Overnight Thread and Distraction

Conan O'Brien's 60 Minutes Inner Monologue - watch more funny videos

Subtitles NSFW or young readers.

Video- President Obama and Jay Leno at White House Correspondents Dinner

I couldn't watch Leno, he just seemed to bomb from the get go. The President on the other hand did gangbusters, but seem to get tangled up with the visuals.

Palin Watch: Leno show hacks reality

By GottaLaff

My pal Micheal Stinson, aka Symbolman, aka the co-author of The Sarah Palin Rogue Coloring & Activity Book, nearly got me to go to The Tonight Show taping the other day. Yes, that one. Where BlueJeans McJokeFest made her stand-up debut. But sadly, or maybe happily, I couldn't make it.

However, Micheal sure did, and he's posted about it in great detail. And he's also graciously given me permission to cross post part of it here.

Enjoy:

[I]t’s my opinion that audio portions of Sarah Palin’s March 2nd appearance on Jay Leno’s Tonight show were added or amplified, edited before broadcast to make it appear that Sarah Palin was more welcome than she was.

I know. I was there.

They added laughter where there was none during uncomfortable portions. Well, there was some laughter. Mine, of derision. During those pregnant pauses in her performance I was laughing long and loud, couldn’t help myself as much of what she was saying was utterly surreal, ridiculous, hypocritical - nonsense, spewed platitudes, pushed buttons. I was seriously thinking of leaving as it was getting hysterically unfunny.

After sitting through the taping of the show in the studio I can recount many portions where there was little or no laughter or response, but at the later broadcast they are smoothed over with applause and laughter that WERE NOT THERE at the taping. Groans, hoots, grumbling, or just dead silence - all missing. [...]

[W]e flew 6 thousand miles round trip from the east coast to be in the audience as a sort of mellow protest, wave copies of the book to freak her out, hand them out to staff & audience at the Studio. Security waved our copies on through, and folks there were reading it during the show and cracking up at the humor. Even the camera guys.

Well, not the one Security guy during the show who told my wife to sit down, she was dancing and waving our book, and to the shows credit we weren’t expelled nor did they confiscate the books.[...]

From my seat to the right of the stage, by the band, I could tell that an average of 70% of the audience did not like Sarah Palin. Many literally sat on their hands. [...]

But when Jay brought out Sarah Palin, she was completely nerved. Watch the video, check out her breathing, she’s Freaked and talks a mile a minute. Both my wife and I agreed - when you actually get close enough, she’s just plain Creepy, and those yech vibes filled the room. [...]

At at least four points in the show she was getting so far out in screwball territory, or was just so damned unfunny that I couldn’t help but laugh when no others were, at the absurdity of her statements. [...]

One: She was so happy to back John McCain’s bid for re-election in Arizona, at least for now, left the audience puzzled, confused. I Chortled with great vigor. Not in the broadcast.

Two: During the monologue when she made a crack about No Tomatoes being allowed, even the Teabaggers in the audience didn’t want to touch that one. The Sarah Sucks crowd, my people, said nothing. Crickets. The whole audience seemed stunned, and again, I howled. Not in the broadcast. Nothing. Nada. [...]

Three: Explaining how it’s cool to write on her hand. She lied about what was on there, then sails to pluto with, “my dad, a teacher, used to come home with notes (answers?) written all over his hands…” again, dead air. No ONE was buying it, it was just too bizarre. The answer? Just ADD canned Laughter. A lie.

Four: Was directed at US. (Of course this joke was written long before we were in the audience, and hey, she kills moose, so, it’s kind of an obvious one) The Moose Joke. [...]

Leno’s show used the ambience to give Palin Cover. They sold her. Her book, her body, her celebrity, her future, all of it. And 70% of an audience weren’t buying it, but you can’t tell from the broadcast.

I know. I was there.

They should bear some responsibilty for hawking a defective product. This is corporate shilling in the worst way, not only to raise Leno’s ratings, but to push Palin on a crowd with fake laughter and applause. [...]

Your reality has been hacked.

But not mine. I was there.

I wanted to say that Leno has earned his ratings, that he’s funny, and he is at times, and deserves his talk show.

Can’t. Not now. Sorry to say, The Tonight Show is a lie, more than ever a corporate shill that’s performing a cultural engineering service. Selling garbage, that is literally ruinous to our nation and women’s rights. That destroys the fabric of our society. It’s real.

I saw it. I was there.

There is a whole lot more to read here.

VIDEO- Palin on Leno show: "There needs to be the fairness, the balance in there — that’s why I joined Fox"

By GottaLaff



Talky McNonsense has completely lost touch with reality. To refer to ClusterFox as anywhere near fact-based borders on delusional.

Did I say "borders"?

But as ThinkProgress has repeatedly documented, opinion leaks into Fox’s supposedly straight news, with breathless promotion of the Tea Party movement, distortions of facts and outright parroting of GOP talking points. Even the company’s own president admitted yesterday that the White House had some “legitimate complaints” during its spat with Fox News last fall.

Palin booked... on Leno

By GottaLaff

NBC just can't get it right:

Jay Leno will return to The Tonight Show next week and Sarah Palin will appear on Leno's second night back, reports the New York Times.

"It will be her first interview on a late-night talk show, and it will be on the one that happens to compete with David Letterman, with whom she has engaged in a long-standing feud."

Jay uses blue cards, Chatty McVacuous uses her hand. Bets on Leno using hand scribble that night?

Mid Day Distraction

Leno set to return to 'Tonight Show'

By GottaLaff

Oh. Boy. Real. News. ::dripping sarcasm::

Via an e-mail alert:

Jay Leno is set to return to "The Tonight Show" at 11:35 p.m. unless Conan O'Brien has a last-minute change of heart about hosting the show in a later time period.

Yeah, whatever. I never watched to begin with.

UPDATE (h/t: Clancy):

It seems likely that Leno will end up returning to The Tonight Show where he earned the title of the King of Late Night, while O’Brien’s representatives will negotiate a settlement for the 46-year-old comedian to leave the network. It also seems certain that the settlement will involve some sort of compromise that prevents O’Brien from immediately jumping to the competition. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will continue to air at 12:30 p.m.

Conan O’Brien Says He Won’t Do ‘Tonight Show’ Following Leno

By GottaLaff

Good for Conan. He was royally screwed:

After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. [...]

But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. [...]

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next.

You can read his entire letter here.

I wonder what the legal repercussions will be.

Leno returns to prime time next month. No word on Conan yet.

By GottaLaff

(via)

Ya see, this is real news. Terrorism? Meh. Health care reform? Feh:

Jay Leno's prime-time career on NBC will end on Feb. 12. Whether Conan O'Brien's late-night career with the network will also be ending next month remains to be seen.

Speaking to reporters at the semiannual Television Critics Assn.'s press tour, NBC Universal Television Chairman Jeff Gaspin confirmed the network will move Leno back to 11:35 p.m. when the Winter Olympics concludes at the end of February.

I don't know about you, but I'll be watching something else.

And somehow, Fox has insinuated itself into the conversation:

Although O'Brien would technically keep the title of host of NBC's "The Tonight Show," a 12:05 a.m. program was not what he signed on for and his camp may try to test the waters. There may be costly penalties to him and NBC if he decides to go that route. Fox has whispered it may be interested in O'Brien, but that network would have a tough time persuading their affiliates to jump into late night. Fox may just be trying to make a complicated situation for NBC even more difficult.

Must they have their grimy little fingers in everything?

VIDEOS- Bill Maher on Leno re: Afghanistan, Banking Rates, Tiger Woods

By GottaLaff

"I thought the whole cowboy-liberator dreamworld was over, but this is more sameness I can believe in." Ouch.

On Tiger Woods, The News, and Afghanistan Decision:



On Banks, Credit Cards, Religion, Mother Theresa:



H/t: Ryan

VIDEO: Michelle Obama on Jay Leno Show

By GottaLaff



She looks absolutely beautiful, and she did great. But then, we knew she would.

Reminder: Michelle Obama to appear on Jay Leno tonight

By GottaLaff

This is the one night of the season that Leno will get that badly needed ratings boost:

Michelle Obama will appear on Jay Leno's 10PM NBC show on Friday evening for what is clearly the highlight of the new format: the "10 at 10" segment.

Mrs. O is expected to be the victim in Leno's rapid-fire section of the show. We're sure we'll hear a question or two about gardening and what annoying things the president does to his wife.

Yes, please, by all means, let's put the president in the worst light possible... all in good fun. Har har.

Of course, the first lady will class the joint up and charm the cue cards out of everyone. If and when Michelle pokes fun at her husband, it only makes him, and herself, look more adorable. She has that knack.

Michelle Obama To Appear On 'Jay Leno Show' Friday 10/23

She's going to have to work real hard to beat Barney Franks' appearance on 10 at 10.

LOS ANGELES -- First lady Michelle Obama is going to be serving up answers on "The Jay Leno Show."

NBC said Monday that Mrs. Obama is set to respond to 10 "rapid-fire questions" in a comedy bit with Leno. She'll participate via satellite from Washington.

(snip)

The first lady is to appear Friday on "The Jay Leno Show." Colin Firth is the scheduled guest.

Video- Secy Sebelius Slams President Obama's Basketball Skills On Leno

Tsk, all on the day before the President has a real "Basketball Day".

Video- Barney Frank 10 @ 10 On The Jay Leno Show

The man can think on his feet.

Jay Leno Told Similar Joke About Palin's Daughter

If I thought Palin gave a crap about McCain, I'd say it was payback for the way Letterman razzed him. But we all know it's just Sar looking for a "real people" fight.

Alan Colmes (former co-host of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes) makes a great a catch regarding the current feud between David Letterman and Governor Sarah Palin. While Palin has been blasting Letterman all over the airwaves for joking about Yankees star Alex Rodriguez "knocking up" her daughter, Jay Leno told an extremely similar joke during the presidential campaign that resulted in no such uproar:

Gov. Palin announced over the weekend that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. And you thought John Edwards was in trouble before! Now he has really done it. -- "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," 9/2/08

Now, for the record, I think both the jokes are over the line, same as the crap that went out about underage Chelsea and the Bushie twins. But there is something weird about being a mom and only getting outraged when it suits your political agenda.

Mid Day Distraction

In honor of Jay's last night.

VIDEO-- Charles Barkley: "Unpatriotic... b.s." Limbaugh, "idiot" Hannity, "whack nut job" Republicans

By GottaLaff

Charles Barkley rips into Hannity and Limbaugh

Charles Barkley says publicly what many of us have been saying privately and/or here at TPC for some time now:

NBA great Charles Barkley dipped into some political punditry during a Tonight Show appearance on Friday, tearing into conservative talking heads who have rooted for President Obama to fail.

Based on this interview, it goes without saying he's an Obama and Franken supporter. Barkley refers to Al Franken's book, Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Liar [sic], saying that the book "was true", and that the Rushpublics "went right-wing, whack, nut job on America and screwed up the country".

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Did McCain snub Palin on Leno?

Man, Sar can't catch a break.

(CNN) — Did John McCain snub Sarah Palin during an appearance Mcnday on NBC's The Tonight Show?

That's what some pro-Palin bloggers and other political observers claim after the former GOP presidential candidate left out his former running mate when naming five governors who he thought were in position to lead the Republican Party.

"We have, I'm happy to say, a lot of voices out there," McCain told host Jay Leno before listing Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Utah Gov. Jim Huntsman, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.

"There are a lot of governors out there who are young and dynamic," said the Arizona senator.

McCain then quickly joked, "I've left out somebody's name and I'm going to hear about it."

Criticism of McCain's comments are particularly fierce at TeamSarah.org, a blogging Web site for Palin supporters.

QUICKIE VIDEO-- Ben Affleck's impressions: Obama and Leno

By GottaLaff

He's no Frank Caliendo, but he's cute enough that it doesn't matter: