Wednesday, September 29, 2004

MY FAVORITE CULTURAL TRAIN WRECK: Referencing Bill Hicks, a future President Obama and a certain onanistic Ursus americanus, the NY Observer's Joe Hagan has the best What It All Means on the Conan-to-Burbank story and The State Of Late Night TV:
For his part, Mr. Leno had reached for the Carson ring and found himself battling for something more blood-spattered, sheer victory. So Mr. Leno, who had once been a supremely successful, often savagely funny stand-up, who combined a hard-edge and warmth but managed to submerge both those things in his determined charge to trundle to victory, somehow transformed himself into a boxy, clunky winner without grace.

And yet it is clear he is a graceful, intelligent man of some sensitivity who regretted the battle with Letterman and may have even regretted his lowest-common-denominator Tonight Show.

Once you're done with the article, read (or re-read) a copy of Bill Carter's The Late Shift already.

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