“Well, assholes will always be assholes.”
Why it's great
The word repeats until it becomes a rule, and the crudeness hides a shrug of experience.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Cheaters will always be cheaters, so stop expecting honesty.
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Kate and Mindy Prep Backstage, Explained
Don't Look Up · 2021
Chapter 7 of 25 · 2'07"
Backstage before their first TV appearance, Kate and Mindy rehearse what they will say — discovery, then urgency. But the nerves win: Mindy takes Xanax and has been drinking, while Kate talks herself down. "He's got this," someone insists, even as the odds of holding it together shrink by the minute.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:44–1:30
Kate Coaches Mindy Before They Go Live
46s
Kate and Mindy Prep Backstage, explained
What happens
Backstage before their interview on a morning show, Kate and Mindy are prepped for the cameras. A stylist offers to trim Mindy's beard, and the two plan their segment: Mindy explains the discovery, Kate presses the urgency of action. Mindy, badly nervous, takes Xanax and has been drinking, and Kate tries to calm herself.
What's really going on
Two scientists are about to go on a light morning show to warn the world, and the scene is all preparation: how they will stand, what they will say, where they will look. Kate keeps feeding Mindy the plan — "talk about how urgent it is that we take action" — while Mindy is barely holding on, taking Xanax and drinking before going live. The show's hosts are excited to have them, and the White House is already denying the meeting ever happened: "Well, assholes will always be assholes." What the backstage bustle hides is how alone they are. Kate can only repeat "You are here now" to keep herself steady, and someone encourages Mindy with "He's got this." Nobody in the room is ready.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Well, assholes will always be assholes.”
- The reaction to the White House denying the meeting: a shrug of weary contempt, not anger, from people who expected to be disbelieved.
- “You are here now. You are here now. You are here now.”
- Kate's grounding mantra before going on air: a breathing exercise to stop herself from panicking about the situation.
- “He just needs to breathe and speak up. You know?”
- Someone in the crew describes the plan for Mindy: get steady and get loud, which is really a description of everything that is going wrong.
- “He's got this. I know he does.”
- A reassurance offered more to the speaker than to Mindy: everyone keeps insisting he will be fine, and nobody sounds convinced.
- “You gotta stop drinking the cheap shit.”
- A blunt instruction from one of the handlers as Mindy drinks before the show, naming his habit without tact.
Theme
- Satire — The scientists who must warn the world are reduced to nervous guests being styled and coached for a morning show.
- Absurdity — A civilization-ending message is delivered by a man on Xanax who has been drinking before airtime.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level5/8
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“You are here now. You are here now. You are here now.”
Why it's great
A single reassurance repeated three times shows exactly how hard he is clinging to it.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I kept telling myself I am here now, and then I walked out.
“He just needs to breathe and speak up. You know?”
Why it's great
Two plain instructions double as encouragement, giving a method and a vote of trust.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
You just need to breathe and speak up in there.
“He's got this. I know he does.”
Why it's great
A verdict followed by a confident echo, and the whole line is someone standing behind him.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
She's got this. I know she does.
“You gotta stop drinking the cheap shit.”
Why it's great
The scolding lands on the drink, but the worry is really about the person drinking it.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
You gotta stop staying up so late.
Up next · 08on a plateThe scene: Riley Bina Reconciles Live on AirTakeaways
What you walk away with- The pep talk is two plain verbs: breathe and speak up.
- A tongue twister is doing the work of a calming ritual.
- The White House denial is treated as just another fact.
- Here we go again says the excuses have already been heard.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhat is Kate and Mindy's plan for the interview?
Mindy will describe the discovery of the comet, and Kate will follow by stressing how urgent it is to take action. They rehearse the order backstage before going on the air.
Why is Mindy so nervous before the show?
He is about to tell a mass audience that a comet may destroy the world, on a show that treats it as light entertainment. He takes Xanax and has been drinking to get through it.
Who is Thalia?
Thalia is the stylist sent by The Herald to help with Mindy's wardrobe. She offers to trim his beard, and Mindy flatly refuses the outfit she brings.
What does 'here we go again' mean here?
It signals weary familiarity rather than surprise. When they notice Mindy has been drinking before going live, the line 'Here we go again' means this is nothing new.