# David Letterman loves to beat dead horses **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987 "2006-01-21T15:19:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/1 "2006-01-21T15:19:08Z")
I’ve been a fan of Dave for over 20 years now. Even I must admit he’s not as funny as he used to be, but he’s still better than Leno. The biggest gripe I have is that he’ll take an unfunny bit and beat it to death and then beat it some more. A few months ago it was the “Who wants to put away the Late Show Bear”. Now it’s the “Oldest CBS page”. “Comedian” Johnny Dark plays the aging, disgruntled page. He comes out and Dave asks him some questions. Hilarity (nor penis) ensues. I guess Dave’s just trying to give his washed-up stand-up buddies some work, but Holy Og on a pogo stick, this man ain’t funny. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/2 "2006-01-21T15:52:43Z")
I have gotten out of the Letterman habit pretty much. Mostly because I get sleepy before he’s on. But I think a large part of why those “gags” still work for me, and maybe for a majority of his audience as well, is that they are so unfunny. To me, Letterman’s appeal has always been his penchant for the ridiculous, for making mountains out of molehills, for beating dead horses and for finding absolutely uninteresting people to make “stars” of. It does wear thin after a while, and that, too, is part of his schtick. I never fail to laugh (more like chuckle) at Alan Kalter’s absurdities, too. It’s mindless comedy until you realize they may have spent all day working up a gag that was designed to fall flat. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/3 "2006-01-21T16:11:46Z")
I think the OP says what I was trying to say in a thread a couple of weeks ago in which I likened _Peanuts_ creator Charles Schulz to David Letterman: > [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Schulz had his own unique sensibility, and when he found some quirky thing that struck him as funny—a word, a thing, an idea—he’d use the heck out of it. Like your example, or zambonis, or Joe Garagiola, or… In this respect, he reminds me of David Letterman (with his “Will It Float,” his use of the word “Buttafuoco” every chance he could get back when Joey Buttafuoco was in the news, etc.). Sometimes, the very fact that he’s beating this dead horse, that he’s going on and on about this mundane thing, is funny; other times it’s just tiresome. I haven’t watched enough of Letterman lately to know which is predominating. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/4 "2006-01-21T18:23:59Z")
I haven’t watched Dave for years for that exact reason; I’ve been more of a Conan fan. But yikes, he’s starting to do it too! But considering the amount of comedy these guys have to pump out each week, they almost have to beat dead horses. I’ve always thought the late night shows are best watched sporadically for just this reason. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/5 "2006-01-21T19:13:31Z")
I think Letterman subscribes to a theory of humor I’ve heard discussed on the Simpson’s DVD commentaries: take something funny and keep repeating it. Eventually it will stop being funny. BUT, if you continue to repeat it longer, it will get funny again. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/6 "2006-01-21T23:25:14Z")
I’ve been a Letterman fan for since the “Late Night” days; I watch his show pretty much nightly, with rare exceptions, and I think his comedy is widely misunderstood by the general populace. The unfunny gags are _satires_ of unfunny gags; the repetitive, bizarre segments are _satires_ of the irredeemable crap that continues to pass for entertainment on so much of TV. “Will It Float?” is pure genius, especially with the added flash and dazzle of Hula-Hoop Girl and Grinder Girl. (My favorite “Will It Float?” was the one when they brought out the big tank of water, played the dramatic music, had the models and Hula-Hoop Girl and Grinder Girl out there at a million watts, and then tested the buoyancy of… a car battery.) Several things continue to amaze me about Dave’s show: (1) The satire has managed to stay relevant over two decades. This is probably because most of what’s on TV continues to suck so, so hard, thus remaining ripe for–and in dire need of–a good satirizing. (2) He’s managed to stay on the air so long. This is the kind of vicious wit that usually means a show is going to be cancelled after a season and a half. (3) I know there’s debate about this, but I think it’s a miracle that he’s managed to avoid becoming the thing he impersonates: the stereotypical back-patting, oily schmoozer. One other thing occurs to me: He hasn’t succumbed to Parental Lameness. We’ve seen this phenomenon over and over: A great comedian becomes a parent, and suddenly all their jokes revolve around how adorable it is when Little Johnny sings “Happy Berfday to Me.” (Robin Williams and Jerry Seinfeld spring to mind.) But Dave hasn’t done it. On occasion he’ll talk about little Harry a bit, and he’s even showed home video of the kid once or twice, but most of the time he’s just as ruthless as ever. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/7 "2006-01-21T23:31:43Z")
A couple of weeks ago he had Amy Sedaris on, and because she is always completely weird, and usually has no ulterior motive of a movie or TV show to shill, and because she and Dave have become friends, their conversation turned to Dave himself and he actually, rather disarmingly, gave some honest and insightful commentary on what he felt about the show and his life. It was one of the better episodes just for that reason, and I hope it’s considered so in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/8 "2006-01-22T02:07:53Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I think Letterman subscribes to a theory of humor I’ve heard discussed on the Simpson’s DVD commentaries: take something funny and keep repeating it. Eventually it will stop being funny. BUT, if you continue to repeat it longer, it will get funny again. That’s how I see a lot of Steve Colbert jokes too, such as how he always has bears as the top threat on the Threat Down. I was a little disappointed last time when he had them as number two: it would have been brilliant if he had them as number one right after that. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/9 "2006-01-22T02:38:49Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > but Holy Og on a pogo stick, this man ain’t funny. Not like saying ‘Og’ is beating a dead horse or anything, right? That line was sort of funny once. Once. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/10 "2006-01-22T02:41:16Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Not like saying ‘Og’ is beating a dead horse or anything, right? That line was sort of funny once. Once. True, but I’m not getting paid tens of millions of dollars to entertain America. And, no, I didn’t miss the irony of your comment. I’ve seen _Johnny Dangerously_ more than once. More. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/11 "2006-01-22T02:42:18Z")
Speaking of which, what \*is \* Dick Assman up to these days? ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/12 "2006-01-22T05:06:39Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Not like saying ‘Og’ is beating a dead horse or anything, right? That line was sort of funny once. Once. I’m starting to think that complaining about people saying Og is also beating a dead horse. It’s not meant to be a funny line. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/13 "2006-01-22T06:29:06Z")
The repeated gags (“Will it Float?”, the Late Show Bear, the whole Oprah thing) don’t really bother me. The dead horse that annoys me enough that I’ve been known to change the channel for it is when he either: 1. Makes a joke with a bad punchline and then repeats the same punchline (or word) multiple times throughout the night. I remember one a few months back where he had this line that was something about “Wash it, gas it, and (something).” Drove me crazy! 2. Gets himself attached to some sound (lately it’s been “Zing!”) and just repeats it ad nauseum. 3. Unbuttons his coat, opens it a couple of times, and then closes it again. I have a problem with things repeated over and over, especially when it’s done with the same inflection (small children and their “Mommy! Buy me this! Mommy! Buy me this!” routine send me right around the bend), and I don’t like stupidity. In these and similar habits, Dave combines the two. I still like him, though. When he’s funny (which is often) he’s good. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/14 "2006-01-22T21:00:27Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > The repeated gags (“Will it Float?”, the Late Show Bear, the whole Oprah thing) don’t really bother me. The dead horse that annoys me enough that I’ve been known to change the channel for it is when he either: > > 1. Makes a joke with a bad punchline and then repeats the same punchline (or word) multiple times throughout the night. I remember one a few months back where he had this line that was something about “Wash it, gas it, and (something).” Drove me crazy! > > 2. Gets himself attached to some sound (lately it’s been “Zing!”) and just repeats it ad nauseum. > > 3. Unbuttons his coat, opens it a couple of times, and then closes it again. > > I have a problem with things repeated over and over, especially when it’s done with the same inflection (small children and their “Mommy! Buy me this! Mommy! Buy me this!” routine send me right around the bend), and I don’t like stupidity. In these and similar habits, Dave combines the two. > > I still like him, though. When he’s funny (which is often) he’s good. You’re forgetting…'Here kitty kitty kitty kitty… ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/15 "2006-01-23T10:49:30Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Not like saying ‘Og’ is beating a dead horse or anything, right? That line was sort of funny once. Once. For 20 minutes… in 1960… ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/16 "2006-01-23T11:53:11Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > I’m starting to think that complaining about people saying Og is also beating a dead horse. It’s not meant to be a funny line. It’s meant to be what one might call an “insider” in the real world. You know, you’re with a group of two friends, one friend says something of no real notice and one of the others laughs ridiculously. After they’ve recovered from laughing they reply to the other three, “Ah, you wouldn’t get it, it’s an insider.” So it’s not like it’s **not** a form of minor comedy. The thing about Og is it’s mostly just stupid looking and having a goofy pseudonym for god is probably over a thousand years old. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/17 "2006-01-23T13:20:50Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > I’ve been a Letterman fan for since the “Late Night” days; I watch his show pretty much nightly, with rare exceptions, and I think his comedy is widely misunderstood by the general populace. The unfunny gags are _satires_ of unfunny gags; the repetitive, bizarre segments are _satires_ of the irredeemable crap that continues to pass for entertainment on so much of TV. “Will It Float?” is pure genius, especially with the added flash and dazzle of Hula-Hoop Girl and Grinder Girl. Satires of WHAT unfunny gags? He’s one of the two premier comedians on network TV. Is he just satirizing Leno? If Conan’s doing the same satirization of unfunny gags, then who’s being satirized now? I find Dave, personally, funnier than Leno, but “The Late Show” is a creative wasteland. Even when they do break out a new bit, it FEELS old (is “float” any funnier than ramming fish tanks filled with guacamole with a train? is it any funnier than dropping a watermelon off a building?) and you feel like you know what’s going to happen for the next 3 months of the gag. . .Paul will play some stupid theme song, Dave will sit at the desk and do nothing except a couple little bits of shtick. That show is old, old, old and with people like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on every night I know how anyone can call Dave satirical. There is NOTHING edgy about Letterman’s show at all. Late night TV is the McDonald’s of broadcasting. . .you go there because you know exactly what you’re going to get every night. And Dave is worse than Jan in that regard. There was a time when Letterman was doing things on TV that no one else was doing, and he hadn’t done before. That was 1985. He has been in stagnation for 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/18 "2006-01-23T13:23:01Z")
That show is old, old, old and with people like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on every night I DON’T know how anyone can call Dave satirical. (don’t you hate leaving out the one word that causes you to express the exact opposite of what you meant to express?) ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/19 "2006-01-23T15:27:17Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > Makes a joke with a bad punchline and then repeats the same punchline (or word) multiple times throughout the night. I remember one a few months back where he had this line that was something about “Wash it, gas it, and (something).” Drove me crazy! An important thing to remember about Dave is he’s _terribly_ insecure. He always thinks the show doesn’t work as well as it should, and he nearly always blames himself for it. The repeating-of-a-duff-punchline thing isn’t so much an attempt at satire as it is a nervous, masochistic tic, a morbid compulsion to revisit a moment of failure, like bumping your shin and then repeatedly poking the bruise. I don’t watch late night TV, but when I do happen to see Dave, I still enjoy him; he seems to do what he wants to do and doesn’t give a crap if anyone likes it or not. In fact, he’d almost prefer you didn’t like it; it probably confirms his deep belief that he doesn’t really belong in this business in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987/20 "2006-01-23T16:38:26Z")
Buttafuoco!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-letterman-loves-to-beat-dead-horses/340987.md?page=2)