In truth, he never really was that funny. But I think people responded in the 1980s to the way he would come across as an ‘everyman’ who would poke fun at the puffed-up pretensions of the Hollywood bigwigs. But, as the years went on, and especially once he crossed over to CBS, the roles reversed and he basically became the ruthless bully himself. Ruthless and mean-spirited, directing his nastiness not at the powerful, but at those beneath him on the ladder. With the addition of his liberal politics coming to the fore. Loathesome character.