Studio 360's Kurt Andersen Interviews Air America's Lizz Winstead

Of all places, MotherJones.com has an interview between Kurt Andersen and Lizz Winstead, co creator of the Daily Show, who left Comedy Central after a brutal feud with the dumb-as-wood politically incorrect mannequin Craig Kilborne. Trippy. But you have to watch Andersen's martini dry wit. It comes up from nowhere, and zaps you on the social level something fierce and unexpected, like an uppercut to the chops. I'm serious.

I know Kurt, somewhat. We worked together at New York magazine, back when he was editor and I was a hungry factchecker. Why, I remember, in another life, years later, being interviewed for a job at Inside.com by Andersen. The conversation was pleasant. It was the height of the dotcom revolution and in Silicon Alley, and he was starting a new business in an arena that I had been a minor player in for a year or so. The conversation turned to the small consumer magazine I was editing at the time, MacDirectory. He asked me after the magazine. I launched into a spirited explanation of where I was steering the magazine editorially. We were to be the Vogue Magazine of technology magazines, sexy, savvy, digital. He looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes, then leaned toward me, conspiratorially, saying, meaningfully,"No, Ron, I mean, what is MacDirectory."

All at once I felt the air drain from my lungs, and for a second hyperventillation seemed a distinct possibilty. Only Kurt's boyish grin told me that he was just kidding, cutting the tension, clearing the air. Kurt's like that. Blam! And then the grave demeanor is broken with the boyish smile. So, imagine my surprise when I read Kurt and Air America's prickly Lizz Winstead:

"Kurt: When a Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson thing happens, will you talk about it? Or will you purely be Halliburton and Iraq?

"Lizz Winstead: We will, [but] we might take less of a Howard Stern approach and try to break down why people are reacting the way they are and why, for God's sakes, the media is leading with it. Really: Is a society that embraces America's Funniest Home Videos so outraged that they saw a woman's breast? Or are they outraged because the woman is just too old to show her breast, because nobody wants to see the breast of anyone over the age of � I think 30 is the cutoff?

"Kurt: To have all of these modules of news comedy, that's a daunting prospect. Comedy can go wrong in a bigger way and make somebody turn the dial faster than just talk.

"Lizz: We're never going to do some gigantic six-minute sketch. And the comedy is going to have a purpose. That way I think people won't tune out. You've got to be a little bit fearless and say, 'This whole venture is a risk,' because no one's ever done anything this kooky before.

"Kurt: Is the plan to make money, lose money?

"Lizz: Make money.

"KA: Not just from Ben and Jerry's ads."

Fuck. That hurt. I could feel it from across the computer screen. I could see him winding up that suckerpunch. That's his MO, I tell you. Lull you into complacency with banter. Disarm you. Then Ka-plooey, right cross to the solar plexus.

And while we're on the topic of Ben and Jerry's, go get some free ice cream today, as it is cone day and the weather, in NYC, is ice cream friendly.

Deadlines make it impossible to blog tomorrow. I'll be back Thursday.