Johnny Carson got so tired of doing interviews and asking the same questions, that he circulated these pre-chosen “answers” to members of the press – telling them they could insert any of these sentences into their articles, at will.
1. Yes, I did.
2. Not a bit of truth in that rumor.
3. Only twice in my life, both times on Saturday.
4. I can do either, but I prefer the first.
5. No. Kumquats.
6. I can’t answer that question.
7. Toads and tarantulas.
8. Turkestan, Denmark, Chile, and the Komandorskie Islands.
9. As often as possible, but I’m not very good at it yet. I need more practice.
10. It happened to some old friends of mine, and it’s a story I’ll never forget.
That’s great.
My recollection is that Carson’s monologues were less about celebrities and politicians than are Letterman’s, Leno’s, Stewart’s, etc. Am I remembering right?
I grew up on Carson. Carson’s humor was … maybe someone else can put it better … but it was very humanistic. He took the headlines of that day and made something HILARIOUS out of it – without trying to score points (a very very delicate balancing act, which Letterman, I believe, also does very well, and Leno does not do well at all).
Carson never wanted to be too partisan. He was the first comedian to stop doing anti-Nixon jokes. He always thought his audience was broader than just one political party, and he was right.
You’re so right about Carson, Red. He avoided being overly political, but the guy’s mind was as sharp as they come and he could skewer at will whenever he decided someone was asking for it. There’s a real trick to being a highly intelligent person and having the ability to speak through comedy to an extremely broad audience, and I’d say Carson was the best I’ve ever seen.
I’ve made efforts to try to like Leno, but I just can’t do it. The guy will tell a pretty good joke – but then proceed to underline it several times with a magic marker for the poor folks who might not have gotten it. Carson never did that. Carson vs. Leno is like Warner Bros. cartoons vs. Disney – real art compared to pre-fabricated pap.
I thought Letterman was insufficiently gracious to his guests early in his career, but he has changed and has come to be really good. He’s definitely the closest thing we have to Carson at this point in time.
Leno just doesn’t make me laugh at all. I used to LOVE him when he would be a guest on Letterman – showing up in his biker jacket, all subversive, and witty. Now he just feels like an employee, to me. It doesn’t suit him. He’s more subversive than what he is allowed to be.