Conan O'Brien's interview with Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes recently aired with highlights ranging from O'Brien's take on whether Jay Leno acted honorably to his quip that his nationwide tour is the first time anyone has paid to see him, though "they've paid to make me go away." For obvious reasons, O'Brien's feelings on Jay Leno were the main points of interest. Kroft mentioned to O'Brien that Leno felt both comedians were "screwed" in the often-covered late night debacle. Conan was quick to answer between bouts of laughter:
"How did he get screwed again? Explain that part to me. I'm sorry, Jay's got The Tonight Show and I have a beard and an inflatable bat, and I'm touring city-to-city. Who can say who won and who lost? I'm laughing because crying would be sad."
Continuing on the subject of Leno, Kroft asked O'Brien whether he believed Jay acted honorably during the ordeal. O'Brien let out a long, hesitant sigh before responding:
"I don't -- I don't think I can answer that. I don't think -- uh, um -- I can just tell you how I would have handled it, and I would have done it differently. If I had surrendered the The Tonight Show and handed it over to somebody publicly and wished them well, um, and then, uh, I would not have come back six months later. But that's me, you know, and everybody's got their own way of doing things. I would have done something else, gone somewhere else, but that's just me."
Though O'Brien displayed a serious side rarely seen by the public, he didn't play the victim in the interview. Conan was adamant people understand that he's doing great and is excited about his future. "I do believe -- and this might be my Catholic upbringing or Irish magical thinking -- but I think things happen for a reason, I really do." When Kroft interjected such a stance is more in-line with how Lutherans think, O'Brien snapped back to his comedic instincts and clarified what it means to have a Catholic upbringing. "Oh my God it is (how) Lutherans (think). Okay, I believe that if I experience any joy in life I'll go to hell, that's what I believe." The full interview can be seen here.
As a longtime Conan O'Brien fan, the late night NBC showdown between Leno and O'Brien was tough to witness. O'Brien has been a mainstay in my household since 1996 when my 13-year-old self was mesmerized by a man with hair like my own (I thought I was the only one on the planet with "the wave"). He made me feel as though there was hope for pale people with a tsunami of a cowlick. I owe O'Brien for being my inspiration. If it wasn't for Conan, I don't know if I ever would have been the accomplished graduate student living with his parents while racked with student loans that I am today. I also maintain that any comedian with a recurring character named "The Masturbating Bear" is okay in my book. The Masturbating Bear was funny when I was 13, and it's still funny now at 27. I watched with pride when O'Brien did his last show in New York as he prepared to leave for the bright lights of Hollywood and The Tonight Show. Following him for 13 years, before he became a household name, made me feel a deep kinship with a man whom I had never met.
As an individual from the economically depressed state of Michigan, Jay Leno has done much to help ease our troubles. Though not heavily publicized, Leno did several stand-up shows in Detroit where any unemployed worker could come and watch for free. His show was an adrenaline shot for a city that has not seen many positive days the past several years. It's actually been several decades -- I was just trying to be polite to my Motor City brethren.
Ultimately it's Leno's show in Detroit that angers me the most. How can Jay do a show in Detroit to help the unemployed, then one year later take The Tonight Show back from O'Brien and leave him and his staff unemployed? Such a move definitely sends mixed messages. Though there's a big difference in situations -- both men are wealthy beyond any of our wildest dreams -- people in Michigan don't take too kindly to people who take another's job. Perhaps Leno can do a free show for O'Brien's staff and all their families the next time he decides to do a comedy tour (when he isn't too busy serving as NBC's puppet).
Speaking of comedy shows for the poor, on May 21st O'Brien is scheduled to be in East Lansing, Michigan. The impending show was brought to my attention by this tweet from Conan:
Mr. O'Brien, as a poor student who was unable to get tickets to your show due to how fast they sold, is there any chance I could get a ticket along with my girlfriend and sister? After all, you wouldn't want Leno to be the only one to have done a free show in Michigan, right? I could beg, if you'd like. Being a grad student, I lost my dignity years ago.
Scott Janssen is a graduate student, blogger, and an all-around drain on society.
Follow Scott Janssen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pantslessponder
I want to see, never watch Leno, and seldom miss Craig Ferguson. He is a brilliant comedian,
and never phones it in. It doesn't matter who his guests are -- he is funny.
I had never watched Jimmy Kimmel, but his show satirizing Leno was priceless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc7ONwgfY7U
How could he not give you tickets, If I run into him in my travels I shall harass him until he coughs up two tickets.
I would be particularly impressed if you got two tickets if you then sold the one for your sister on ebay.
Good to hear from you again!
Scott wrote, "Maybe Conan would have worked out on The Tonight Show, maybe not. But six months isn't a good gauge of whether or not you can get the job done."
I of course agree that Conan had a right to feel disappointed. But as many have pointed out, TV is not the same business that it was back in 1993. The networks gave new shows a longer chance back then because they could -- there was less competition splintering the revenue pie. In 2010, the beancounters at networks are more impatient. So even though six months does not sound like enough time, these days, wisely or not, networks frequently yank or move shows after relatively brief runs. The point is, Conan is not the first celebrity that has happened to. That's the business, so as another commenter said, "You have to roll with the punches." Conan could have kept the Tonight Show for longer than 6 months, just 30 minutes later. But Conan refused. He just bumped George Lopez a whole hour later, and now Team Coco expects Lopez to do what Conan refused to do -- act like a team player.
I don't buy the argument that six months is now a reasonable time to judge whether or not somebody can cut it on The Tonight Show. Besides the fact Conan being dismissed in six months was unprecedented. giving someone six months to get the job done when the predecessor not only hasn't stepped down but is doing a show before yours is totally unreasonable. Again, maybe Conan's ratings would never have improved...but the point is we'll never know because they never gave him a chance.
Your statement about George Lopez is untrue. Lopez actually called and actively tried to recruit Conan to be his lead-in at TBS, which is what ultimately happened. Conan didn't take it from him - Lopez wanted him there. Had Conan done to Lopez what Leno did to Conan, I wouldn't have been happy.
Ultimately, I think Conan and Andy will be a million times better off. The way it went down was shady for sure, but Karma goes both ways.
Thanks for the comment.
In my book, if you keep repeating how fine you are at every available opportunity, then that is almost equal to whining.
And just because I think Conan is dreary does not mean that I think Leno is a comedy king.
Nothing personal, Mr. Janssen. It's good that you have nice memories of not feeling alone as a kid when Conan ascended...
The bottom line is The Tonight Show was Conan's dream and he was bumped from it. Why wouldn't it be understandable that he would be sad? To think he put 17 years of work in to get a shot at The Tonight Show and he only had it for six months and will never get it again. Haven't you ever worked truly hard toward a dream? Of course you're going to be bummed that it didn't work out.
Thanks for the comment!
The name of the game is ratings.
Conan is not that funny IMO. He needs to stop whining and be grateful for what he's had and now received from NBC.. Maybe his big ego was bruised? Leno does not run NBC.
"Though O'Brien displayed a serious side rarely seen by the public, he didn't play the victim in the interview. Conan was adamant people understand that he's doing great and is excited about his future. "I do believe -- and this might be my Catholic upbringing or Irish magical thinking -- but I think things happen for a reason, I really do."
Thanks for the comment.
Besides that, it's not 1993 anymore. We can't apply the same logic from THEN as to now. In 1993, Conan would probably have been able to keep "TTS" because there weren't a billion other programs to compete with in that time slot. In 2010, however, there are way too many other options. People don't get a even a year anymore to establish themselves.
NBC handled this horribly from the start and, despite his good intentions, Leno was foolish in his behavior. I don't for a second buy the bashing of Leno as some cold-hearted jerk that many have been doing. I think he just loves his show so much, he had blinders on. Same way he was when it was first given to him back 17 years ago. This entire thing was a screw--up from the get-go...but the rub is that everyone failed, including Conan.
BTW - Come see ME live at Connxtions in Lansing this November, and I'll let your struggling college self in for free. Sound like a deal? :)
I'm not entirely sure how you view the Conan/Leno situation as a "happy ending...by all." Leno took a bit of a PR hit and Conan is no longer with the network. I don't think either man is too happy by how things shook down.
Thanks for the comment.
Dave Barry is about "nothing", too, and he's enjoyed by millions of readers.
You entertained me, Scott. Mission accomplished.
WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THE WHINING TOUR, HERE. TIME TO BUCK UP AND GET BACK TO WORK.
Thanks for the comment.
Honestly, the true test will be when Conan takes over in the fall on TBS. His numbers will certainly be high in the first few weeks. But when things level off, that will be the true test to time. We'll see if:
A) He can bring his edge back. I wasn't a fan of the watered-down Conan on "TTS". It's one reason I don't watch ANY of those shows. No masturbating bear? Meh. MORE TRIUMPH!
B) If that whole "Lead-in" whining by people is really a myth or not. I refuse to believe that Leno having a failure of a show at 10pm was why Conan was doing poorly. No one watches TV like that anymore. People choose who they want and when they want. They don't put the TV on and then sit there anymore. DVRs and remote controls exist. If the "Lead-In" myth is true, then why did no one ever credit Leno for Conan's success at 12:30am? He's ALWAYS been his lead-in!
So, I'm curious as to what the "Lead-In" argument will be when Conan is following re-runs of "Family Guy".
I hope to God that he does something different. The usual "sitting at a desk and being snarky with celebrities" is tired, in my opinion. It's time to change it up a bit in late-night talk.
Like so many have said, it's not about the payout, it's about the dream and the disrespect he was shown when they pulled that dream out from beneath him (and extremely prematurely, at that).
Long live Coco!
"NBC was not obligated to go broke to make Conan happy. He refused to go with the flow and do the time-slot change NBC was hoping to make to salvage the situation when affiliates were threatening revolt.... Gotta be able to roll with the punches."
A real class act would have acted like a team player and kept his staff employed.
Really, who cares about this junk??????
They had me for about 3 minutes, then my husband and I looked at each other and said - yikes is this the most important thing 60 Minutes could fill the time with this week? REALLY???????
Does anyone really care about Conan and Jay....geez...a complete waste of air time.
Thanks for the comment.
Leno's in The Tonight Show time slot, but it took Leno two years to estabish his ratings
after he took the show over from Carson.
NBC acted NOT because Conan's ratings were low, but because Leno's 10:00 p.m. EST
ratings were so bad that NBC affiliate local news shows were losing their audiences.
Leno bombed at 10:00 p.m. and was rewarded by getting exactly what he wanted.
I have no idea why Leno signed the contract to give up Tonight in five years, but he signed
it. Leno was not screwed.
- Scott says...How can Jay do a show in Detroit to help the unemployed, then one year later take The Tonight Show back from O'Brien and leave him and his staff unemployed?
- Answer: Leno did not take the TONIGHT SHOW back. NBC begged him to come back to it because not enough people were watching Conan. Also, $45MM in severance (both he and his staff) is not the worst way to leave a job. Finally, Coco's staff has all been re-employed based on the TBS deal, at their previous ridiculous compensation. This means they will end up richer than if Conan had stayed on NBC. FYI, Scott...Leno has won the late night ratings race every week since he's been back.
- Scott says: Though O'Brien displayed a serious side rarely seen by the public, he didn't play the victim in the interview.
- Answer: you're kidding, right? Conan's done nothing but play the victim since this all went down. Never mind he and his co-workers received $45MM for failing in their mission to maintain Leno's ratings dominance at 1130. Never mind that they are all going to make even more money from the TBS deal and retain ownership of the program. Conan was the only one "screwed" because he "would have done something else, gone somewhere else, but that's just me." What passive-aggressive nonsense.
Conan did get a sweet severance package but there are two issues with that. One, Conan's staff didn't get a bailout package as great as Conan's, though they did get one. You're not arguing that in today's economy it's no big deal to be unemployed for 10 months, are you? Secondly, it was Conan's dream to host The Tonight Show. While we shouldn't feel sorry for him because he was more than compensated, it always hurts to fall short on a dream. That fact shouldn't be discounted.
As far as being a "fanboy," well I don't consider myself one. But if being a fan of something makes you a "fanboy," I guess I'm guilty as charged. Though could you at least call me "fanman"? I have to have at the least earned that.
Thanks for the comment.
I think a big problem with Conan is that his hipster fans don't even really watch TV, they just download it from YouTube or whatever, and that's one reason why his actual ratings were so horrible despite so many people rooting for him.
I think having a hipster audience also hurt his chances with Fox, because they know the hipster demographic is a very loud one and visible on the Internet but doesn't actually sit down in front of the TV much any more.
If Coco's fans are too hip to watch TV, then poor Coco is going to have a miserable future no matter where he goes and no matter what Jay does.