Stephen Colbert Takes Over Local TV In Monroe, MI and Makes It the Eminem Show (Video)

Monroe, Michigan (pop.20,733). 25 miles south of Detroit, the small town’s glory days during the war of 1812 make it an important American city for history buffs, and as the home of La-Z-Boy, it enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in the ’70s. Today, it has become a city buzzing with Hip-Hop….and straight comedy. Stephen Colbert – the late-night TV God (and former host of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report) whose schedule is the most open it’s been in 20 years, put Monroe (quite literally) on the map a few days ago for a couple of reasons.

First, he took over the hosting duties for a local public television program, Only in Monroe, where he turned the table on the show’s usual hosts, interviewing them and performing what can only be called an extended tourism ad for the local community. Then, Eminem came on. Yeah. Michigan’s own Marshall Mathers. As if that wasn’t enough, the two perfectly mismatched personalities performed a musical pastiche of music by “Michiganders.” But the night wasn’t all totally ridiculous. Well, maybe it was, but the two got down to some solid conversation…about nonsense. They talk about the traffic on I-75, the cresting of the local river, Bob Seger (because why not). Think Eminem’s scene in The Interview, only on live television and with a man who’s made a living out of ridiculing the ridiculous.

The entire 40-minute episode in all its glory can be watched below. For Eminem’s segment, skip to the 22:00 mark.

Related: Eminem Helps Signal The Return Of Epic Blockbuster Visuals, But Can All Enjoy? (Video)