Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
This is a sports website, yes, so I apoligize in advance for the non-sequitur that follows. But some things just have to be mentioned.
Tonight, Conan O'Brien finished out his brief stint as host of The Tonight Show with a characteristic blend of sharp wit, outrageous sight gags, and the sincere, good-natured attitude that's made him such a hero these past few weeks. But even before his situation with NBC devolved into disaster... It was always Conan's attitude that made him so special.
There are funnier comedians out there, even in the same time slot. Jon Stewart's searing assault on self-important politicos comes to mind, but there's also people like Louis CK, Aziz Ansari, Stephen Colbert, and a host of others that, joke-for-joke, are just plain funnier than Conan O'Brien.
But that's not always the point. The reason people loved Conan was the same reason tonight's episode will go down as one of the most indelible hours in the history of late night TV. It's funny, but also more than that.
Conan's been successful because he's someone that we want to see succeed. It's why people would tune in at 12:35 on NBC. Because here was this congenial face--equal parts goof, genius, and giant redheaded caricature--that popped up smiling every night, making fun of himself, and trotting out costumed bears and foul-mouthed puppets, just because. And everyone felt a little bit invested in his success; people like Conan deserve to hit it big.
He was smart, but not afraid to be silly, and occasionally pretty good at being serious. When he took over for Jay Leno this past summer, "self-absorbed" was replaced with "self-deprecating," and it felt like justice had been served. That's why people have taken this so personally; not because Conan's that funny, but because his ascent to the pinnacle of a comedy felt like a victory for good, earnest people that work hard and wait their turn for the throne.
So to see it taken from him so abruptly and publicly has been hard. But then, to see him react to the adversity with so much grace, humor, and eloquence...
That was more profound that Conan getting to the damn Tonight Show in the first place.
"To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I'll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere.
"Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."
There's comedy, but also a whole bunch of class. It's why I always loved Conan, and why I always will. And whatever happens, I'll be rooting for him.
(HT: Chicago Tribune for picture)
7 comments
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well i'm glad he thinks he's kind
NBC fired him because everyone that has loved Conan for the past 10 days wasn’t watching the show, at all.
I’m glad that you’ve found meaning in this, but I just don’t find Conan much of an underdog or force for good or anything else. He’s walking away with tens of millions and will have a new job in days.
by Freneau on Jan 23, 2010 2:39 AM EST reply actions
How do you know that? Do you have any support for this?
Yeah, Conan’s ratings went up these past 10 days, naturally, because everyone wanted to see what the fuss was about and see him off — nobody expected him to be fired. And surely if people knew he’d be fired after 7 months on the job, all the casual Conan fans that came out these past 10 days would have been watching every night to prevent that from happening.
But they didn’t fire him because of ratings — they fired him because he didn’t want to move back to 12:05 to accommodate Leno.
(For the record, Leno had similarly bad ratings his first half year, too — see link).
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by Packey on Jan 23, 2010 4:06 AM EST up reply actions
conan's show was hemorraging money
look, I think Leno’s lame too, just like every other Generation Y person, but the way this is being talked about, with this post above as just another example, is pretty damn silly
NBC had an entirely messed up situation, but Conan was a part of it. I’m assuming, Packey, that you’ve been on twitter awhile. Did you EVER see someone mention Conan’s show on Twitter back before he became a martyr? I certainly never did. Sure, Leno had bad ratings his first year, just like tons of bad coaches and good coaches also had bad ratings initially. That doesn’t mean anything and it doesn’t mean that NBC has to allow Conan a chance to improve.
but because somehow we get credit for thinking we’re smart because he has an ivy league background and is self-deprecating, this is all supposed to be an outrage? this is network, late night TV and we’re acting like Conan was denied a place on the Supreme Court
frankly, if he was the paragon for moral grace and class and brilliance as described above, HE SHOULDn’t be doing lame ass topical humor and talking to stars on the promotion junket each night… he should be in Haiti
by Freneau on Jan 23, 2010 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
You're Missing The Point
First of all, Conan’s a gawky, pale, nerdy redhead. Just look at him. He was supposed to a writer his whole life, and wound up on television by a fluke, and stayed there because he worked his ass off and got good at his job. If he’s not an “underdog,” then who is?
And yeah, his Tonight Show ratings weren’t great. But that was in the FIRST SIX MONTHS. It takes time to establish an audience. Especially since most of conan’s audience had been accustomed to watching other things in the 11-1230 time slot.
As far as outrage is concerned… This is a guy who passed up millions of dollars to remain at NBC, with the understanding that he’d one day take over the tonight show. When it came time to do it, he and most of his staff moved their families from new york city to LA, and he started living his dream. Then, six months later, NBC panicked and stabbed him in the back. These are just facts.
Nobody called him the paragron for grace and class and brilliance—there were multiple interludes dedicated to Haiti last night, however—but to see him handle the situation as he did last night, especially given the context, was pretty cool. This isn’t about outrage. It’s about commending someone who does things the right way, even in the face of people who’ve done the exact opposite.
Thanks for your condescending, sardonic perspective, but again… You are missing the point.
by Andrew Sharp on Jan 23, 2010 1:06 PM EST up reply actions
Actually, I did — quite a bit, too. Obviously, not nearly as much as over the past 10 days. I was able to watch about twice a week (sometimes less, sometimes more, but always more than I ever cared to watch Leno) and any other time I didn’t watch and missed something big, I’d hear about it on Twitter. I remember when he first started TTS, Twitter was as crazy as it was the past 10 days.
I don’t think anyone is acting like he was denied a place on the Supreme Court, they’re acting like he was fired after just 7 months, when Carson went for 30 years and Leno for 17. The shortest before Carson was 3-years. I think people, including myself, feel he didn’t get a fair shot. You made the coaches analogy, and even the worst coaches last at least a season.
The above was well written and Conan’s little spiel is inspiring. I don’t think it’s making him out to be any bigger than he really is, though. After all, you’re the one, not the post, calling him the paragon for grace and a martyr.
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by Packey on Jan 23, 2010 1:07 PM EST up reply actions
I couldn’t have said it any better myself. I know the past few weeks have all been jokes and whatnot, but his farewell speech last night was honest and true. He is a classy man and I can’t wait to see him back on television!
Aurora Jane
by unocalgirl on Jan 23, 2010 11:46 AM EST reply actions
Thanks for this Andrew...
Conan has always been my boy, nicely treated…
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by djturtleface on Jan 23, 2010 3:11 PM EST reply actions
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