David Letterman (4/22/09), Such a Dumb@$$

[retrodog]

This seems to be a recurring theme with Letterman. I'm to the point that I don't even know why I watch his show any more. The breakdown last night was something like this:

Stupid jokes and stunts: 30 minutes
Interview with Beyonce: 15 minutes
Interview with Regis in Shrek makeup: 7 minutes
Interview with Sheldon from Big Band Theory: 3 minutes
Beyonce performance: 5 minutes

All I really watched it for was to see Sheldon and what he sounded like it real life. The previews for the show kept showing Beyonce and him being the guests. Why in the hell do they need to prostitute the show to Regis every freaking week. I don't hate Regis. I just don't think they should push a new guest back to just a 3 minute interview so that they can have Regis on there in a green outfit. WTF is up with that? And why do they need to do 30 minutes of mind numbing crap every night before they even get to the interviews?

This is a recurring problem and it's bugged me for years. You'd just think that they'd pull their heads out our their rear orifices and realize that they are being rude and stupid and could change so damn easily.

Letterman, if you learn to read and just happen to see this post... get your $#it together and treat your guests with a little respect. It doesn't matter than you don't respect them or want to acknowledge what they do, your viewers might and you should at least respect us.

Oh, and his interviewing skills have gotten progressively more worthless. He has obviously gotten so excessively narsisitic that he doesn't even show interest in anyone who isn't kissing his ass. You know, like Drew Barrymore or Sarah Jessica Parker who always tell him they have crushes on him. :rolleyes:

Ok, rant mode off. :D

[UTV2TiVo]

That's why TiVo is so great. I usually end up watching Letterman (or Leno or Fallon for that matter) in 15 minutes or less. The first half of Letterman, at least, is worthless.

[stujac]

He still far and away the best talk show host on the air, imho. If you hate him so much, stop watching him. He'll be ok with it.

[MikeMar]

I have never really like Letterman, and I don't watch him :D

I may watch Leno every so often.

And I almost never watch one of these shows for the guests, as the interviews are just so bad.

-This is my movie/show/cd coming out
-Here is a funny story I've been rehearsing for a few days now that is somewhat funny
-Ok next guest

[mike_k]

I have a similar rant about Craig Ferguson. I used to watch his show - and used to like it, but now I can't stand it.

First there's a pre-monolog
break
Then the monolog - half of which is the same tired crap he's been doing since day 1.
break
Then I guess viewer email now is a full segment - it wasn't that funny when it was only 2 or 3 minutes of a segment - still not funny now that it's a full segment.
break
Then some skit staring Craig - again, same tired crap.
break
Then Guest #1 - but first, before introducing the guest he has to spend two minutes doing his same tired crap.
Guest #1 is then cut off because their 7 minutes are up.
break
Repeat for Guest #2 - except maybe only 5 minutes.
Then we get a post-show monolog - again, same tired crap.

I actually think he's a pretty good interviewer - they just need to cut out all the crap and give more time to the interviews. Maybe his ego is just too big now and he thinks people only watch because he's so damn hilarious.

[johnny99]

I thought Letterman was really good during the Presidential election season. Since then, he seems to be phoning it in most of the time. Now I only watch if he has a guest that I'm really interested in.

[DevdogAZ]

Considering that the guests still go on these shows, maybe they prefer not having long interview segments. Maybe they like the short, superficial meaningless interviews and don't mind sitting in the Green Room drinking and eating free food while Dave/Craig/Jay/Conan does a bunch of mindnumbing crap. Personally, if I were a big star, I think I'd wonder why I have to go after all that other stuff, but that's the way it's always been done.

It would be interesting to see a breakdown of viewership of these types of shows to see how many watch just for the monologue, how many watch for the stunts/skits/Top Ten/Jaywalking/Headlines, how many watch for the interviews, how many watch only when a specific guest is on, how many watch for the musical act, etc. It's always struck me as odd that the biggest name guest is in the middle of the show. Either save them to the end in an effort to get people to watch the whole time, or put them up front so they're not second to a bunch of stupid jokes.

[jimborst]

I've always been a big Letterman fan but lately the political crap has turned me off, I still record the show nightly but am sick of the same Bush/Cheney jokes. (If they deserve it OK, but it's just the same over and over)

[busyba]

This seems to be a recurring theme with Letterman. I'm to the point that I don't even know why I watch his show any more. The breakdown last night was something like this:

Stupid jokes and stunts: 30 minutes
Interview with Beyonce: 15 minutes
Interview with Regis in Shrek makeup: 7 minutes
Interview with Sheldon from Big Band Theory: 3 minutes
Beyonce performance: 5 minutes

Hmmmm.... 30+15+7+3+5 = 60.

I guess the good news is that his show is commercial free now. :D

[bruinfan]

Stupid jokes and stunts: 30 minutes
Interview with Beyonce: 15 minutes
Interview with Regis in Shrek makeup: 7 minutes
Interview with Sheldon from Big Band Theory: 3 minutes
Beyonce performance: 5 minutes

this is the talk show formula. producers are loathe to deviate from this formula because people stop watching when they do. kimmel tried to go without the coat and tie, and ratings were bad until he went with them. there is a reason all the talk shows are like this, cuz people watch, and when they deviate, they don't get ratings

[retrodog]

He still far and away the best talk show host on the air, imho. If you hate him so much, stop watching him. He'll be ok with it.

Thanks for the help, Einstein. :D

So it's your fault for not phoning me yesterday to tell me the other talk show where I could see Sheldon being interviewed. Well at least I now know who to blame. :eek:

I'm going to start recording Ellen to watch when I go to bed. :p

Hmmmm.... 30+15+7+3+5 = 60.

I guess the good news is that his show is commercial free now. :D

I didn't want to do the real math and have people realize that there are 30 minutes of commercials during the Letterman show. So just cut each of my numbers in half for the actual duration of those topics. :D

[MikeD99]

Here's my Letterman impersonation: "Aaaaah."

Pretty good huh? He says that word hundreds of times on every show. I haven't watched in at least a year - he's just not funny at all.

Mike D.

[cherry ghost]

All I really watched it for was to see Sheldon and what he sounded like it real life.

Watch the most recent "Free Radio"

[retrodog]

Watch the most recent "Free Radio"

What is this?

[ElJay]

In college Letterman was simply a way to bridge the gap between The Daily Show and Conan :)

[Bob_Newhart]

does he still have that inane bald music director with him?


"hahahahahaha!!!! That's so funny Dave!!!!! hahahahaha. I love you Dave!!!! hahahahah!!!!!"

[IJustLikeTivo]

does he still have that inane bald music director with him?


"hahahahahaha!!!! That's so funny Dave!!!!! hahahahaha. I love you Dave!!!! hahahahah!!!!!"

Yep, same lame talentless canadian hack.

Letterman was legitamately funny back in the early 80s when he was in daytime. He was somewhat funny early in late night. He was nasty and mean for the whole time Leno was on except for a slight lessening in his nasty disposition post surgery. I record his show with a keep at most one in case he has someone I want to see. I do the same with Leno and Fallon though I think Fallon will be deleted. He is just so bad that even to see someone I want I can't tolerate him. Sad, cause he was great on Update on SNL.

[JimSpence]

I record all of the late night shows and then choose to watch based on the guest(s), and then FF to the guest.

[Jesda]

I dont mind him, but I havent watched since the late 90s.

[cherry ghost]

What is this?

VH1 - Hilarious

http://www.vh1.com/shows/free_radio/season_1/series.jhtml

[dswallow]

Letterman... he's the guy with a stalker right?

[marksman]

I noticed this the other day when I wff threw Letterman to see someone I wanted to see.

The first guest did not sit down to like 32 minutes into the hour show. I compared that to some other shows and it is pretty bad. Kimmel even with his bits gets to a first guest sooner than that. I saw an Ellen Episode (kimmel was on it), and her first guest came out 18 minutes into the show.

I know the guests are not the thing that stir these drinks they think, but for anyone who is not a diehard fan or in the case of Letterman no longer a diehard fan, the guests can bring an audience. Having so much of the show dedicated to other stuff can just be too much, especially want to cram 2 or more guests and a musical act/comic in the last 28 minutes of the show.

[Satchel]

Hmmmm.... 30+15+7+3+5 = 60.

I guess the good news is that his show is commercial free now. :D

Oh no...I timed it one night...there's 14 minutes of almost uninterrupted commercials before the musical guest. At 15 past the hour they go to commercial...then after about six minutes they come back, usually do an audience pan and have a voiceover by Allen and then go to commercial until half past the hour...then they have a 5 minute musical guest.

[DLL66]

Letterman is good when he has good guest. Don't like him, don't watch him. Pretty simple.

[Jesda]

I actually don't care about guests. I prefer the sketches and comedy bits on late night shows. The guests are usually pretty boring.

[mattack]

Yep, same lame talentless canadian hack.

You apparently know nothing about Paul Shaffer. He is VERY talented, and is very very very often the 'house band' for shows like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and a zillion other shows.

(I have over 200 eps of letterman tivoed, but am starting to make progress through them -- I record them onto my other player that can play at 1.5x with sound, so go through a few of them in a short period of time.)

[marksman]

They pelted us with rocks and garbage.

[Mars Rocket]

So it's your fault for not phoning me yesterday to tell me the other talk show where I could see Sheldon being interviewed.

Sheldon is on Craig Ferguson practically every other month. They must be friends or something.

[DevdogAZ]

Sheldon is on Craig Ferguson practically every other month. They must both be on CBS or something.
FYP

[Dawghows]

I actually don't care about guests. I prefer the sketches and comedy bits on late night shows. The guests are usually pretty boring.
+1 :up:
You apparently know nothing about Paul Shaffer. He is VERY talented, and is very very very often the 'house band' for shows like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and a zillion other shows.
+1 :up: again.
Paul's humor with Dave is intentionally lame and kitsch-y, I think, and obviously may or may not be to every person's taste. But there is little argument to be made against the fact that he is one of the most talented musicians in the business today.

[TIVO_GUY_HERE]

Don't mind Letterman too much, it's Paul I can't stand. Play music Paul, and keep your mouth shut.

[murgatroyd]

And why do they need to do 30 minutes of mind numbing crap every night before they even get to the interviews?

FF is your friend. Record the show, watch later, FFing past all the crap you don't want to see.

It's especially worthwhile when there has been a last-minute change and the guest you wanted to see doesn't show up at all. You can review the recording quickly and then dump it.

See a sketch you can't stand (e.g. Craig Ferguson's sketch with Prince Charles' late night talk show)? Skip it! Problem solved.

Jan

[DevdogAZ]

I agree that Paul Shaffer is extremely talented. No debate there. But that doesn't mean that I like the "talent" he displays on The Late Show. Seems like every jingle he does is cut from the same cloth, and every one is grating. Add that to the fact that his interjections with Dave are extremely annoying (and the fact that Dave has been mailing it in for years) and it makes that show unwatchable.

[IJustLikeTivo]

You apparently know nothing about Paul Shaffer. He is VERY talented, and is very very very often the 'house band' for shows like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and a zillion other shows.

(I have over 200 eps of letterman tivoed, but am starting to make progress through them -- I record them onto my other player that can play at 1.5x with sound, so go through a few of them in a short period of time.)

I could give a crap about his musical talent, anyone can be the house band if all they do is play. He's supposed to add value as a sidekick and he sucks eggs at that. If he can't do the most visible part of his job, he should be canned.

I agree that Paul Shaffer is extremely talented. No debate there. But that doesn't mean that I like the "talent" he displays on The Late Show. Seems like every jingle he does is cut from the same cloth, and every one is grating. Add that to the fact that his interjections with Dave are extremely annoying (and the fact that Dave has been mailing it in for years) and it makes that show unwatchable.

Exactly.

[Vendikarr]

I miss Johnny Carson.

[billboard_NE]

The only late night talk show I record is Letterman, I delete at least half of them without watching. I just keep an eye out for guests that I am interested in.

[rawbi01]

does he still have that inane bald music director with him?


"hahahahahaha!!!! That's so funny Dave!!!!! hahahahaha. I love you Dave!!!! hahahahah!!!!!"

That guy reminds me of a child molester.

[retrodog]

One other thing that I was going to let slide but he continues to bug me with it...

David, if you're reading this, Please... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!, Please learn to use some words other than "tremendous". You've been abusing that word for a couple of years now. May I suggest some other similar words that are obviously missing from your vocabulary:

Excellent
Fantastic
Inspirational
Impressive
Wonderful
Amazing

There are many times that you use the word "tremendous" and one of these others is actually a better fit. Please look each one up in the dictionary and figure it out.

[Fish Man]

He's always telling hot women that they look "tremendous".

What's he saying? That they look fat? Huge?

Indeed, there are several other words that would be better in that context.

(I still like Dave, though.)

[Bob_Newhart]

He's always telling hot women that they look "tremendous".

What's he saying? That they look fat? Huge?



He should tell them they look like Leah Remini.


:D

[Idearat]

All the "celebrities come to flog their latest work" shows pale after watching Graham Norton. There are some stupid stunts, but not as bad as Regis in a Shrek costume.

The celebrities are on much longer, have more interaction and do more than just put in the plug for their book/movie/album. Probably helps that they get a cocktail to enjoy while on the show.

[BriGuy20]

If you want ACTUAL INTERVIEWS, try Charlie Rose.