Thursday, January 14, 2010

Late Night Laughs

Don't let the title of this post fool you, it's not about the fledgling LATE NIGHT and its host Jimmy Fallon. I'm more interested with the other late night hosts and how they've handled the ambiguity surrounding the future of NBC's late night lineup.
The best joke I've heard is from Craig Feguson. I don't have a link for it or remember the actual joke, but I'll paraphrase it for you...


Craig: With all the turmoil surrounding late night television, organizations like TMZ have begun following us hosts around. 'Jay, will you be moving to 11:30?' 'Conan are you taking over at Fox?' 'Craig, what are you doing with a transvestite hooker in your car?'

Hilarious, right? I don't really care for Craig's show, even though i think it is funny. My problem stems from the style of the show, which is akin to hanging out with a guy that's funny. Some people find that appealing, but I like the skits and remotes on Conan's show. My brother is a devoted follower of Craig, so take that how you will.

Some critics I listen to from SLATE magazine assert that Jay has shined amidst this controversy, which I reject. He just seems smug to me and is doing the same boring approach. "Hey, Kevin, did you see this? I'm a prick." Ok, so maybe i made that up.

Letterman must be relishing his spot at CBS right now. My belief stems from the joy on his face as he attacks NBC executives, who 17 years ago opted not to give him the TONIGHT SHOW gig.

As for Conan, he appears to be in a tricky position for now. He doesn't want to lash out, but at the same time he must want someone's blood. His attitude can be seen in his recent interview with Ricky Gervais, during which Ricky went on the attack against NBC and Conan played the role of reluctant objector. He does take legitimate shots, though, which are hilarious.

This dynamic is great for material and ratings in the short run. Although, I can't imagine Conan continuing to do his show much longer until the future of THE TONIGHT SHOW is resolved. It must be so draining to go out there and do this right now. I feel for him, especially since he moved across the country for this opportunity.

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