For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis, the election, and more, subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter.





Salon called it “the weirdest Rachel Maddow interview ever,” and while we at Mother Jones can neither confirm nor deny that statement, it’s sure a hell of a lot weirder than our own Clara Jeffery’s recent conversation with the breakout cable news star. Plus, Clara actually talked less than the person she was interviewing, something Vanity Fair‘s George Wayne couldn’t manage in his bonkers Q&A. The piece just made the rounds of the Mother Jones e-mail circle, and here’s a sampling of comments:

Jen Phillips: Our interview is so much better, even if it doesn’t mention eproctophilia.

Mike Mechanic: Foul.

Me: Is this guy from 1923?

Dave Gilson: Has anyone ever really uttered the phrase, “listen to this saucy pedant”?

Nicole McClelland: I cannot believe VF printed two of this asinine interviewer’s words to Maddow’s every one. How is it possible they let him go on about eating ass for not one, but two complete sentences?

As you can see, this interview raises more questions than it answers. Here’s another one: Does saying “darling” a lot make up for using the term “dyke-stache”? Twice? If only there was an upcoming opportunity to ask Ms. Maddow how she felt about all this, at an event benefitting a non-profit magazine, for which there was an exclusive reception that still has some tickets available.