Sunday, January 23, 2005
Norfolk's Native Son
Before I wanted to be LIttle Walter Jacobs or Norris Weese (only true Broncos fans will get that reference) I wanted to be Johnny Carson. I learned everything I ever needed to know about comedy from Carson's nightly monologues. His timing was always flawless, he delivered his material with an ease that I've never seen out of another comedian. If all Carson had ever done was a nightly 15 minute monologue, he would have been famous, highly regarded. It was his skill as an interviewer that made him the best talk show host ever.
And his show was by far the most fun. The late night talk shows of today don't hold a candle to the show Carson did nightly (except for two weeks in the summer during Johnny's vacation - he always went to Wimbledon). A good part of that is due to changes in Hollywood. Carson used to just have people on his show, they weren't necessarily plugging something, they were on the show because Johnny wanted them there. He either liked them as a person or he'd heard good things about them. It was rare for a guest to leave the set before the end of the show. Guests stuck around and chimed in when appropriate. Johnny Carson's Tonight Show played out more like a party than a simple talk show. Growing up, some of my favorite guests were Jack Lemon, Walter Matheau and Tony Curtis, not because of what they said when Johnny was interviewing them, but what they might say or do at the end of the couch while Johnny was trying to interview someone else. It was a glimpse of Hollywood that a kid growing up in the midwest could only dream about.
Today's talk shows are just another part of the promotional machine. No one goes on a talk show anymore without an agenda. They're plugging a new movie or TV show, a new book, a concert tour or album. Watch Letterman and Conan in any given week. Note how many of the guests are the same. It's because both shows are taped in New York City, and stars are just doing the circuit. The next week you'll see them on Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, both of which are taped in LA. Most amazing to me was after finding out that BIll Maar's old "Politically Incorrect" and Craig Kilborn's old talk show were not only both taped in LA, but were both taped in the same building. I can't tell you how many times I saw a guest on each of those shows the same night. Most of the time, the guest didn't even bother to change clothes. The talk show circuit was just another part of the machine.
Carson's show was on in a different time. He had the only late night talk show. Attempts to compete with him were crushed, not by the dirty tactics that Leno's manager bitch used to destroy competition like Dennis Miller, but by providing a high quality fun television show that no one could compete with. Because he was the only game in town, Carson could have turned out a show that was nothing but promotional, only having on guests with something to plug. Instead, he used to show to discover new talent, particularly in the comedy field. Name a comic who is old enough to have been on Carson, and they will likely cite Carson as the man who gave them their first big break.
While living in Vermillion, my sister lived in Wichita, Kansas. To drive there, I would drive west to Yankton, cross the bridge and then drive south on US 81 until I got to the last exit before the Kansas Turnpike. A little over an hour into the trip, I would pass through Norfolk, Nebraska, birthplace and boyhood home of Johnny Carson. This little town was understandably proud of their most famous native son. Norfolk isn't any differnt than any other little town in the area. Norfolk isn't a whole lot different than some of the places I lived while growing up. Maybe that's part of what made him special, the fact that he wasn't all that special, he wasn't all that different than his audience.
The television wasteland has missed Carson since he left television 12 years ago. Now the world is short one more decent human being.
BOJ
And his show was by far the most fun. The late night talk shows of today don't hold a candle to the show Carson did nightly (except for two weeks in the summer during Johnny's vacation - he always went to Wimbledon). A good part of that is due to changes in Hollywood. Carson used to just have people on his show, they weren't necessarily plugging something, they were on the show because Johnny wanted them there. He either liked them as a person or he'd heard good things about them. It was rare for a guest to leave the set before the end of the show. Guests stuck around and chimed in when appropriate. Johnny Carson's Tonight Show played out more like a party than a simple talk show. Growing up, some of my favorite guests were Jack Lemon, Walter Matheau and Tony Curtis, not because of what they said when Johnny was interviewing them, but what they might say or do at the end of the couch while Johnny was trying to interview someone else. It was a glimpse of Hollywood that a kid growing up in the midwest could only dream about.
Today's talk shows are just another part of the promotional machine. No one goes on a talk show anymore without an agenda. They're plugging a new movie or TV show, a new book, a concert tour or album. Watch Letterman and Conan in any given week. Note how many of the guests are the same. It's because both shows are taped in New York City, and stars are just doing the circuit. The next week you'll see them on Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, both of which are taped in LA. Most amazing to me was after finding out that BIll Maar's old "Politically Incorrect" and Craig Kilborn's old talk show were not only both taped in LA, but were both taped in the same building. I can't tell you how many times I saw a guest on each of those shows the same night. Most of the time, the guest didn't even bother to change clothes. The talk show circuit was just another part of the machine.
Carson's show was on in a different time. He had the only late night talk show. Attempts to compete with him were crushed, not by the dirty tactics that Leno's manager bitch used to destroy competition like Dennis Miller, but by providing a high quality fun television show that no one could compete with. Because he was the only game in town, Carson could have turned out a show that was nothing but promotional, only having on guests with something to plug. Instead, he used to show to discover new talent, particularly in the comedy field. Name a comic who is old enough to have been on Carson, and they will likely cite Carson as the man who gave them their first big break.
While living in Vermillion, my sister lived in Wichita, Kansas. To drive there, I would drive west to Yankton, cross the bridge and then drive south on US 81 until I got to the last exit before the Kansas Turnpike. A little over an hour into the trip, I would pass through Norfolk, Nebraska, birthplace and boyhood home of Johnny Carson. This little town was understandably proud of their most famous native son. Norfolk isn't any differnt than any other little town in the area. Norfolk isn't a whole lot different than some of the places I lived while growing up. Maybe that's part of what made him special, the fact that he wasn't all that special, he wasn't all that different than his audience.
The television wasteland has missed Carson since he left television 12 years ago. Now the world is short one more decent human being.
BOJ
# posted by Blind Orange Julius @ 4:13 PM 
