Talk Show Trash Talk

I've been catching up on missed talk shows lately, specifically The Tonight Show. Now I know Leno is leaving next year but the crew left 2 weeks ago. The cameramen are really shitting the bed lately. They couldn't block a shot to save their lives. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was on after Kevin Spacey on the 25th and you could see the puppeteers entire forearm and the bald crown of his curly-haired Jew head. This would never have happened to Kermit on Carson.



Also, Jay has become very brazen as of late. Jesse McCartney performed on the aforementioned episode and when introducing him, Jay mentioned the title of his album 'Departure.' I'm sure I'm stepping on the joke but Jay pointed out that it's a good name if you're leaving. He's certainly more lax when it comes to the censors. Maybe this falls on the producer's lap or whatever lackey intern does the pre-interviews but Jay had no problem with Seth Rogen's masturbation talk. He encouraged it! (Kudos, by the way.)

In other talk show related tirades, there's the double standard when it comes to guests. I've heard Adam Carolla mention this before, as he has been through it many a time. When an attractive female is on a talk show all they have to do is just that -- be attractive. They tell frivolous stories that go nowhere and the host is forced to indulge them. I guess it goes for some of the males as well. When it's an average looking celebrity or comedian, they have to dance. They film a clip or rehearse a bit, as Carolla is known to do on Kimmel. Hell, he even rode out on a unicycle once.


Oh look! A separate televised unicycle stunt. Dance Adam, dance for The Man. Which reminds me, besides this and the Jimmy Kimmel Live appearance I was referring to, he also unicycled on Dancing With The Stars. Oh man.

Even if you're a well-established figure, aren't you obliged to entertain? It's your job! You don't see Don Rickles talking about shoe shopping when he goes on Letterman. (Though he could if he wanted to, he's earned it.) As an entertainer in the entertainment industry shouldn't you entertain? Say, make a joke or two, act like you have a pulse? The worst is when they don't even try to plug. Maybe they don't feel they need to, just showing up is enough.

Do I sound bitter yet? Was this a tactless quipping? I'm not sure. I guess I didn't display much tact when referring to Robert Smigel's cranium, (although I didn't mean it in a derogatory sense, I love Jews. Anyone who knows me knows I love the Jews. I guess I was just trying to point out that dogs don't typically have the arm of a Jew shoved up their butts. A Gentile sure, but never a Jew) but when I think "quipping" I think "brief." Maybe I should stick to writing Things I've Bought That I Love posts and stop watching so much TV.

P.S. Did anyone see Mindy Kaling on Letterman? This is a relevant question because she is partly responsible for starting this blog and he is partly to blame for this entry.