A Daily Show segment in which a
reporter baits Alabama and Mississippi residents to express their
anti-gay biases instead found support for gay marriage.
In the segment, Al Madrigal asks
statistician Nate Silver which state will be last to allow gay men
and lesbians to marry.
“The states that are probably going
to be the slowest to move toward legalization are mostly in the
South,” Silver explained. “What we call the Deep South. In
particular Alabama and Mississippi are maybe the last two.”
“I'm surprised a gay couple can get a
fishing license in Mississippi, let alone a marriage license,” says
columnist Slim Smith.
“A fist-ing license?”
Madrigal asks.
“Fish-ing license.”
“Oh, that's makes sense,” Madrigal
says.
To find out which state is likely to
come in last, Madrigal sends two male actors to publicly declare
their love for each other in various public venues.
But in waffle houses in Alabama and
Mississippi, the couple's wedding proposal is greeted with applause.
At the end of the segment, Madrigal
returns to speak with Silver, saying his trip was “super gay.”
“Alabama might as well be blowing
Mississippi right now,” Madrigal says. “Have you seen them on
the map?”
“They are kind of butt-to-butt there,
Alabama and Mississippi,” Silver responds. “That is true.”
“Glad you said it,” Madrigal
responds. (The video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)