Letterman: Obama Promised 'The Tonight Show' In 5 Years (VIDEO)

Sure, the fiasco has been done for months, but perhaps Dave has been holding onto these gems for the last 20 years. And using Conan's '60 Minutes' inteview as a jumping off point, Letterman laid into NBC and Leno once again last night.

"He told the '60 Minutes' team [that] NBC had broken his heart, and I thought, 'Well, welcome to the club, Coco."

He went on to take a couple more jabs at Leno's expense before remarking that Obama was on his game during the White House Correspondents Dinner. He joked the President was so funny "that he's already been promised the 'Tonight Show' in 5 years."


WATCH:

Comments

[jnw147]

11:57 AM on 05/15/2010

Conan, stop crying! Jay did what he had to do, and you did what you had to do. Both of you did what you thought was right for you. Now let go, and go on.

[7ShallFall]

12:57 PM on 05/05/2010

Get over it Dave, you can't beat Jay in the ratings, it's not going to happen, move it along. He's
becoming more and more bitter overtime. Poor Conan, he lost his job and received a 30 million
dollar severance package. Tell that to the teachers that are being let go in my school district.

[JanaVivica]

02:16 PM on 05/05/2010

Right -- that's what this is really about. Leno beat Letterman in the ratings for about 15 years straight, and now Leno is doing it again -- and Letterman comes off like a "bad sport" and a "sore loser."

If a guy keeps beating you at tennis year in and year out, that's a reason to feel frustrated -- but that's not a valid reason to hate a guy.

It seems obvious that Letterman is trying to exploit this situation for two ulterior reasons --

One, because it apparently eats away at Letterman that he has not been able to beat Leno in the ratings, so Letterman is trying to turn the audience against Leno, so that Leno's ratings will drop and (Letterman hopes) his own ratings will rise. Letterman wants to win, and he apparently has no scruples about doing anything to win.

And two, because he harbors an [unfair] grudge against Leno, so Letterman looks for any chance to slam Leno.

Letterman has been acting like a sadistic BULLY for five months now. This makes Letterman look petty and mean. Big turn off. Smear tactics are wrong.

[jd43]

10:37 AM on 05/05/2010

Letterman's entire career is based on Leno, now.

[GrandmaBEE]

11:11 AM on 05/05/2010

Jay' shouldn't you get off here and try spending some more time on writing and practicing your jokes?

[JanaVivica]

01:47 PM on 05/05/2010

I agree with "jd43":

"Letterman's entire career is based on Leno, now."

Letterman just keeps trying to milk it. He's been flogging that dead horse for ages and people are fed up with hearing it. As Letterman said himself, "The reason I keep attacking Jay relentlessly, mercilessly -- is because I really enjoy it." Made him sound like the mean type that enjoys pulling wings off a fly. Letterman is really acting like a mean bully (for ulterior reasons -- for his own mercenary gain), and pretending that it's hip. Big turn off.

[gimmeabreak444]

08:57 AM on 05/05/2010

wow - bozo letterhole is desperate for jokes.

[grata2ude]

09:47 PM on 05/04/2010

Doesn't anyone just move on these days? How long is Dave and Coco and Leno gonna play this out? You're all overpaid as far as I'm concerned.

[Gwiwer]

07:43 AM on 05/05/2010

Why would they move on? Comedy is like professional wrestling. When your audience is really into a grudge, you don't stop until you've milked it for every possible bit of material.

[JanaVivica]

01:54 PM on 05/05/2010

Here's why -- because it's wrong to beat up on a guy unfairly. Being mean and acting like a bully is just wrong -- especially week after week after week after week. Letterman tries to pretend that it's witty and cool and hip -- but no, it's just mean.

[ksker]

09:35 PM on 05/04/2010

Unlike Conan, Dave has the experience of years to mellow his resentment. I for one believed that the change was due to ratings. Speaking from a audience point of view, Conan wasn't funny enough to stay in that time slot, and blaming Jay for it shows a lack of responsibility. However, I might be a bit biased, I watch Dave!

[Sardonica]

05:25 PM on 05/04/2010

I just read that for the White House Correspondents Dinner, Leno just rehashed jokes from monologues on his show! So not only were the jokes stale, they weren't even new! Leno is so lame.

[Loveforlife]

12:05 AM on 05/05/2010

You're going off a just read?

[DavidWyld]

05:16 PM on 05/04/2010

Love the joke about Obama being promised "The Tonight Show" in 5 years - could be earlier, as some other commenters have suggested. When Dave is on, he's on. Leno - well, I do think NBC needs to be looking for a replacement in just a few years as that move was by no means a long-term fix.

David http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/

[GrandmaBEE]

10:06 PM on 05/04/2010

I stopped watching the tonite show when Jay took over for Johnny. Jay never got the point that Johnny played straight man so his guests could look good. Jay isn't funny and he is a terrible interviewer.

[Loveforlife]

12:07 AM on 05/05/2010

Come on GrandmaBee. Johnny's been gone a while now.
It was for you, what Conan taking over was for me I guess.
Nothing against Conan however.

[helpusa]

02:08 AM on 05/05/2010

You are so right! Jay is sometimes very demeaning to his guests. Some example are when he makes fun of their haircuts, or that they are sporting a beard. Quite often the reason is that the guest is at the time playing a role in a film. Jay can't seem to make that connection. Jay makes fun of their clothes, or embarrass the guest when he says, "You are dating so & so and how did a guy who looks like you get such a beautiful girl to go out with you?" as he did with David Copperfield once. Copperfield looked mortified. I know there were some problems when he took over after Johnny Carson that involved Letterman, but this last episode with Conan has made me not watch the Tonight Show since he came back. (I remember Johnny, but I stay young enough to appreciate the sophomorically, naughty, and brilliant freshness of Coco.)

[Bagger]

04:17 PM on 05/04/2010

It's mind boggling how much funnier Letterman is than Leno. Leno is flat out awful. I hope Letterman is invited to the correspondents dinner next year.

[sistahfriend]

08:13 PM on 05/04/2010

Obama was funnier then Leno.

[Loveforlife]

12:08 AM on 05/05/2010

The CIC has a new definition then?
Comedian in Chief?

[helpusa]

02:19 AM on 05/05/2010

Poor Leno looked downright pathetic after President Obama finished his routine. The video that I saw did not show when Leno was referring to this and that video so all I heard was the voice of what was part of his skit, so Leno seemed really awful.
How sad too, that we expect our Commander-in-Chief to take care of all the nations MONUMENTAL problems and still be a great comic. How shallow have we become?

[KikoJones]

03:28 PM on 05/04/2010

What is what the Letterman hate on this site? Jeez...

None of the current talk show hosts are better: Leno and his sanitized block of cheese? Fallon? Kimmel? Give me a break. (Craig Ferguson--who show was developed by Dave's production company--is pretty good, tho.)

And who is gonna take Dave's place when the day comes? The unfunny likes of Patton Oswalt, Andy Samberg, Sarah Silverman, etc? Please.

[thebirdstheword]

07:54 AM on 05/05/2010

ferguson's better. dave's best days were over twenty years ago. and i'm a letterman fan.

[jd43]

10:42 AM on 05/05/2010

Letterman WAS funny..... in 1975

[GrandmaBEE]

11:02 AM on 05/05/2010

Whats with you and 1975? The year you were born or potty trained?

[gimmeabreak444]

03:05 PM on 05/04/2010

time for lame letterman to step down and be replaced with a non biased younger comedian.

[ddemos]

03:55 PM on 05/04/2010

Non-biased??? He's a comedian...just like you, apparently....

[WeirdScience]

06:30 PM on 05/04/2010

Does your TV only receive one channel?

[FerrellGummitt]

02:03 PM on 05/04/2010

Obama should be available on January 20, 2013 around 12 PM Eastern Dave.

[DenverLofts]

02:56 PM on 05/04/2010

I doubt it, dream on bagger

[jd43]

10:43 AM on 05/05/2010

"bagger" ha ha ha ...love it!

[twhiting9275]

03:04 PM on 05/04/2010

Sounds about right

[JimR]

12:49 PM on 05/04/2010

I don't know, Dave... the jokes about you not getting the Tonight Show are almost 20 years old now. In the meantime, you've had your own very successful late night show and your production company has created some highly successful shows. Yeah, poor you.

On other other hand, I love the joke about Obama being promised the Tonight Show in 5 years!

[Jeff Cunningham]

04:02 PM on 05/04/2010

Well, considering how Obama was far funnier than Leno at the WHCD ...

[freethinking moderate]

11:57 AM on 05/04/2010

Leno keeps standing.

[2CLEVER]

12:12 PM on 05/04/2010

daves auditioning for a bitter old man series..you notice he didnt get really bitter til jay starting kickin his a...

[JanaVivica]

02:21 PM on 05/05/2010

ding ding ding -- sounds right!

[rickthaluddite]

12:39 PM on 05/04/2010

Yeah, but Dave keeps America laughing.

[freethinking moderate]

12:46 PM on 05/04/2010

While staying in 2nd place. Nothing wrong with Dave accepting his destiny.

[D Kennedy]

11:45 AM on 05/04/2010

Maybe in 6 Dave, until then Obama is booked. =)

[twhiting9275]

03:05 PM on 05/04/2010

He's got about 3 years left on that booking

[Loveforlife]

12:13 AM on 05/05/2010

He'll need the work. Oh wait. At 5 million this year, ...calculating. I presume at some point you've made enough money.
Maybe not. He's good. He's made enough money he'll be happy to spread it around.

Yo. Over here!