Has Letterman lost his touch?

[RobertScorpio]

I started out as a Carson fan from a young age, and on Friday nights, I'd stay up and watch Letterman when he had Late Night.

I then watched him when he moved over to CBS and became a HUGE fan. He was clearly the successor to Carson's spirit and talent, in a way that lantern-jawed freak Leno could never hope to be.

Letterman has definitely changed, and I personally don't agree with his leftist leanings, which I think he's made too much a part of his show.

But the man is still a genius like few others.

But who trumps Dave for me, given my age?

I have to go with Conan...the man's a genius, and I can't wait to see what he does with The Tonight Show.

At which point I will probably only catch The Late Show on YouTube...

\S/

I am on the opposite side of the boat. I grew up watching Johnny Carson and Merv and Michael Douglass (the talk show guy) And I never really cared for David Letterman because I never thought he had class. It was all being 'hip' for him. And I don't think he was remotely in the spirit of Carson, no matter what Carson though. Carson and Letterman, though they may have been friends, were also business partners and that is why, I believe, Carson and Letterman wanted Letterman to continue.

NBC had grown tired of Carson by that time, and I think, NBC and CARSON had mutual reasons to not like each other...but no matter..Leno proves that sometimes the NICE guy can win...and sometimes the liberal whacko doesn't always get his way i.e. Letterman

Rob
Scorpio

 

[RobertScorpio]

Letterman was fantastic back in the 80's. Who else but Dave could convince Teri Garr to strip down and jump in a bathtub while the show was filming? Seriously, he had her convinced that it would be OK and she was ready to do it.

Oh, he was hip. But I don't think,and never have, that kind of HIP will go over at 1130pm. Arsenio ran out of gas because I think he was too hip. Letterman's style just wouldn't have gone over at 1130pm..

And, by the way, Leno has thrashed him in the ratings for all these years. You can come up for reasons, or excuses, as to why? I will be entertained to be sure. But sometimes the most obvious answer is the right one; Leno is more 'agreeable' with a larger percentage of the population.

Rob
Scorpio

 

[Paxil]

Popularity is actually often a better argument for why something is inferior. American Idol anyone? Jay Leno is a hack whose jokes could be generated by a single monkey with a typewriter.

 

[DanCPA]

Jay Leno is a hack whose jokes could be generated by a single monkey with a typewriter.

The saddest part of this is that Leno is actually pretty funny. I've seen him in Vegas once, and I have been to 4 of the Tonight Show tapings. His Tonight Show act is watered down, and almost unwatchable. You almost always know the punchline of his jokes before he gets there... but in real life, he is actually very funny and his jokes are a notch above

Edited to add that before the tapings, he comes out and jokes around with the audience. Usually he will tell the audience that he has to go change into a suit, and that he doesn't own one... but that's the only repeat joke I remember

 

[SlyCardie]

I still love Dave, but I was surprised with how weak his show was after he went back to work after the writers strike. I was under the impression that he had all his writers working, but the show was blah. He's at his best in the interviews now when he improvises.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Popularity is actually often a better argument for why something is inferior. American Idol anyone? Jay Leno is a hack whose jokes could be generated by a single monkey with a typewriter.

That is such a PC statement...and I actually like AMERICAN IDOL..

You see, it is 'hip' to say you are against Popular trends, it has been and always will be...but I bet there are things in your life where you DO agree with the popular view, which means you pickand chose the ones you agree with or dont...

I find the 'popular view means nothing' mantra a bit old, and, elitist sounding. I once bought into it, but I don't anymore. Which is why I prefer hard news (the late Russert for example) over 'hip' 'in' fellas like John Stewart.

Rob
scorpio

 

[Paxil]

That is such a PC statement...and I actually like AMERICAN IDOL..

I see... Now I understand why you like Jay Leno.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

But sometimes the most obvious answer is the right one; Leno is more 'agreeable' with a larger percentage of the population.

Rob
Scorpio

Yes, because most of the population of America are sheep.

 

[FordSVT]

Popularity is actually often a better argument for why something is inferior. American Idol anyone? Jay Leno is a hack whose jokes could be generated by a single monkey with a typewriter.

That is such a PC statement...and I actually like AMERICAN IDOL..

You see, it is 'hip' to say you are against Popular trends, it has been and always will be...but I bet there are things in your life where you DO agree with the popular view, which means you pickand chose the ones you agree with or dont...

I find the 'popular view means nothing' mantra a bit old, and, elitist sounding. I once bought into it, but I don't anymore. Which is why I prefer hard news (the late Russert for example) over 'hip' 'in' fellas like John Stewart.

Rob
scorpio

Meet the Press is actually a very popular show ratings wise (and therefore popular and mainstream), and the Daily Show should be used as a supplement, not a primary source of news. Whoever said anyone who gets all their news from The Daily Show wouldn't understand the jokes is correct. I think it was Jon Stewart.