Comic legend and liberal activist Chevy Chase was invited on Thursday's Today show to promote his NBC comedy "Community" [1] and
advocate for environmentalism on this Earth Day, as he told viewers
he'll be emceing a charity auction to benefit liberal greenie groups
like the NRDC. In the process of noting some of the items to be
auctioned off at the Christie's event, including a golf outing with
Bill Clinton, Chase revealed none other than Today co-anchor Matt Lauer
offered his own donation - a guided tour of the Today set.
The following exchange was aired on the April 22 Today show:
MEREDITH VIEIRA: You're not just an icon, you are an emcee tonight at a very important auction.
CHEVY CHASE: Yeah tonight I'm emceing this Christie's Auction. It's a green auction. It's to save the Earth. And let me just mention that it's also gonna be sponsored by Oceana, NRDC, the conservation-, in other words there are, Central Park Conservancy.
AL ROKER: All the profits go to those organizations.
CHASE: There are a number of organizations, four that will be benefitted.
MATT LAUER: That's right.
CHASE: And I can just quickly give you, from CharityBuzz.com a list of some of the, like golf with President Clinton will be auctioned off. A tour of the Today show with Matt Lauer.
LAUER: That's a huge item! Huge!
CHASE: Is he still on that? Yeah. Oh and then Jane Pauley. Oh no!
ROKER: Nice.
CHASE: When was that? 80 years ago. Anyway.
ROKER: Ow!
CHASE: Anyway but it's, there are some great things. Gonna be doing that and of course I always celebrate Earth Day quietly at home with a bonfire and some liquor.
ROKER: Very good.
LAUER: We were actually talking about 40th anniversary of Earth Day. And you were on the first Earth Day where?
CHASE: As I remember her name was-
ROKER: No!
LAUER: Don't do that!
ROKER: Comedy icon ladies and gentlemen!
CHASE: I don't know! I had no idea where I was but I know I was for it.
ROKER: Yes!
CHASE: You betcha!
-Geoffrey Dickens is the senior news analyst at the Media Research Center.