Colbert: What do you think of the current state of children's lit? Sendak: Abysmal. Colbert: There's so much of it though! Sendak: That's what makes it abysmal. Let's talk about some of your competition. Ok. Give me your reviews. Green Eggs and Ham? Good. Good. Green Eggs And Ham, "Good". Everything by Seuss is good. Really? yeah. Give A Mouse A Cookie. Euh! I'm with you on that one. Cause, you shouldn't give a mouse a cookie, Mouse should *earn* the cookie. You should open the door and say 'get the hell out of my house!' The mouse should be exterminated. Yeah. I'm with you on that one. Curious George? Great. Curious George, ok. I don't believe in monkeys in the house either. You don't like it? No, no. they throw their feces. They do, they do throw-- Monkeys bite your jaw off, they will bite your face off He wouldn't have done that. No, no, but he could have at any moment. So have I changed your mind on Curious George? no. So you're in favor of children getting their faces bitten off. I'm in favor of -- ok, you- you've made it clear. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? you know that one? Isn't that an adult novel? That's kind of prejudiced of you, to say that a book has to be adult, or a book has to be child. Someone who's been so ghettoized in their work, would say that a child couldn't read a book about murder and sadomasochism... You trapped me! you trapped me! Checkmate, sir. Check... You're wrong, but you trapped me. Am i? Am i? Yeah! Oh, so other people can be pigeon-holed, but you can't do that to Maurice Sendak. That's a crime. How about that! H'm!, interesting. Don't I deserve that? Double-standard much, Mo? (laughs) Let's shift gears. Every celebrity is out there cashing in on children's books. And I want in. What does it take for a celebrity to make a successful book? What do I gotta do? Well, you've started already by being... an idiot. That is already the very first demand. Ok, idiot. First is idiot. How do you spell that? (laughs) After that, you know the formula. You just need, like an animal, and... something they've lost. Well yes, I mean most books for children are very bad. The Squirrel Lost Its Mittens. There you go. The Buffalo... Lost Its Gun. You've just written two children's books! I've got a story. can I read it to you! (winces in pain) Do you *really* have to? It's called "I am a Pole, and So Can You!" Ok, yes! I can't wait to hear it. == [Colbert reads] == I AM A POLE AND SO CAN YOU I am a pole, that much is clear to me. But just what type of pole could I possibly be? I tried to be a pole for vaulting, but I couldn't seem to bend. I would love to be a ski pole, but for that I'd need a friend. I wished I was the North Pole, and marked the home of Santa, Or even just a Gallup Poll calling voters in Atlanta. I considered fireman's and fishing, Was a totem for some time. And even tried to be a stripper pole, but I couldn't stand the grime. But then one day, in my depths of despair, Some scouts brought me Old Glory as something to wear. And while she danced and she waved, It became clear to me, I am the best kind of pole you can possibly be. I am an American Flag pole. Now pledge allegiance, or else. == (laughing) What do you think? The sad thing is, I like it! Can I get that as a blurb? Oh, absolutely! "The sad thing is I like it..." The sad thing is I like it. "... --Maurice Sendak." That's a good blurb! And all you need to do is get a popular illustrator who has a horrible sene of design, no taste for type nothing about the aesthetics for what a picture book could look like, and you will probably make a lot of money. Will you teach me how to draw? No. Well that is a lovely offer, I accept. (laughs) == Cut to Sendak's studio == So this is where you do all your work? Yeah, I'm afraid so. Well I'm trying to figure out how to draw a pole. I'm not very good at drawing. Let me draw a pole here... You ever uh, sniff your marker? No... is that good? a good thing? It's a cheap high. be careful... It does, it does! Go ahead, go ahead. I assume you were huffing these things when you drew Where The Wild Things Are "I remember Pearl Harbor... ta da da da da da da... ya da da da, ya da da da, Ya Da DA DA DA DA DA!" See how great these markers are? no really. That pulled the song right out of me, right out of my nose! I got a mountain, got some clouds and half a sun... You drew a Polish woman with a pole! Holding a pole Pole with a pole. She could be a Polish stripper. That's right Any advice, any advice here? No... just, I would leave it alone, because it has a kind of delicacy, and irrationality, and, and... terrible quality of -- ordinariness. "Terribly ordinary!" - Maurice Sendak That's another great blurb! Supremely ordinary! Well, Moishe... I think with my fantastic book idea, my words, my drawings and your blurb, I think we've got a hit here. I've- I know we do. Thank you, sir. == Colbert recaps == Folks, once I get a publisher, I AM A POLE (AND SO CAN YOU!) will be available in bookstores everywhere! In hardcover, paperback, maybe even in ebook. what do you say about that, Maurice? [Flashback to earlier interview] Fuck them is what I say! I hate those ebooks. They *cannot* be the future. They may well be, I will be dead, I won't give a shit! [/Flashback]
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