This wee’s Five’s via Lono:
Late night talk
In lieu of Conan’s last show being tonight, and Fallon taking over in a couple of weeks. You know, of course, that in April Conan moves to Leno’s spot. Leno is moving to 9 pm.
1. Are you a Letterman of a Leno fan?
Letterman. He is the master of the form. A bit bored, a bit interested, always “on” and still as weird as he was in his early days of day time television thirty some years ago. Leno blows.
2. Favorite Late Night memory (Letterman, Leno… whoever)
This was back on the old late nite show on NBC. When Letterman did his entire show from a crappy hotel room in times square. The bathroom was the green room. Paul and his organ squeezed into the corner. One of the guests was Hunter Thompson and the interview was completely incomprehensible.
3. Craig Ferguson or Conan?
I DVR Ferguson and watch nearly every show. I enjoy Conan but Ferguson is charming, less scripted and overall more interesting.
4. Do you remember Carson? Arsenio? Joan Rivers? Chevy Chase? Who was the best?
Johnny Carson was great. Rent a few best of Carson’s DVDs some day. He was sharp and on the dime. For all intents and purposes, he invented the current form of the late night talk show.
5. Let’s just stop everything and talk about the whole Joaquin Phoenix incident on Letterman. Drugs? Hoax? A ‘bit’?
I watched it on You Tube. I am not as obsessed about it as Kevin was. Although it was like going back in time and watching Letterman interview Andy Kaufman. An uncomforatable 10 minutes of television.
!. I’m going to say I’m a Letterman fan since I live in New York & dislike Los Angeles.
@. My favorite last night memory was sitting in a Denny’s drinking purple root beer & wondering when I was going to come down while Wendy went searching for her mouth.
#. Since seeing Saving Grace, I’ve always enjoyed Craig Ferguson. Plus, he’s Scottish & that’s always hilarious.
$. I’m very fond of Joan Rivers in any format, even the natural one.
%. I don’t really care about Joaquin Phoenix so I’m going to say he’s a hoax entirely.
1. I’ve always been a Letterman guy. Granted, he’s cranky and showing his age, but Leno appeals to the Wal-mart least common denominator crowd, and that aint me.
2. I also liked the edgy weird stuff that Letterman used to do. I recall once when I was in college, he broadcast the show upside down for no reason. It was thoroughly disconcerting, albeit memorable.
3. Ferguson definitely. He’s so open and convivial.
4. Most likely Carson, as he was around when I was a child.
5. I didn’t see it, but the rumor is that Casey Affleck (Joaquin’s brother in law) has been trailing him with a camera in tow. The rumor concludes that Mr. Phoenix is filming a Borat-style movie.
Are you a Letterman of a Leno fan?
For content, Letterman. However, it seems Letterman is perpetually in re-runs. I enjoy Leno as well, but I grew up with Letterman. Hell, I was at a Letterman show taping. How long ago? It was a morning show on NBC in the early 80’s. True story, that is where my Gene Shalit story comes from.
Favorite Late Night memory (Letterman, Leno… whoever)
There isn’t much better than a celebrity meltdown. Though I missed Farrah, I saw the Andy Kaufman episode, and the Crispin Glover one too. Sadly, I didn’t see the Joaquin Phoenix one as it aired. I have seen it about 25 times since though, seriously. See below for discussion. My favorite would have to be Hunter Thompson on Conan several years ago. Just about the best thing ever. Set a few minutes aside and watch, it’s only a four minute clip.
Craig Ferguson or Conan?
Well, though I am a big fan of Conan… I choose tv’s Craig Ferguson every night. Funnier, and more my kind of humor.
Do you remember Carson? Carson Daly? Chevy Chase, Arsenio? Who was the best?
Prolly Carson. However, I grew up watching Letterman. Carson was speaking to a different generation.
Let’s just stop everything and talk about the whole Joaquin Phoenix incident on Letterman. Drugs? Hoax? A ‘bit’?
Man, let me refill my drink before we broach this one. First things first, watch this. Watch it a lot. Again. Now, let’s talk.
So, uh… what just happened there? I mean, I know drugs. That isn’t drugs, unless it is all of them. Also, it has nothing to do with ‘hip hop’. There is no reason he couldn’t have been passionate and articulate about hip hop. In fact, now that he has found his true calling… you think he would have lit up with joy about the whole thing.
Others have said it was a hoax, a publicity stunt. I don’t see it, and here is why. I mean, the guy is plenty talented to pull it off. However, if it were a bit, Letterman wasn’t in on it. So, that makes him look like an asshole. If it turns out to be a hoax, I think it will backfire big time. So, what was it?
Did he go crazy? No. I am positive. Crazy doesn’t onset in early 30’s (he is 34, I think). It hits late teens or early 20’s.
Ok, so, what would make us think it was a bit? Well, he says he has totally and completely quit acting. So then why is his brother in law, Oscar nominated Casey Affleck following him everywhere with a camera crew? Affleck was on set filming the Letterman appearance, and was also at the famous Vegas clip where Phoenix falls off the stage a few weeks earlier.
Plus, there are a couple of extremely brief moments in that 9 minute interview where he was completely lucid. Almost like he slipped out of character.
My feeling is about 70/30 that this guy is gone. Dead within months. However, if he is still alive in five years, I guarantee he will be in movies. fact. non negotiable. Thoughts?
1) Letterman
2) The time on Arsenio Hall when Kristie McNichols was on and she is such a freak. She wouldn’t continue unless Arsenio emptied the whole studio except for a cameraman. Just him and her in an empty studio…friggin’ scary weird.
3) Conan. I have a soft spot for Conan after watching his very first week of shows and feeling so bad for how bad he was. He got better.
4) I watched all of them. I have to say though, I was caught up in the Arsenio Hall show. He would bring on a totally different line up of guests than waht the normal show were bringing on.
5) I think it was a method acting hoax. We will see when the doucmentary by Casey comes out.
1)Letterman rules
2)the time when Joaquin was on and freaked Dave out. or the time that Drew Barrymore gave Dave her underwear.
3)Conan cracks my shit up
4)Arsenio was fun with his barking and arm pumping stuff.
5)I loved it! Hollywood types are such Freaks! I want to be a freak myself and I thin I would do a very good job of being freaky!