David Letterman's Opening Monologue

David Letterman Show | 9-19-01 | D. Letterman

[PaulJ]

David Letterman's remarks on September 17, 2001...

cold opening and applause

Thank you very much.

Welcome to the Late Show. This is our first show on the air since New York and Washington were attacked, and I need to ask your patience and indulgence here because I want to say a few things, and believe me, sadly, I'm not going to be saying anything new, and in the past week others have said what I will be saying here tonight far more eloquently than I'm equipped to do.

But, if we are going to continue to do shows, I just need to hear myself talk for a couple of minutes, and so that's what I'm going to do here.

It's terribly sad here in New York City. We've lost five thousand fellow New Yorkers, and you can feel it. You can feel it. You can see it. It's terribly sad. Terribly, terribly sad. And watching all of this, I wasn't sure that I should be doing a television show, because for twenty years we've been in the city, making fun of everything, making fun of the city, making fun of my hair, making fun of Paul... well...

So, to come to this circumstance that is so desperately sad, I don't trust my judgment in matters like this, but I'll tell you the reason that I am doing a show and the reason I am back to work is because of Mayor Giuliani.

Very early on, after the attack, and how strange does it sound to invoke that phrase, "after the attack?", Mayor Giuliani encouraged us -- and here lately implored us -- to go back to our lives, go on living, continue trying to make New York City the place that it should be. And because of him, I'm here tonight.

And I just want to say one other thing about Mayor Giuliani: As this began, and if you were like me, and in many respects, God, I hope you're not. But in this one small measure, if you're like me, and you're watching and you're confused and depressed and irritated and angry and full of grief, and you don't know how to behave and you're not sure what to do and you don't really... because we've never been through this before... all you had to do at any moment was watch the Mayor. Watch how this guy behaved. Watch how this guy conducted himself. Watch what this guy did. Listen to what this guy said. Rudolph Giuliani is the personification of courage.

applause

And it's very simple... there is only one requirement for any of us, and that is to be courageous, because courage, as you might know, defines all other human behavior. And I believe, because I've done a little of this myself, pretending to be courageous is just as good as the real thing. He's an amazing man, and far, far better than we could have hoped for. To run the city in the midst of this obscene chaos and attack, and also demonstrate human dignity... my God... who can do that? That's a pretty short list. The twenty years we've been here in New York City, we've worked closely with police officers and the fire fighters and...

applause

...and fortunately, most of us don't really have to think too much about what these men and women do on a daily basis, and the phrase New York's finest and New York's bravest, you know, did it mean anything to us personally, firsthand? Well, maybe, hopefully, but probably not. But boy, it means something now, doesn't it? They put themselves in harm's way to protect people like us, and the men and women, the fire fighters and the police department who are lost are going to be missed by this city for a very, very long time. And I, and my hope for myself and everybody else, not only in New York but everywhere, is that we never, ever take these people for granted... absolutely never take them for granted.

applause

I just want to go through this, and again, forgive me if this is more for me than it is for people watching, I'm sorry, but uh, I just, I have to go through this, I'm...

The reason we were attacked, the reason these people are dead, these people are missing and dead, and they weren't doing anything wrong, they were living their lives, they were going to work, they were traveling, they were doing what they normally do. As I understand it (and my understanding of this is vague at best), another smaller group of people stole some airplanes and crashed them into buildings. And we're told that they were zealots, fueled by religious fervor... religious fervor. And if you live to be a thousand years old, will that make any sense to you? Will that make any Goddamned sense? Whew.

I'll tell you about a thing that happened last night. There's a town in Montana by the name of Choteau. It's about a hundred miles south of the Canadian border. And I know a little something about this town. It's 1,600 people. 1,600 people. And it's an ag-business community, which means farming and ranching. And Montana's been in the middle of a drought for... I don't know... three years? And if you've got no rain, you can't grow anything. And if you can't grow anything, you can't farm, and if you can't grow anything, you can't ranch, because the cattle don't have anything to eat, and that's the way life is in a small town. 1,600 people.
Last night at the high school auditorium in Choteau, Montana, they had a rally, home of the Bulldogs, by the way... they had a rally for New York City. And not just a rally for New York City, but a rally to raise money... to raise money for New York City. And if that doesn't tell you everything you need to know about the... the spirit of the United States, then I can't help you. I'm sorry.

applause

And I have one more thing to say, and then, thank God, Regis is here, so we have something to make fun of.

If you didn't believe it before, and it's easy to understand how you might have been skeptical on this point, if you didn't believe it before, you can absolutely believe it now... New York City is the greatest city in the world.

lengthy applause

We're going to try and feel our way through this, and we'll just see how it goes... take it a day at a time. We're lucky enough tonight to have two fantastic representatives of this town, Dan Rather and Regis Philbin, and we'll be right back.

to commercial

[Dan Nunn]

I believe this is the URL to the non-HTMLized, CBS ad-filled version (according to a post in alt.fan.letterman), although I can't verify since I won't waste my time installing RealPlayer. Copy and paste this URL into the player:

pnm://real.cbsig.net/g2demand/entertainment/mini/lateshow/highlights/20010917.rm

I did see it on CBS, and everyone's sentiments expressed here are correct - it was a truly moving show, one of his best. Better than even his comeback special from his heart surgery. Here's to Letterman, a true patriot, moreso than Jay Leno and Bill Maher could ever dream of being (or, in Maher's case, a true Marxist).

[E.G.C.]

link

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

I did see it. And it WAS an emotional night. He did do good on this one. He really did.

I was disappointed that he Didn't mention President Bush. I wasn't surprized though. He was a Gore man. He usually is ruthless when it comes to President Bush. In fact, It shocked the heck out of me, that he actually spoke so highly of the Mayor!!!

I don't think David Letterman is a hero, that has been defined lately by a lot of others, the Men of flight 93, the Firefighters, Police and Rescue workers, co-workers who gave their lives for others. Plus he would have to change his colors regarding our President. But he did "shine" on this night.

I watched because I needed an "emotional vacation" for a few moments, and Jay Leno wasn't on. (Not that he also isn't a bleeding liberal). But I do watch those guys at night. I have almost been sick to my stomach when they have attacked in such a different way, guised as jokes, but meant to harm, our President, or members of the Senate or Congress who are Republicans. They act as though they pick on all equally, but that isn't true.

But for one night, David did shine. I thought it was an emotional tribute. And you know what?? I even cried when Dan Blather cried. Because the words of the song he spoke of, will truly never hold the same meaning. And that is sad for America.

So, Well done David. Now.. lets see if you can go a little further, and back our Commander in Chief!!

[aculeus]

Letterman was sticking it to President Bush. His over-the-top comments on Rudy, emphasizing his 'courage' (for what? going to the site after the bombing?) and his silence on Bush were meant to deliver the message: Bush panicked (i.e., he followed the SS advice who knew AF One was a target).

When Regis started to say "Bush is going to handle this right... " Slimeball Letterman interrupted him with this: "Tell us how you met Joey Bishop". He did not want Regis to compliment our President and he didn't have the guts to say what he thought.

Letterman has made it clear he despises our President and those of you who were impressed with his monologue need to listen more carefully.

At least Rather said he would do whatever the President wanted.

[E.G.C.]

link

[Dale 1]

Thanks for posting this. When you said "David Letterman", I was expecting some sick jokes, but this was a good read. Thanks!

[Dr. Frank fan]

The only problem I have with one of his remarks is the one about religious fervor. I wonder if now anyone who is religious is going to be persecuted......just wondering.

I honestly don't think that's how his remark was intended. He was speaking about those would would commit mass murder because of a supposed explanation of religious fervor.

I guarantee you that people are not going to be persecuted "just because they are religious". So-called "religious" mass murderers, on the other hand.....

[Hawkeye's Girl]

As a regular watcher of his, no. He made fun of Clinton, and he made fun of Bush. I liked "The President's Vocabulary Word of the Day", even though I voted for Bush. We all have our faults, and at times, Bush isn't as articulate as he could be. All in good fun :)

And as I have said before, there's a reason why a former staffer of his told the NY Times he was a "closet Republican".

[Terriergal]

What a class act,

Yeah it figured his hosting of the Academy Awards bombed. He is one of the entertainment industry with a little of those "hometown values" and knows when it's time to say what needs to be said.

I personally LOVED his hosting of the Awards. But I can see why Hollywood didn't. They take themselves too seriously.

[rface]

I couldn't help but choke.

And I believe, because I've done a little of this myself, pretending to be courageous is just as good as the real thing. ....I don't know if its as good as the real thing, but sometimes the best I could do was pretend.

Great job Dave, and he is right....Mayor Giuliani is a leader and an example for all of us to look up to.

[[Senator Giuliani anyone??]]

Ashland, Missouri

[Ditter]

I understand you want Rudy to continue on as mayor, but wouldn't you rather have him as one of your senators? When is "chuckie the schmuck" up for re-election?

[proud American in Canada]

re #6--I'd heard people were starting a write-in campaign to keep him as mayor. As someone said, it's the job he was born to do. NY needs him and he needs NY.

[proud American in Canada]

re #6--I'd heard people were starting a write-in campaign to keep him as mayor. As someone said, it's the job he was born to do. NY needs him and he needs NY.

[mdwakeup]

Did city voters approve the term limits law? I'm just curious.

[brewcrew]

Senator Giuliani anyone??

No. Mayors and Governors lead. Senators are legislative policy and special interest wonks.

The good mayor is a leader.

Can you say President Giuliani in 2008??

[mdwakeup]

Shame on you! Rudy went to ground zero before the towers collapsed. He had run for his life just like everyone else when they started to fall.

[mdwakeup]

I could say it in 2004.

[BlueAngel]

It would have been nice if Letterman had at least mentioned President Bush. If he couldn't even utter his name that night, then he must really dispise him.

The mayor has done a remarkable job but so has President Bush.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Who thinks that Dan Rather's crying episode was entirely genuine?