Before My Time
It seems everyone who is reading, thinking and blogging has been in some way affected by the passing of Late Night Legend Johnny Carson. Every network had a tribute and every local station tried to show how their area is mourning the passing of the great funny man (though some of the local people just kicked it over to a Hollywood "reporter" then said something like, "Isn't it sad." after said reporter delivered the same message that was repeated to other stations nation wide). From what I gather Carson's show was more than just another stop on the movie promotion wagon. Every tribute in some way mentioned how Carson's show was THE way comedians became stars.
Part of me wants to rail against yet another "greatest generation" figure who grabbed onto power and wouldn't let it go for thirty years. I want to complain about the lack of talent and leadership in the people who were passed over. The thing is Carson made careers. People would guest host for him. If he wasn't on the show that night, somebody filled in. There was none of this rerunning of a show that first aired six or eight months ago whose only tie to the present is that the movie the stars promoted as being released in the original show is now coming out on DVD. Smart funny people entertained America five nights a week and people loved it. I've never heard or read a bad word about Carson's show. People may not have liked a particular guest here or there but they loved the host and the things he did.
Now Carson is really before my time. The first time I really started watching any sort of late night television was the year David Letterman started on his new network. It was my first year away at school I had a dorm to my self and for the first few months I had a TV that a guy that had lived with me for the first couple days left there before moving in with a high school buddy. I got take out from the cafeteria every every afternoon and did some power TV watching from 4:30 to the end of the Letterman's. I seem to remember that was the year Chevy Chase made the failed attempt at late night TV.
I do wish that there was a person of Carson's caliber on the television now. I don't think it would negatively effect the world to see one fewer movie star per network program plugging his or her latest project. Leno has his thumb on the pulse of American mediocracy. Letterman is way to interested in everyone's children now that he actually has one. I've never watched Opera. Don't think that I could. Jon Stewart is one of the funniest people out there but he is on cable and doesn't reach nearly enough house holds on a daily basis. Conan is king of the rerun and heir apparent to Leno. CBS's replacement for Craig Kilborne isn't all that memorable. I know he is Scottish. That's it. The name of the guy who came from the man show who now hosts the late show on ABC escapes me I know he was funny with Ben stein but then he went for man show humor and it ruined him. I understand Ellen can be funny but she is in the early day house wife time slot that I will never tune to. Are there any other women in that business who trying for that kind of show? I have no idea. Brett Butler would be pretty good in my humble opinion.
All in all I like my funny to be smart funny. That's why I make it a habit to read and plug Mental Multivitamin. People may have noticed a few additions in my paragraph of links. Trenchant Lemmings showed up in a list of sites that link to me and when I went to check it out I found it to be both smart and funny and well worth checking regularly. A Gag Reflex is a blog / story that I check on regularly and while I am usually one of those people who usually comments on blogs to show that I've been there and read attentively, I find it hard to comment as it is so much like a serialized novel that I slip into the "Entertain me now!" mode. FFS (name abbreviated to avoid cursing) is a fellow Chicagoan who also likes to blog in the essayistic rant that I enjoy. She also blogs late at night so I often get to be one of the first to check out her blog. Its like getting the first paper hot off the press. Finally I would like to plug a blog that has been in the paragraph of blogs for some time but whose recent entry about a mother daughter interaction almost had me crying with laughter. That blog is called The Anchored Nomad (A Love great word parings like that) and I don't check it nearly often enough.
So goodbye Johnny Carson but no one on TV is doing what you did so I'll stick to the blogs for my funny.
More Laters
Part of me wants to rail against yet another "greatest generation" figure who grabbed onto power and wouldn't let it go for thirty years. I want to complain about the lack of talent and leadership in the people who were passed over. The thing is Carson made careers. People would guest host for him. If he wasn't on the show that night, somebody filled in. There was none of this rerunning of a show that first aired six or eight months ago whose only tie to the present is that the movie the stars promoted as being released in the original show is now coming out on DVD. Smart funny people entertained America five nights a week and people loved it. I've never heard or read a bad word about Carson's show. People may not have liked a particular guest here or there but they loved the host and the things he did.
Now Carson is really before my time. The first time I really started watching any sort of late night television was the year David Letterman started on his new network. It was my first year away at school I had a dorm to my self and for the first few months I had a TV that a guy that had lived with me for the first couple days left there before moving in with a high school buddy. I got take out from the cafeteria every every afternoon and did some power TV watching from 4:30 to the end of the Letterman's. I seem to remember that was the year Chevy Chase made the failed attempt at late night TV.
I do wish that there was a person of Carson's caliber on the television now. I don't think it would negatively effect the world to see one fewer movie star per network program plugging his or her latest project. Leno has his thumb on the pulse of American mediocracy. Letterman is way to interested in everyone's children now that he actually has one. I've never watched Opera. Don't think that I could. Jon Stewart is one of the funniest people out there but he is on cable and doesn't reach nearly enough house holds on a daily basis. Conan is king of the rerun and heir apparent to Leno. CBS's replacement for Craig Kilborne isn't all that memorable. I know he is Scottish. That's it. The name of the guy who came from the man show who now hosts the late show on ABC escapes me I know he was funny with Ben stein but then he went for man show humor and it ruined him. I understand Ellen can be funny but she is in the early day house wife time slot that I will never tune to. Are there any other women in that business who trying for that kind of show? I have no idea. Brett Butler would be pretty good in my humble opinion.
All in all I like my funny to be smart funny. That's why I make it a habit to read and plug Mental Multivitamin. People may have noticed a few additions in my paragraph of links. Trenchant Lemmings showed up in a list of sites that link to me and when I went to check it out I found it to be both smart and funny and well worth checking regularly. A Gag Reflex is a blog / story that I check on regularly and while I am usually one of those people who usually comments on blogs to show that I've been there and read attentively, I find it hard to comment as it is so much like a serialized novel that I slip into the "Entertain me now!" mode. FFS (name abbreviated to avoid cursing) is a fellow Chicagoan who also likes to blog in the essayistic rant that I enjoy. She also blogs late at night so I often get to be one of the first to check out her blog. Its like getting the first paper hot off the press. Finally I would like to plug a blog that has been in the paragraph of blogs for some time but whose recent entry about a mother daughter interaction almost had me crying with laughter. That blog is called The Anchored Nomad (A Love great word parings like that) and I don't check it nearly often enough.
So goodbye Johnny Carson but no one on TV is doing what you did so I'll stick to the blogs for my funny.
More Laters
posted by Rich Rosenthal II at 3:58 AM
5 Comments:
Interesting post - it really made me think about the evolution of entertainment (I know Carson died and have seen some of the highlights but haven't watched anything in detail).
My own personal entertainment comes from blogs more than tv now. I don't think I'm alone here. Interesting evolution. I had not thought about it until you posted this.
Awww, why thank you for the shout out there Rich.
Thanks for the shoutout, Rich...I always have admired your taste in links!
I need to do something about them though. I stop my cookie cleaner in its tracks every time so It shows all the links clicked on. Need to be able to wipe one page fresh every time so I can know who I check just that day.
I'm a wee bit older than you Rich, and I remember the Johnny days. At the time, I was a socially jaded teen and I recall thinking he was a dull old dinosaur that my Grandma watched every night, but I also remember being very comforted with the thought that no matter what, Johnny would always be on 5 nights a week. So, when he retired and announced Jay as his replacement I was stunned and a litle appalled. Now, his death had the same effect on me. Things aren't as permanent as they seem-that is the cliche I have sadly concluded from this. Of all the hosts you mentioned, Jon Stewart is my favorite!
I'm off to visit the Chicago blogs you mentioned that were new to me.
Kim
Relaxed Homeskool
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