration speech? >> we are transferring power from washington, d.c., and giving it back to you, the people. >> we take gotham from the corrupt, and we give it back to you. the people. [ laughter and applause ] >> seth: so trump -- [ cheers and applause ] "it's going to be tremendous." [ light laughter ] so trump literally takes his cues from fox news, and bane. which -- [ laughter ] -- could be good if we could just find a way to get bill o'reilly to say this. >> donald trump should step down. >> seth: could work. [ cheers and applause ] should work. trump spent the first few days of his term lying about crowd sizes. and now he's even lying about his own victory in november, repeating, in a meeting with congressional leaders and in a series of tweets, the insane and false claim that three to five million illegal votes cost him the popular vote. of course, this claim has been repeatedly debunked, including by trump's own lawyers, who wrote in a legal filing on behalf of the trump campaign objecting to a recount in michigan in december that, quote, "all available evidence suggests that the 2016 general election was not tainted by fraud or mistake." donald, i'm going to repeat a phrase i'm sure you've heard many times in court -- listen to your lawyers. [ laughter ] now, you might remember, after the last crowd size debacle, white house press secretary sean spicer promised the white house press corps, quote, "our intention is never to lie to you." that's interesting language. "our intention is never to lie to you." [ light laughter ] it's like saying, "i don't want to lie to you, baby, but then you get so upset when i sleep with other girls, you gave me no choice." [ laughter ] given that promise, there's no way spicer would come out the very next day and repeat trump's blatant and obvious lies about fake voter fraud, right? >> does the president believe that millions voted illegally in this election, and what evidence do you have of widespread voter fraud in this election, if that's the case? >> the president does believe that. he has stated that before. he continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him. >> how can he be comfortable with his win if he believes -- >> he's very comfortable with his win. >> -- three million votes, maybe he didn't win -- >> no, he's very comfortable with his win. >> seth: he's very comfortable with his win. it may have seemed small at the time, but you have to remember, in november, it's very cold. [ laughter and applause ] now, maybe, maybe spicer is just a little agitated because, as "the washington post" recently reported, spicer churns through pieces of orbit cinnamon gum, which he chews and swallows whole. "two and a half packs by noon," said spicer. "i talked to my doctor about it. he said it's no problem." do you share a doctor with donald trump? [ laughter ] swallowing gum is good for your stomach, and your brain. in fact, the human brain is mostly gum. i learned that from a famous neurosurgeon. [ laughter and applause ] so now, because of trump's lies, it's difficult to believe him on anything policy related. like, for example, when he claimed, quote, "i was the first and only potential gop candidate to state there will be no cuts to social security, medicare and medicaid." you might remember that to hold him to the promise, bernie sanders took to the senate floor with a giant printout of that trump tweet. and apparently -- [ cheers and applause ] apparently, bernie kept the giant tweet, because on tuesday, he showed up for the confirmation hearing for trump's potential office of management and budget director mick mulvaney, and behind him there was a staffer who was once again carrying the giant trump tweet. and you know that's the same one, because you know there's no way bernie doesn't recycle his giant tweets. [ light laughter ] bernie probably brings his own paper cup to the deli. [ light laughter ] "why waste a new cup when this one is perfectly fine?" [ light laughter ] and yet, on tuesday, mulvaney repeatedly indicated that he would favor cutting these programs, despite trump's promises. meanwhile, trump is moving forward with cruel and unnecessary promises to ban refugees and build a mexican border wall. so if you like a wall, good news. if you like a refugee ban, good news. if you like social security, medicare and medicaid, be worried. and remember, when they cut medicare and you want to go to mexico for cheap healthcare, you won't be able to get there because of the [ bleep ] wall. [ cheers and applause ] this has been "a closer look." ♪ we'll be back with more "late night," everybody. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ (vo) when you're on your phone 24/7, you probably think you need an unlimited plan. but actually, the majority of people pay for data they never use. that's right, two out of three people use less than five gigs. now verizon introduces the one plan that's right for you. switch, and for just $55 get five gigs on america's best network. that's tons of data at a cost that's less than an unlimited plan. and the best part, no surprise overages. finally, all the data you need, on the network you want. verizon. ♪ 48 hours of protection. i don't have to reapply this... not once! it's really soft and almost velvety... as you put it on. it's like reaaally soft. try dove advance care. for softer, smoother underarms. is depressio♪ more than sadness? it's a tangle of multiple symptoms. ♪ ♪ trintellix (vortioxetine) is a prescription medicine for depression. trintellix may start to untangle or help improve the multiple symptoms of depression. for me, trintellix made a difference. tell your healthcare professional right away if your depression worsens, or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. trintellix has not been studied in children. do not take with maois. tell your healthcare professional about your medications, including migraine, psychiatric and depression medications to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition. increased risk of bleeding or bruising may occur especially if taken with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners. manic episodes or vision problems may occur in some people. may cause low sodium levels. the most common side effects are nausea, constipation and vomiting. trintellix did not have significant impact on weight. ask your healthcare professional if trintellix could make a difference for you. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] seth: welcome back, everybody. please give it up for the 8g band right over there. [ cheers and applause ] also joining us this week, he's an incredible drummer from the grammy-nominated rock band mutemath who are coming off a summer tour and groundbreaking e.p. collaboration with 21 pilots, and are currently working on their fifth studio album, darren king, everybody. >> thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: thank you so much for being in the band. now, this is very exciting. a couple years ago, i was in my parents attic, and i found my old video game system. this is a game system that came out before atari, before nintendo, and it was called the jorbus. the jorbus was made by the now out of business department store montgomery ward. let me show it to you, see if you guys remember the old jorbus. there we go. [ light laughter ] very sleek, beautiful machine. for my money, the jorbus had the best video games that had ever been created. and i have been playing it nonstop ever since i found it. a lot of these games are ahead of their time. so let's take a look at some of them in a segment we call "old video games." ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: all right, so the first game we're going to show you is this classic, "pill pick extreme." now in this game you play a senior citizen and you have to remember to take the right pills for each day of the week. and if you take the pills you're suppose to, the game rewards you with scoops of bran cereal. [ light laughter ] unfortunately if you take even one of your pills in the wrong order, you die. [ laughter ] and if you get to the final level and take all the pills you're supposed to, you win the game and you also die, but you die peacefully. [ laughter ] you have to remember back in the '80s all the young kids wanted to be old people. because of the movie "cocoon." [ light laughter ] next up, you guys remember the dream team, the 1992 dream team? a fantastic basketball team. they went to the olympics. you don't have to clap. [ laughter ] they got plenty of applause back then. so this is really cool, this is called christian laettner olympic basketball. now in this game you play as 1992 olympic dream team member christian laettner who pretty much just sat on the bench the whole time. so -- [ light laughter ] you press a if you want to clap for magic johnson. and you press b and you can clap for larry bird. and this was super cool, if you clapped enough, you got to unlock michael jordan. and then once you did that, you got to be christian laettner as he high fives michael jordan. [ laughter ] it's a fantastic game. the more you played it, the more fun you had. next game is one of my favorites. this was jorbus's answer to the much more popular game "duck hunt." i'm of course talking about "duck hunk." now, in "duck hunk" you play -- [ light laughter ] you play a buff male duck who cruises the streets of los angeles honking at beautiful women. >> hey, duck hunk, looking good. [ quacking ] >> hey, duck hunk have you been working out? [ quacking ] >> hey, duck hunk, can i feel your muscle? [ quacking ] >> seth: and if that wasn't fun enough there's another part of the game where you just stand in front of a mirror admiring your muscles. but this is really cool, you know "duck hunt" came with a gun. this game played with a blow dryer and you can plug it in to your jorbus and point it at the tv and check out what happens. [ light laughter ] >> oh yeah. >> seth: interesting fact, this game game was very popular among bestiality enthusiasts. [ light laughter ] in fact, it turned out it was actually just a very successful fbi sting operation. [ light laughter ] next up, we have another classic game. a lot of video games are based on music. and this one was inspired by the 1982 bruce springsteen album "nebraska." in this game you play as bruce springsteen and you just walk around an abandoned midwestern town after a factory closed. take a look. >> closed. that's closed down. [ light laughter ] that one's closed too. anyone in there? [ light laughter ] is this one open? no. closed. >> seth: also, they couldn't afford any music rights, so you never hear springsteen. [ light laughter ] the last game was jorbus's answer to the popular "mortal combat" fighting game series. but also, an attempt to siphon off of the success of lighthearted 80s comedies. this game is, of course, "john hughes' ultimate fighter." and in this game, you can play as any of your favorite john hughes' characters, like here, where ferris bueller fights against andy from "pretty in pink." >> ready? fight. [ light laughter ] >> ducky, help me. >> i'm gonna call cameron. >> finish him. [ audience ohs ] >> andy wins. >> bueller. bueller. bueller. >> seth: give it up for the jorbus, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] we'll be right back with more late night. ♪ sorry there's no elevator in this wing. i made you a little snack. sweet dreams! nutrition alert, enjoy that breakfast jimmy! hello mr. khaled. do you have a tax question? i use my crib as a bed n' breakfast from time to time. the question is, can i deduct some of the complementary room items? that's the question you feel me? yes, you can enter them here. great! because i love to keep my people happy. mr. khaled. jimmy what's good? i clogged my toilet up! i got you! i believe in me too. ♪ i am the unicorn of your confidence ♪ ♪ there's more than one route to the top. the lexus ls and lx. each offering leading-edge comfort, safety and performance technologies. the ultimate in refinement meets the ultimate in capability. lease the 2017 lx 570 for $899 a month for 36 months. see your lexus dealer. for the first time ever.g to the next level, at olive garden. never ending classics starting at $11.99. switch it up between never ending helpings of your most loved classic dishes. because the best things in life should be never ending. at olive garden. remember 2007? smartphones? o m g ten years later, nothing's really changed. it's time to snap out of it. hello moto. snap on a jbl speaker. put a 70" screen on a wall. get a 10x optical zoom. get excited world. hello moto. moto is here. the moto z with motomods. get 50% off on moto z droid. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: welcome back everybody. our first guest tonight is a 13 time emmy-award winning journalist and the global anchor for yahoo news. her latest documentary, "gender revolution: a journey with katie couric," premiers february 6th on nat geo. please welcome to the show katie couric, everybody. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> i'm so happy to be here. this is my first time on your show, seth. [ talking over each other ] >> seth: i'm honored to have you. >> i'm thrilled to be here. congratulations. i love watching you. >> seth: thank you so much. congratulations to you as well. you just had a birthday, congratulations. >> thanks. yes, i did. [ cheers and applause ] i don't know if you all would be applauding if you knew what birthday it was. [ light laughter ] the big six-o. >> seth: six-o. [ cheers and applause ] i don't think -- i don't think a lot of 60-year-olds rock out like this on their birthday. look at that. >> yeah, i had a lot of fun. i had a -- i kind of had a birthday bash because i'm a firm believer in celebrating. i mean, we have to celebrate the good things. and if you reach 60, you're lucky to be here. right? and so i had a big party. [ cheers and applause ] and -- a lot of my friends at this party. >> seth: that is somebody who's about to drink, cause your shoes are off! >> yeah, i know. i love to dance, so i did a lot of serious dancing that night. max weinberg played. >> seth: that's impressive. >> and the guys, so it was a lot of fun. >> seth: and you -- you also, this is very exciting for matt lauer, 20 years at nbc. >> that's right. >> seth: you came back and hosted the "today show." did you enjoy it? >> i did. i did. it was a lot of fun. you know, it felt like, you know, old times. and i have so many friends who are still working there. >> seth: of course. >> you know, mark trout the stage manager, you always hear laughing in the background even when the things aren't funny. he just sort of tries to encourage our mental act. >> seth: that's why you can hear him. he's the one guy. >> yeah, exactly. exactly. >> seth: you of course are still a member of the media and i have to ask. obviously this trump administration, we're in the early days of it, but the media has been cast pretty quickly as an adversary, as it was throughout the campaign. what is your relationship with the trump administration been so far? >> well you know, i would love to interview president trump at some point. he doesn't seem particularly interested in that at this juncture. i'm hoping that he'll change his mind. [ light laughter ] you know, i think he does consume, as you said earlier, a lot of television. and i don't think he is that internet savvy, except for his twitter feed, obviously. >> seth: very good at twitter, yeah. >> he's good at twitter, but because he watches so much television, i don't think he realizes how much news and information is actually consumed online for people. so i'm trying to kind of make sure he realizes that. and i think it's actually -- you know i think it's a bit scary to see such an adversarial relationship with the press. because as he tries to cast doubts on the credibility of a free press, i think he thinks that will prevent anyone from casting doubt on his credibility. >> seth: yeah. >> and you know, we really need a free press to hold any president accountable for what they're doing, and to not obsess on these things that he seems to be sidetracked about. whether it was the inauguration, crowd size, or now these false claims. or you know, specious claims about illegal voting. and i think, you know, hopefully they'll both -- both institutions will get their act together because we really need a free press to cover this administration. [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: there is -- there is some press he likes. because you were in his office during the campaign and you noticed something in his office. >> yeah, it was interesting. i went by to say hello, you know, kiss the ring and all that stuff that you have to do sometimes. and i noticed he has a huge, huge desk at his office in trump tower. and there was every magazine that he had been on the cover of. like ten issues deep. and he had been on the cover of a lot of magazines. >> seth: sure. >> so his entire desk was covered with various publications. and i was thinking, wow, you know. that's an interesting decor for an office. >> seth: yeah. >> yeah. >> seth: it really is. it's, i mean -- it's like when my mom, when i'm in the newspaper, my mom gets ten of them. [ light laughter ] >> my parents used to make scrapbooks for me. >> seth: my mom makes a scrapbook, too. >> which is so sweet. >> seth: my mom was very -- >> but you're not president. >> seth: that's true. [ laughter ] sorry mom. >> no, no, that wasn't a dis. >> seth: i want to talk about -- >> maybe you should run, by the way, seth. >> seth: no, no thank you. [ cheers and applause ] i just -- it doesn't pay anywhere near enough. [ laughter ] so i want to talk about gender revolution. this is a documentary you made for nat geo. and it's really nice timing for something like this because i think everyone's perceptions of gender are changing. did you go into this with a full education on it, or did you learn throughout the process? >> not at all. i mean, i have been actually very interested in this for several years, because, increasingly i saw so much coverage of this. obviously with caitlyn jenner giving it huge visibility. and i was so interested in how our definition of gender is changing. millennials, 50% of millennials think that gender is on a spectrum. but somebody like me, a cisgender. thank you. someone who identifies with the gender i was born with. you know, who grew up in a very binary world of male/female which is to how i start the documentary. it's hard too wrap your head around. even very progressive friends of mine have, you know, trouble with this whole changing concept of gender. then when my daughter, who's a junior in college, said they go around the room in discussion groups. they say their names and their pronouns. and i thought, wow. we're going -- we're really witnessing a transformational time in terms of gender. so i embarked on this journey to really educate myself with using what i hope was respectful curiosity. and talking to the people who were behind the headlines, the people whose lives are being affected by this, and who are adjusting to this. and the institutions, like yale, that are adjusting to this changing perception. >> seth: and it's not just the perception, but obviously along with that comes, there's a new vocabulary, and you actually -- i would like to show a clip of you talking. is this -- was this at yale? >> this was with a yale student. that's right. >> seth: okay, let's take a look. >> okay. >> my name is matthew, and i am a junior, and i use they, them, their. >> they, them, theirs. what exactly does it mean to be they, them, and theirs? >> when i was first going through the initial stages of my transition, there was a time period where i was trying to get people to use he, him, his and like that was maybe less wrong than she, her, hers, but wasn't quite right either. so i started trying out they, them, theirs. and i was just like, this feels good. like this feels right. people are always saying, oh but they is a plural pronoun. how can i refer to a single person that way? in my head i think, well i am plural. >> seth: it's very interesting, and i think it's very helpful to watch things like this, and conversations like that, because it's natural to have an ignorance for this. >> right. >> seth: i don't think that people should be ashamed for not fully understanding what's happening here. >> well one of those yale students just said what's required is radical patience. and i think for everyone to kind of adjust with this new normal that everyone kind of has to give themselves a little room to sometimes make mistakes. so i hope this will be a really good learning tool for people to not only understand the new vernacular, but to also understand the people who this is affecting. like, you know i talked to a mom and her transgender daughter. and this -- her daughter contemplated suicide at age seven. and trans people are -- the suicide rate among trans people is almost 50%, compared to 4.6 for the general population. so a lot of people say we'd rather have a transgender child than a dead child. and i don't think people understand what a struggle this is, that they don't make this decision cavalierly. and there's a whole process and medical professionals and psychological professionals. so i really take a number of stories that will make it hard for people to be so afraid and to be full of hate. when they get to know the real people behind them, behind the story. >> seth: well i'm so glad you did it. it's really fantastic. >> and you're -- can we say that your mother-in-law helped with the teaching guide? >> seth: yes, well, now she'll be very happy that you did. [ light laughter ] and that would be very embarrassing that i wasn't going to. [ light laughter ] katie couric, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] "gender revolution" airs february 6th on nat geo. we'll be right back with bryce dallas howard. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ discover card. customer service! ma'am. this isn't a computer... wait. you're real? with discover card, you can talk to a real person in the u.s., like me, anytime. wow. this is a recording. really? no, i'm kidding. 100% u.s.-based customer service. here to help, not to sell. that ride share? you actually rode here on the cloud. did not feel like a cloud... that driverless car? i have seen it all. intel's driving...the future! traffic lights, street lamps. business runs on the cloud... and the cloud runs on intel. ♪ i wonder what the other 2% runs on...(car horn) ♪ there are now twice as many four-dollar value menu items. that's right, america. we just created the greatest value menu in the world. boom. ♪ pain from a headache can when make this...old, feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol® ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: our next guest is a golden globe-nominated actress you know from "jurassic world," "black mirror," and "as you like it." she stars in "gold," which hits theaters friday. let's take a look. ♪ >> are you here? ♪ baby, where are you? ♪ >> huh? you surprised? >> yeah! >> it's your favorite flower, right? >> seth: please welcome to the show bryce dallas howard, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> seth: welcome to the show. i'm happy to have you. >> i'm so happy to be here. thank you. i've never -- i've never been here. >> seth: i know. it's very exciting fan. >> i'm a giant, giant fan. >> seth: thank you so much. and this film, "gold," for those who don't know, this is a real true-life story -- >> yes. >> seth: where matthew mcconaughey plays an actual gold prospector. >> yes. >> seth: in all his glory there. >> yes. >> seth: and you can tell from that clip, he found some gold. >> yeah. >> seth: yeah. [ laughter ] >> yeah, he did. he did. like you said, it's based on this true story about this hedonistic guy who's a kind of a businessman, but no one really believes that he can accomplish anything on his own. and he sort of cons his way into this situation, where he's really wealthy, and, you know, obviously things like that never happen in real life. [ laughter ] >> seth: never happen in real life. they never happen in real life. >> yeah. [ applause ] >> seth: it would be crazy if it did. >> no, no! >> seth: no! >> no! >> seth: you mentioned the hedonistic qualities of this character. now, you in real life -- this is true -- you have never had a sip of alcohol? >> no. >> seth: and, yet, in this film, there are many sips of alcohol. is it phony? did you ever -- were you at risk? [ light laughter ] >> here's what happened, guys? it's time. i'm 35. i'm just going to come out with it. >> seth: yeah. >> so, so we were shooting the scene on set, and it was, like, this very, like, spirited thing. and we were really sort of, like, just -- we're all dancing. it was the celebration scene, and matthew has champagne, and he's popping corks of champagne everywhere, and we're all dancing. and you kind of lose track of where the camera is. and then, he poured champagne into the glass, and i, like, lift it up. and then, i soft see the glint of a camera, and i take a whiff of it, and it's champagne. and i shut my lips so tight. [ light laughter ] that champagne was not getting into my body. >> seth: so, you did it. you did not break the seal. >> i didn't, but here was my concern. we were shooting in new mexico. the altitude is really -- it's intense, right? >> seth: yeah. >> you shouldn't drink alcohol. i wasn't sure if any alcohol went through my pores. i'm serious. i googled it. [ laughter ] >> seth: really? >> i drank lots of water. >> seth: wow. so you not only have never had a sip of alcohol, you have no basic understanding of how it works? [ laughter and applause ] >> that's accurately true. >> seth: i mean, like, i remember my first beer. i had some ideas before i had it. >> yeah, yeah. i was raised with ron howard as my father. >> seth: yeah. >> so he also doesn't know much about it. >> seth: okay, got you. >> so yeah, we have, like, a very, like, 17th-century understanding, like, living in some, like -- >> seth: it's like, your life's the liquor store is where the dragons live. >> yes. [ laughter ] that's exactly it, actually. yeah. >> seth: so, you went to school for acting, but you did not finish, because you had an acting career? >> right. >> seth: and i'm very impressed to hear that you are actually now going back to get your acting degree. >> yeah, so that i can be an actress. >> seth: yeah. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. >> seth: how was it? >> it's well -- i've actually, i've been kind of -- i've been, i've been sort of, like, chipping away at it over the last -- it's been a decade now. i -- actually, when i was doing the last -- right after i did the last draft, i took a classic at ucla. and it was one of my favorite classes. it was called "hip and cool, a study of distinction and exclusion, the history of the hipster." [ light laughter ] >> seth: wow. >> yes. >> seth: parents who are paying for that class are so bummed out. [ laughter ] so bummed out. >> seriously, i was not. >> seth: yeah. >> everyone -- like, all the kids in the class, they were, like, 18, 19 years old. like, there i am, like, in my mid 30's being like, "i'm so happy to be here. like, someone else is putting my kids to bed right now. like, this is amazing!" and i got super into it. and we needed to do an ethnographic field report of hipsters. you know, you see them in their natural habitat, which of course, was silver lake. [ laughter ] >> seth: silver lake. >> los angeles. >> seth: yeah, there you go. >> and the problem was is that you had to kind of like, you had to adapt and, like, look like one of them. so -- >> seth: here's your adaptation. this is a very good hipster. >> i dyed my hair pink -- [ light laughter ] >> seth: okay, great. >> for the report. >> seth: yeah, i will say your eyes look a little bit like someone who's pretending not to be noticed. [ light laughter ] you're like, "hello, i am a normal hipster." [ light laughter ] >> now, it was -- yeah. i got a compliment, though, at silver lake. i was like, "i got a compliment from someone in silver lake." >> seth: it was a compliment. >> they liked my hair. >> seth: oh, that's fantastic. >> yeah. >> seth: you passed, a-plus. >> i know. i know. i think i actually got, like, an a-minus, but that's okay. [ light laughter ] for real. >> seth: now, you mentioned your father's ron howard, and you did plays in college. >> mm-hmm. >> seth: is it intimidating? did he come see plays of yours when you were in college? >> yeah, yeah, yeah, because i was sort of, like, for a while, i was just like, "don't come to shows and everything." because i didn't, you know, i was, like, working out silly thing in my brain. >> seth: sure. >> but then, i was part of a play that i was really proud of. it was called -- it's very avant garde called "hamlet machine." >> seth: okay. >> i played ophelia, and it's sort of a gender reversal, actually. so, i'm naked in the play for 45 minutes. >> seth: oh, wow. and that's the one you decided to start with? >> yeah. >> seth: you didn't want him to come see "our town" first, or something? [ light laughter ] >> no, no. i also thought it would be a good idea to invite my grandfather. >> seth: oh, my goodness. >> yeah. >> seth: all right, so two generations. >> yes, my dad was squeamish as hell -- >> seth: okay. >> and really freaked out, i think, the whole time. my grandfather, on the other hand, who's an actor, he's 88 years old now, and still a professional actor -- >> seth: fantastic. >> he said -- he came up to me, and he was like, "you know, you're never going to be afraid of anything. you're not, you know, you did that like -- you're not -- nothing is going to intimidate you because you laid in front of an audience completely butt naked with, like, butt facing the audience for 45 minutes." >> seth: yeah. >> that was, like, a specific detail. it was actually a window. i was, like, hanging out of the window. [ light laughter ] my dad was like, "did they have to do that?" but then, my grandfather went to the director, and he only had two notes. and it was that he felt that the theater was too bright. [ laughter ] and that they especially needed to lower it at the end when i'm, like, close up to the audience and totally naked. [ light laughter ] >> seth: that's a grandfather's right. he's allowed to say that. >> yes. >> seth: and i'm very excited for you to complete your degree, and congratulations on the film, and thank you so much for being here. it's such an honor. >> thank you. >> seth: bryce dallas carter, everybody! >> thank you. >> seth: "gold" is in theaters friday. we'll be right back with mike taibbi. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ "when the ship comes in" by the hollies ♪ oh the fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path ♪ ♪ and the seagulls they'll be smilin ♪ ♪ and the rocks on the sand it's so peaceful out here. yeah. introducing the new turbocharged volkswagen alltrack with 4motion® all-wheel drive. soon to be everywhere. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ wecage-free eggs.ng and we care about amazing taste. because at hellmann's, we're on the side of food. so if ydead battery,t tire, need a tow or lock your keys in the car, geico's emergency roadside assistance is there 24/7. oh dear, i got a flat tire. hmmm. uh... yeah, can you find a take where it's a bit more dramatic on that last line, yeah? yeah i got it right here. someone help me!!! i have a flat tire!!! well it's good... good for me. what do you think? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. not to be focusingo finaon my moderatepe. to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. so i made a decision to talk to my dermatologist about humira. humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to my symptoms. in clinical trials, most adults taking humira were clear or almost clear, and many saw 75% and even 90% clearance in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask about humira, the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists. clearer skin is possible. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: welcome back, everybody. our next guest is a best selling author and contributing editor for "rolling stone." his latest book, "insane clown president: dispatches from the 2016 circus" is available now. please welcome to the show, matt taibbi, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> seth: welcome to the show. >> thank you for having me on. >> seth: congratulations on the book, "insane clown president," comes from what you -- because you covered this from the beginning. >> right. >> seth: the insane clown car that was the republican primary. >> right, yeah, absolutely. >> seth: amd you referred to those 17 candidates as "17 platypuses trying to mount the queen of england." [ light laughter ] which is very evocative. it's a very nice turn of the phrase. were you happy when you came up with that? >> i was trying to think of something that was obscene enough to represent what i thought i was seeing with my eyes, and that was the only thing i could come up with. [ light laughter ] >> seth: yeah. >> yeah. >> seth: what are the -- obviously right now, we talked about earlier in the show, president trump is attacking the press a lot. he's attacking journalists. he did it throughout the entire campaign. is there -- do you think there's a fair criticism of the media -- >> of course. >> seth: in so far as how they cover him? >> in so far as how we cover him, you know, that's a different question. in general, of course, there's a fair criticism of us, because we don't know anything. if we knew anything, we'd be doing something else for a living. >> seth: right. [ light laughter ] >> you know, i met a lot of people on the trail that will say things like, "you know you people in the media are always trying to tell me how to live, but you don't know how to fix an oil filter." but, that's true, you know? >> seth: yeah. >> i think there's a lot of resentment about the media that is grounded in reality, and trump very candidly exploited a lot of those feelings. >> seth: you go back and forth, and obviously, this book sort of, you know, takes place throughout your covering of it. >> correct. >> seth: there are times where you think this is all hilarious. >> right. >> seth: and there are times, then, that you think it's terrifying, and you kind of go back and forth. are you still going back and forth? >> yeah, no, i'm sure, as anybody who has a sense of humor feels, that we're deeply conflicted because on the one hand, it's the funniest thing that's happened to this country. [ light laughter ] you know, on the other hand it's, potentially, the end of civilization. [ light laughter ] and, you know -- but, does that make it funny or, i don't know. i mean, it's terrible, and awful, and hilarious all at the same time. and, you know, it made it difficult to know how to think about the entire thing because we know, obviously, you have you to have a strategy for covering any candidate. and in the beginning of the book, it's pretty clear. i was covering this as a comedy. i thought this was all very funny. and then, it took this dark turn in the middle where it's, you know, where we had to start thinking seriously about what did this all mean. and of course, it became weightier there. >> seth: you talk a little bit, and obviously, there's been a lot of talk about the idea of a bubble and people being inside a bubble. you travel with the reporters, so you're with people who cover this. can sort of a group think set in -- where everybody has the same take on how the election's gonna go. >> yeah, there's a kind of stockholm syndrome that sets in. and this is something that i've noticed, going back to the first campaign i covered back in 2004. you know, a lot of people don't realize this, but the campaign is really like a traveling prison. you know, it's so airtight once the secret service gets involved. like, you know, back in those days, i had to smoke. when i was smoking, you had to actually ask somebody to get you cigarettes because you can't escape the bubble. so, you're literally trapped inside the plane with the candidate, the candidate's aides, those are the only people you talk to. and what happens when you're in the same environment, with the same people day after day, week after week, you start to adopt each other's values, whether you want to or not. and i think that's what happened with the politicians and the media this time around. they got so used to each other, and so used to relying upon each other to take the temperature of america, they didn't listen to what people were actually saying. i think that was a major factor in trump's rise. >> seth: so, you know, we're gonna obviously, everything goes all right, we're going to have another presidential election. [ knocking ] and -- [ light laughter ] >> if the world doesn't end before then. >> seth: we don't know. or they decide never to hold one again. [ light laughter ] >> right. >> seth: if they do, so how -- you know, will the press cover the next election differently? or will candidates -- i'm giving you a lot of questions here. >> sure. >> seth: are candidates going to adopt the trump model? like, what can the press do differently next time out? >> so, here's the problem. you know, trump's brilliant innovation was to realize that the campaign trail story is just a big reality show, and it was a sucky, boring reality show. and then, he turned it into an engrossing impossible to a miss reality show. and i think what's going to happen in the future is that politicians are going to try to run the campaigns like trump did, trying to stay in the news not just every day, but every second, every minute, you know? that was a key to his strategy. and i don't know how the press gets away from that, because, you know, financially they're dependent also on hits and eyeballs and ratings. >> seth: yeah. >> and so, it's impo -- it's very difficult not to make it into a circus and a show. and any politician who does that, the press is probably going to follow. >> seth: i will say, don't you think, though -- i mean, he -- to compliment him, he's better at this. like, he's so naturally good at that. i feel like anyone else who tried to do it would be ham fisted and weird. >> oh, yeah. >> seth: like, anyone who says, "i'm going to run donald trump's campaign," i think it would fail. >> oh, there was a moment in this campaign i remember, ted cruz in new hampshire, trying to do imitations, you know, from "the princess bride." he actually wasn't bad. >> seth: yeah. [ light laughter ] >> but it was -- which was depressing for me, because i loved that movie. [ laughter ] but, you know, the attempt to try to be a trumpian character -- >> seth: well, like, and marco rubio who, all of a sudden, thought he could get into a flame war with donald trump. it was kind of pathetic to watch. >> it was no one has the total lack of self-awareness, and -- [ light laughter ] >> seth: yeah. >> trump just outclasses all of them in the areas of -- >> seth: it's not that -- like, in order to be trump, you don't need to read a bunch of books. it's almost like they need to take a part out of your brain. [ laughter ] >> yeah, exactly, exactly or you have to eat like a -- [ applause ] >> seth: yeah. i'm so glad you're out there. congratulations on the book. i've been a big fan for a long time. thanks for making the time for us. >> thank you very much, seth. [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: matt taibbi, everybody. "insane clown president" is available now. we'll be right back. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ oh, it's a good day... ♪ [car horns] [angry shouting] excuse me! [storm siren] when it comes to buying a house... trulia knows the house is only half of it. and with 34 map overlays like traffic, crime, natural hazards, and more... you can find the right house and the right neighborhood for you. trulia. the house is only half of it. [ cheers and applause ] my thanks to katie couric, bryce dallas howard. matt taibbi, everybody. darren king, the 8g band. stay tuned for carson daly, we'll see you tomorrow. ♪ ♪ >> carson: hey, i'm carson daly. this is "last call." thanks for being here tonight. we're coming to you from skylark in new york city, and we got a good one tonight. in our spotlight, actor and comedian johnny pemberton is going to talk "son of zorn."