Leno / Conan / NBC / etc.

[sureshot]

Have you ever seen old Leno stand-up footage from before he got The Tonight Show? He was seriously funny, and his material was fairly edgy. Back then, there were very few comics who could "blow him away without even trying."

 

It's all those years of lowest-common-denominator network-approved humor that turned Jay into what he is now. But once upon a time, he was great.

 

I keep hearing people say this, but the few clips I've seen of him back in the day (i.e. on Carson in the late 70's) are just as uninspired as what he's doing now.

 

Maybe he really was funny in his club days. The fact remains, the Jay people are clamoring over now is most certainly not that same individual.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Jesus, Lopez is terrible. For some reason I watched a clip of a recent monologue of his. Of course he tackled the NBC thing, but failed miserably. Case in point "the mexican has the best job security." He's tackling never before done topics with an edgy style, isn't he?

 

I don't think Leno's a great "comedian" at all. He doesn't seem to have the improv abilities that the others have. His strength, if you'd call it that, is his pre-written monologue jokes. I've admittedly not seen much of his stand-up, but his interview segments lack the comedic back and forth that so many others hosts have.

[caliber66]

I keep hearing people say this, but the few clips I've seen of him back in the day (i.e. on Carson in the late 70's) are just as uninspired as what he's doing now.

 

Maybe he really was funny in his club days. The fact remains, the Jay people are clamoring over now is most certainly not that same individual.

How old were you in the late 70s?

 

The problem with comedy is that, with very few exceptions, its shelf life is very short. Ever watch early "Weekend Updates" from SNL with Chevy Chase? Some of them are pretty painful to watch now, but at the time they were pretty cutting edge and played for huge laughs.

[Sir Stewart]

Leno is funny.

[jff]

Maybe it's like asking a recording artist to only do live shows, and not release any albums or songs to itunes. I'm sure Leno likes getting his comedy to millions of TV viewers nightly, rather than a few thousand select people at a comedy club.

 

 

And doing stand up wouldn't pay his loyal staff a pay check.

 

 

 

 

Leno does fairly lengthy engagements in Las Vegas. he also does corporate events, if I'm not mistaken. Something tells me he doesn't do those things for free.

 

http://www.mirage.com/entertainment/headlinersInfo.aspx?id=926

 

It was mentioned earlier in this thread that Leno makes more from stand-up than from TV. I find that almost impossible to believe, but it could be true, considering how much money flows into Vegas.

[sureshot]

How old were you in the late 70s?

 

Its called Youtube. Good comedy stands the test of time (just look at the Marx Brothers, Laurel/Hardy, or Charlie Chaplin). I dont have to have been alive at the time to have an opinion. Again, if someone has clips of him while he was "funny", I'd be happy to check them out. And thats not even my point. For all I know he was the worlds most brilliant comic. But he's not now, and now is what matters. Leno's shtick is 15 years past it's sell by date.

[Sir Stewart]

Its called Youtube.

 

It's called reading his whole post.

[u2roolz]

I saw Jay Leno at the Mirage while out in Las Vegas in 2004. He was there and it was something to do. I ended up 1st row and he picked on me for a bit.

He went around asking people what they did. I told him that I was a film major and then he said "so you'll be spending the rest of your life in your parent's basement."

He was definitely drunk and dirty, but dirty in an "adult approved" dirty. It was R rated, but not nasty like oh I don't know. It wasn't like Dane Cook (1st person I could think of...the Marshmallow Man doesn't work for this example) who will talk about bodily fluids and sex in a "cool-for-the-young-crowd-to-hear-me-talk-about-my-prom" type of way. I guess what I mean is that Jay was "appropriately" dirty for the older crowd.

 

Come to think of it I was also at the comedy special that was filmed in Boston for Craig Ferguson in 2008.

[sureshot]

It's called reading his whole post.

 

I agree that current events comedy dosent typically hold up long. Im sure Stewart/Colbert will look dated in 15 years when theres a completely different political landscape (although Stewart has only gotten better w/ age). But Leno's current events stuff isnt even funny NOW. It dosent twist or turn it to a different angle, or shine a light on the absurdities...it's not biting. He brings nothing to the table. Its just cheap, cornball jokes. Maybe thats what people like about him. I just think its lame.

 

And he's a godawful interviewer on top of it. He's completely incapable of having meaningful, engaging discussions outside of whatever talking points he's fed. Nothing he says feels genuine...he dosent get angry, he dosent get emotional- its a constant flatline. Howard Stern's description of him being a "robot" is completely spot on. Letterman on the other hand is an incredible interviewer...one of THE best. Letterman knows when to get serious and drop the schtick...his monologue after 9/11 was one of the most emotional things I've ever seen. I can't say Leno has ever moved me in a similar way.

 

As far as Conan goes, he's a completely different ballgame. Obviously his nerdy brand of humor won't appeal to everyone, but I think this past week has shown that when he has nothing to lose (and not in fear of the network), he's brilliant. NBC just had to give him a chance (and no, 7 months is not a long enough time frame to establish yourself in a new slot). NBC wanted Conan for his young audience..thats what they got. And its not his fault that their prime time lead-ins blow, either.

[stooka]

He doesn't seem to have the improv abilities that the others have. His strength, if you'd call it that, is his pre-written monologue jokes.

 

Like the Kimmel 10 question thing? That was oddly tolerated by Lamo and makes me think I smell a well written and very funny rat.

[augurus]

I don't see how any of these hosts expects to survive in light of the new George Lopez show

[caliber66]

Its called Youtube. Good comedy stands the test of time (just look at the Marx Brothers, Laurel/Hardy, or Charlie Chaplin). I dont have to have been alive at the time to have an opinion. Again, if someone has clips of him while he was "funny", I'd be happy to check them out. And thats not even my point. For all I know he was the worlds most brilliant comic. But he's not now, and now is what matters. Leno's shtick is 15 years past it's sell by date.

Ok, another example is "In Living Color". That show was shit your pants funny in 1991. It was also new and innovative stuff. I have the DVDs, and a lot of it is kinda tired. Times change. Leno was considered an exceedingly funny comedian in his prime, not just by the public, but by his peers.

 

Not so much anymore, though.

[bobbob1313]

Are people who find Leno funny wrong?

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I agree that current events comedy dosent typically hold up long. Im sure Stewart/Colbert will look dated in 15 years when theres a completely different political landscape (although Stewart has only gotten better w/ age). But Leno's current events stuff isnt even funny NOW. It dosent twist or turn it to a different angle, or shine a light on the absurdities...it's not biting. He brings nothing to the table. Its just cheap, cornball jokes. Maybe thats what people like about him. I just think its lame.

 

And he's a godawful interviewer on top of it. He's completely incapable of having meaningful, engaging discussions outside of whatever talking points he's fed. Nothing he says feels genuine...he dosent get angry, he dosent get emotional- its a constant flatline. Howard Stern's description of him being a "robot" is completely spot on. Letterman on the other hand is an incredible interviewer...one of THE best. Letterman knows when to get serious and drop the schtick...his monologue after 9/11 was one of the most emotional things I've ever seen. I can't say Leno has ever moved me in a similar way.

 

As far as Conan goes, he's a completely different ballgame. Obviously his nerdy brand of humor won't appeal to everyone, but I think this past week has shown that when he has nothing to lose (and not in fear of the network), he's brilliant. NBC just had to give him a chance (and no, 7 months is not a long enough time frame to establish yourself in a new slot). NBC wanted Conan for his young audience..thats what they got. And its not his fault that their prime time lead-ins blow, either.

When it comes to knowing when to drop the shtick, Letterman is great, but I think Craig Ferguson is better. There's a 12 minute video on youtube of one of his "monologues" where he talks about how he won't make fun of Britney Spears, then goes on to talk about his alcohol addiction, and how he tried to kill himself before he finally got sober. That, and his episodes where he just talks about his recently deceased parents, is powerful stuff.

[sureshot]

When it comes to knowing when to drop the shtick, Letterman is great, but I think Craig Ferguson is better. There's a 12 minute video on youtube of one of his "monologues" where he talks about how he won't make fun of Britney Spears, then goes on to talk about his alcohol addiction, and how he tried to kill himself before he finally got sober. That, and his episodes where he just talks about his recently deceased parents, is powerful stuff.

 

Fergussen's show is absolutely fantastic. At first I just associated him with the Drew Carry character and never gave his late night spot much thought (I really didnt expect it to last). But after catching a couple episodes and starting to watch, I've walked away impressed. What he's doing really feels unique, and he really seems to thrive in the show's intimate setting. I especially like the quirky little "pre monologue" he does before the formal introductions.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

His show really does seem more personal. He just seems like a great guy, who knows he doesn't always have to go out there and tell jokes. I think he's hilarious when he does joke around, but listening to him when he feels he needs to talk about things is wonderful too. Last night he talked about how sick of this stuff he is, especially given what's going on in Haiti. For lack of a better phrase, the dude keeps it real.

[caliber66]

Are people who find Leno funny wrong?

 

[Moss]

I vastly prefer Letterman and Conan but I'm actually starting to feel kind of bad for Leno. I know that makes no sense but he always seemed like a nice enough guy. I just kind of assume the entertainment bizz is every man for himself.

[cryptique]

News flash: Jeff Zucker's had a stick up his ass about Conan O'Brien for 25 years.

 

From Deadline.com

 

NO JOKE: Jeff Zucker Had Conan Arrested

 

By Nikki Finke | Thursday January 14, 2010 @ 11:10pm

 

It's just been brought to my attention that, while they were Harvard undergraduates, Jeff Zucker '86 called the cops on Conan O'Brien '85. (I never saw previous reports about this.) According to articles in both the Harvard Crimson and Yale Daily News, Zucker, then president of the university's Harvard Crimson daily newspaper, dispatched the police to the Harvard Lampoon office after O'Brien, who was president of the campus humor magazine, organized a prank on his college rival -- stealing an entire print run of the Crimson before it could be distributed. "He only forgave me when I gave him The Tonight Show," Zucker told a Yale gathering back in 2005. The Harvard Crimson described the incident this way in a 2004 article about Conan landing The Tonight Show courtesy of Zucker: "O’Brien cut his teeth in comedy as president of The Harvard Lampoon, a semi-secret Sorrento Square social organization that used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine. In fact, O’Brien first met Zucker, his current boss, one day when O’Brien and the Lampoon editors stole all the copies of that morning’s Crimson. Zucker, then Crimson President, called the police and met O’Brien face to face while he was being arrested." In 2001, Conan told The New Yorker this about the incident: "College pranks are supposed to be clever, but our rivalry with the Crimson had degenerated into us stealing something, Jeff calling the police, and the police making us haul it back," said O'Brien. (Other Lampoon pranks on Zucker included "a fake phone-sex ad with Zucker’s dorm-room phone number. Zucker did not find any of this particularly hilarious.") So what's to glean from this Harvard history lesson? Yes, Jeff Zucker was a thin-skinned prick who didn't understand comedy or know how to handle creatives even back then.

[Calexico]

So, Leno is going back to where he was and O'Brien is getting the boot? I get confused trying to follow this. Not that I would watch either of them except to see what music they have on.

[Analogman]

So, Leno is going back to where he was and O'Brien is getting the boot? I get confused trying to follow this. Not that I would watch either of them except to see what music they have on.

 

Yes, and NBC is going to put on Dave Allen at Large at 10 pm every night.

[Calexico]

Yes, and NBC is going to put on Dave Allen at Large at 10 pm every night.

 

You are a sour little man, aren't you?

 

 

So, where does Conan go from here? Another network?

[Analogman]

You are a sour little man, aren't you?

 

 

So, where does Conan go from here? Another network?

 

Dave Allen was better than any of those dudes.

 

There is some speculation that he is going to the Fox Network.

[augurus]

I just read, and realized that Dick Ebersol is a dick.

 

Also, bump.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I just read, and realized that Dick Ebersol is a dick.

 

That article made me embarrassed for NBC probably more than anything I've read about this so far.