Vox

On Letterman's Lack of Humor

This is going to be stream of consciousness, because if I wait to know precisely what I want to say, I'll never get this post up.

David Letterman is a jerk. He has been for a very long time.

I remember when he began Late Night, it took me a while to get used to him (I was a Tom Snyder fan) but I eventually found him funny - and even endearing. Over the years, however, he started to get...mean. His monologue became almost cruel and his interviews were often snippy. I no longer found much reason to watch, but would if the guest or musical act were interesting.

I had always enjoyed Leno as a guest host on The Tonight Show, not least because he seemed to be a real fan and conducted interviews that gave the guests a chance to shine. When he took over The Tonight Show, and he was just starting to go head-to-head with Letterman, he changed his style a bit. For a while it seemed Leno was attempting to be Letterman-lite; he told mean jokes, he was a bit of a bully during interviews. Thankfully, he reverted to his old style and The Tonight Show became enjoyable again. (It has been less so lately, but that is another topic)

I haven't watched Letterman in years - why would I? The few times I've happened upon CBS late night while channel surfing my opinion of the show was reinforced - just not funny. I felt the same way about Conan, though I could understand his appeal to a niche audience. I had very low expectations for Conan in Leno's slot and, in the few shows I've watched, I appear to have been right. Perhaps he will find his footing in that time slot, we'll see.

During Conan's first week, I happened to be up and, not being impressed with Conan, thought I'd give Dave another try. Bad idea - as in couldn't even get through the monologue bad. Just. Not. Funny - and his jokes were severely dated. I turned away.

Now he is in hot water for his tasteless attacks on Sarah Palin - and, more specifically, his attack on her daughter. He certainly should be, within reason.

1. They were tasteless, they were crude, they were over the line, they were sexist - all those things. And, they were unfunny.

2. Greg Gutfeld was right; it is pathetic that with an entire inept administration to choose from for his jokes, Letterman is still so obsessed with Sarah Palin. It is also pathetic that he couldn't come up with something funny.

3. It is conceivable, and even likely, that his staff was too stupid, too lazy, or too disinterested to check which daughter was with Palin in NY. Had it been Bristol, the jokes would have been stupid, the fact that it was Willow puts the jokes in beyond-the-pale territory. And don't forget that Letterman also targeted Palin herself.

4. He would never have made those jokes about a female, left-leaning politician, let alone her children. You can imagine the outrage had Rush said something about the Obama girls, or if Treacher's Ashley Biden joke was not merely in illustration of the double standard. There was hell to pay when Chelsea Clinton was maligned during her father's campaigns/terms - and even much gnashing of teeth when it was suggested that as a grown woman she was being "pimped out" during her mother's failed Presidential run.

That said.........we do ourselves no favors by becoming "hysterical" over these things the way the left does. I know that in most cases it is an attempt to give as good as we got, but I don't think that is always the best strategy in a PR battle. Think about how idiotic lefties appear when they bluster and foam at the mouth over every perceived slight, is that what you want for yourself? These were obviously comments that needed to be addressed, but not hammered over and over. Letterman needn't be fired, though an actual, sincere apology would have been nice.

A-Rod having sex with Willow Palin would quite obviously be statutory rape (though pushing Letterman's idiocy into giggles at statutory rape is a stretch), besides being disturbing on other levels. But statutory rape is quite a different animal from RAPE. To continue referring to Letterman's comments as advocating the rape of a child trivializes the word, much the same way as moonbats calling Bush "Hitler" and Republicans "Nazis" trivialized the evil that was done by the Third Reich. It also has undoubtedly caused the child in question, whether Willow or Bristol, more harm than anything he said in the first place. We need to stand up for our principles, we need to defend smart, conservative women who are brave enough to step into the political arena, and we need to ensure everyone understands the limits of humor stop long before the family gets attacked. We also need to keep our heads and not risk becoming like the loonies on the left. We are bigger than that, we are smarter than that - and we need to stay true to who we are.

We also don't need to give a jackass like David Letterman any more attention than he deserves. He can't win on the humor front but he always has controversy. Since his Palin digs, and for the first time in a very, very long time, David Letterman won the ratings battle in his time slot.

It would behoove clear thinking lovers of humor to allow Letterman to fade into the obscurity he has been toying with for decades.

UPDATE: Found this quote

"If the right goes after Letterman, they make him look big and themselves small," says Mark McKinnon, a former campaign adviser to George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). "It's win-win for Letterman."

UPDATE: Regarding giving Letterman more attention than he deserves.

UPDATE: Here is Greg Gutfeld's take.

Idolatry - But Not Too Much

I just received an email from Cafe Press announcing their new "American Idol" portal. They are inviting members to create and market American Idol themed merchandise to be included in a big store front. Here is the fine print:

All images created for the Official American Idol Fan Portal must comply with the following rules. Please note that these rules may be updated from time to time.

• No alterations, reproductions, or resemblance of the actual oval logo
  
• No substitution of words, catchphrases or images to be used inside of the oval logo
• No use of any images of contestants (past and present), or images of host Ryan Seacrest, or images of any Judges (past and present or guest) including without limitation Paula Abdul, Kara DioGuardi, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell
• OK to use contestant names only
• OK to use names (first and last) for Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson
• No use of cartoon, caricature images of contestants (past or present), judges, or Ryan.
• No reference to drugs or medication
• No derogatory reference to race, gender, religion, mentally handicap, obesity or physically impaired
• All images must be tagged with "american idol"
• No use of Simon Cowell's name, image or likeness
• No use of profanity, vulgar or hate language
• No use of explicit sexual language, images or graphics
• No use of copyrighted material from the television series or its promotional materials (e.g. no use of images of the television series, television series posters or from the television series website)

© 2009 FremantleMedia North America, Inc.
American Idol is a registered trademark of 19 TV Limited and FremantleMedia North America, Inc.
Licensed by FremantleMedia Enterprises.

So, basically, they want you to play along, as long as anything you make has virtually no connection to the show and/or performers whatsoever. That should make for some really special swag. Good thing the products will be tagged with "american idol" or no one would ever find them.

Like Looking in the Mirror

..or, you know, feeling really in sync with someone I've never met. Either way...

Why do I think Rachel and I may have been seperated at birth? I present the evidence:

Don't get me wrong; I'm not so shallow as to love a certain actor for looks alone. Talent is necessary, explaining why you'd have to pay ME money to watch a Brad Pitt movie.

Last year, Lucius Vorenus was on his own new show called "Journeyman", which of course was canceled. I blame it on the chick who played his wife. She was MOST dour and unpleasant.

I sooo could've written that. I tried really hard to love that show, but I couldn't stand the wife - ugh! Watched it anyway. Now they have something similar in "Life On Mars"....but they subject us to Lisa Bonet (Can not act. Who ever told her she could act? Oh yeah)

And almost this:

Samantha Who? I adore Christina Applegate and don't even know why. I know why guys do, the whole Kelly Bundy thing, but I just think she's hilarious. Again, show made good with casting. You know what I mean if you watch this show. Ahhhndrea and Dena? LOVE THEM.

Find that show a little over the top, though Applegate makes it work and I still watch it more often than not. Ahhhndrea grates on me, she is just one of those actresses who have always bugged me.

Fringe. Totally digging this. The dude who played Denethor in LOTR plays a crazy genius here, and I LOVE HIM. I also dig how serious the lead female is. She's, like, serious. I believe her about how serious she is. She's the most serious pretty blonde of serious intentions I've ever seen.

NOT totally digging it, though I really wanted to. I love the cast, especially the crazy genius, but not the stories. Maybe it just needs to find it's stride, but it seems to be trying to fit too much into the plot - they didn't need all the subplots so early in the series.

BTW: In other similarities, D has a dog that is (almost) a dead ringer for Sunny

No Wonder Car Sales Are Down

This is the listing for "Dirty Jobs" tonight:

Dirty Jobs
Sheep Castrator
Mike works at an automobile dealership.

I was always suspicious of what happened back in the financing department

David Blaine

I usually don't pay much attention to David Blaine, I lost all interest in his act when he took to standing on poles and living in glass boxes.

However, D wanted to watch his special last night. I think his review of the hanging-upside-down-catching-a-bullet-death-drop-that-wasn't-really-a-drop-at-all program just about sums it up.

"I liked the card tricks"

heh.

Casting Coup

There is no way they could have missed the opportunity for Tina Fey in this role. I don't know if she will be able to continue to be their Sarahcuda, particularly if we are lucky enough to get McCain/Palin in the White House. But she nailed it - which only made Amy Pohler's Shrillary less convincing. Still funny, though.

UPDATE: Hate NBC, YouTube has been scrubbed. Here is the clip at the SNL site

HGTV For Dummies

I love me some Home & Garden TV, but I have to agree with Rachel on most of the women - especially on the house hunting shows. I think I saw both episodes she referenced and both made me want to smack the women upside the head. It's no wonder men get so frustrated.

Her description of the process had me laughing out loud. So funny, so true.

Because I'm sorry, but when you walk into a room with a refrigerator, a stove, and a sink, you do not need to say, "And this is the kitchen." When you go out the back door and behold a large grassy fenced area, you do not need to say, "And this is the back yard." While pointing at a paved hole in the ground that is full of water and has a diving board at one end, you do not need to say, "And this is the pool."

The King Is Dead

Well, Gene Simmons got the ax tonight, so there is no longer a reason to watch Celebrity Apprentice.

The way he was acting in the boardroom, though, I'd have fired him, too.

Was he bored and ready to leave? I wouldn't expect someone as competitive as him to take that tack, but I wouldn't expect someone as smart as him to behave the way he did in the boardroom.

Whatever it was, there is no one else I am interested in watching. Oh well.

Dexter

Wish I had Showtime :-(

3-Minute Charlie's Angels

I was a huge fan of Charlie's Angels (the campy TV show, not so much the movie) back in the day. In fact, we used to play Charlie's Angels at school (I was always Sabrina) and I have the full set of Charlie's Angels collectors cards.

Yeah, I'm a dork.

Anyway, when I saw this article I got excited all over again - till I saw that they are making the 'minisodes' for MySpace. Argh!

Speaking of minisodes, the "Seven-Minute Sopranos" referenced in the article can be found here.