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Joy Behar Page
Van Der Sloot Admits Extortion; David Letterman`s View; Jerry Lewis Slams Lohan
Aired September 07, 2010 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BEHAR: Hey, I`m back and a lot happened while I was gone. I mean Paris Hilton got busted for cocaine. Right, you hear that guys? And she told police she thought it was gum at which point Lindsay Lohan asked if she could borrow a piece of Trident.
Levi Johnston says he wants to be the Mayor of Wasilla. He`s an unemployed high school dropout. I say, why stop there. Hey Levi, with those credentials you could be the GOP candidate for president.
Craigslist decided to stop taking ads for adult services. Great. Now where am I supposed to find a naked house boy that knows how to make a lasagna? I ask you.
And I have gotten lot of really nice welcome back tweets, I have to say. Look at this one from Mel Gibson. He is such a good friend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, Joran Van Der Sloot claims he tried to exact revenge on Natalee Holloway`s parents by extorting them. Will this bizarre admission hurt his murder case in Peru?
Then, David Letterman makes his first appearance on "The View" and Joy will have all the dish you didn`t see on TV.
Plus, actor and comedian Dennis Leary is on fire. He joins Joy to discuss the President`s sinking poll numbers, furor over the Ground Zero mosque, and the final season of "Rescue Me".
That and more starting right now.
BEHAR: Ok. We`re starting tonight with accused murderer Joran Van Der Sloot. In a Dutch newspaper interview, the Dutch dimwit may have put himself in even bigger legal trouble by admitting that he extorted Natalee Holloway`s parents to, quote, "get back at them". He said, quote, "Her parents have been making my life tough for years. When they offered to pay for the girl`s location, I thought, why not?" End quote.
Here now with the latest in this case Jean Casarez, correspondent with "In Session" on TruTV; Buzz Von Ornsteiner, forensic psychologist; and Joe Tacopina a former attorney for Joran Van Der Sloot. Those are not easy names.
Jean, he admits to extorting the Holloway family, among other things, what did he exactly say?
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": You are right. He did admit the extortion. You know, everybody says you can`t believe anything he says. Well, federal prosecutors in Alabama they`re going to want to believe this because he said he had so much anger in him for five years because he`s been blamed for this so he says when the Natalee Holloway family kept pushing him, we`ll give you money, he said, why not I`ll take it.
Now, John Q. Kelly, the attorney has said, "No, he came to me and he approached me about getting money."
BEHAR: Oh, I see.
Now, Joe, you defended this guy. What did you make of this new interview on "The Today Show" this morning?
JOE TACOPINA, FORMER ATTORNEY FOR VAN DER SLOOT: You know, it sort of corroborates, Joy, everything I`ve been saying about what`s happened with him in the last few years. He`s gone down a real slippery slope to the point where he`s disintegrated. I think he`s desocialized in every way, shape and form.
And when you think about what he`s saying, he`s simply saying, look, at this point my life is over. I became the villain. No one was ever going to believe I wasn`t involved in Natalee Holloway`s disappearance and I started cashing in on it.
And you understand, as wrong as that is, people had given him over the years including American networks have given him money to tell a story, regardless how ridiculous that story was, he`d cashed -- literally cashed in and made a living out of selling the story -- different stories --
BEHAR: Without thinking maybe I`ll go to jail for the things that I`m saying?
TACOPINA: Without thinking about the consequence to anyone else`s family, the Holloway family or his legal ramifications. His -- the interview, the taped interview that we have all seen does really nothing to advance any case. He`s clearly saying in Aruba he had nothing to do with it but he was going to tell a story to get some money and, you know, he doesn`t answer any questions regarding Peru.
BEHAR: So he said he extorted the Holloway family to seek revenge and then he made up stories for the media. He lies.
TACOPINA: Constantly.
BEHAR: He takes money. He makes up things. Possibly murdered some - - a couple of girls.
TACOPINA: Well --
BEHAR: You`re a shrink kind of aren`t you? Forensic psychologist?
BUZZ VON ORNSTEINER, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes. Yes, I am.
BEHAR: Is he a sociopath or a psychopath?
VON ORNSTEINER: You know, I would look at him as having an anti- social personality or at least anti-social traits. And when we look at someone like that, we all have a personality. You know? You have a personality. I have a personality.
BEHAR: Yes.
VON ORNSTEINER: Well, we are looking at someone with a personality disorder. Didn`t just happen overnight. This develops in childhood generally. The person has a conduct disorder in childhood and then it develops. Now whether it`s nature or nurture, or whether it`s brain chemistry, some people think the person may be born that way based on personality and temperament. But in any case it develops and the person just does not have empathy, does not have the ability --
BEHAR: They`re lacking empathy.
VON ORNSTEINER: Lacking empathy -- doesn`t have the ability to follow the norms of society. He`s there really to exploit, rape, molest the individuals that he comes into contact with for his own personal gain. This is an individual who lacks impulse control. They need protection from the impulses. We are seeing this -- how he lies, manipulates, exploits people --
BEHAR: but you say he lacks empathy, and yet, what do you make of this quote, Jean? "I feel really bad that her family had to lose a daughter. It really does hurt me," in the case of the Flores murder in Peru. He`s talking about that case.
CASAREZ: Well, I guess --
BEHAR: Does he feel empathy there or is just -- he`s trying to get off the hook here? Or -- what has he done?
VON ORNSTEINER: We want to believe.
(CROSSTALK)
VON ORNSTEINER: I mean, we also want to believe that he`s empathetic. He`s giving us really what we want to hear because he knows he is in trouble. He`s trying to look for ways -- it`s like someone who`s in quicksand. They`re sinking and they`re reaching out for anything that can possibly pull them out of there.
CASAREZ: But let me give you the opposite here. We spoke with the original attorney by his side during this alleged confession and the translator that was by his side. They both said that when he gave this alleged confession with descriptive words of how he murdered Stephanie Flores, he just said it like we`re talking right now. There was no emotion. There was no empathy. There was no guilt. It was just talking like --
BEHAR: So he`s playing us. He`s playing everybody?
VON ORNSTEINER: He`s looking for any way out; any way that he can get out and that`s what an anti-social personality would do.
BEHAR: There`s a difference between anti-social and asocial, right?
VON ORNSTEINER: Anti-social is a personality disorder. They can be mixed. I don`t know about his childhood. I just know his father tried to bail him out a couple of times and was successful. I don`t know about how his parents were --
BEHAR: Do you know anything about it?
TACOPINA: Of course, yes. First of all, his father never bailed him out of anything.
VON ORNSTEINER: He didn`t?
TACOPINA: No, no, no. I represented him in that case and it wasn`t about his father. The evidence bailed him out in Aruba. It wasn`t anything but that. His father was someone who had absolutely no political clout whatsoever.
BEHAR: Do you agree with that Jean?
VON ORNSTEINER: Here was -- here was a boy who five years ago, Joy, I really believed was a smart, charismatic, intelligent kid who had been put under enormous pressure as a teenage boy, been at really the eye of a storm and had a target on his back.
He`s disintegrated into somebody who I do not know. Someone who was not the same person we met five years ago. You know? And it`s a sad story.
No matter how this turns out in Peru. I don`t know whether he`s guilty, innocent or what in Peru. I don`t know the evidence, but I will tell you that there`s been a real disintegration --
BEHAR: Well, was he capable of telling the truth when you knew him?
TACOPINA: To my knowledge, yes.
BEHAR: To your knowledge. He might have been lying then.
TACOPINA: His story -- except the evidence did support, the evidence that was revealed in Aruba after an FBI investigation, an Aruban investigation, a Dutch investigation, did support his claims which is why ultimately he was released in that case and never charged and the judge said there`s no evidence to support the charge against him.
CASAREZ: The attorney for Joran Van Der Sloot in Lima, Maximo Altez told us that there are over 600 pages of psychological findings from him through his whole life and they`ve got those pages and they`re going to use the psychological to the best of their ability in the defense for Joran Van Der Sloot. So these psychological issues didn`t just come about and it looks like they were documented from early on in life.
TACOPINA: And remember, Joy, Jean, you know this that Joran`s mother Anita, who really is a wonderful, wonderful woman tried in the last year and a half to get him committed.
BEHAR: Yes.
TACOPINA: To a psychological institution to get help. So this wasn`t -- this is not a create-your-defense thing after the fact. I mean, there have been issues deeply-rooted issues with this boy for a while.
BEHAR: Uh-huh.
VON ORNSTEINER: There always are when someone has a personality disorder or someone is suffering from the inability to get along with others or has the impulse problems to control their own impulses. So all of those things can be true but the person may really in fact just have a personality disorder.
BEHAR: He expressed remorse for quote "everything that`s happened since 2005, all the things said in the media and everything. I feel guilty for." You buy that?
VON ORNSTEINER: What else -- what else do we want him to say? Will we want to help someone who`s not remorseful? But his behavior more indicative of a person who is not remorseful; this is a person who appears to be a habitual liar. This is a person who seems to exploit people who are in pain, the parents. The parents were suffering from grief and an emotional pain -- this seems like an individual who lacks empathy and his impulse is to exploit society. His impulse is for personal gain.
CASAREZ: If you feel guilty, you did something wrong, did you?
TACOPINA: He definitely did something wrong. Hold on -- I mean he definitely did something wrong. Selling these false stories, creating the pain for the Holloway family and his own family and others, that`s doing something wrong. I think that`s what he`s copping to, if you will, in this video. He`s saying this was really bad, it was wrong for me to do.
I don`t think he speaks to the real things we`re concerned about.
BEHAR: I don`t think this story goes away any time soon.
TACOPINA: It will never go away.
BEHAR: Thanks very much guys.
Up next, I had a chance to chat with David Letterman on my other show. I`ll have all the details as we go to another tweet from a fan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up a little later on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, Bristol Palin and "The Situation" join the cast of "Dancing With The Stars" and Dennis Leary drops by to talk about what`s in store for the final season of "Rescue Me".
Now back to Joy.
BEHAR: Well, today kicked off the 14th season of "The View" and it also marked David Letterman`s first-ever appearance on the show. He hugged and kissed Barbara and Whoopi but he shook my hand like I had typhus. I mean, he didn`t like my new perfume, Eau de Leno.
I have been in Leno`s court during that whole thing I guess and so maybe he`s cold to me because of that. And here`s what he said when we asked why he sided with Conan O`Brien during his late night feud with Jay Leno. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: You know, in honesty it was -- the two reasons. It was fun to see Jay squirm. We got to see a little bit of the real Jay Leno in action here and I just found that delightful. So that was reason number one. And the second reason, he gave me an opportunity to do my Jay Leno impression. "Hey you know, I got screwed. Don`t we all got screwed. Yes we all get screwed and look -- "
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: With me to discuss this and much, much more news from the day, are Adrienne Barbeau, actress and author of "Love Bites"; comedian Rich Vos; and Ben Lyons, E! Network correspondent and contributor to ReserveYourNight.com.
Ok, guys. Adrienne, what do you make of all that what Dave had to say today?
ADRIENNE BARBEAU, ACTRESS: Well, I think -- I think he was -- he was very courteous.
BEHAR: Do you think so?
BARBEAU: I think he could have -- I think he could have gone a lot farther.
BEHAR: Really?
BARBEAU: Yes.
BEHAR: Well, I means, what do you -- when he said the real Jay Leno, what`s the real -- what is the real Jay Leno, Rich? Somebody who kills dogs or something?
RICH VOS, COMEDIAN: I don`t know I -- I`ve never met either of them but this feud is -- it`s funny it took a backseat to their Super Bowl commercial with Oprah. You know?
BEHAR: That`s right.
VOS: That`s a feud, you know all of a sudden and he we`re -- we`re getting along so we`re doing a Super Bowl commercial.
BEHAR: So do you think that -- what do you think about that? Will the Super Bowl commercial makes it look like he`s really kidding.
VOS: It`s all publicity, I think. I think, you know what do they care each other? Let it go, with the Hatfield and McCoy`s feud didn`t last this long.
BEHAR: Yes.
VOS: Do you know what I mean.
BEN LYONS, E! NETWORK, CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously, Letterman kind of sides with Conan. Remember, this is -- this is nothing new, his beef with -- with Jay Leno. They made a movie about it back in the days for HBO so this is a kind of well documented thing between the two of them and the late-night space is very crowded. There are a lot of talents --
BEHAR: I know.
LYONS: -- right now in late nights and more so than ever --
BEHAR: All boys -- except for Chelsea.
LYONS: Chelsea Handler E! Channel she`s in the family, that`s right.
BEHAR: That`s right, Chelsea.
LYONS: So I think you`re kind of doing things to carve your own piece of the pie in a lot of ways. And maybe that was his intention of running the show.
BEHAR: But what does he think. What about when he said it was fun to see Jay squirm? That`s kind of nasty. Don`t you think?
VOS: Well, I mean, they`re comics, too. They`re both comics.
BEHAR: Yes.
VOS: So they`re going say mean things.
BEHAR: Well, I don`t think Jay was that mean to David, was he?
VOS: I`ve -- I`ve -- behind the scenes, I don`t know what happened. I don`t know if Jay ever hid in the closet during any type of meeting or discussion.
BEHAR: Oh you mean, did you ever seen that movie "The Late Shift"? Have you seen that?
BARBEAU: Yes.
VOS: Yes.
BEHAR: So I mean, there was some shenanigans going on in those days.
VOS: Yes.
BEHAR: Maybe that`s what he`s talking about.
VOS: Yes, I think he`s not letting go. What I`m surprised is that Dr. Drew is not doing a show on this. You know? Feuds, do they make your life unmanageable?
BEHAR: Do you think he`s going to watch Conan daily, do you think he`s really going to watch Conan or is he just making that up? Because he says he`s going to watch Conan and then he said, he hardly watches television. Come on.
VOS: If he watches Conan, then maybe Conan will hit, you know, double figures. I don`t know.
LYONS: I was just watching -- I was just watching --
BARBEAU: Well, you will never be on that show either.
LYONS: I was just watching Letterman`s socks. I thought they were a nice compliment to the suit. He looked pretty sharp --
BEHAR: Yes, he`s cute. He`s very cute. He`s very tall.
BARBEAU: He like -- doesn`t he --
BEHAR: And he`s funny.
BARBEAU: And he likes making people squirm in general. I mean --
BEHAR: I think that`s right.
BARBEAU: -- sort of fun for him I think. Not just -- well, I wouldn`t go so far as to say sadistic but, you know, it`s -- he thinks it`s funny.
BEHAR: Yes. Ok.
Next, the new cast of "Dancing with the Stars" has been announced. Alaska`s most famous teen mom, Bristol Palin and "The Situation" from "The Jersey Shore" both made the cut.
My question, how low on the food chain do you have to be to not make the cut? Ok, "The Situation", Adrienne, is expected to pull in $5 million this year for his appearances. What is it about him? Do you have a clue that people seem to go for? What is it?
BARBEAU: I -- the abs. It is the abs. It`s got to be.
BEHAR: Take off your shirt. Let me see your abs take it --
VOS: I got nice abs.
BEHAR: Let me see, oh so hairy. Oh my God it`s like King Kong.
BARBEAU: "The Situation" doesn`t have the pelt.
BEHAR: Have you ever -- have you ever thought of waxing that? The pelt. Have you thought of waxing the pelt?
VOS: Well, I -- I used to shave it when I was really ripped you know, but that`s when -- I wasn`t married and I was cruising then but now --
BARBEAU: If you could get on "Dancing with the Stars" would you shave it?
VOS: I`d cut off a finger. What are you talking about? I`d cut off my leg and be the one-legged dancer.
LYONS: I`m just tired, Joy, of all this people who are professional dancers going on "Dancing with the Stars" and winning like Nicole -- whatever. Nicole -- she won last year. Isn`t she a pop star, isn`t she a dancer? Nicole -- I don`t know --
VOS: And "The Situation" --
LYONS: I don`t know.
VOS: And --
LYONS: How is she dancing and she is a profession dancer. She should win so --
BEHAR: That`s correct.
LYONS: -- at least these super (INAUDIBLE) are not actual dancers --
BEHAR: Well, we watch it for the train wrecks.
BARBEAU: They are stars.
BEHAR: But Kate Gosselin, we watch it for the Kate Gosselin train wreck. She looked like she was avoiding land mines. Did you see the way she was dancing? I enjoyed that.
VOS: Yes, but this guy, this guy, you know, "The Situation", he proves on MTV that he is talentless --
BEHAR: Yes.
VOS: So he`s rewarded with a bigger show. That`s unbelievable.
LYONS: But he`s not really trying to portray himself as anything that he`s not. He`s very open to the fact that I know that got lucky, I`m a kid on a reality show. It`s not like he`s trying to pretend like he`s an actor or anything else. He admits that I`m a guy whose name is "The Situation". He`s very honest and up front for one who`s --
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: Ok, what about Bristol -- Bristol Palin, she said she`ll have the most modest outfits on the show because quote unquote "because that`s who I am".
VOS: Yes.
BEHAR: Can we see the picture, these promo pictures? You have those? I mean, I don`t think that`s a particularly modest shot. What is she talking about?
LYONS: I don`t know. There`s lace and sequin if anything it`s quite modest when it comes to "Dancing with the Stars" and it`s funny how she -- she really went out and attacked Levi Johnston for walking at all these Red Carpets over the years --
BEHAR: Yes.
LYONS: -- showing up at the Grammys and then kind of pot calling the kettle black.
BEHAR: You know, he`s running for Mayor of Wasilla, did you know that?
BARBEAU: Yes.
LYONS: Yes.
BEHAR: He has a six percent favorability in Alaska. It`s like a percentage below Charles Manson, ok?
VOS: He`s -- he`s the most unliked politician in Alaska. That`s like saying I`m the most unliked scientist here right now.
BEHAR: Ok. Sit tight.
Up next, we`ll talk about the celebrity who wants to smack Lindsay Lohan. It`s not me -- not me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: You see that? Ann Coulter, my good friend is writing -- tweeting to me because she loves me so much. Isn`t that sweet? With friends like that -- no.
Ok. I`m back with my panel. Jerry Lewis is in hot water after making shocking comments about Lindsay Lohan`s bad behavior. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY LEWIS, COMEDIAN: I`d smack her in the mouth if I saw her. I would smack her in the mouth and be arrested for abusing a woman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you say to her?
LEWIS: I would say you deserve this and nothing else. Whack. And then, if she`s not satisfied I`d put her over my knee and spank her. And then put her in rehab and that`s it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Spanking, isn`t that S & M-ish?
RICH VOS, COMEDIAN: Who does he think he is? Mel Gibson?
BEHAR: Are you more shocked, Adrienne, to hear him say he`s going to smack her or that he even knows who Lindsay Lohan is?
(CROSSTALK)
ADRIENNE BARBEAU, ACTRESS: You know, if you know anything about Jerry as a father, I don`t think he`s the person who should be talking about raising children.
BEHAR: Why? What do you know?
BARBEAU: Well --
BEHAR: Did he hit his children?
BARBEAU: He was not a good father.
BEHAR: Is that so?
BARBEAU: From what I`ve understood from his children.
BEHAR: Oh. So do you think he`s making it all up by doing these telethons all these years?
BARBEAU: Oh.
BEHAR: Making up -- well, I mean -- doing good deeds.
VOS: He didn`t put a kid in a wheelchair. I mean he spanked them. He clearly wants to put Lindsay Lohan in a wheelchair.
BEN LYONS, E! NETWORK CORRESPONDLENT: I don`t know why he`s so aggressively upset at her; I mean she`s someone who`s clearly lost. I feel like he`s directing his attention at the wrong Lohan. It should be one of the parents if anyone`s going to get beat down in that situation because she obviously has plenty of problems but the last thing is a comic icon punching her on the face to get her on the straight and narrow.
BEHAR: He`s kind of a throwback.
But you know what he is Ben, he`s a throwback to pre-Oprah days like before Oprah and Phil Donahue made it like really a bad idea to hit children, he doesn`t get that. He`s from that period. You know?
VOS: He`s using her trying to be relevant. It`s not like he says I want Phyllis Diller over my lap and spank her.
BEHAR: That`s a (INAUDIBLE) and so would Phyllis. She would enjoy that.
VOS: Everybody wants to put Lindsay Lohan on their lap and spank her. Are you kidding me?
BEHAR: Oh. Does he owe Lindsay an apology, Ben? What do you think?
LYONS: I think he does. I think it`s completely inappropriate for him to be aggressive towards her. And if anything, the girl needs to be in a movie more so than she needs a punch in the face. I think she needs to get back working to get her life in order.
BARBEAU: I don`t think he`s worth even asking for an apology from. What does she care what he says?
BEHAR: She doesn`t care.
LYONS: I don`t know if she knows who he is.
BEHAR: She is a naughty girl. She does need a little strictness.
BARBEAU: She needs some guidance.
BEHAR: Back in the jail maybe.
BARBEAU: But not from him.
BEHAR: Now, you know, just to put in a good word for Jerry Lewis, he raised nearly $60 million this weekend during his annual MDA telethon but made some off color remarks, also. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: Since `75, I can`t eat a half an egg without half of it on my shoulder and on my fly and into my shoes. I don`t understand it. I do understand no hanky-panky anymore. I have wonderful porno stuff that I watch a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Ok. Can we say inappropriate?
VOS: They`re getting up and walking out.
BEHAR: I mean --
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: I know, I know.
BARBEAU: Come on.
BEHAR: Thanks, everybody.
LYONS: On that note -- how do you end on that?
VOS: Nice, Joy.
BEHAR: You can catch the beautiful Adrienne Barbeau weekdays on ABC`s "General Hospital". Actor and comedian Denis Leary joins me next.
Ok.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: Denis Leary began his comedy career in Boston then he moved to New York where I first met him, now he lives in Connecticut. Why he lives in the woods like Ted Kaczynski, I have no idea. But whatever, funny is funny. He is the creator and star of hit FX series "Rescue Me." Which just finished taping its final season. Hey, Denis.
DENIS LEARY, COMEDIAN: Hi.
BEHAR: Thanks for doing this.
LEARY: So you referenced the unabomber during my intro.
BEHAR: Yes.
LEARY: That`s great, I love that. First time that happened but I like it. I like it.
BEHAR: But I mean are you living in the woods of Connecticut? No.
LEARY: I do, yes, I live in the woods which is -- you know, it`s all about my -- you know, my wife. So --
BEHAR: Why? She`s a --
LEARY: She is a horse person and when the kids were like, I guess 5 and 7, she wanted the kids to live outside the city -
BEHAR: Oh yes.
LEARY: And have that experience with the access to New York so we did that.
BEHAR: Uh-huh.
LEARY: So my father left Ireland because he did not want to muck horse manure for the rest of his life and he wanted to come to New York.
BEHAR: Good idea.
LEARY: So he did. He left Ireland then came to the big city. And I have ended up mucking horse manure. So I`m sure wherever he is, he is laughing his Irish ass off.
BEHAR: We both come from simple backgrounds, you know, simple people.
LEARY: Especially in my case.
BEHAR: No. All of us.
LEARY: And you know simple doesn`t just mean the financial background, yes.
BEHAR: One time I heard these two waspy girls talking while I was working at "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" and I said did you -- are you going back to South Hampton? Well she said, no, mommy closed the house. I said, the last time the family closed the house they left Italy.
LEARY: Yes, actually, my parent`s houses -- are you telling me to push back because I look bad leaning in like that? Someone said to push back. Should I sit on my jacket? No. I know. Mommy. By the way --
BEHAR: Mommy, who says mommy?
LEARY: Who the hell is mummy. Mummy -
BEHAR: That`s very waspy.
LEARY: Mummy is Abbott and Costello movie -
BEHAR: Exactly.
LEARY: At my house it was ma! You know, it`s still that. So -
BEHAR: Right.
LEARY: I lived in a basement -- I started in an attic. My parents lived in a three decker apartment and my brother --
BEHAR: In a what?
LEARY: In an attic, a three decker.
BEHAR: A three decker, a three stories?
LEARY: Three decker is like wooden buildings and -- well, they have them in queens but we used to have them in Boston where I`m from so they`re like apartment buildings next door to each other. They are built out of wood.
BEHAR: I see.
LEARY: So we lived on the third floor. And my brother and I lived in the attic which was great because --
BEHAR: So we can smoke pot up there.
LEARY: We could do anything. They literally didn`t want to come up the stairs. They would scream up the stairs, stop that noise! They would never come up, right. And then they moved to the house my mother still lives in. And my brother and I were in the basement like rats next to the water heater and literally a room the size of this desk. And we had access to the alley and our own refrigerator. So you can imagine how much -- well, you know, not very good stuff went on there. There were kids that would literally escape their parents and stay at our house for like a month. And like my parents didn`t even know they were in the basement. I`m sorry. I`m sitting the wrong way.
BEHAR: You`re doing great. Now you know, let`s talk about a couple of things going on in the news.
LEARY: OK.
BEHAR: I mean I want to talk to you about your show because I watched the finale this weekend, which was very, very good.
LEARY: You did? What did you think?
BEHAR: I thought it was very compelling, very compelling. And your character is great. Everybody`s fantastic. Very profound, the show.
LEARY: Wow, thanks.
BEHAR: It`s good.
LEARY: Thanks. Profound.
BEHAR: Yes. But I want to ask you. There`s a crazy story coming out of Florida --
LEARY: Oh, yes I saw this guy.
BEHAR: He`s trying to mark 9/11 by burning these various Qurans, copies of the original Quran. Let`s listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR TERRY JONES, DOVE OUTREACH WORLD CENTER: We first declared September the 11th international burn a Quran day. Actually, for two reasons. Number one, we wanted to remember those who were brutally murdered on September the 11th and actually wanted to send a very clear message to the radical element of Islam, we wanted to send a very clear message to them that we are not interested in their Shariah law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: The Shariah Law is the -- you know, the beheadings and the --
LEARY: Oh, OK.
BEHAR: That part of Islam --
LEARY: Right. First of all, the guy -- I`m a -- I was raised catholic.
BEHAR: Yes, as was I.
LEARY: I`m lapse Catholic now.
BEHAR: We all are.
(LAUGHTER)
LEARY: I hate organized religion. I`m sure you have touched on this subject during the course of the last two weeks. But so, anyways, I think I`m tweeted about this guy like a week and a half ago. He looks like the pastor on "SONS of ANARCHY." That show. The motorcycle show.
BEHAR: Really.
LEARY: Doesn`t he look like he runs like a motorcycle gang church. But this is the stuff where you start to get into -- I don`t know. It`s such a nebulous area. Like I believe in freedom, I believe in separation of church and brain. First of all -
BEHAR: Right.
LEARY: That`s due to Sarah Palin primarily.
BEHAR: Oh, yes.
LEARY: But I really believe the reason the founding fathers separated the church and the state so that we would have this argument, you know, sort of separated by law. And people have the right, of course; to say whatever they want and to believe in whatever they want.
BEHAR: Right.
LEARY: There`s that and as the president the wisdom or I like to call the common sense of, yes, you have the right to do something but does it make sense? So in the case of the 9/11 situation with the mosque, I look at it like --
BEHAR: Oh the mosque and burning the Quran. Those are two separate topics.
LEARY: He has the right to do whatever he wants.
BEHAR: Right.
LEARLY: Then there`s the common sense aspect of which is the week of, you know, the ninth anniversary of this thing, you know, he`s turning it into his own issue.
BEHAR: Well Petraeus is saying, you know, General Petraeus --
LEARY: Yes, well that`s true -
BEHAR: That it puts the troops in harm`s way type of thing.
LEARY: True.
BEHAR: That he was saying that those Wiki leaks put the troops in harm`s way and now his too.
LEARY: I agree with that as well.
BEHAR: I - too.
LEARY: But I`m more interested and appalled by the xenophobic aspect of it, which is a big word. Big word.
BEHAR: But you are sitting correctly. So it`s not -
LEARY: I`m sitting correctly and I`m saying xenophobia. Which by the way I know the meaning of. But my parents were immigrants, Irish immigrants. And they were illegal aliens for awhile -
BEHAR: Sure.
LEARY: Before they became actual citizens so the whole idea about the immigrants and just all sort of relates into the same sort of, you know, crazy patriotic ball that they have going of, you know, nobody else should come to this country. No other religions besides the one I believe in and --
BEHAR: But when someone says something like that, why do they not have to pay taxes? These kinds of people should not be tax exempt. Because they`re not a religion.
LEARY: Oh this guy in particular you mean?
BEHAR: Yes. I mean he has been getting partial tax exemption because of the things he`s been saying only partial, but even partial, I don`t get it.
LEARY: I think he should be because of the mustache. I mean that`s a lot of upkeep.
BEHAR: Exactly.
LEARY: You know, listen, the Catholic Church actually stepped in on this mosque situation.
BEHAR: They should really stay out.
LEARY: But when the Catholic Church is coming in to help you decide on something -
BEHAR: Yes.
LEARY: You know you`re in trouble. I don`t care which side of the argument you are on. Get the hell away.
BEHAR: I know.
LEARY: The Catholic Church is coming in and they`re actually trying to make sense out of it. You`re in trouble, you know.
BEHAR: I mean really, with their track record, the past few years, forget about it.
LEARY: Yes, I, just -- you know.
BEHAR: But you know, last time I spoke to you -- you were really obsessed with Obama and now the polls are showing that he`s getting -- people don`t want him to be president as much as they used to.
LEARY: You know what he needs to do, he needs to turn white. That`s what he really needs to do. Yes.
BEHAR: Why? Do you think it`s about race?
LEARY: White republican.
BEHAR: Do you think it`s about race?
LEARY: I think part about race.
BEHAR: Really?
LEARY: Really. The real problem is this.
BEHAR: I don`t know.
LEARY: This country has a -- well, I guess the world has a gigantic case of A.D.D. going on.
BEHAR: Right and amnesia.
LEARY: I mean it`s amazing, how long he`s been in office?
BEHAR: Uh, 18 months, 19 months, something like that. Almost two years.
LEARY: Not even two years. And this economic situation, the official falling apart was like in the election which was October of 2008. Right?
BEHAR: Yes, yes.
LEARY: So this -- who else was going to fix it? John McCain would fix it?
BEHAR: That`s the thing. When you say that to people, what if it were McCain and Palin now? What kind of deep doodie --
LEARY: Oh my god, can you imagine, Sarah Palin.
BEHAR: But nobody cares about what could have been and only care with what is and they don`t care with what happened either.
LEARY: There`s a lot of people financially hurting. And I understand that aspect of it like -- in terms of getting a job or fixing their financial situation.
BEHAR: Right.
LEARY: Whatever it might be. Getting - paying for the kids in college but you have to have a little bit of patience. Nobody`s going to fix this thing. Remember the Ronald Reagan trickle down economics.
BEHAR: Yes, trickle this.
LEARY: Yes, once he started. It didn`t trickle down to me until like `94.
BEHAR: No, me either.
LEARY: The guy was doddering at a park bench -
BEHAR: Exactly.
LEARY: You get Alzheimer`s. And I just got my first credit card. I was like 34 years old. So, you know, I mean --
BEHAR: It is true.
LEARY: So I mean, you really have to give it sometime. It took 14 years for Reagan to reach me.
BEHAR: Yes, what about the canonization of Reagan now? Whenever a republican speaks it is saint Ronald Reagan, I mean, come on.
LEARY: I know, I know, listen I`m so happy to have a president who can actually, still, no matter what you say express himself and smart.
BEHAR: And articulate.
LEARY: And articulate OK?
BEHAR: Yes.
LEARY: George Bush, whatever you think of George Bush, last week he did a charity golf event for a great cause for vets and their children.
BEHAR: Yes.
LEARY: And it`s the first time he`s really been on television in a while.
BEHAR: Yes.
LEARY: And they showed him --
BEHAR: Did you miss him?
LEARY: Yes I miss him a lot, comedy wise I do.
BEHAR: Oh my god.
LEARY: I really miss him. I really miss him.
BEHAR: You know I stopped doing stand-up when he got out of office.
LEARY: Did you really.
BEHAR: Because it wasn`t fun anymore. All you had to do is quote him. I`m happy to shake the hand of a soldier whose hand was cut off by Saddam Hussein? I mean come on, you can`t write it.
LEARY: It`s pretty unbelievable.
BEHAR: Yes.
LEARY: It`s pretty unbelievable. It`s pretty endless, too. How about the time he went to open the door? That was one of my favorites of all time. The guy was great. As a comedy president.
BEHAR: Oh I know.
LEARY: He was fantastic.
BEHAR: All right Denis, we are just getting started again.
LEARY: Don`t be fooled again. That was one of my favorite moments --
BEHAR: How does it go?
LEARY: It goes, fool me once, shame on you. I can`t say it.
BEHAR: He couldn`t well, he couldn`t either.
LEARY: Yes.
BEHAR: We`ll be right back more -- with more - from Denis Leary.
LEARY: What happened? Commercial?
BEHAR: Don`t go anywhere, commercial, commercial, baby.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every time I try to call you to talk about booze or an urge to drink or something about recovery, you not only don`t pick you don`t call me back or text.
LEARY: I can`t text. My fingers are too big. You know I tried typing in what`s going on, and it sent out a text saying -- I can`t do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: That`s a clip from the hit FX show "RESCUE ME." finale of last week and the next season will be its last.
LEARY: The finale which was called "profound and compelling" by Joy Behar.
BEHAR: It is. And if you want to catch up, season five available now.
LEARY: Yes, it is. Can I say one thing though, there`s a show on after us this year which is also done by another comedian friend of ours, Louis C.K.
BEHAR: Oh yes.
LEARY: Oh my god, what a great show.
BEHAR: It`s funny.
LEARY: It`s a hilarious show.
BEHAR: That one with that Brit? What is his name?
LEARY: Ricky Gervais.
BEHAR: Gervais. Don`t tag me on the floor.
LEARY: Yes, it`s a great show.
BEHAR: Very funny.
LEARY: It`s a great show. So I`m pushing another guy`s show now.
BEHAR: That`s all right.
LEARY: OK. I`m calling George Bush an idiot. I`m here instead of pushing my show, I`m pushing Louis C.K. show.
BEHAR: Oh well let`s talk about your show. OK?
LEARY: Yes.
BEHAR: Louie was on talking about his show.
LEARY: He was?
BEHAR: How come you aren`t going to past the next year?
LEARY: Well, because -- you know, I don`t know. This is the first time I`ve done a successful television series. The first one I did lasted 19 --
BEHAR: What was it?
LEARY: "THE JOB." But it was my same creative partner, which is Peter Tolan. Peter did "LARRY SANDERS SHOW," and he also worked on "MURPHY BROWN." So Peter`s whole thing was, listen, I feel like five to seven years is the amount of time that you should have a television show and then get out. Always leave the audience wanting more and goes back to the comedy days and he was an ex-stand-up comic.
BEHAR: Uh huh, right.
LEARY: And once he said that about four years ago I said, you know what, I think it`s true. I think we`ll get out when we feel like we`re ready and also before the audience hopefully feels like we`re ready and the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The show`s connected to that.
BEHAR: And your season finale next year is going to be shown on 9/11?
LEARY: No it`s like the week before.
BEHAR: No, the week before.
LEARY: So it just kind of felt right, and creatively, we are still editing that last season now which will air next summer so I feel like it`s right thing --
BEHAR: You mean it is in the can already?
LEARY: So we`ve shot it already, yes.
BEHAR: So what will you do with your time then?
LEARY: Well I`m doing --
BEHAR: Stand-up?
LEARY: "Ice Age 4" tomorrow.
BEHAR: I`m in that.
LEARY: Are you really?
BEHAR: I`m playing John Leguizamo`s mother.
LEARY: Are you really?
BEHAR: I`m serious.
LEARY: Welcome to the cast.
BEHAR: Thank you.
LEARY: And we`re in 3d.
BEHAR: OK. I don`t know what animal I am. I`m not sure yet.
LEARY: Oh really.
BEHAR: Yes, I have to see the script. Anyway, that`s another story. Do you want to hear from actual firefighters?
LEARY: Yes. They work on the show.
BEHAR: And what do they say about the show?
LEARY: Well there`s a lot of firefighters in New York, especially some of the older guys who don`t - who feel like we`ve released some secrets into the world. And --
BEHAR: Like what?
LEARY: Well, you know, we do a very complicated show.
BEHAR: I do watch.
LEARY: I`m sure you`re aware of it, you know, it`s a story about men and the thing that we wanted to write about is what -- how difficult it is to be a supposed hero in what you do and deal with life and death every second of every day.
BEHAR: That`s right.
LEARY: And then that you are on the job and try to deal with real life. So, we`re not interested in the third watch or, you know, that all show emergency -like just pure hero worship.
BEHAR: Right.
LEARY: We were interested in --
BEHAR: The real.
LEARY: Yes.
BEHAR: The real.
LEARY: The dark side of it. You know? And what goes on. Most fire houses I know that are very busy, in any city, it`s what they do for a living and very black humor which is how they deal with the emotions and what they see on the job.
BEHAR: Yes.
LEARY: So, there`s a lot of firefighters who don`t necessarily like us showing that but you know what? We were -- we were true and most of our stories by the way came from actual firefighters who are the technical advisers on the show.
BEHAR: Nobody ever likes it when you know that. I mean nurse Jackie gets flack from nurses.
LEARY: I know -
BEHAR: It`s a satire.
LEARY: And I did that cop show. You know what I find, it is really funny. The only -- I did a couple of gangster films in my movie career and one called "Monument Ave" it was about Irish gangster stuff that I did with Ted Demme. Gangsters are the only guys who are really happy if you show it, you know, show them in a bad light, then they come up to you like --
BEHAR: Yes, yes, that`s true.
LEARY: Hey that was pretty good showing me shooting that guy. Not me but you know what I`m talking about. Like they`re the only ones who are proud, everybody else is like what are you showing that for? You know - so, and my mother. My mother who just that can`t believe I`m doing any of this or saying this. I love her approach to my whole career.
BEHAR: Why what is it?
LEARY: It`s "Ice Age" and nothing else. That`s like -
BEHAR: You only did that.
LEARY: She doesn`t watch anything I do. And she constantly - whenever -- I just did another comedy tour and whenever I do that, I don`t know where you learned that language. Yes, I wonder where. My father could swear in Gaelic and English, by the way, ladies and gentlemen.
BEHAR: Now let me start something for you, OK,
LEARY: Yes.
BEHAR: The Leary Firefighters Foundation --
LEARY: Yes.
BEHAR: No there`s a Comedy Central benefit coming up?
LEARY: Yes. We went on tour. The last few years, I think I deal it next year. I took Lenny Clark and Adam Ferrer who are in the cast of "RESCUE ME."
BEHAR: Yes, I saw that.
LEARY: Yes so instead of doing a press tour we toured the country and do live stand-up and we publicize the show`s arrival back on television every year that way. And it benefits, part of the proceeds to the foundation. So this year, we filmed it at the end here in New York at town hall and I think it is in January on Comedy Central.
BEHAR: That is great.
LEARY: I don`t think I can say the title here.
BEHAR: Why not? Say it, we`ll bleep it.
LEARY: It`s called "DOUCHE BAGS AND DOUGHNUTS." Denis Leary --
BEHAR: Oh we can - we are not even going to bleep that, I don`t think.
LEARY: Oh OK, Dennis Leary and friends for the Leary -
BEHAR: The language you get away with on "RESCUE ME" is really incredible. Because it is FX, it`s not HBO. The language is out there.
LEARY: No, well the behavior, too. That`s the thing --
BEHAR: Behavior, too. But the language. I mean I was surprised. You don`t have a seven-second delay or anything. It`s in the script.
LEARY: Yes, I love that network. I got to say that --
BEHAR: They treat you good, huh?
LEARY: Those guys are great.
BEHAR: Now your kid, your daughter -- now, in the show -- your daughter is an alcoholic in the show and you are an alcoholic and you`re her sponsor. You don`t show up when you`re supposed to. You are like a bad father in the movie, in the play or the show.
LEARY: Well, he is terrible.
BEHAR: He`s not good.
LEARY: He is complicated. Yes, but he has not been a great dad which is part of -- hopefully part of what`s exciting for the audience is to figure out in the final season whether or not he can regain his standing with his family.
BEHAR: Who did you draw for that? On what?
LEARY: He`s based on two guys who I know. One guy who doesn`t have a drinking problem and another guy who did. And, and all the elements of the marital problems and all those things are sort of drawn from that.
BEHAR: So it is the drinking problem that makes him kind of a screw- up?
LEARY: Well I don`t know if it`s that. I guess that`s the external expression of it but the real problem, of course, was 9/11 and the loss.
BEHAR: The trauma.
LEARY: And the trauma and not dealing with it. You know? So for firefighters, you know, for anybody with soldiers same thing. It`s that thing of if they`re going into battle, it is difficult to come to terms with --
BEHAR: Right.
LEARY: -- what they have seen, may see again and keep doing the job. You know?
BEHAR: OK, stay with me.
LEARY: I`m not going anywhere. I`m not leaving you.
BEHAR: We`ll be right back with Dennis Leary.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back with Denis Leary. You know, Dennis, a friend of ours, comedian Robert Schimmel -
LEARY: Yes.
BEHAR: died over the weekend from injuries suffered in a car wreck. And he had - this guy had more severs than Job.
LEARY: His life -- unbelievable. You know, his, oh, god. His battles alone with cancer and by the way if you saw him do the stand-up based on --
BEHAR: I know but let`s show a clip of him on the show. He was on this show. Let`s show it to remember him. He was a great guy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT SCHIMMEL, COMEDIAN: You know, when you are in the hospital and your family and your -- your friends come to see you, they don`t know what to think. And I`ll tell you what they think. They open the door and they`re facing their own mortality. You represent exactly the thing that scares them the most.
BEHAR: That`s right.
SCHIMMEL: And I think if you find humor in it, then you let them off the hook emotionally and they can be themselves around you instead of walking on egg shells.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: He found humor -- I mean, this guy, his son died a child.
LEARY: Yes he did, yes.
BEHAR: I mean the worst thing that could happen to you.
LEARY: I remember that.
BEHAR: He had a heart attack. He had cancer. He had Hepatitis C. His parents survived the holocaust. He put all of that aggravation and tragedy into his comedy act which I admire so much. I mean it makes you feel as a comedian you are doing something that`s -- I don`t know. I don`t even know how to explain it.
LEARY: Well I think he was one of the confessional guys like -- he had that Richard Pryor thing. He did a show with us we do every year called "Comics Come Home to Boston," which benefits the Cam Neely`s foundation. Now that obviously was the cause. He was the first guy that came to that show, like 8,000 people. That had that came out with a ten- minute set about having cancer.
BEHAR: Yes.
LEARY: And it was -- I`m telling you fall as I`m sure -- you`re crying the end of it and talking about how he almost died and he opens with it and the entire set`s about it and closes with it. So like Richard Pryor he had that ability to take whatever happened to him and bring it right on stage.
BEHAR: But I mean to talk about your dead child I think is unbelievable.
LEARY: Amazing comedian.
BEHAR: Amazing that he was able to do that.
LEARY: I was really kind of -- kind of shocked. I know it sounds strange because of everything he`s been through. I really didn`t think that Robert Schimmel was going to die. I didn`t think anything was going to kill him.
BEHAR: Well he was ill anyway.
LEARY: I know but I mean he had overcome it so much.
BEHAR: He was going to go anyway. Since --
LEARY: Terrible.
BEHAR: OK let`s do some twitter questions of you. A couple of them. I can`t believe someone wrote this. I didn`t -- I have no control over these. How has being an a-hole made your life better? I swear someone tweeted that.
LEARY: I have to say that the -- that the (EXPLICATIVE DELETED) song -- I mean, we wrote it to be the opening of "No Cure For Cancer." if I don`t play that song in a live appearance, people are very angry.
BEHAR: They want it.
LEARY: I have to play it. Either at the beginning of the set or end of the set, 20 years later -- when I say it will say writer of the a-hole song.
BEHAR: OK 30 seconds. Does your wife watch your sex scenes on "RESCUE ME"? Yes or no?
LEARY: My wife does not watch the show because -- I don`t know why.
BEHAR: OK, did you ever think your career would last this long?
LEARY: No, I didn`t think I would still be alive.
BEHAR: Do you color your hair?
LEARY: Do I color my hair, no, I don`t. This is kind of in the summertime.
BEHAR: He`s a blond. Where do you stand with god? In five seconds.
LEARY: In five seconds, god is a huge fan of the a-hole song. It is my own opinion.
BEHAR: OK thanks, Dennis. Thank you Dennis.
LEARY: It`s my own opinion.
(LAUGHTER)
BEHAR: Always a pleasure to see you.
LEARY: Is that it.
BEHAR: Make sure to get season five of "RESCUE ME" out now on DVD and catch the upcoming Comedy Central special "DOUCHE BAGS AND DOUGHNUTS." benefiting the Leary Fire Fighter`s Foundation. Good night everybody.
LEARY: I just love that title.
(LAUGHTER)
END
