07-29-2009, 01:55 PM
guitarist wrote:
I miss the old Jay Leno...the pre-Tonight Show Jay. When he was just another stand-up comic. In those days he was a regular guest on Letterman. With his sport jacket sleeves pushed up, and bushy hair, he looked like a mechanic, with an edgy, funny, slightly reckless quality. I must be thinking, late 1980s or early 1990s.
By the time he was grooming himself for Johnny's desk, being nice, inoffensive, and bland, except for a weird fondness for grade-school poop and fart humor, he was the standard for all-American talk show charm, courtesy, and friendliness. A guy who clearly loves show business. I admit I was inclined more toward Letterman's subversive crankiness and unease with show biz conventions. Uneven, but occasionally surprising and deadly funny. Darker humor. Jay was like milk and cookies, Letterman was like a slice of lemon. Understandable that Jay would steadily have better ratings.
What made Jay Leno appealing? I never quite got the Leno style, as host. I respect his career, but Carson still has the place of supreme honor in that tradition.
Completely agree.
Re Cavett: He had interesting guests, but was/is a pathological egomaniac and laughably pretentious.