By now, it’s painfully evident that NBC made a critical programming error by ousting longtime funnyman and Tonight Show host Jay Leno, and substituting with the former Saturday night Live writer and most definitely un-funny Late Night host, Conan O’Brien.
Almost immediately, NBC’s viewership numbers for its venerable Tonight Show declined. The honeymoon was over in under a week.
It’s no wonder.
O’Brien once wrote for SNL – which has been beating that dead horse ever since its initial hey day run from 1975-80 when the late John Belushi and Gilda Radner, with their equally genius comedic companions Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin and Bill Murray ruled the weekend comedy airwaves.
SNL has not been funny since. Well, perhaps there’s an episodic exception when Chris Farley appeared to take the spot emptied by Bellushi’s untimely death. Then Chris died… in much the same fashion and same age as Belushi. Not funny.
But back to O’Brien.
His abusive tenor, gutter “humor” – a masturbating bear? – and physical gesticulations are reminiscent of something painfully UNfunny.
Physical gags were John Ritter’s forte, but O’Brien’s intentionally spastic movements remind one of nothing more than a late teen attempting to be funny by behaving as a child.
Palinly… er, plainly, they’re a painful chore to watch, and his “jokes” are even worse to hear.
So, “goodbye,” and good riddance, Conan!
Maybe Fox will do you some good.
Oh, and by the way… it’s a masturbating bull – beef stroganoff.
Warm Southern Breeze 