Last week, comedian Scott Rogowsky gained national attention when a video of him reading fake Donald Trump-themed books on the New York City subway went viral. Two of his buddies secretly filmed commuters busting up after noticing Rogowsky reading books with titles such as “Prejudice and Prejudice” by Mike Pence, “Fantastic Nukes & Where to Drop Them” by Newt Gingrich, and “We’re Going to Build a Wall and Mexico is Going to Pay for It” by Trumpty Dumpty.
But Rogowsky’s project isn’t just about laughs and irritating Trump supporters. After the video went viral, he announced that all of its proceeds will be donated to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. So GOOD took a minute speak with Rogowsky about how his hilarious video came to be.
Where did the fake books idea come from?
The idea sprouted a couple years ago when I was reading my friend’s book, Baratunde Thurston’s “How to Be Black” on the train. I thought of how weird it might appear to my fellow passengers seeing a vehemently white guy reading a book with such an incongruous title. Eventually, I thought up enough outrageous titles to make a video, and I produced the first one for Playboy in April, 2016. When that went viral, I followed it up with a sequel six weeks later. I wasn’t thinking about making a third video, but after the tragic events of Election Day, I felt my best possible response would be to go back to the well and donate the proceeds of the video to ACLU and Planned Parenthood.
How did you capture the reactions of your fellow subway riders?
I have two cameramen, Sami Haavisto and Daniel Zimmer, who have filmed all three videos. They hold their cameras around their neck, slyly framing up and adjusting focus to capture the reactions.
Did anyone get angry with you on the train?
A very angry foreign man (possibly Russian?) began frothing at the mouth when he saw the “How To Succeed in Business Without Paying Your Contractors.” It was hard to make out what he was saying but he kept screaming about Clinton, and I’m fairly certain he snuck an anti-semitic slur in there.
Have you considered writing any of these fake books?
Hell no! Do you know how hard it is to write a book?
Your video has over 500,000 views. Has the public’s reaction surprised you?
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love” reached out to me over Twitter asking if she could have the “Eat, Pray, Grab Pu**y” book to march with in D.C. on Saturday at the Women’s March. Yesterday, we met at the lobby of her apartment, I gave her the cover, and she surprised me by writing a $5,000 check to Planned Parenthood in my name. She also inspired me to head down to D.C. for the march, so I’ll be there, too!
How would you explain the Trump phenomenon to someone from outside of the U.S.?
Trump is a mean girl, and the people who voted for him are the ugly, unpopular kids who wanted to get in his clique.
Scott Rogowsky’s late night talk show “Running Late with Scott Rogowsky” returns to Union Hall in Brooklyn, on Jan 22 at 8 pm. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RunningLateShow.
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Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com