Andrea Peyser: Sick Of 'The Late Hate Show' With Conan And Dave

The New York Post ^ | June 15, 2009 | Andrea Peyser

[2ndDivisionVet]

JOHNNY CARSON is rolling over in his grave. Even the late Lenny Bruce is having a fit.

While you were watching David Letterman -- a bitter guy who never saw a woman or a Republican he could stand -- trash Sarah Palin's 14-year-old daughter by "joking" that she was date-raped by Alex Rodriguez and stalked by Eliot Spitzer, you may have missed the memo. Dave's in good company.

His struggling brother up the dial, Conan O'Brien, on Thursday night was having a blast slurring women and Jews -- two groups that may constitute the last permissible sick-comedy staples.

Here's Conan:

"Political experts say that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to endorse what he calls a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side but have no contact," he said. Ba-dump.

"Netanyahu said it will be exactly like being married to a Jewish woman." Ba-dump-bump.

In my house, I rolled my eyes with disgusted recognition. But my husband, who happens to be married to a Jewish woman, shouted at the television, and started to change the channel.

Conan seemed to realize he'd blown it. He fumpfered, pointing to the one convenient, identifiable Jew on his staff, the band leader Max Weinberg, and said, "That's the first joke written by Max Weinberg." Conan's drummer/band leader grinned stupidly and put his thumb in the air.

It goes without saying that if you change the races -- make a "joke" about African-American women or Latinas -- you'll be groveling at Al Sharpton's feet before the show ends.

But women, specifically white women, make up the last group that one may freely stereotype to get a cheap laugh.

[reagan_fanatic]

Ahhh - if only those segments were available in 3-D...

[DoughtyOne]

There you go... ;-)

[Richard Kimball]

Carol Wayne. She drowned at about age 40.

[dfwgator]

Carol Wayne. She drowned at about age 40.

I didn't think it was anatomically possible.

[Covenantor]

Well, the Chinese did invent pasta.

And the Italians took credit for it.

The Italians skipped adding the melamine. Thank goodness.

[DoughtyOne]

Couldn’t agree more. I miss him too. Steve Alan was doing some funny stuff back in the 60s. I thought Sid Caesar was involved, but it seems he was only a guest. Soupy Sales was though.

[rightly_dividing]

but the fact is that women have been used and abused by groups like this for a very long time

my wife's words exactly.

[Richard Kimball]

True. The direction of these shows are determined by the corporate offices. We can rant at Letterman or Katie Couric, but if they weren't throwing a left wing libfest, the network would replace them with someone who would.

When Limbaugh had his television show, syndicated at the same time as Letterman, he beat Letterman in the ratings. The stations kept pushing him back until he was coming on at 3 AM. Does anybody think that MSNBC wouldn't jump immediately to the top of the ratings if Limbaugh took Keith Olberman's job? Of course it would, BUT, Limbaugh wouldn't be running a libfest.

Letterman, O'Brien, Leno, Olberman and Couric are on because they spout the company line, not because of ratings.

[cubreporter]

conan...another dude that needs to look in the mirror before he leaves his house so he will know not to make a bigger jackass of himself by making fun of others. All of those people are losers. All they can joke about is sex and making fun of people. They are not comedians. They are jerks!!!

[Tanniker Smith]

Digg it here: http://digg.com/television/SICK_OF_THE_LATE_HATE_SHOW_WITH_CONAN_AND_DAVE

[cubreporter]

It’s OK...proud to be an Italian Catholic. It was the best world we knew and still do to this day. :)Ciao

[snarks_when_bored]

Carol Wayne.

[snarks_when_bored]

Ahhh - if only those segments were available in 3-D...

You'd have to watch while ducking...

(I'm glad I'm a good typist.)

[Nosterrex]

Maybe I'm being too simplistic, but if you do not listen to them, they can't bother you. If enough people tune them out, they will cease to be on the air. I don't watch any of them, nor do I understand why any sane person would. I'm not surprised at anything that these morons say on these late night shows, I am surprised that anyone listens to them.

[Anima Mundi]

Steve Allen was brilliant. Dennis Miller would maybe be a good late night host guy.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I never could understand why Weinburg and his group put up with Conan’s crap, the money must be really good.

[razorback-bert]

Thanks, all I could remember was Carol.

[DoughtyOne]

He’d certainly make a better host than the guys they have in there now. I agree.

Alan and Gleason were from the old school, much like Ceaser, Hope, Burns and Benny...

I don’t believe Alan and Gleason did Vaudeville though, but Ceaser, Hope, and Burns did. I’m not sure about Benny though.

These guys were truly gifted.

The reason I mention Allan and Gleason in this group, is because both these guys were true performers. Alan was a good composer. So was Gleason. Both could act. Gleason put out some great performances. Both played piano if I remember right.

I believe Alan developed the Late Show format. Gleason had his own shows that were very good.

It seems like the guys today are so one-dimensional. They can quip, but they aren’t very good at it really.

[GSWarrior]

I haven’t watched the late nite talk shows since 9/11. Somehow, after that event, all of their blather seems rather irrelevant.

[Artem55]

Steve Allen and Jack Paar left some big shoes for Carson to fill and he did so admirably. The Mighty Carson Art Players, Tea Time Movie with Art Fern, Aunt Blabby, Carnac the Magnificent, El Moldo, Floyd R. Turbo, etc. were all great comic inventions.

He was at his hilarious best when the monologue died. Doc and the band would start playing "Tea For Two" and it was off to the races.

I miss Carson very much. Although he was a liberal he took shots at both sides.