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The young replace the old. This is not exactly a news bulletin, is it? Yet, in late night on network television, the old seem to stay around a long, long time. Carson for 30 years and, altogether in his various shows, Letterman for longer than that. Part of the reason is that everyone gets comfortable with someone and making change risks alienating the audience that builds over years. Another reason is that there isn’t really anywhere to try out for that kind of job, other than on the late, late talk/joke fests that follow the 11:35 PM shows. So, they slot people in and they stay and stay.
Leno stayed way too long. His brand of humor appeals to many, but to a lot of others, myself included, his humor was cringe worthy and he, himself, was cringe inducing. Leno appealed more to what might be called middle-America, away from the higher toned quarters of New York and LA. Nonetheless, millions loved him to the end.
Different generations have different ideas of what is funny, of course, and the cultural reference points that one might use for one don’t necessarily work for the next. Getting new people in is part of the process of changing of the guard, but also of making those younger feel like this is “their time”, like they are wanted.
In his earliest days, particularly when he was on following Carson, Letterman was really funny, energetic and what they call “cutting edge”. He has matured, seems to hate himself less and doesn’t do so much of the unexpected. People slow down and don’t want to risk as much as they get older. This is normal.
Though it has not been noted much by those singing Letterman’s praises, he could be down right mean to some people on his show. I will never forget once when he had a man on who had won “doorman of the year” in New York. The guest was an ordinary, decent fellow and, obviously, his family and friends were tuning in with pride to see him on network television. Letterman proceeded to mock him in just about every way possible. That was, it turned out, the purpose of his appearance. This wasn’t funny, it was just cruel.
What about the many times that he had “Monty”, a female staff member, come on the show to mock her with silly questions and ridiculous requests? As we latter learned, Monty was having an affair with Letterman. What kind of guy brings his mistress on national television to make fun of her? Not a nice guy, that’s for sure. Letterman was in a full time relationship when he was having the affair, a woman with whom he had a son and, with considerable on-air grumping, finally married. It is not like his “sin” against his mistress was some sort of mortal failing, but why does the hip media give him a pass on that? Why is it forgiven by not even being mentioned?
I write these things even though I like Letterman and certainly preferred him, by a mile, over Leno, who had nothing to offer as far as I was concerned. Letterman had a deep mean streak and I am reminded that to a lot of people, the height of sophistication is to try to prove you are smarter than someone else by mocking them in ways they don’t even grasp. This kind of humor is just sad. It is not elevating or enlightening at all.
People can say all they want to over the next year and a half about how wonderful Letterman is and about how he defined comedy in America. Some of it will be true and worthy, but I also remember the dark side. To my ears and eyes, we would have been better off changing five, ten or even more years ago, just to let in some fresh air. Yet, in a weird way, I will also be sad to see him go, yet another familiar symbol of our times, or my times, biting the dust. I felt sort of the same way when Carson left, even though I had more or less stopped watching his show in the last years.
Doug Terry, 4.11.14
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