NOW FOLKS, DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR WEEKEND PLANS ARE.
AND DON'T SAY GETTING THOSE SHELVES UP IN THE GARAGE BECAUSE
WE BOTH KNOW THAT YOU'RE LYING.
BUT I'M GOING TO GO SEE IN THE HEART OF THE SEA.
IT'S A NEW BLOCKBUSTER FILM ABOUT THE 19th CENTURY SHIP
THE ESSEX WHICH WAS ATTACKED BY A GIANT WHALE.
AN BECAUSE IT'S A RON HOWARD FILM, PROBABLY A GIANT MERMAID.
WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS THAT IN THE HEART OF THE SEA
TELLS THE TRUE STORY THAT INSPIRED HERMAN MELVILLE TO
WRITE MOBBY DICK WHICH IS WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE THE GREATEST
AMERICAN NOVEL WHICH DOES NOT INVOLVE DA VINCHI CODES.
NOW I KNOW IT'S POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF YOU MAY NOT HAVE READ
MOBYDICK, NO JUDGE.
, AN 8900 PAGE NOVEL THAT INCLUDES MULTIPLE CHAPTERS WITH
THE AN SENTD ART OF SCRIMSHAW ISN'T EVERYBODY'S CUP OF
AMBERGRIS, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU NEVER PICKED IT UP OR HAVE
READ IT AND CONSIDER YOURSELF A BIT OF A MOBYDICKHEAD.
THIS MOVIE IS THE PERFECT TIME TO BRUSH UP ON AN AMERICAN
CLASSIC.
SO HEAR TO HELP US RIGHT NOW IS PROVE TERROR-- PROFESSOR OF
AMERICAN STUDIES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AND RENOWNED MELVILLE
SCHOLAR ANDREW DELBANCO.
IS MOBBY DICK REALLY BASED ON A TRU STORY.
>> YES, MELVILLE KNEW THE STORY OF THE ESSEX.
IT WAS BAD NEWS, EVERYBODY AT SEA KNEW ABOUT T WHALES COULD
GET ANGRY AND SAILORS FIGURED WHALES COULD SINK, THIS WAS THE
WHALE THAT TURNED ON THE SHIP THAT WAS TRYING TO KILL IT.
>> EVERYBODY KNEW ABOUT IT, MELVILLE HEARD IT FIRST WHEN HE
WENT TO SEA IN 1841.
>> Stephen: OKAY, NOW WHAT I REALLY WANT, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO
BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO MY AUDIENCE EXACTLY WHY IT IS AN
AMERICAN CLASSIC.
YOU IT IS A LONG BOOK AND I NEED TO MAKE THIS QUICK AND EXCITING
FOR OUR NETWORK TV AUDIENCE.
>> I GOT IT.
>> Stephen: SO WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW IS YOU AND I HAVE
ALREADY HAD THIS CONVERSATION ON THE NITRO ROLLER COASTER AT SIX
FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE WITH A 230 FOOT VERTICAL DROP.
IT IS RATED THE THIRD MOSES TERRIFYING ROLLER COASTER ON
EARTH.
ALL RIGHT, ANDREW, ANDREW, JIM, LET'S SHOW EVERYBODY THE
LECTURE.
SO YOU WERE NAMED GREAT TEACHER BY COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
IF YOU ARE SUCH A GREAT TEACHER, CAN YOU TEACH ME MOBBY DICK IN
TWO MINUTES AT FOUR Gs.
>> I WILL GIVE IT A SHOT.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THIS THING.
SO DO YOU LIKE ROLLER COASTER.
>> I HATE THEM, I'M TERRIFIED OF THEM.
>> Stephen: OKAY, IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.
YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE IT.
SO-- I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS, IF MOBYDICK IS SUCH A GREAT
MOVE NOVEL, WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO BE FORLINGSED TO READ IT.
>> THEY DON'T, I KNOW PEOPLE THAT READ IT VOLUNTARILY.
>> Stephen: ARE THEY TEACHERS.
>> NO JUST PEOPLE THAT FIND IT OPENS UP THEIR IMAGINATION.
>> Stephen: SO WHY IS THIS THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL?
>> IT WAS A CRAZY NEW COUNTRY.
WE NEEDED A CRAZY NEW NOVEL.
>> Stephen: HOW OLD ASK IT.
>> ABOUT 155 YEARS OLD.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> IT HAS IT BROKE ALL THE RULES OF NOVEL WRITING.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK AMERICANS HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR
A 160 YEAR OLD 800 PAGE NOVEL AND PLEASE TELL THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE WATCHING PEOPLE ON THE ROLLER COASTER.
WAIT, LET'S SEE HOW WELL YOU KNOW THE BOOK, ON THREE SAY THE
OPENING LINE WITH ME.
ONE, TWO, THREE.
>> CALL ME ISMAELE.
>> WHOOO!
>> Stephen: WHO IS ISMALLE, WHY SHOULD I CARE.
>> HE SAY WANDERER, HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO HE IS, LIKE THE REST OF
US.
>> Stephen: SO IS YOUR METAPHOR FOR AMERICANS.
>> I THINK SO.
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO WE ARE ALL THE TIME.
>> Stephen: WHO IS QU IQAG.
>> HE IS A-- CAN I BALANCE,.
>> Stephen: ARE THERE A LOT OF CANIBALS IN THE BOOK?
>> NO, JUST ONE.
>> Stephen: IS THE BOOK PROCANIBAL.
>> SORT OF.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> GEORGE WASHINGTON CAN BALLISTICICALLY DEVELOPED.
>> Stephen: SO WHAT DAWS THE WHALE REPRESENT?
>> THE WHALE IS THE REASON WE'RE ALL ANGRY AT THE WORLD.
EVIL.
>> Stephen: OKAY, WE'RE ALMOST OVER.
CLIFF NOTES, WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?
>> A QUEST FOR MEANING IN LIFE.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA AFTER THIS RIDE.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.
GO.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: DO A HAB AND THE WHILE GET TOGETHER.
>> YEAH, BUT IT'S A VERY SAT OUTCOME.
THEY DON'T GET ALONG WELL.
IT'S BAD NEWS FOR AHAB.
>> Stephen: DOES EVERYONE HAVE A WHITE WHALE?
>> I THINK SO.
I THINK WE WANT TO EXPLAIN TO OURSELVES WHY THE WORLD SEEMS
UNFAIR SOMETIMES AND DOES BAD THINGS TO US.
>> Stephen: WELL, ANDREW, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> A PLEASURE.
>> Stephen: THAT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT BOOK.
AND NOW I DON'T HAVE TO READ IT.
>> EXACTLY.
I'M GLAD I COULD DO SOMETHING FOR YOU.
>> Stephen: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)