One of my all time favorite TV viewing in the mid 80′s was Dave Letterman’s Late Show. We had just moved to Massachusetts and I was the 17 year old asian punk/new waver living in a rural pasteur land with no where to go… I would often stay up past midnight altering my Salvation Army outfits on the sewing machine (didn’t you know New Wavers never wore mall cloths?) while watching Dave’s Stupid Pet & Human Tricks, classic.
Even though I used to detest his Oprah bashing, Dave has been my religious late night buddy for over two decades. Plus he is the only man whose infidelity was properly owned with dignity on Oct 1, 09, (like he should turn it into a “self-help” DVD for $9.99). Then the 6 foot 4 red headed Conan O’Brien came in to steal the side-thunder, earning my attention since the 90′s.
Over the years Conan, like Dave, has evolved his skills on branding his id through self-mockery and antithesis of macho man. They are both sheepishly clever and brazen at the same time, and their moral attributes always stick on screen. Conan and Dave both fan their loser corkiness with comic relief outside of the box that not many hosts can pull off with sincerity. No wonder the viewers are loyal to them back – like me. I heart both men.
Btw, Conan’s skit on Bird Watching at Central Park NYC is tearfully hilarious. You cannot orchestrate live bird watching into a form of comedic genius the way Conan does.
As for the ‘other’ contender, they say a man who won’t exit gracefully is a sign his time has well expired, kinda like Jay Leno…
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