CONAN O'BRIEN:IT'S A LITTLE TOUGH TO SHED CROCODILE TEARS FOR THIS GUY
Let’s say, hypothetically speaking, you quit your job. What are the chances that your former employer will write a 45 million dollar check for you on the way out the door? In most cases, that is clearly a hypothetical question, but not for Conan O’Brien.
So now we are left to feel sorry for the guy and his problems. He got a big pile of money to walk away from a late night show that was a bad fit. Late night viewers divide into two categories: Late night and “I am unemployed (or a frat boy) with possible drug or alcohol dependency problems” later time slot night talk show viewers. Conan’s show fell into the latter category.
Late Night with Conan was sometimes funny and always unconventional, but it was never designed to follow the Johnny Carson mold for earlier late night talk shows. Bear in mind that I was rarely a
And so did Jay Leno.
Conan wanted to bring his off-beat style to the earlier slot and it was never a good fit for the Tonight Show or Conan. The earlier viewers like less shock and more convention in their talk show diet; Conan gave them heartburn. I’m not saying that earlier hour viewers are right, or even have a vague concept of funny, but they know what they want in late night talk shows. His name was definitely not Conan.
It always seemed clear that Jay Leno did not want to leave the Tonight Show. His ratings were good and he liked the job. But he had cut a deal to give up his chair to Conan, so he does not look like a great guy in this fiasco either.
However, the net result for Conan is a sympathetic public, a sold out comedy tour, a new late night show, and 45 million great reasons to feel good about unemployment.
I like the guy, but I hope the big goofy redhead will understand why I haven’t wept openly into my pillow about his misfortunes.
