11/28/2023 0 Comments Conan sound of silence![]() Johnny Carson was before my generation, but from the tales I hear, it was a monarchy: “You have to impress King Johnny.” I don’t like that. Me and my friends, we were so invested in it because we felt ownership of it. His comedy really shaped my comedic sensibilities and my worldview. Comedy relies on the element of surprise, and he’s so quick-witted and interesting that you’re just along for the ride. He’s also very creative and has a distinct, unpredictable comedic point of view. He’s an improv master, so if a story or joke or guest has tanked, he’s right there to pick up the pieces and make it funny. You can tell he’s very, very smart, but he’s not pretentious. He’s likable, and that’s the most important thing. ![]() And then, upon further research, we found out that he wrote for The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live during our favorite years of that, so we were instant fans. That isn’t a dig at those guys - Conan just lit up our brains. All of my friends connected to him on a way deeper level than with Leno or Letterman. I started watching Conan when I was a teenager in high school. (Spoiler alert: There’s a lot of talk about the greatness of the Masturbating Bear.) Here, how these dozen people - who include comedians who have appeared on his show from its earliest days, fellow talk-show hosts, and a former intern - recall their favorite Conan moments, bits, appearances, interactions, and so on. All of them sing his praises as being one of the sharpest, kindest people away from the camera.ĭespite the fact that many of them describe him as awkward, geeky, stupid, and other pejorative phrases, all of it is said with the utmost respect and love. Some, to be sure, are still quite pissed off at NBC’s handling of his brief time as the host of The Tonight Show. Some are still in awe of the things he and his extremely talented writing team were able to get on network TV in his early years, not to mention his evolution as a host and an interviewer. As a host, he’s one of the most generous that guests have ever encountered, elevating them to a higher level of comedy, often at his own expense. His mix of Harvard smarts and crass bits made them feel that they were seen and less alone in the world for being a bit weird. Several themes emerged during these conversations: O’Brien is one of the funniest, if not the funniest, people on the planet. To help give O’Brien a proper send-off, Vulture reached out to 12 comedians and actors, most of whom credit his tenures on NBC and TBS as being not only highly influential on their careers but also their lives. For a substantial segment of comedy fans, it feels like a huge loss, even though he’s heading to HBO Max with a new show sometime down the line. Photo: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesĪnother remarkable era in late-night television is coming to an end as Conan O’Brien signs off from his TBS show.
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