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Started By
Message
25 Years Since Johnny Carson's Last Show (National Review)
Posted on 5/22/17 at 10:54 am
Posted on 5/22/17 at 10:54 am
Good article. Goes into how Late Night comedy used to not be so hostile. Carson was a comedian, not some sort of political advocate. You could never tell if he was a Reublican or Democrat. He knew that people tuned into his show to get away from real life. I honestly think people really underestimate the effect that Carson's departure had on the country. For three decades, the country came together every night to watch him. It was a shared experience for the country. The country was never the same after May 22, 1992. After he left, you had Jay Vs Dave and comedy/entertainment became a lot more fragmented. People felt like they had to be in one camp or another and that bled over to other issues.
LINK
LINK
quote:
Along with virtually every other American, I never knew Johnny Carson’s politics. I would not have been surprised if he was a liberal or surprised if he was a conservative, a Democrat, or a Republican. In his 30 years as host of The Tonight Show on NBC, he never so much as hinted as to how he identified politically. He poked fun at whoever was in power, Republican or Democrat. The reason he didn’t let on where he stood politically is that he believed that he had a much greater responsibility — to offer Americans of all political persuasions an island of good-natured fun, a place where everyone could laugh together, every night.
8
Posted on 5/22/17 at 10:55 am to FairhopeTider
Letterman should have gotten the Tonight Show
This post was edited on 5/22/17 at 10:56 am
Posted on 5/22/17 at 10:58 am to FairhopeTider
The emergence of comedy/satirical political news programs with a viewpoint has been an absolute dumpster fire for American political discourse.
If you solely get your news from Oliver, bee, etc, you are likely to walk away hating republicans rather than laughing about politics
If you solely get your news from Oliver, bee, etc, you are likely to walk away hating republicans rather than laughing about politics
Posted on 5/22/17 at 10:59 am to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
If you solely get your news from Oliver, bee, etc, you are likely to walk away hating republicans rather than laughing about politics
to be fair, republicans are eminently hateable
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:00 am to Draconian Sanctions
As a former fan of Letterman, and one who wanted him to get the gig, I now consider him a giant liberal douchebag. He first started getting overconfident and full of himself, and his comedy suffered, and then he became political. He's the antithesis of Johnny Carson.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:01 am to Draconian Sanctions
You don't hate Americans with different views, period.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:01 am to Jimbeaux
That's just like, you know, your opinion man
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:01 am to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
You don't hate Americans with different views, period.
talking about republican politicians more than rank and file
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:02 am to Draconian Sanctions
quote:Based on what objective standards? Observations?
to be fair, republicans are eminently hateable
Think that one through.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:02 am to FairhopeTider
I specifically recall Carson making pointed comments from the desk - not jokes or witty remarks - about politics in the 70s.
One that I remember clearly was a direct criticism of the Carter administration for providing US military tech to the Shah of Iran, at a time when Iran was in the early stages of the political turmoil that would lead to the Islamic Revolution.
This sounds like another article that conveniently overlooks objective truth in support of the author's narrative.
One that I remember clearly was a direct criticism of the Carter administration for providing US military tech to the Shah of Iran, at a time when Iran was in the early stages of the political turmoil that would lead to the Islamic Revolution.
This sounds like another article that conveniently overlooks objective truth in support of the author's narrative.
This post was edited on 5/22/17 at 11:05 am
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:03 am to Draconian Sanctions
Harry Reid's portrait is next to "hateable" in the dictionary.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:03 am to Draconian Sanctions
I guess it all depends on your appetite for self-righteous and hyper-hypocritical smugness, which is what makes liberals so insufferable, completely miserable, and so supremely hateable.
This post was edited on 5/22/17 at 11:05 am
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:03 am to FairhopeTider
I've had this same thought a lot lately. I miss the old ways- when every aspect of American life was not politicized.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:03 am to FairhopeTider
quote:
Good article. Goes into how Late Night comedy used to not be so hostile. Carson was a comedian, not some sort of political advocate. You could never tell if he was a Reublican or Democrat. He knew that people tuned into his show to get away from real life. I honestly think people really underestimate the effect that Carson's departure had on the country. For three decades, the country came together every night to watch him. It was a shared experience for the country. The country was never the same after May 22, 1992. After he left, you had Jay Vs Dave and comedy/entertainment became a lot more fragmented. People felt like they had to be in one camp or another and that bled over to other issues.
I can remember when I had no clue what Letterman's political leanings were, nor did I care. He was so much more funny and his show was so much better, before he became in your face about it. I thought he was better than Leno (who I similarly didn't know or care about).
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:04 am to Tiguar
quote:
Harry Reid's portrait is next to "hateable" in the dictionary.
ok, and?
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:05 am to Jimbeaux
quote:
I guess it all depends on your appetite for self-righteous and hyper-hypocritical smugness
we're talking about Letterman here, not the TD.com poli board
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:12 am to FairhopeTider
I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing for that last show .... living on the Isle of Palms, laying in bed getting a hummer from my ex-wife.
Johnny Carson was the greatest ... but, funny thing is, when he took over for Jack Parr the old timers didn't like Johnny for awhile.
Leno was pretty good. I was never a fan of Dave what's his name. Damn, can't even remember his ... wait, Letterman. That guy.
Johnny Carson was the greatest ... but, funny thing is, when he took over for Jack Parr the old timers didn't like Johnny for awhile.
Leno was pretty good. I was never a fan of Dave what's his name. Damn, can't even remember his ... wait, Letterman. That guy.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:14 am to FairhopeTider
Johnny Carson was truly the King of late night television. Not the warmest of men in person, but he was perfect in his role.
The link below is a 38 minute video of a Carson show circa 1968 or 1969. If anybody gets the chance, do yourself a favor and watch it. It's a little slow in the beginning, but this was one of Carson's best shows ever. Dean Martin, Bob Hope, a very underrated George Gobel (He was before my time, but I've learned about him), etc.
Dean Martin steals the show, and George Gobel has two of the best lines ever, but this show doesn't come off nearly as well without the ringmaster, Carson.
Johnny Carson
Edit - If you just want to see the best of that clip, start at the 15:45 mark. Dean comes out and it's really hilarious from there on.
The link below is a 38 minute video of a Carson show circa 1968 or 1969. If anybody gets the chance, do yourself a favor and watch it. It's a little slow in the beginning, but this was one of Carson's best shows ever. Dean Martin, Bob Hope, a very underrated George Gobel (He was before my time, but I've learned about him), etc.
Dean Martin steals the show, and George Gobel has two of the best lines ever, but this show doesn't come off nearly as well without the ringmaster, Carson.
Johnny Carson
Edit - If you just want to see the best of that clip, start at the 15:45 mark. Dean comes out and it's really hilarious from there on.
This post was edited on 5/22/17 at 11:18 am
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:22 am to scrooster
quote:
laying in bed getting a hummer from my ex-wife.
You're lucky. Most ex-wives aren't nearly that accommodating.
Posted on 5/22/17 at 11:38 am to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
The emergence of comedy/satirical political news programs with a viewpoint has been an absolute dumpster fire for American political discourse.
Agree and that's why I really think May 22, 1992 is an inflection point in this country's history. After that, people started to shop for their late night entertainment. Soon after that, people began shopping for their news. Politics merged with entertainment. Choices are not a bad thing but we are nation that rarely has shared experiences anymore and everything has become political.
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