Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Milwaukiedave]

I don't know if any of you caught this last night, but it was pretty damn funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SCJLlSf21Y

[mindmetoo]

I really thought Simmons was getting miffed at Letterman for real. "Why do I bother?" Had me up until the thing burst into flames.

[Rteacher]

Simmons must really be desparate for the publicity to go along with that scripted finale bit with his three compartment steamer catching fire (hearkening back to his last appearance when Letterman hosed him down with a fire extinguisher...)

I googled "Richard Simmons steamer" and he really does promote the thing that caught fire. I guess he figured that the publicity was worth having Letterman wrily warning him (and the viewing public...) that he'd "better work the bugs out..."

[Milwaukiedave]

I honestly don't think that was scripted (although Letterman was in on it because he didn't even flinch when the thing popped). When I watch the video it appears Simmons doesn't have any idea he's being pranked until the smoke starts coming out and even then, he didn't seem to be aware of the pop or fire. I also tend to think the "I feel like Micheal Jackson" line was improve as well on his part.

Letterman does like to pick on him though. I have to say I still laugh when the show the clip from six years ago of Letterman hosing him with the fire extingisher.

[Qinella]

I don't know, that was pretty messed up. People don't come on talk shows to have the host make fun of how useless the thing they're promoting is, and then fool the audience into thinking it's defective and dangerous. First he talked about how dumb it was, then laughed at it, then blew it up.

Richard Simmons seems like a nice guy. I don't know why he persists with the skimpy outfits since he looks to be a bit out of shape now, but picking on him is like making a joke that someone's fart smells bad. Like no siht, really? He's flamboyant and zany?

[Ramones]

Very funny YouTube video.

Dave was in on it for sure.

Richard didn't really look at the fire just ran, so I think he was in on it also.

Funny as hell.

[mole]

I saw this original broadcast, and they replayed it slow-motion.
Looked like Richard was toally shocked and unaware.
Cruel joke, but extremely funny given their history.

[Satori]

What's thier history?

And if it was staged, pretty odd way to promote your product...

[JJK1]

Isn't it obvious Letterman was in on it? And it was the tray that made the fire.. notice how Richard Simmons says something in the beginning about the tray not being part of the steamer.

[itaewonguy]

It's scripted..
Simmons has been coming on letterman for YEARS! he is an old guest of the show and everytime he comes on its the usually script
letterman acts as if he has no time for him, and simmons plays the fool
its well scripted to make it believe like they hate each other..

[mole]

[seoulshock]

I don't know how many of you listened to Howard Stern back in the day, but Richard Simmons used to appear on the show very frequently -- probably about 50 times in total.

Off the air, they were friends. Richard would go over to Howard's house to have dinner, hang-out, etc.

On the air, however --- Howard was very abusive to Richard. I remember some of the things he'd say to Richard, "I can see your *beep* through your short-shorts", or "You're a chubbo yourself, your belly hangs like your nuts", etc.

Once he asked Richard, "If you saw Loni Anderson nude... would it be exciting to you OR... would it be like looking at a building?"

Anyway -- that particular show was the last appearance Richard made, and this was in I think 1992. The show ended with Howard scolding Richard for being a crybaby and screaming at him to, "cut it out".

By the way, back in the day when Howard had his old WWOR Channel 9 show (very very low budget) -- Richard Simmons went on with a few of his "fat friends" (as Howard calls them) who had lost some weight. Well, some of the crew members had roast chickens being lowered via a pulley -- and in front of the faces of these fat people. Richard went nuts.

Anyway -- I don't know if they would've scripted this on Letterman -- but they never did on Howard -- Simmons and Stern were friends, and now Simmons hasn't made in appearance in nearly 15 years. Howard sent one of his interns to ask Simmons some questions at a public appearance he was making and when Simmons found out he became very hostile and had security remove Stern's intern.

...it also didn't help that a few months ago, another one of Howard's employees tried to tease Richard Simmons who was in the Sirius Satellite Radio office (where Howard currently broadcasts from). Oh well, they could've reunited after all these years -- but no.

PS: Richard Simmons came up with the name for Howard's 3rd daughter, Ashley -- and has said he's always considered Richard to be his oldest daughter.

[Sleepy in Seoul]

I'm not sure what anyone actually sees in Letterman... as far as I can tell, he's one of the least funny people to masquerade as a humourous fellow on the box. From my limited experience of watching him, it's something akin to (as I'm told) self-abuse with a cheese grater - slightly amusing, but mostly painful. The slightly amusing part comes from watching him crassly laugh at his own unfunny jokes. Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to why and how he is sometimes perceived as jocular.

[Satori]

[Green Tea]

In case you didn't know Richard Simmons is super rich. His Sweatin' to the Oldies franchise is worth hundreds of millions.