‘Red Eye’ at 500
by Matt PattersonIs there a stranger show on television than “Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld“?
Careening between train wreck and brilliance (often within the same five minute segment), “Red Eye” has been providing necrophilia jokes and toilet humor alongside serious political commentary and biting social satire for over two years now. In fact, “Red Eye,” which airs nightly at 3:00 am on Fox News, recently celebrated its 500th show. In honor of this momentous occasion, I would like to address those poor unfortunate viewers who have yet to tune in, and inform them why they need to start warming up their TiVos like, NOW! people.
The ringleader is Greg Gutfeld, former editor of Maxim U.K and Men’s Health magazines. His cohorts include Bill Schulz (the best side-kick since Andy Richter) and droll and dreary ombudsman Andy Levy. This crew is rounded out nightly by a rotating rogue’s gallery of bloggers, comedians, news anchors, beauty queens, medical examiners, rockers, freaks, and former C.I.A. agents. Oh, and Gutfeld’s mom.
The beauty of this ever simmering stew is you never know how it’s going to go down – sometimes it warms the belly, and sometimes you gag on the mix (Nutmeg?! In stew?!). You find ostensibly serious people being unexpectedly hilarious (Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCotter’s fierce, young-Mr. Burns-visage belies a devastating Don Rickles wit), and ostensibly funny people addressing serious subjects – all with wildly varying success.
“Red Eye” is like a great punk song – individually the instruments are out of tune and none of the musicians have the slightest clue what they’re doing. But somehow it all comes together in a life-affirming vortex of awesomeness that makes you bang your head and pump your fist and thank God that the Ramones were too stupid and too smart to do anything else.
But “Red Eye” is not a punk song – it is a television show. Its sire is not the Ramones, but Steve Allen (R.I.P.), a mantle once picked up and gloriously carried by David Letterman, before he got infected with namby-pamby liberalism and I-know-what’s-best-for-you paternalism.
“Red Eye” will have none of that, and as a consequence is both the most daring and disgusting hour on the air. The “Red Eye” crew act like they are not even aware that they are on television half the time; or at least, they act like they are acting like that, and that is their genius.
So the question is not really “Is there a stranger show on television?” to which the answer is manifestly no. The question is “Is there a better show on television?”
Yes, frequently. But watch anyway. We’d hate for these boys to have to get real jobs.
Matt Patterson is a columnist and commentator whose work has appeared in The Washington Examiner, The Baltimore Sun, Townhall, and Pajamas Media. He is the author of “Union of Hearts: The Abraham Lincoln & Ann Rutledge Story.” His email is mpatterson.column@gmail.com.
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119 Comments
I relate to many of the jokesters on Red Eye for some reason. Probably because they aren’t worshipping your President, and that’s very, very, very, refreshing.
I watch the previous night's show every night after work. I try to keep as many as I can on DVD because I want evidence that it existed when TeH Won's shock troops take Fox off the air.
Best show ever! Well, almost. Greg-a-log is outstanding. There should be a DVD full of them!
I love RedEye! I dvr it and watch it every morning. When I first came across it in the middle of the night, I thought it was the most bizarre show I had ever seen – is it comedy? is it a talkshow? But now I don't care what it is, I just watch it! This is one of the few shows where people will really say what they think, and Greg gets a good mix of guests on the show so all the sides of an issue are covered. And Pinch is great!
I love RedEye! I dvr it and watch it every morning. When I first came across it in the middle of the night, I thought it was the most bizarre show I had ever seen – is it comedy? is it a talkshow? But now I don't care what it is, I just watch it! This is one of the few shows where people will really say what they think, and Greg gets a good mix of guests on the show so all the sides of an issue are covered. And Pinch is great!
Ive seen Congressmen Cotter in action – he IS devastating!
Will have to check out this show more often…
Yes I have to agree, Red Eye is outstanding. I think 2 years ago I caught the 1st or 2nd episode and have never stopped watching since. The "Unicorn Planet" segment used to crack me up to the point of choking sometimes. Oh, and the many attractive female guests don't hurt either. The only complaint I have is that I wish it aired earlier so more people could watch it. Maybe they should start a Fox Comedy Channel with Red Eye in Prime Time.
"The ringleader is Greg Gutfeld,
formerfired editor of Maxim U.K and Men’s Health magazines."Fixed.
McCotter and Gutfield are both so funny its hard not to burst out laughing when you just start thinking about them.
Considering there isn't a person who hasn't been fired Paul I find your comment interesting. Hmmmm…
i remember the first time i saw red eye. it was a combination of glee and wonderment of how they were getting away with it.
I DVR Red Eye every night so I can watch it at a more sensible hour, but it's the best laugh of the day for me usually. I've seen some people slam Gutfeld, a lot, but he's honestly the perfect host for the madness. When there have been guest hosts when Greg is "sick" it never really works the way it should, which doesn't mean the guest hosts are bad, but it takes a mind as warped as Gutfeld's to make the show move and work.
Besides any show that has a former CIA officer talking about cheeseburgers, sitting in a massive leather comfy chair, and talking about how he "loves me some weed" is doing something right.
IF I had been fired from these two magazines, I would be quite proud.
Trash and garbage respectively.
Great now I'm going to have the "Unicorn Planet" song stuck in my head for the whole morning. But I'm totally in agreement with you on the female guests not hurting at all, definite agreement there.
Yeah, well, lucky for you, it's on at a decent hour. So, how's the post-John Howard gov't working for you guys?
P.S. Go Bombers!
Red Eye is pretty good. Always worth a laugh or five. Greg's right, the clip of the laughing guy doesn't get old.
No that never does get old. I still crack up every time he plays that. Which means I probably need help.
I'd love to see full boxed DVD sets of all the episodes, complete with commentary track. Of course none of them can remember what happened last night let alone last year so the commentaries would be rambling, incoherent, and probably profanity laced drunken rants…in other words, perfect.
Favorite show ever!
Mike Baker of Diligence, LLC—what a joke in that big comfy chair. Do some diligence on Diligence, LLC and their work in Bermuda (see IPOC). They're almost as comical as Kroll.
Red Eye would almost be perfect if it was taped in a pub with an audience in booths and tables all around. It feels like a few smart, funny, outrageous people, sitting around a few beers being smart alecks. But I suppose it would then be too easy to succumb to the mob mentality of Bill Maher and John Stewart audiences.
Keep it up, Greg! You're great!!
Favorite show of unicorns everywhere.
Red Eye is the best show on TV right now, IMO. I have a mad crush on Greg. I just wish it were on from 12:00 to 1:00 am.
Come on' FNC – you've got a potential goldmine. We latenighters could give a rip about watching the re-runs of Bill, Sean, Greta. Does anyone else remember Matt Druge's show on FNC? Loved it. Also loved Judith Regan's show. I wish FNC would return to the "old shows" for the post 11:00 pm hours instead of the retread reruns.
Red Eye is the coolest, hippest, funniest conservative show ever, and Gutfeld is my answer whenever anyone asks for a truly funny conservative. Being a ne'er-do-well musician, it even comes on at a time I can enjoy it: After all my gigs and/or practicing are/is done, and it's time to have a beer. LOL!
Always have been a Jim Norton Fan, I love depraved humor, to finally get it mixed with some conservatism is amazingly refreshing.
Offbeat, refreshing, often hilarious, sometimes-makes-ya-cringe, creative conservative comedy. Only one with a talking newspaper, I believe.
Dude, you are taking yourself way too seriously. That's the point of Red Eye. You get the hard, sometimes boring, always very serious news all day, and you need to be able to sit back and laugh about it at night for sanity's sake. Loosen up a bit and you'll appreciate just how brilliant the show is.
And if you disagree with me, then you, sir, are worse than Hitler.
Kinda hard to think the 3:00 a.m. slot on the Murdoch Short-Bus as an achievement, especially when your network competetion consists of test patterns and the bulk sales of hunting knives on HSN.
I couldn't agree more. Red Eye is my favorite show and has been since episode 1. Jon Stewart is a douche, Gutfeld is the man.
anyone who dislikes the show is worse than Hitler………
I finally figured out how to DVR the show duhhhhhhh! I used to read the Greagalouge every day and the lightbulb went off finally to w-a-t-c-h it. Even so, I am smart enough to appreciate this show hugely. This is the best thing on TV bar none. This post was brought to you by wood chips. Thanks wood chips
I came across Red Eye during a weekend re-airing and was hooked. The show is a perfect addition to our modern times: hilariously funny and unafraid of poking a little fun at those who believe themselves untouchable. Greg, Bill and Andy are politically incorrect but not in a Bill Maher-I'm-smarter-than-you way. The recent flap with the Canadian gov't only heightened the show's exposure and made fools of those who couldn't recognize satire if it danced in front of them in a diaper labeled "Satire."
And if you disagree with me…
Why is it on at 3 damn AM and not a more civilized hour?
Take a look, take-a-lookers
I think Gutfeld has done for the 2000s what Hunter Thompson did for the 1970s — invent an outrageous comic way of saying serious things. HST's mode was mock-violent imagery, Greg's is mock-decadence.
By the way, Andy Levy is not "droll and dreary" but droll and weary.
I catch the show usually on the weekends when they re-air (re-scare?) a show or two from the week, or I might catch it Friday night when I'm up late (it's on at midnight here on the left coast). And I can't believe no mention has been made of Pinch, the talking New York Times newspaper. At least one NYT edition as second job besides birdcage liner.
If Greg were a third-world dictator, I'd cozy up to him and shake his hand.
Listen up, listen uppers. The only thing wrong with Red Eye is its time-slot. Fox needs to move him to a better time. It's bad enough getting it at midnight here, but 3 AM is ridiculous for the east coast. DVDs and tapes are wonderful, but part of what makes the show such fun is that they go after today's news and political activities. Why get yesterday when we can have today?
Wow, Paul. Bitter much?
Red Eye is fantastic. I especially love Patty Ann Brown's wardrobe choices — much different than her work on the news side.
Next time you watch, see if the massive leather comfy chair doesn't remind you of King Kong's massive mitt.
I dvr it everyday. The whole crew and regulars they have on are just d@mn funny. 499 was better though.
And Matt good analysis on David Letterman. I used to watch him religiously and could never quite figure out how he changed on me and I lost interest but that's exactly it.
And Matt good analysis on David Letterman. I used to watch him religiously and could never quite figure out how he changed on me and I lost interest but that's exactly it.
Very refreshing to us too, BPT!
That's one of the reasons why I like it so much.
Plus it's funny as hell.
Very refreshing to us too, BPT!
That's one of the reasons why I like it so much.
Plus it's funny as hell.
I love Red Eye, but I wish it was on another network that didn't mute objectionable content. Andy Levy is wonderfully droll.
I love Red Eye, but I wish it was on another network that didn't mute objectionable content. Andy Levy is wonderfully droll.
Red Eye is a breath of fresh air. thankfully on the west coast it's on at midnight. RE women rock! nothing sexier than a beautiful strong intelligent conservative minded woman. Not unique to RE, Fox is full of them, but it's great to see all laid back and "being themselves" having a great time. The men are great too, but without those beauties it would not be the same
keep up the good work Greg, Bill & Andy.
Yeah, I'm kind of wondering why they do it. The show is on at 3am – heck, they say much worse at 10pm on the FX network.
It does, which amuses me to no end too.
I really want one of those now.
I tried, but it kind of bored me, so I'm just going with Mike Baker is funny as hell.
Well, 3 am on Fox beats any time slot on the Obama slobber-fest MSNBC.
I couldn't sleep last night, so I turned on the TV and watched RedEye. Or tried to watch it. I was awake, but my brain apparently wasn't—I couldn't follow a thing. Will try recording it and watching at noon instead.
As one of Greg's former houseboys, I love watching my Greg work into night. He still hasn't given me back my shorty robe though.
In other news, Messages for Greg is hilarious.
My favorite show when I was a kid was The Uncle Floyd Show. Broadcast in the days before cable on UHF. A weird looking antenna pointed in the right direction brought the picture in clear, the signals emanating from some nearby tower in the swamps of Jersey. It felt special and different from all other TV shows. A small bunch of creative people performing satirical skits on the cheap. All content; small budget.
Red-Eye has that same vibe. My concern is that they’ve already changed the back drop from what used to look like somebody’s dark basement to a pathetic display of glitzy gaudiness that signals to me that the producers are looking to take the show ‘upscale’.
Watch Red-eye now, before FOX tries to make it ‘successful’. This is the type of show who’s quality will be inversely proportional to its popularity.
I would say it (albeit coincidentally) took over where Allan Havey's great late night show Night After Night stopped… Both shows that resonated in my brain what late night TV aught to be.
I just wish it would be less bi-partisan. Bill annoys me defending BO all the time.
Best show on any cable news channel. Unfortunately, Fox schedules their programs based on the host's height, which is why it's on at 3am.
Fortunately for "Red Eye", Ailes and the other Fox execs right now are smart enough to keep the show away from the hours when more of the social conservatives (who tend to not appreciate the gay sex/imprisoned houseboy/cannibalism stuff) are watching. As long as the show airs in the middle of the night on the East Coast, there's less of a chance that the consultants will want to spend any time trying to give Greg & crew a Susan Boyle-type makeover.
(Uncle Floyd wasn't on at 3 a.m., but WWHT was buried so far up the UHF dial at Ch. 68 that none of the people who would have been offended by it ever visited there, since in the NYC area, most people thought there was nothing above Ch. 40 but Spanish stations.)
Best show on any cable news channel. Unfortunately, Fox schedules their programs based on the host's height, which is why it's on at 3am.
The first few times I saw this show I detested it. Couldn't watch more than two minutes of it without wanting to throw the TV out the window. Guess I didn't get it. I love it now. It is clumsy, chaotic and messy at times, but at its best it is wickedly sharp, perceptive, refreshingly irreverent (yes, the mere absence of Obamaniacal sycophancy itself is cause for continual celebration) and, best of all, utterly hilarious. FOX needs to give serious consideration to giving it an earlier time slot.
Preaching to the choir seems to prove popular over at Fox News. Enjoy your garbage while 75% of America continues to marginalize your increasingly irrelevant party of monolithic issue-voters and socially backwards cranks!
I think the guy who fired him has fired him a few times…and has been a guest several times and a sub for Andy once.
I detect a hint of humor jealousy in your diatribe. You don't know how to be funny or laugh at the ridiculous? You must be a liberal Koolaid drinker…. Sig Hiel, Mien Heir!
I've been a fan of Red Eye since it's inception. Gutfeld has got the gig down pat (or is that pat down gig?) and it's refreshing to have satire, wit, conservatism all rolled into one big funny happy hour. My only suggestion for the Red Eye producers is to start getting some of these liberal wussies to come on the show and be torn apart by the "not-so-sensitive" likes of Ann Coulter and Ted Nugent.
I love Red Eye, but I think were it on earlier, that would take something away from the "rebelliousness" of it. A comedy show on a news network? Brilliant. (Of course, for full disclosure, I should say that I DVR the program, so it's easy for me to want to leave it at 3:00 a.m. Eastern…) I do think, though, that were the show to become too mainstream, in timeslot or in content, it wouldn't be as good.
If you're wired to think "Dead Hooker" humor is funny, you're in for a treat.
I suspect Bill writes most all the show except the Greg-o-louge and the Halftime Report. I suspect this because Greg can't pronounce 10% of the words on the telepromper, God love 'em.
I love the formula, and I love that the formula bits seem to cycle to new formula bits right about the time I start shouting at my TV screen.
When I take over the world… Patti Anne Brown on the panel, EVERY night. She's so precious, jewelers try to whack her cleavage with a mallet.
Red Eye is why God made TiVo.
Hell yes! Best show on TV! Plus it is pretty kick ass when Greg uses one of your intros!
This program is like an ongoing trainwreck; you want to to turn away, but between the wonderful disgusting humor and the cerebral ladies, turing away is not an option.
Bill makes the program tedious, TEDIOUS I tell you.
Less Bill, much more Andy! Oh, and kudos to the wardrobe people when the likes of PAB are on….
I've become hooked but cant always get home by 3am..gonna have to get the tivo stuff or whatever the thing is
can someone explain why Greg talks about cats to Andy at the first check in? Has anyone besides me thought that if Jack Bauer had plastic surgery to change his appearance he would be Greg Gutfeld?
I came across the show while searching for something to watch one night in a sleep deprived stupor… Have been hooked every since. I now DVR it every night and watch it the next day. It irritates me when it is pre-empted by news or political stories, or by Pres. Obama's infomercials …
My husband doesn't like it at all. He cannot understand why I like it so much, he thinks that it is demeaning to women and very homo-erotic. I cannot explain why I love it. Except for the fact that it makes me laugh and helps me to not take everything so seriously. Congressman McCotter is my favorite guest, he replaced Mike Baker as my fave. I find both to be very sexy. McCotter's sensibility, wit and humor. Baker's eyes… dreamy.
i love red eye! we tape it every night. the nice thing about red eye is that, no matter how depressing and desperate the situation is politically, the commentators always have funny and insightful remarks that ameliorate the gloom. ….not that there isn't cause to be utterly dismayed by the depraved acts of our politicians…
Preaching to the choir… Ha… that is funny. I will wager that you are a big fan of MSNBC and CBS. LOL… probably one of the few citizens, who are not in the media, who subscribe to the NYT.
Your comment brings to mind an old saying… People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
watch Red Eye here in NZ, it is on at a "watchable" time here. We (American's living here) have converted Kiwi friends and they are now regular viewers. Always entertaining. Have to love Andy (he's the best). Keep up the good job FOX.
I love Red Eye, I have for over a year. It's not uptight and it makes dealing with everything going on the world fun and relaxing.
[...] The ringleader is Greg Gutfeld, former editor of Maxim U.K and Men’s Health magazines. His cohorts include Bill Schulz (the best side-kick since Andy Richter) and droll and dreary ombudsman Andy Levy. This crew is rounded out nightly by a rotating rogue’s gallery of bloggers, comedians, news anchors, beauty queens, medical examiners, rockers, freaks, and former C.I.A. agents. Oh, and Gutfeld’s mom. [link] [TB] [...]
BEST show on television! Perfect pacing, great commentary, and an amzing amount of wordplay (look it up). And how can one not be amused by Unicorn Jones and Fluffy McNutter?
Wowee steve, exaggerate much? In case you haven't noticed, it never has been 75% and is now less than 50%. Your commie messiah is showing cracks around the edges, and leaking badly. Stay tuned for an America-wide puhtooee of the Obamalugee.
Maybe a full boxed DVD set wouldn't be practical, but they could excerpt some of the best. Like February 19, hysterical. (Plus SE Cupp was wearing patterned stockings.)
Paul_D,
I stopped myself from dialing in to the hacker websites to find out who you are and said to myself, self let's try to UNDERSTAND Paul_D. After all the O, Apologizer in Chief is in office so we should be more in tune with our granola eating past life experiencing Yoga side. So I recited the mantras, cleared my thoughts, engaged in deep meditation and channeled my spirit guide and said let me understand the inner emotional workings nay the center of the intelligences of the legion that refers to itself as Paul_D. After four excruciatingly uneventful hours it finally happened as the exhaustion set in. I channeled your thoughts and you know what……
For the first time in my life my mind was a complete blank.
Uh Reader …… this is gonna seem a little strange but someone named Pinch called and asked me to beg you to keep reading the New York Times. Look I normally don't go for this sort of thing but man the guy was literlaly that desparate……..
Look man I'm just the messenger.
Just so long as John Stewart isn't Gutfeld's douche I'm OK with that.
Write Fox News…..
ask Murdoch why he is being such an idiot.
Better yet tell Murdoch put RedEye on at Midnight or you sir are worse than HITlaarrr…..
Odd how that STUPID line is so dawg gone funny….
It always cracks me up…………….
Paul_D wishes he could be a happy individual instead of a carping, envious gas bag. But Paul_D doesn't like Paul_D very much, and neither do his imaginary friends.
Gee Poor Greg……
He wanted to be the one you bowed to …………………
as an omsbudsman should be……..
Oddly enough I have Redeye to thank for my knowing that word……….
Shameful I know ……………………
I… can't…. stop… watching…
It's part of the gag
Deja vu
Well Bill does like a manly musk………. oh wait that's not what you meant by BO was it …….
Nevermind…………………..
I agree. How any man can avoid getting a man-crush on McCotter is beyond me.
Gee Steve you seem so miserable. I'm sorry you won the eleciton Steve but after all its been 30 years for your side hasn't it. You were bound to get lucky once huh! Don;t feel bad. Do you like Pie.
Don't be so miserable. I know that now even the French think your side are a bunch of tools but don't worry at the rate your are going you'll screw up soon.
if i could marry red eye, i would, thats how much i love it. i'm sure they made it just for me, a gun toting conservative who has more in common with flea than bob dole.
yeah but they don't tear them apart when liberals statists come on. Bill agrees and Greg changes the subject. I would like to see Coulter or Breitbart come on and rip a statist a new one.
Right. And that he's a part of some NEW Zio-Nazi conspiracy to defraud the Masons of their power to put Triangles on the dollar bills AND…….
At the risk of dating myself, anybody out there remember "Fernwood Tonight"?
Hey, Individualist, thanks for the message — not that it'll do any good. And, I might add, if said "Pinch" had my number, I think I'd change it.
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