Tucker Carlson is no match for Janeane Garofalo.
As Carlson’s liberal sparring partner on CNN’s “Crossfire” this week, the former “Saturday Night Live” star has more than held her own. And anybody else’s, for that matter.
What’s the deal?
“Tucker’s madly in love with me,” says Garofalo, 38, tongue firmly in cheek. “His shrill nature and constant need to marshal my opinions are just masking his deep admiration.
“Like Mr. Darcy in “Pride and Prejudice,’ his aloofness is a cover for his ardent feelings.”
Garofalo’s scathing public criticism of the United States’ going to war with Iraq angered many Americans. An actor’s opinions, they said, held no weight.
News flash: Garofalo is no political dilettante. A Providence College grad with a degree in American studies and history, she devours all things political. She even watches C-Span.
The stereotype of airhead actors “is perpetuated by the mainstream media’s need to idolize and tear down celebrity,” says Garofalo, whose movie credits include “The Truth About Cats and Dogs” and “Reality Bites.”
“It’s the myth of the limo liberal vs. the Ford Taurus conservative. All liberals are out of touch and wealthy. That myth has been a useful tool for the right.”
A frequent guest on political talk shows, Garofalo is one of a select few actors to host CNN’s 4:30 p.m. weekday slugfest. (Others include Ron Silver and Alec Baldwin.)
“I actually find political talk shows interesting. I am a fan of the form. If anyone would hire me, I’d like to have a show like (Chris Matthews’) “Hardball’ or “Crossfire.”‘
But at a much lower decibel level, a la Charlie Rose.
“Having people constantly fighting and being so constrained by time is very anxiety-producing,” Garofalo says. “The level of discourse is not edifying enough. When you talk about things as complex as the Middle East, one needs time.”
So why host “Crossfire” for a week? “I cannot deny my attraction to it. I can get emotional and quite strident.”
Garofalo continues doing stand-up and is writing a collection of essays, “The Dumb and the Mean.” Her first effort, 1999’s “Feel This Book,” with her pal Ben Stiller, was a best-seller.
A development deal with ABC went south about six weeks ago because the two sides had totally different visions for the series – a subtle office comedy in the style of the BBC’s “The Office.”
On the personal side, Garofalo recently went blond and is living happily with rock musician Chris Anderson. After quitting for a year, she’s back to a pack a day of English Ovals.
The trigger, she says, was a visit to former CNN star Connie Chung’s talker. “The typical faux questioning made me so angry, I started smoking again. It was infantilizing.”
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HBO has ordered a 12-episode third season of David Simon’s “The Wire,” which concludes its second season Sunday.
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AP-NY-08-20-03 1855EDT
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