At 53 years of age and after 30 years in show business, comedian Dennis Miller is comfortable in his own skin. And it’s for the first time in his life, so he says.
Making his national debut in 1985 as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, hitting the Las Vegas live act circuit, hosting a television news talk show and co-anchoring Monday Night Football, Miller says that if his current daily radio gig ends, things will be different.
“This time, if I’m fired, they will be firing the real Dennis Miller,” he recently told a invitation-only Chicago audience while in town to raise funds for military families.
It took a national trauma, not the typical religious experience, for Miller to finally discover himself. He hasn’t been “born again,” he irreverently jokes. “I’m just arrogant enough to say I did it right the first time.”
But there’s no doubt the Pittsburgh native has made a dramatic transformation, at least politically. Once left-leaning, Miller's act remains tough and biting, although now he pokes at both conservatives and liberals. He describes himself as a “pragmatic libertarian.”
The five-time Emmy award winner made his mark in show business with his verbose passages dubbed "rants." But the 9-11 assault on America changed him and his perspective on the world, he says. The way in which President George W. Bush and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani handled the crisis awed Miller. He continues to hold both Bush and Giuliani in high esteem, despite the vitriolic criticism they both face from Miller’s Hollywood friends.
“After 9-11, it was a different world. One where crazies strap a bomb to their kids in the name of religion,” Miller said. “Bush and Giuliani were fearless leaders during the national crisis. Thank God Bush chose to stay on the offense.”
Bush and Vice President Cheney are respected internationally because they face terrorism and don’t flinch, despite the American public's opinion.
“Those terrorists have to be afraid of Dick Cheney,” Miller smirked. “If he’d shoot his best friend in the face, they have to ask themselves ‘What would he do to us?’”
Miller's act is merciless and his rants aim at a wide array of targets: from the French people and Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla to overweight Midwesterners who hangout in Branson Missouri and Wal Marts to liberal colleagues who obsess about global warming.
Conservative audiences are still not real comfortable with Miller's transformation, though, and it's likely because Miller doesn’t accept the far right’s stance on everything. Most notably, he holds a more liberal position on abortion.
“I’m not a Christian, but I believe in God. Whether or not someone is pro-choice is none of my business. That’s God’s business. It’s in His job description, not mine.”
That particular jab was met with silence by the live conservative Chicago audience.
Miller quickly shifted the topic to a conversation he had with his pre-teen son, disagreeing with Senator Barack Obama’s recent comment that sex education should be taught in kindergarten.
“That’s just too young for all the details,” Miller said. “What are they going to do, use a hot dog and donut to do demonstrations?”
Miller says that raising kids also contributed to his political metamorphosis. Thinking about the America his son will grow up in causes him to favor strong immigration reform.
“Everyone understands why illegals want to be U.S. citizens. But they need to enter legitimately. Gaming the system is bad form,” he said.
“Did you ever stop to think that with all the cameras in a Borders' Book Store that there’s more security there than at the nation’s border? We need to shore up the borders and tell those who want to live here they are welcome, but have to get to the back of the line and get in just like everyone else did.”
“Most of all, we need to teach our kids to quit whining,” Miller said. “That’s how liberals get their way.”
Miller is featured daily on AM 560 WIND from 9 am until noon. He’s also a Fox News contributor on the O’Reilly Factor each Wednesday night. And with his Wednesday nights filled, Miller seems very happy.
Last summer he told The American Enterprise magazine, “I’ve been on “Saturday Night Live” and “Monday Night Football.” Now I’m looking for something iconic to do on Wednesday. Miller’s “The Buck Starts Here” segment may just be what he was searching for.
Rest assured whenever and wherever you catch Dennis Miller these days, it’s the real one, still in transition, just like the rest of us.
