Conan’s writers have fun with bad situation

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on January 22nd, 2010

We especially like the part where he exposes the lunacy surrounding music licensing.

Nice idea. And great execution!

Of course, it’s probably all horseshit– the Veyron goes for $1.5 to $1.7 million, and they probably only rented it, and “Satisfaction” will get cut out of subsequent re-runs of the episode… if it gets shown again at all!– but it’s still a great comedy idea and it is very much in keeping with the tone and sensibilities of previous Conan-hosted shows. And the audience is getting a thrill out of seeing dirty laundry aired and O’Brien operating with the air of someone who is simultaneously crushed but giddy with the realization that he has nothing to lose by dumping on his soon-to-be ex-employer in a very public way. If NBC had any sense (or sense of humor), they’d join in the frolic and maybe pick up some P.R. points by playing along. Couldn’t you see Conan in a fake boxing match with Jeff Zucker? No? Neither can we. Let’s face it: People like Zucker and Ebersol have zero sense of humor, otherwise they couldn’t have made it to the top of a behemoth like NBC-Universal.

Speaking of which: Isn’t that a publicly-held corporation? So… as fake as it is, the Bugatti-Veyron Mouse bit has to rankle some of the stockholders. Maybe it is such bits that will hasten the replacement of Zucker at the top. Those few remaining in the network’s employ can only hope.

Speaking of great comedy ideas from Conan-hosted shows, we wonder if The Masturbating Bear (and other characters from Late Night) will actually be regarded as NBC’s intellectual property. (We’ve seen statements to that effect. And such was the case when Lettermen fled to CBS.)

We figure that Conan’s writers will merely switch The Masturbating Bear to The Masturbating Dog. And Triumph the Insult Comic Dog will switch from being a rottweiler to a cigar-smoking black bear. (Does Smigel have some sort of special contract? He’s been making appearances using the foul-mouthed Rickelsian pooch for some time now. Does he get to walk with the creation?)

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