-Welcome back to The Daily Show, my friend. -Thank you.
It is so good to have you here for so many reasons.
One, because you're one of my favorite comedians,
and two, because I was super worried about you
-because you had a heart attack. -I know.
-Thanks for sending me flowers. -I did.
-Yes you did. I was very happy. -I'm glad.
I didn't know how'd you'd like flowers, 'cause I don't--
like, you don't seem like a flowers-y kind of person.
No, I know, but, you know, chocolate would have been
like a veiled kind of threat to me, probably.
-How are you doing now? -Passive aggressive.
How-how-- Like, 'cause you, if people know Colin Quinn,
they know you as, like, like, Colin Quinn!
-Like, in your face! Like, did the heart attack, -Yes.
are you now, like, "I'm Colin Quinn"?
Yes, exactly. I've changed my whole attitude.
Have you had to chill or are you still in the game,
doing your thing, you just eat differently?
No, I-I don't even eat differently.
I just take medication because I feel like it's an insult
to the scientific community if I was to ch--
if I took the medication and then changed my diet.
-(laughter) -You do one or the other.
-You know what I mean? -(laughter)
-Oh, Lord. -What's the point of progress
-if you're gonna, you know? -Oh, yeah.
-I mean, why, why do both? Why do both? -Why do both?
-I-I hear you, of course. Um... -It's ridiculous.
For a precious extra five years? Oh, yes, let's...
Let's cling on by all means.
-Let's talk about your new show. -Yes.
You do stand-up, but then you also have
these one-man shows that you put together that are beautiful.
Oftentimes, you talk about the country,
-the history of the country, where America's been. -Sure.
And now this is really about where America is
and where it's going-- Red State Blue State--
You are calling for the breakup of America in this new show.
Well, yeah, sure. I mean, it's already broken up
but it's just a question of making it official, you know.
I like how flippantly you say that, Colin.
You're just like, "Yeah, I mean, of course."
Yeah. Well, I mean, nobody gets along.
Nobody-- Here's what I feel like people don't understand--
-is that nobody's changing their opinion. -Right.
So everybody keeps, like, tweeting and,
you know, saying, "People have to understand."
It's, like, no one's changing the way they think
and they probably shouldn't.
People are allowed-- That's the whole point of the country,
everybody thinks the way they feel like thinking.
So I feel like, in light of that, let's chop it up into,
like, 12 city-states and see what it-- see how it pans out.
(laughter)
So, let me ask you this, then,
what do you think the solution is?
Or, more importantly, from your show, because I know
you-you do, like, a bunch of research for yourself,
what do you think had led us to this point?
Um, well, no, I mean, I feel like we're always here.
I mean, the Civil War happened because people don't get along.
I feel like social media is the first time people look and go,
"Oh, you're in my face every day.
I really thought that was just an idea." -Right.
It used to be anecdotal and now it's actually in peoples' face.
Do you think social media's made it worse, then?
Sure. It's-it's, uh...
It was-- I say in the show it's an acoustic art.
It was not meant to go electric, you know?
And now it's-- Yeah.
You-you've had a show that's successful.
It's been extended, I think, now to March 16.
-It's done really well. -Yeah.
What do you think appeals to people about the show?
Because, I mean, it's a show about division.
It's a show about breaking the country up,
-and yet you've got people coming in -Because...
from both sides saying "I enjoy the show."
Yeah, because they feel like it is gonna--
People really do realize this is crunch time for the country.
Like, this really is gonna be a breakup,
unless people... you know-- And I don't even care.
All I care about is that people acknowledge--
I just don't want to go into a war half-- like, unaware.
I don't want people to wake up and go
"What happened to our country?"
I want everyone to know this is what we're leading to.
So you don't mind the war, you just want us
-to all know why the war started. -Yes, exactly.
I just don't want... (laughing) Yes. Yeah.
You want us all being there, like,
-"Oh, we knew this was coming. -Exactly.
"Yeah, we knew this was coming. You guys ready to charge?"
There's one guy who's like, "Wait. W-What's happening?
Why did this happen? Social media."
I just don't want anybody
-pleading innocent when it starts. -Right.
That's the only thing that bothers me in life.
I don't mind bloodshed, or whatever.
I just mind people going,
"Hey, I wasn't part of it."
We're all complicit. I'm just putting that out there.
-I love this, my friend. -Thank you so much.
-Even stronger after the heart attack. -Thank you.
Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State
is at the Minetta Lane Theater in New York through March 16.
Go and watch it, it's an amazing show.
ColinQuinn.com is where you can find tickets.
ColinQuinnshow.com.
Colin Quinn, everybody.