Late-Night TV Hosts: A Comedy Primer

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around preferences and opinions regarding late-night television hosts, particularly focusing on Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, and others. Participants express their views on humor styles, the effectiveness of various hosts, and personal experiences with late-night shows.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a strong preference for Conan O'Brien, citing his unique humor style and willingness to make fun of himself and his show.
  • Others argue that Conan's humor is juvenile and not appealing to everyone, preferring hosts like Jay Leno for their different comedic styles.
  • A few participants mention their indifference to late-night shows, suggesting they only watch by accident or prefer more subtle humor.
  • There are mixed feelings about Carson Daly, with some finding him unfunny while others appreciate his interview style.
  • Participants discuss the appeal of shows like "The Daily Show" and "Frasier," indicating a preference for different types of humor beyond traditional late-night formats.
  • Some express dissatisfaction with David Letterman, labeling him incompetent and unfunny.
  • There are humorous exchanges about the tastes of different participants, with some joking about generational differences in humor appreciation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus among participants regarding their favorite late-night host, with multiple competing views on the effectiveness and appeal of various comedians. Disagreements about humor styles and preferences are evident throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific comedic styles and shows, indicating a variety of humor preferences that may not align with mainstream late-night offerings. The discussion reflects personal tastes and subjective experiences rather than objective evaluations.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in late-night television, comedy styles, and audience preferences may find this discussion relevant.

Who is God of late night television

  • David Letterman

    Votes: 2 10.0%

  • Jay Leno

    Votes: 4 20.0%

  • Conan O'Brien

    Votes: 13 65.0%

  • Carson Daly

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Craig Ferguson

    Votes: 1 5.0%
  • Total voters
    20
Pengwuino
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Of late night television
 
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Not even a competition, conan takes this one easy.
 
I only watch Conan.. so I can't really compare.
 
Wow, I can't stand Conan O'Brian. He is so full of himself. I guess his humor appeals to the very young? :confused:

Leno is my favorite.
 
Leno has got to be the most un-funny person whose show I have ever used to put myself asleep to. And I used to put myself asleep to Arsenio Hall.

CO-NAN! CO-NAN! CO-NAN!
 
Evo said:
Wow, I can't stand Conan O'Brian. He is so full of himself. I guess his humor appeals to the very young? :confused:

Leno is my favorite.

None of the other talk show hosts are willing to make a fool out of themselves for the sake of the audience as much as Conan does. He constantly makes fun of his show as well as others for the sake of a laugh, he's not full of himself at all.

He does say that his show is the best in a subtle sarcasm, just got to know what to lok for :smile:
 
I really don't watch any of them except by accident. It's his type of humor, nothing wrong with it, but I like more subtle, adult humor.

edit:to me his humor is like Three Stooges humor, some people love that stuff.
 
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He's supposed to take over Leno soon, I hope he doesn't change his format though
 
Evo said:
I like more subtle, adult humor.

What would be a good example of this more subtle adult humor? Just wondering.
 
  • #10
TOKAMAK said:
What would be a good example of this more subtle adult humor?


It means, "not funny". :smile:

Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk
 
  • #11
Tom Mattson said:
It means, "not funny". :smile:

Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk
:biggrin:

I enjoyed the humor on the series "Frasier". I almost wet my pants during the episode with the dead seal and the "clap on, clap off" lamp.

Also, the comedy series "Wings" where Tony Shalub sings "my goat knows the bowling scores" to the tune of "Michael row your boat ashore".

Now that's funny. :rolleyes:
 
  • #12
I like Leno best, but Carson Daly is a good second. I can't stand Conan, he's just the guy who's on between Leno and Daly. :biggrin:
 
  • #13
Moonbear said:
I like Leno best, but Carson Daly is a good second. I can't stand Conan, he's just the guy who's on between Leno and Daly. :biggrin:

Sorry, Daly is teeeeerrible in my opinion. there's a reason he's on at 2am.
 
  • #14
Yah, daly sucks so bad. His jokes are horrible! Listen to the crowd, they don't even laugh half the time.
 
  • #15
Oooh, come on, just because you don't like Conan doesn't mean you can condescend us as "young." :-p
 
  • #16
Knavish said:
Oooh, come on, just because you don't like Conan doesn't mean you can condescend us as "young." :-p
Young whipper snappers. I should give all you Conan lovers a hard thump with my cane! :devil:
 
  • #17
Bah, the women on this board have bad tastes :-P

*runs and hides*
 
  • #18
Pengwuino said:
Bah, the women on this board have bad tastes :-P

*runs and hides*
Trips Pengwuino with her cane as he tries to run away. :-p
 
  • #19
I am not up late enough to watch anything but leno/letterman, and I cannot stand letterman, so if I watch anything it is Leno.
 
  • #20
Evo said:
Trips Pengwuino with her cane as he tries to run away. :-p

Dont be too proud, its not like i can run very fast with these wanna-be duck legs
 
  • #21
Pengwuino said:
Bah, the women on this board have bad tastes :-P

*runs and hides*
Clearly the women have the more refined tastes around here. I really don't know why people find Conan funny. His jokes are just dumb and awkward.

I didn't say Daly was great, I said he was a good second (I don't really watch his monologue often; I tend to enjoy his interviews though...those seem funnier and are just a style I like). I really have never liked Letterman (except the day I turned his show on and caught the aramadillos mating on his desk :smile:), and that other guy, whats-his-name, the one who does "Five Questions", is just really boring to me; I don't find him funny at all.

I absolutely LOVE Jaywalking! :smile: And everyone copies Headlines now in one way or another.

Edit: Oh, wait, I just realized that one choice is Craig Ferguson, not Craig Kilborne (I think that's his name...the tall blonde one with five questions). I'm undecided about Ferguson still. I haven't seen too many of his shows yet, and some have been funny and some have been really rough, so he may just need to gain a little more seasoning as a late night host.
 
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  • #22
Moonbear said:
Clearly the women have the more refined tastes around here. I really don't know why people find Conan funny. His jokes are just dumb and awkward.

I didn't say Daly was great, I said he was a good second (I don't really watch his monologue often; I tend to enjoy his interviews though...those seem funnier and are just a style I like). I really have never liked Letterman (except the day I turned his show on and caught the aramadillos mating on his desk :smile:), and that other guy, whats-his-name, the one who does "Five Questions", is just really boring to me; I don't find him funny at all.

I absolutely LOVE Jaywalking! :smile: And everyone copies Headlines now in one way or another.

Edit: Oh, wait, I just realized that one choice is Craig Ferguson, not Craig Kilborne (I think that's his name...the tall blonde one with five questions). I'm undecided about Ferguson still. I haven't seen too many of his shows yet, and some have been funny and some have been really rough, so he may just need to gain a little more seasoning as a late night host.

Everyone copies headlines, adn I'll admit Jay's jaywalking and headlines are funny, but its not worth watching the whole show for. His monologue is just not funny anymore, especially in light of conan's. I watch Seinfeld on Fox during Jay's time on NBC, then switch to conan on NBC.

Conan's skits are always different, he's always got different stuff going on, and I think his mock interviews on the TV screens are seriously unbeatable. I watched the archived ones on his site and they just don't get any funnier than that.

Stalking Michael Jackson's motorcade after the trial was great too. He's just the best all around. I love during his monologue when he's waving at the crowd at all sides and then turns and waves behind him as if there was a crowd there. The fake moonwalking, the star trek mocking, the donald trump impressions, the jumping at the camera. The TEXAS RANGER LEVER. I am laughing just thinking of them. Genius!
 
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  • #23
Isn't the Daily Show still shown late nights? I know it's a reshowing at that point, but I'd rather watch the Daily Show twice than any of that other late night crap. Is Jimmy Kimmel still on? I never saw his show, but I liked him when he was still doing the sports report on the KROQ morning show.
 
  • #24
The Daily Show is on some cable channel, isn't it? I don't pay for TV, so it's networks or nothing.
 
  • #25
Moonbear said:
The Daily Show is on some cable channel, isn't it? I don't pay for TV, so it's networks or nothing.

its on comedy central
 
  • #26
Moonbear said:
The Daily Show is on some cable channel, isn't it? I don't pay for TV, so it's networks or nothing.

I can't even remember the last thing on network television that I thought was consistently worth watching, aside from Dodgers and Lakers away games.
 
  • #27
I used to watch Leno, Letterman, Conan, and Kilborn (when Kilborn anchored the Daily Show too). I'd go with Conan; Kilborn a close second. The fake interviews were the best; I also liked In The Year 2000.
The Daily Show is the only one I still watch, and it beats them all (though it's a bit different).
 
  • #28
Fortunately for all of you, David Letterman got 0%
The guy is a total incompetent, I don't understand how he got to host a show.
 
  • #29
TOKAMAK said:
What would be a good example of this more subtle adult humor? Just wondering.
Benny Hill, of course!

No question about it, the only show of that basic genre worth watching is the Daily Show. It airs here at midnight, right after the CTV local news. I can't stand that Stephen Colbert(sp?) guy, but the rest of the show more than makes up for his presence. The other semi-regular (Black? eh, whatever; the guy who's like Andy Rooney on bennies) is an absolute genius. The show is perfect in it's handling of the entire state of world politics and sociology. I'm a little embarrassed that the lippy broad is a Canuk, though. She's just about as annoying as Colbert. I should see about having her passport revoked before she tries to come back.
 
  • #30
Benny Hill??
SUBTLE?


I am aghast.
 

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