They address this in Conan’s retrospective about Norm.
Andy was very uncomfortable about that joke because he didn’t want being gay to be a subject of ridicule, and he didn’t know how to face the gay crew members on the show, or gay friends and family, after making fun of the mere fact somebody could be gay.
At first I didn’t emphasize because the value of Norm MacDonald is that anything is fair game in the service of comedy and entertainment.
But now I get it. For Norm it was an improv bit in the middle of a “standup” bit on some show he was taping. For Andy it was an externally-imposed combo of ruined relationships, happening in the middle of his 9-5 entertainment industry career.
Both sides are valid, and I say this as someone who’s lovingly absorbed every Norm clip there is.
Andy was very uncomfortable about that joke because he didn’t want being gay to be a subject of ridicule, and he didn’t know how to face the gay crew members on the show, or gay friends and family, after making fun of the mere fact somebody could be gay.
At first I didn’t emphasize because the value of Norm MacDonald is that anything is fair game in the service of comedy and entertainment.
But now I get it. For Norm it was an improv bit in the middle of a “standup” bit on some show he was taping. For Andy it was an externally-imposed combo of ruined relationships, happening in the middle of his 9-5 entertainment industry career.
Both sides are valid, and I say this as someone who’s lovingly absorbed every Norm clip there is.