Wheeere's Johnny?

I did the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson seven times. I grew up wanting to perform on the Tonight Show and the only host I ever knew was Johnny Carson. He remains one of my idols. I just think there was never anyone better than him in that format.

I was discussing this with a friend who also did the Carson Tonight Show many times. We were talking about the Late Night situation currently. (Actually we were talking about how I put "my foot in my blog" and accidentally entered the fray... anyway) We wondered if the landscape of television has changed so much that a Johnny Carson couldn't be relative in today's market. Maybe today his style wouldn't work.

Say you could resurrect Carson in his prime and put him on the air today? I think he would be king again. Real talent is not of an era, nor a product of a specific socio-economic time. Real talent just is. Johnny was smart, witty and charming. He was funny but did not have a "comic's personality".

By that I mean most comics are loners. They are on stage alone and don't share space very well. They have to be the one's with the first joke, dominate the conversation and always be performing. Johnny's secret talent was being a good listener a reactor to comedy as much as the originator. He could get more laughs off his reaction to a failed joke than a successful one. He was the master of the Jack Benny take, the hilarious silence of impeccable timing. He let you shine and he was there to keep you going, feed you the line, add to the roll when appropriate. You never thought he was tying to "one up you" or jump on your laugh. He made you feel so at ease it was not a struggle to talk to him. (Nervous as a cat I did it seven time and he made even me look good)

Today all the talk show hosts, with the exception of Craig Furguson come from a career in Stand up. They just don't know how to be a raconteur. They really don't know how to talk to a guest to make them look their best. They are not listening they are structuring the next joke. They want to top the guest, get the last laugh. But isn't it called a Talk show.... not a "listen to me crack wise show".

Johnny would have found his audience. He found them for 30 years. He handled the love child 60's, the disco 70's, the Reagan 80's, and left as star in the early 90's. If his talent was of a time, then time would have caught up with him. It didn't, he left on top.

Johnny would be 84 this year. Too old to help NBC through the storm. What a shame. We miss you Johnny. Do you understand the void you left? Please reincarnate soon.... we need you more than ever.

As you were,

Jay