Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Pun of the Day
At an event to publicize Jay Leno’s Garage yesterday, the former host of the “Tonight Show” commented on the contest between Jeb Bush and Donald Trump:
It’s kind of like the race between the tortoise and the bad hair.
That works on every level, doesn’t it?
LOL, I miss Jay Leno.
I miss comedians such as Johnny Carson and Jay Leno who realized that the best comedy is non-partisan and that they should be equal-opportunity offenders.
On social media, I learned from Mike Rowe yesterday that he was in the running to get the Daily Show gig until Jon Stewart, the producers’ first choice, finally decided to take the job. How our history would have been different if Rowe had been host instead. He does appear to lean right, but I’m sure he would have been more evenhanded than Stewart.
funny!
Man: The Punning Ape
But the cars, the Cars! Peter, what about the cars?
The cars are magnificent! Leno treats each one like a labor of love, and he’s a real mechanic’s mechanic. He gets down and dirty with them daily. In fact, I think that’s what he really loves. Driving them is just the cherry on top.
Had that happened we wouldn’t have Dirty Jobs and Somebody’s Gotta Do It.
I work for XKs Unlimited, in the parts warehouse. E-Types are notorious for having no leg room.
Don’t miss Jay, just visit his YouTube site for his Garage series. Usually one a week, with added episodes and tips for the gear heads out there. The cars are wonderful, and so is Jay.
I’m not a huge fan of Leno, but I always found the hatred he received to be way over the top. Norm MacDonald claims that back in the day, it was agreed that Leno was the king of stand-up.
Also, never thought of Jeb as particularly tortoise-like, but I guess it fits.
I’ve seen him do stand-up a couple times and he was OK.
Leno’s standup was much different back in the day – and hilarious. And it’s true – as a young man he was held up as the gold standard for standup for quite some time. Not just for his material, but for his work ethic. In the mid-80’s I’d say Leno was at the top of the heap. Then Jerry Seinfeld passed him and kind of took over as the king of Comedy for a long time.
Today, I’d say Louis C.K. is probably the most respected comedian around.
Thanks for posting that video, Dan. I have to go change my shirt now because of all of the drool.
Can’t quite get the red mist to descend like a few years ago, but I’ll admit to being a Leno hater. I liked him back when he would fill in for Carson every once in a while (when he was hardworking and funny), but Tonight Show Leno always seemed lazy to me. Not that being the face of that institution isn’t a crazy amount of work, but in terms of writing and editing, he more than any late-night guy seemed to go for the “joke” which provoked applause rather than laughter. As in “ah, well done Mr. Host, I approve of the way you confirm my prejudices.”
That’s just dislike, it took being Letterman and Conan partisans at the right time to boil that down to hatred. No problem with the retired car guy though!
Letterman was the big disappointment to me. When he first started I worshipped the guy. I watched every episode of that show starting with the first one and for probably the next five years. Then as college and life intruded, I saw less of the show but still liked it right to the point where he moved to 11:30 and it all started to come apart.
Over time his witty sarcasm became anger and bitterness, and his growing popularity and wealth turned him into yet another boring liberal establishment member – the kind he used to savage when he was starting out.
Leno at least stayed more true to his roots. Both started as young Midwestern comedians with Midwestern sensibilities. Leno is still that guy, while Letterman is something else – something darker and much less likeable.
However, I’ll give Letterman one big kudos for being a lifelong friend and promoter of Warren Zevon, my favourite musical artist of all time.
IMHO, Johnny Carson set the bar so high, no late night talk show host will ever be able to come close. When he retired, the format for the late night talk show died . . .
Dan,
I hate to correct a fellow Zevon fan, but Leno was born in New York and raised in Massachusetts.
Yes, Letterman always had melancholy tendencies, but it is unfortunate how bitter he became over the years.
Thanks. Strange that he seems more middle America than does Letterman. I must have confused him with another comedian. Carson also came out of the midwest.