I almost didn't comment on the Conan/Leno battle because I don't watch either of them*, but recent news has made me start thinking Conan O'Brien is a world class asshole.
Who among us has ever been fired with a $32 million severance award, and another $13 for our displaced staff?
Conan could and should have had a little dignity in his exit, because frankly if his stint as the Tonight Show host had been a ratings bonanza for NBC, they would have never let him go.
But no, during his last week he pulled stunts like buying (or renting, it doesn't matter) a zillion dollar Bugatti and playing high-royalty Rolling Stones music just to stick NBC with a huge bill.
I am all for screwing former employers who done me wrong, but if anyone waved even a $50,000 severance award for canning me, I'd be the picture of grace and dignity upon my departure.
What really did it for me was when a friend of mine who works in NYC for NBC told me he'd see Conan in the building all the time and he couldn't be bothered to even say hello. How hard is it to say hello to someone who works for the same company as you?
What a turd.
I reiterate, if Conan had taken over The Tonight Show and grabbed some decent ratings, or even ratings equal to Jay Leno's before he left the show, NBC would have never canned him and given the show back to Leno.
I watched The Tonight Show with Conan hosting a few times, and I thought he was just a silly jerk who might appeal to high school boys, but not many others.
Even his interviews were marred by him interrupting, going for laughs and continuously calling attention to himself rather than the guest. He's a buffoon.
Rumor has it that Conan will be offered a late night spot at Fox in September when NBC releases him once and for all. Good. I'll know which channel to avoid.
*I watch Chelsea Lately or The Daily Show at that time slot. Both are funnier than Leno or O'Brien.
19 comments:
You are totally wrong on this one. The problem here is that Leno's lead in in prime time was awful and people turned the channel. Once turned they did not turn back after the news. Leno had the benefit of getting the show from Carson who left at the top of his game. And he also had the benefit of having good solid lead ins to the local news at 11:30, Conan had neither.
Conan is right to claim he was screwed over by NBC and Leno because he was. He gave his all and NBC and Leno gave him nothing but the shitty end of the stick from right off the bat.
Oh Monkey, my friend, please allow me to teach you a lesson that will serve you well for the rest of your life.
Whenever anyone starts a statement with, "You are totally wrong on this one..." when it's a matter of opinion, it's highly off-putting.
You're welcome, honey.
i don't watch either conan or leno. however, i side with conan on this one. leno made a big deal over quitting the tonight show. then they gave him that disastrous 10:00 slot every night, and he tanked. he's the one who should have walked away graciously. instead, he acts as though he's only doing the bidding of the nbc bigwigs, and he has nothing to do with the choice of taking back the tonight show.
let's face it, both of them are filthy rich, and they can both live rather well for the rest of their lives if they never worked another day, so i don't think it's about the money for either of them. i'd like to think that conan is pissed on behalf of the people who work for him, who don't have the bucks he has. of course, it's also about ego, and maybe they both actually enjoy the job.
i think leno comes out looking worse than conan, and nbc looks worse than both of them put together. whoever is in charge of nbc's programming has his head up his ass. everyone knew that the 10:00 leno show was a mistake before it even aired. they cancel good shows like 'southland' (which tnt picked up), and they keep pure shit like 'celebrity apprentice' (2 hours now on sundays). they moved 'law & order' to 8:00 so that it's up against competitive shows to make room for leno at 10. i only watch tv, and i could set up a better schedule and pick better shows than the assholes they pay big bucks to.
I hadn't yet sided with either of them because it didn't matter to me one way or another.
Once I heard Conan had been stuck up toward my friend, who happens to be the nicest man in the entire world, then I figured, fuck him.
I will never like him again. Ever.
nonnie, you struck a major nerve with me when you said we lost Southland. I'll never forgive Leno, Conan or NBC for taking away Southland. But TNT is my hero for putting it back on the air. Best current show on tv.
bigsis, i couldn't believe they canceled southland! i was fully prepared to hate that show, but it sucked me right in. i was so happy tnt picked it up.
i really don't really care about either conan or leno. they're both multi-millionaires, and if they both disappeared from tv tomorrow, it wouldn't affect my life one iota.
I'll remember that the next time you tell me you hated a film I loved, like the way you did with my post on Pennies From Heaven. It works both ways. And YOU'RE welcome honey.
Monkey,
My exact comment on your blog was, "Saw it. Hated it. Sorry."
At no point did I say, "No, you are totally wrong about liking that movie."
There's a huge difference in disagreeing and telling someone their opinion is wrong.
So, you're welcome for teaching you the difference.
And don't come back flinging any of your monkey shit about this, bubba.
:P
Jeez louise, now I don't even know what to say! Gosh, it's hot in here, let me start with that.
Maybe I should start with "you're totally right on this one!" That would work. OK, just kidding.
Actually, my own *opinion* (note: i did work in the television business for 30 years, the tv ratings business no less, which does not make me an expert, but does inform my *opinion*)
My *opinion* is that Jeff Zucker is a a lousy senior leader. Always has been, always will be. BIG ego and not so much talent nor people skill. Or vision.
He has a lot of bad decisions to account for, this being one of the worst.
The 5 night a week Leno gig was about one thing, pure and simple and that is money, money and money.
It was a GE formula cooked up to save money on hour long dramas at 10. Even losing money, the formula still would have worked because of how it netted out.
The problem, unforseen by the geniuses at NBC and GE was that the affiliates would go apeshit on them. (Was apeshit a poor choice of words?)
NBC forgetting that the days of the owned and operated kingmaker are long behind them and they can't just tell the o and o's to suck it up.
Anyway, boring, but it is my take on the whole thing and it has almost nothing to do with who was funny or not.
Which is kind of funny!
P.S. the ratings of the late news that lead into the Tonight Show vary by market, so some were weak, some were strong. Not really a factor.
P.P.S. there is one other thing that matters.... the dvr
P.P.S.S. and there is zero relationship between leno's 11.30 ratings and carson's as that was way long ago in a different world.
OK, enough with my miss-tv-smarty-pants-ing here!
Attention you-know-who.
I deleted your commment because I said I didn't want any monkey shit being flung on my blog, and I meant it.
Take the escalation over to your blog, so I can show you the courtesy of not wanting to continue this bullshit.
Uh-oh - I thought I got deleted! You know, me and my opinions and all. Phew. I better watch it though!
Verification word - metool! Me think that funny!
Metool? Funny.
How will I ever be able to sleep now know you deleted a comment of mine. Oh the humanity!
Perhaps some warm hemlock?
OK Conan admitted all the "Im spending crazy money to get back @ NBC were all pranks..he admitted after he had a large dino bones w a hose spraying caviar on a Picasso painting.
It's all fake .... pranks.....just kidding.... seriously not real, he said. Then he spoofed acting as if someone was @ a keyboard typing "Dear Internet"....
The guy from the office, steve Carell came out & did a funny exit interview spoof.
How was your experience here at NBC?
Positive
Very Positive, or
Extremely Positive
Mocking the whole corporate bullshit scene.
OK he was getting his kicks on his way out... you could not help but notice as Will Ferrel did a ZZ Top Freebird musical close to the last Conan show.
Anyway... in the big scheme of things.... who cares?
I can't decide which one is responsible for the heated debate, Conan, Leno, Zip or Monkey. Can we all just get along?
{{{{{no comment}}}}}
signed
The General Electric corporate drone
Sis,
Nah, Monkey and I go 'round and 'round. He's like the little brother I never got to torture.
And for the record, NBC started it by making stupid decisions based solely on moohlah.
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