Conan and Leno: Be Better.
The Late Night hosts returned to their shows last night after two months on hiatus as a result of the writer's strike. Since they have been off the air for two months and some returned without writers we could allow them some time to get back into a groove and find their place in this new environment. We could afford them a degree of understanding and compassion, place ourselves in their proverbial shoes, and wait to pass judgement until at least a few episodes have aired.
Or we could bash some of them.
Mike Huckabee was on Leno last night. Now, admitedly, quality assessments of Huckabee only happen when you really want it. But even if Leno did not want it how could he not rip into Huckabee? Leno had no writers, an hour to kill, and Mike Huckabee sitting next to him on a couch with a camera rolling.
So they exchange jokes and Leno lets Huckabee play guitar with the band.
Really, Jay?
You could not have made a joke about the Romney ad Huckabee would not air but showed to reporters? You couldn't ask him about his comments regarding Jamie Lynn Spears? Jamie Lynn Spears, the little sister of Britney Spears, is 16, preggers, and Huckabee commented on it. The material writes itself. Hell, no writing is even required. You simply say those words and see what Huckabee does.
And then we have Conan O'Brien. Give him an hour of tv time on the day before the Iowa Caucus and he'll spin his wedding ring.
I know that political humor is not for everyone, that some lack the hate required to truly excel at it. But when we live during a time when a comedy show can literally be comprised of naught but sequences of "Today, the president said this:" and video clips there's no excuse for using your television show to spin a wedding ring or let an ignorant, hateful dolt play his guitar.
4 comments:
Why didn't you watch Letterman and Ferguson instead?
You're shitting me, right? With the Conan thing?
Without WRITERS, he's left to improv for time. He did damned fine. With writers, you don't go near politics. You open yourself up to attacks from both fronts, AND you provide subpar comedy.
Conan played to his strengths, and they were good.
Leno has no such excuse. Letterman was good, on the other hand. Trust in beards, my friend. Beards know truth.
I think Conan could have done something more than spin his wedding ring. I'll give him a point for ironic humor in that he doesn't have writers so he has to do something. But in two months off the air the only thing he thought of was to spin a ring?
He could have rented ducks and let ducks loose in the studio then paid some intern to catch them.
Or he could have make jokes about topical things.
Letterman and guy on after letterman had writers. So they're just doing what they do.
Leno and Conan were left to their own devices. So, presumably, their performance is indicative of what they can do on their own....after two months to think about it....as professional comedians...
Spin a ring!
Let Huckabee play his guitar!
FAIL.
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