I don't like my politicians entertaining me and I don't like my entertainers politicianing me.

Craig Ferguson made remarks along these lines in the late-2000s/early-2010s as a late-night host, when U.S. political coverage and celebrity culture were increasingly intertwined. In monologues and interviews he often contrasted his role as a comedian with the expectations placed on late-night television to function as political commentary, and he also criticized politicians’ use of entertainment venues as image-management. The line encapsulates his preference for clearer boundaries: elected officials should focus on governing rather than showmanship, while entertainers should avoid presenting themselves as political authorities simply because they have a platform.

Ferguson draws a sharp boundary between two public roles: governing and entertaining. The line suggests that politics should not be reduced to spectacle—candidates winning attention through showmanship rather than competence—while entertainment should not become a vehicle for partisan instruction or moralizing. Implicitly, he is defending professionalism and clarity of purpose: politicians owe citizens serious stewardship, and entertainers owe audiences craft rather than ideological pressure. The quote also reflects anxiety about a media environment where celebrity, news, and campaigning blur together, encouraging audiences to treat civic life as performance and performers as political authorities.