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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Mo Rocca
Aired May 11, 2003 - 10:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, every Sunday you hear the pundits give their spin on the news on network talk show. In fact they're on the air right now, some of them. But this morning time to take it likely thanks to Comedy Central; the network's "Daily Show" keeps us informed by not taking it all too seriously. Just listen to correspondent Mo Rocca.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MO ROCCA, COMEDIAN, "DAILY SHOW": Now, what I've presented are some fascinating facts. But what's my Mo-Pinion? Well, I'll tell you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, Mo Rocca joins us live this morning from New York with more Mo-Opinion. How are you doing there, Mo?
ROCCA: Good, Fredricka. Good morning to you.
WHITFIELD: Well, good morning. There's a whole lot out there, a whole lot of fodder for you, I suppose as well.
ROCCA: Yes.
WHITFIELD: But I guess -- let's try and turn the corner a bit and folk a little fun, if you will, at the Kentucky Derby scandal. Which may not be any laughing matter to those folks who are personally involved.
ROCCA: Perhaps not. Well, you know, what strikes me this morning is that Santos, the jockey who is accused of having in his hand something dark and shadowy, and I suspect that what it could well be is a shadow which in most cases tends to be dark. I'm not sure that it's really anything more than that.
WHITFIELD: OK. Everything we never wanted to know about the hazing incident. Or that hazing even takes place, this time involving girls in Illinois, the powder puff football game that got way too out of hand. What in the world could possibly be funny about that?
ROCCA: Well, you know here's the thing, there' not a lot that's funny about it. But Fredricka, what we have to remember is this whole incident began as a girl's football game. The real culprit here is Title Nine legislation because what Title Nine did is it...
WHITFIELD: Uh-oh, watch it.
ROCCA: Well, it meant that girls were able to play the same sports that guys were able to play as well. So, if we had not gone down this road in the first place we wouldn't be in the situation now.
Now, I will tell you what's getting lost in this, is credit, I think that's due to the senior girls. If you remember the details here, the senior girls convinced the junior girls to pay $35 to have fish guts and doo doo smeared all over them. That's amazing salesmanship there. That's pretty brilliant. These girls, their mothers' generation were Avon ladies, OK? It's a lot easier to sell someone on lip-gloss and rouge or what have you, than fish guts and those other materials.
So, I think in fact it's very encouraging the kind of entrepreneurship that these girls have shown.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. OK. Well, now let's talk about a little politics.
ROCCA: Sure.
WHITFIELD: You know, this week it seems as though it got real serious with at least, starting the presidential election.
ROCCA: Right.
WHITFIELD: We saw President Bush onboard the USS Lincoln and then last weekend a very early start to the Democratic presidential debates.
ROCCA: Well, these, of course, are two separate issues here. The landing on the aircraft carrier, I'm a little mystified as to why people are criticizing the president. Look, here's the thing any cognitive development expert, any parent will tell you that playing dress up is healthy. And should in fact be encouraged because it helps cultivate an imagination and if our leaders need anything, it's more imagination.
So, if George W. Bush goes on an aircraft carrier and wants to dress up like a Navy fighter pilot that should be encouraged. If he goes on Amtrak to help -- you know announce a bailout, he should dress up as a conductor. If he goes on visit NASA, he should dress up as Buzz Light-Year.
Now, I'm stealing a lot of this from Piaget. But the whole notion of play is very important to help you know individuals like George W. Bush to develop.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, what kind of developments did you kind of garner from the Democratic presidential debates?
ROCCA: Well, we saw a lot of interesting signs there. Always interested in John Edwards who is the teen idol candidate. Voters have described hem as hardworking, as committed, as dreamy. I'm projected he will capture the girls with Snoopy phones vote. And I think if he doesn't win the nomination, there is definitely a space for him in a boy band. Absolutely.
As for Dick Gephardt, I think that this bold health care proposal he's put forward is simply a distraction from the larger question and that's his pallor. What happened to all of his melanin? It's a big question and I seem to be the only person that's asking it. Voters need to know why he appears to so albinoid, if you will.
WHITFIELD: All right. Mo Rocca always helping us find some laughter in what are typically very serious topics.
ROCCA: Sure. We're asking the questions that need to be answered. Happy Mother's Day to you. And a happy Mother's Day Connie Jong Il, Kim Jong Il's mother. She is very proud.
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll pass on the word. Thanks very much, Mo.
ROCCA: Of course, yes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 11, 2003 - 10:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, every Sunday you hear the pundits give their spin on the news on network talk show. In fact they're on the air right now, some of them. But this morning time to take it likely thanks to Comedy Central; the network's "Daily Show" keeps us informed by not taking it all too seriously. Just listen to correspondent Mo Rocca.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MO ROCCA, COMEDIAN, "DAILY SHOW": Now, what I've presented are some fascinating facts. But what's my Mo-Pinion? Well, I'll tell you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, Mo Rocca joins us live this morning from New York with more Mo-Opinion. How are you doing there, Mo?
ROCCA: Good, Fredricka. Good morning to you.
WHITFIELD: Well, good morning. There's a whole lot out there, a whole lot of fodder for you, I suppose as well.
ROCCA: Yes.
WHITFIELD: But I guess -- let's try and turn the corner a bit and folk a little fun, if you will, at the Kentucky Derby scandal. Which may not be any laughing matter to those folks who are personally involved.
ROCCA: Perhaps not. Well, you know, what strikes me this morning is that Santos, the jockey who is accused of having in his hand something dark and shadowy, and I suspect that what it could well be is a shadow which in most cases tends to be dark. I'm not sure that it's really anything more than that.
WHITFIELD: OK. Everything we never wanted to know about the hazing incident. Or that hazing even takes place, this time involving girls in Illinois, the powder puff football game that got way too out of hand. What in the world could possibly be funny about that?
ROCCA: Well, you know here's the thing, there' not a lot that's funny about it. But Fredricka, what we have to remember is this whole incident began as a girl's football game. The real culprit here is Title Nine legislation because what Title Nine did is it...
WHITFIELD: Uh-oh, watch it.
ROCCA: Well, it meant that girls were able to play the same sports that guys were able to play as well. So, if we had not gone down this road in the first place we wouldn't be in the situation now.
Now, I will tell you what's getting lost in this, is credit, I think that's due to the senior girls. If you remember the details here, the senior girls convinced the junior girls to pay $35 to have fish guts and doo doo smeared all over them. That's amazing salesmanship there. That's pretty brilliant. These girls, their mothers' generation were Avon ladies, OK? It's a lot easier to sell someone on lip-gloss and rouge or what have you, than fish guts and those other materials.
So, I think in fact it's very encouraging the kind of entrepreneurship that these girls have shown.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. OK. Well, now let's talk about a little politics.
ROCCA: Sure.
WHITFIELD: You know, this week it seems as though it got real serious with at least, starting the presidential election.
ROCCA: Right.
WHITFIELD: We saw President Bush onboard the USS Lincoln and then last weekend a very early start to the Democratic presidential debates.
ROCCA: Well, these, of course, are two separate issues here. The landing on the aircraft carrier, I'm a little mystified as to why people are criticizing the president. Look, here's the thing any cognitive development expert, any parent will tell you that playing dress up is healthy. And should in fact be encouraged because it helps cultivate an imagination and if our leaders need anything, it's more imagination.
So, if George W. Bush goes on an aircraft carrier and wants to dress up like a Navy fighter pilot that should be encouraged. If he goes on Amtrak to help -- you know announce a bailout, he should dress up as a conductor. If he goes on visit NASA, he should dress up as Buzz Light-Year.
Now, I'm stealing a lot of this from Piaget. But the whole notion of play is very important to help you know individuals like George W. Bush to develop.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, what kind of developments did you kind of garner from the Democratic presidential debates?
ROCCA: Well, we saw a lot of interesting signs there. Always interested in John Edwards who is the teen idol candidate. Voters have described hem as hardworking, as committed, as dreamy. I'm projected he will capture the girls with Snoopy phones vote. And I think if he doesn't win the nomination, there is definitely a space for him in a boy band. Absolutely.
As for Dick Gephardt, I think that this bold health care proposal he's put forward is simply a distraction from the larger question and that's his pallor. What happened to all of his melanin? It's a big question and I seem to be the only person that's asking it. Voters need to know why he appears to so albinoid, if you will.
WHITFIELD: All right. Mo Rocca always helping us find some laughter in what are typically very serious topics.
ROCCA: Sure. We're asking the questions that need to be answered. Happy Mother's Day to you. And a happy Mother's Day Connie Jong Il, Kim Jong Il's mother. She is very proud.
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll pass on the word. Thanks very much, Mo.
ROCCA: Of course, yes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
