Conan: Class Is Not Always A Cliche

This is a sports website, yes, so I apoligize in advance for the non-sequitur that follows. But some things just have to be mentioned.

↵Tonight, Conan O’Brien finished out his brief stint as host of The Tonight Show with a characteristic blend of sharp wit, outrageous sight gags, and the sincere, good-natured attitude that’s made him such a hero these past few weeks. But even before his situation with NBC devolved into disaster... It was always Conan’s attitude that made him so special.

↵There are funnier comedians out there, even in the same time slot. Jon Stewart’s searing assault on self-important politicos comes to mind, but there’s also people like Louis CK, Aziz Ansari, Stephen Colbert, and a host of others that, joke-for-joke, are just plain funnier than Conan O’Brien.

↵But that’s not always the point. The reason people loved Conan was the same reason tonight’s episode will go down as one of the most indelible hours in the history of late night TV. It’s funny, but also more than that.

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↵Conan’s been successful because he’s someone that we want to see succeed. It’s why people would tune in at 12:35 on NBC. Because here was this congenial face--equal parts goof, genius, and giant redheaded caricature--that popped up smiling every night, making fun of himself, and trotting out costumed bears and foul-mouthed puppets, just because. And everyone felt a little bit invested in his success; people like Conan deserve to hit it big.

↵He was smart, but not afraid to be silly, and occasionally pretty good at being serious. When he took over for Jay Leno this past summer, “self-absorbed” was replaced with “self-deprecating,” and it felt like justice had been served. That’s why people have taken this so personally; not because Conan’s that funny, but because his ascent to the pinnacle of a comedy felt like a victory for good, earnest people that work hard and wait their turn for the throne.

↵So to see it taken from him so abruptly and publicly has been hard. But then, to see him react to the adversity with so much grace, humor, and eloquence...

↵That was more profound that Conan getting to the damn Tonight Show in the first place.

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↵↵“To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I’ll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism- it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere.

↵“Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

↵↵There’s comedy, but also a whole bunch of class. It’s why I always loved Conan, and why I always will. And whatever happens, I’ll be rooting for him.

↵(HT: Chicago Tribune for picture)