Right before coming on our show last night to talk about the Alaska Senate race, political genius Nate Silver tweeted that he was about to appear on TRMS in "what might quite possibly be the world's ugliest tie."
Then he sat down in the interview chair during a commercial break, and Rachel Maddow actually saw, for herself, what he had on -- and it equaled no. "He's wearing a houndstooth-check shirt, and this," she said today, holding the tie and still laughing. "I just intervened and I said, 'You have take that tie off.' "
Somehow, while Rachel ran through the introduction to the segment, Nate and an undisclosed number of technicians managed to get him out of the necktie and recombobulated. Nate did the interview and then autographed the tie; we added it to our collection.
He tweeted later: "Will keep a tie at the office for future emergencies; hard to find one in Times Sq that doesn't feature Empire St Building or Wile E. Coyote." After the jump, a still photo from the Necktie Incident.
[The segment, with Nate Silver after the tie removal.]
Photo by Andrew Dallos, of the tie removal in progress:
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So. Awesome.
I love you people with all my funny bone!
That is pretty damn funny! I love the re-enactment!
I know what the tie should be: If you ever have anyone play Nate Silver in an "episode" of the Rachel Maddow Players, they should be required to wear that tie. You know, to help them get into the Nate Silver "character".
(edit to correct spelling)
I think this is the best thing I've ever seen. Especially the part where she's explaining the camera locations at then there's just a shot of her hand. Lol
Very funny, although I'm almost certain I gave my father that same tie for Father's Day when I was 10... Hmm...
I'm also trying to figure out if what's on the whiteboards in the background is stuff for the future (spoilers!) or last night's show (like the mock-up graph down at the bottom for the IAVA report card). It's slow going because the only words I can read are "bitching" and I think "TARP Profitable".
I think I'll have to get the CSI guys to enhance it for me.
Looks to me like it was for last nights show, with Nate in block caps in the second(?) segment, Tiller tease, MTP and GWB. Pretty much all I could make out on the other board was "Bitching" but I think it was on there about 3 times...
I don't know that that's the worlds ugliest tie; I don't know if a tie can actually be ugly. It definitely has a special outfit that goes with it, though. I want to see the outfit.
I'm not entirely sure how Rachel kept a straight face reading the intro with all of that going on right next to her!! Funniest behind the scenes ever. Thank you so much for sharing!
ah-HA! so that's what you're always so involved in with your keyboard - rewrites! i've always wondered if you were emailing, tweeting, or what.
i was also wondering why Mr. Silver looked rather... disheveled -- thought it might just be geek-cred tho far more prominent than other appearances, or maybe last minute since Matt Tiabbi wasn't going to be on. for future reference, however, Wile E. Coyote goes with everything. ;)
Yeah when I saw the broadcast all I could think the entire time was Nate's hair was terrible and I pondered how that could be, being that TRMS has a make-up crew and stylist crew ready to "make up" (if you get my meaning) guests on TRMS. Nate looks like a Hobbit to me anyways (and I mean that lovingly) so when I saw his hair there was a part of me that was like OMG! DID HE JUST COME FROM A LOTR LARPG!!! OMG I WANT TO KNOW SO I CAN JOIN! Granted, I'm an uuuuuuuber nerd roflmao.
Like my mother, I wanted to put a comb to his hair right then and there. I couldn't focus on the Alaska story! I tried, really, but my eyes would wander to his head and I'd wonder why on earth no one told him his hair was a mess! Now it makes sense...
yeah, the tie was pretty bad, esp with the shirt, but then, i found the whole herringbone thing distracting, too.
also, i would've thought that somebody would've redressed him well before he got to the set, what with make-up people, if no wardrobers, and just general staff. still, it might've seemed kinda insulting to say to a guest, 'you're wearing that?'
my favourite behind the scenes so far I think, really made me laugh! ty
LOL!! Priceless! Thanks, Rachel!! :)
It will become, somehow, the Tie of Prophecy. No election will be the same without it.
or a security device as the Tie of Seizures.
Can't believe Nate Silver was so relatively calm after seeing what he'd just been through. He does have rather a low affect in general but wow, he's a cool customer. How RM kept a straight face through her intro is a mystery. Think I'll rewatch...
It explains why his hair was all mushed up though.
Perhaps with the right kinda shirt that tie would be slightly less ugly, but yeah...with that shirt... eek. You guys are awesome and thank you Rachel for sparing our eyesight.
Oh and I just noticed the fishy calendar...that's SO cool. And new glasses too, Rachel? Totally awesome, as is the nerdy watch. I'm in love.
best story ever! so cute. I wish we had more behind-the-scenes stuff! The blog should do a behind-the-scenes special! A tour of your offices would rock, too.
:)
Dude, that was hilarious.
OMG, that was classic! I love it!
What a blast. Classic Maddow. Thank you for posting.
If I'm not mistaken, there's a Thomas Pink just down Sixth Avenue from 30 Rock where I'm sure Nate could have found a nice tie for more than $4. Or in a pinch maybe Keith or Lawrence's wardrobe folks could have lent him one? That thing is hideous!
Hilarious...
I might be excused for positing that when you need to keep a tie for "emergencies"you are clearly behind on bong hits!
What does the tech's shirt say?
Looks like"Beat me,Bite me,Let me c".....then I can't make out the rest...Maybe a add for a local diner?
That tie could be mounted for prominent display awaiting presentation each year for the best, most-desparate-last-second-frantic-in-the-nick-of-time-duct-tape-open-all-emergency-ports-save mom/apple pie-and/or the American way moment in the annuls of TRMS BTS* frenetics at the July 4th picnic or something. Like the Vince Lombardi trophy or Miss America's crown, you pass it to the next recipient or just get your name on a little silver plaque thereon afixed. Just think of the clips on The Official Silver Anniversary Best of TRMS Limited Edition Boxed Set DVD and Dinner Place Mat set suitable for Christmas stocking stuffers and graduation gifts for geeks.
Oh! I want one!
*Behind the Scenes(R)
Rachel you should do these behind-the-scenes-in-yr-office clips more often.
Hi Rachel, With all the serious topics on your show, this must be a welcome distraction for you and your guests. This re-enactment was hilarious. Well done, would love to see more.
Richard Charnin banned, spamming.
But wait! I'm still stuck on: "Why in the hell won't the knot slip down?"
Is this some kind of special Asian Souvenir Shop perma-tie? Guaranteed to resist attempts by New York muggers to steal it from around your neck?
Or is Nate such a total nerd that he doesn't know how to tie a Windsor properly? (As I recall, something to do with the rabbit jumping up, running around the tree, and jumping back down his hole....)
TRMS's crack investigative team needs to get to the bottom of this! Or, not.
//EDIT: To fix first name to "Nate". For some reason I wanted to turn him into "Matt". (More coffee! Quickly!!!)
my guess would be that he pulled at it from the wrong side, thereby tightening the knot rather than loosening the tie, nothing special about the way it was tied just the circumstances in which he tried to take it off.
When I went to prom in high school I wore a dress shirt and a tie with my date (she wasn't my girlfriend, she was just a straight girl willing to go with a gay woman to prom). It took me forever to get the Windsor knot correct. Finally I showed up to her house to pick her up (with the tie hung around my neck and un-tied) and her dad helped me tie the knot (no pun intended). I swear I tried 20 some times before I got it right. I feel a great deal of sympathy with Nate. Poor guy
Don't you have scissors on the set? ;-) Cutting a 4$ Tie vs. looking disheveled and having flaming red ears on national TV? I would go for the cut!