David Letterman

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David Letterman

Postby Enzo » Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:31 am

On PBS watching Letterman receive the Mark Twain Humor prize. Big show.

My life revolves around humor - whether I am good at it is another matter. I look back through my life at influences, and find Steve Allen as probably the largest. You can blame Bruce Bradley, a disc jockey on WBZ Boston for my Pearl Bailey joke. (That was 60 years ago, so too late to do anything about it). And then David Letterman. Even Dave says Steve Allen was one of his big influences, and I agree, there is a lot of Steve's old show in Dave's.

I enjoyed the Twain Prize show a lot, and recommend it. Assuming you find Letterman at all appealing.
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Re: David Letterman

Postby Arneb » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:31 am

I watched Letterman a bit during his last few Late Show years. Maybe he had gone flat, but he didn't appeal to me at all. Ferguson, Stewart, Colbert, that was my brew.

Enzo, maybe you can point me to a show of his that you particularly like - something that's on YouTube. I am more than willing to give him a second look and listen.
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Re: David Letterman

Postby Lianachan » Tue Nov 21, 2017 12:12 pm

I'm struggling to think of a single US based (or, indeed, UK) chat show host that I can stand at all, I'm afraid.
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Re: David Letterman

Postby Мастер » Tue Nov 21, 2017 3:15 pm

Letterman was an essential part of my days at the uni.

Like Trevor Noah some of the time. Liked John Oliver when he was on (he interviewed Snowden across from Lubyanka Square!). John Stewart was a little too shouty for me.
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Re: David Letterman

Postby Lance » Tue Nov 21, 2017 3:25 pm

John Oliver is our new favorite newscaster. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Sunday nights on HBO) is the only news you can actually believe anymore.
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Re: David Letterman

Postby wring » Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:14 pm

Arneb - Letterman's stock stuff like top 10 lists, stupid pet tricks and stupid human tricks were all classics in my book, though in the latter two, his influence was the bit, not the individual stuffs. One infamous moment was a bit on bad gifts for children, the bit started (and ended with, 'cause like, who could top that) "My first saw blade shooter", and yeah, some guy had manufactured something that would shoot those round saw blades.
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Re: David Letterman

Postby wring » Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:17 pm

and of course, there were all of his stints as a drive through fast food worker, here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9HWijdrYfo
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Re: David Letterman

Postby wring » Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:20 pm

and him on Trump (very long) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI3YxzcEYrM
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Re: David Letterman

Postby wring » Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:21 pm

a shorter one: Some people call him a raccoon, some call him a mogul... ? what? (cue card guy shows card saying "TYCOON") oh, tycoon... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjN0s8QA0o0
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Re: David Letterman

Postby Enzo » Wed Nov 22, 2017 1:58 am

The "My first saw blade shooter" bit was my all time favorite. It was Letterman's equivalent to the old Johnny Carson guest Ed Ames throwing the hatchet into the cowboy's crotch.

The saw blade thing. Safety is a big thing in the toy industry, so for fun, there is an annual competition among toy designers to make the most dangerous toy. He invited the finalists on stage with their offerings. The one guy comes out with "My first saw blade shooter", which is a cross between a spear gun and a crossbow, but it shoots round circular saw blades. They set up a sheet of plywood, and it sinks an 8" blade halfway through the board. I cannot find it on your tube.

I liked Jon Stewart a lot, and after initial distaste, I got into Colbert on Comedy Central. I think Colbert does a credible job on the LAte Show now, but I never get to see it. I really enjoyed John Oliver on Jon Stewart's show, but now he is on a pay channel so I never see him. But all those guys are commentators, I don't think of them as comedians. Funny for sure though.

I tend to like things like Airplane, which is all tongue in cheek. COntrast to stuff Like most any Jim Carrey movie, which smacks you in the face with juvenile jokes.

Arneb, I can't think of a particular show, to me it was about the style, the self-parody, the having more fun when a bit goes wrong than when it goes right. I appreciated that he was super quick. I enjoyed how he reveled in the quirks of our culture.

I couldn't take Ferguson, he was always shouting.
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