On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 12:35 PM, Tom Wolper <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 12:58 PM, Jason Carpio <[email protected]> wrote:
> > The  interview with appropriate background music
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpJQLdRNrPE
>
> Here's Kimmel's full reaction to the Oprah interview (with the clip
> linked above at the end):
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR99MKqbj9I
>

Very nice (thanks for this, I forgot to watch/record Kimmel to see what he
would say). Most revealing I think is his point that (paraphrase) "If I go
on his show and only answer 10 questions about junk food, I'm the one who
looks like a jerk". That is exactly right, and it is what Leno, for all of
his reputation as the consummate stand up comic, seems to have a tin ear
for. It is why, despite everything, I had trouble believing that Leno was
not actually in on the Kimmel bit until yesterday, because I kept thinking,
what the hell else would Jimmy Kimmel be doing on the Leno show at that time
if not making fun of Leno? This clip probably contains the harshest comment
(not saying it was inappropriate or inaccurate, just harsh) that I have
heard yet. Kimmel says his mistake was thinking that Leno would say anything
other than what was on the cards (and here we remember the end of that bit
when Leno tried to slavishly read his last canned joke and Kimmel
hilariously rolled right over him) and then says: "You know at one time he
(Leno) was a comedian". Ouch.

One other thing on Leno and Oprah, that I actually was thinking about in the
shower today (I know, sad comment on my life). Oprah asked him if he thought
celebrities would appear on his show and he says why not and she says
because they are on Conan's side. And he says something like "well, when 2
actors are up for the same role, does the one who didn't get it hold a
grudge against the one who did?. On reflection, this really seems to get at
the problem with Leno's take on this whole situation. This analogy is so
clearly NOT related to the late night situation. In Leno's mind, the Tonight
Show job was open, and both he and Conan auditioned for it, and NBC picked
him and not Conan (footnote, this is also how he sees the situation the
first time around). Why should Conan or anyone else hold it against him that
he took the job? But of course, the Tonight Show job was specifically NOT
open - it was Conan's job. Leno made it clear that he wanted Conan's job, he
agreed to an arrangement which could only either humiliate or force Conan
out, and then he took Conan's job. That is why people don't like him, that
is why they blame him.

-- 
TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People!
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