We all love him, Regis Philbin. We watch him mispronounce words on his little millionaire show and have to be corrected by his contestants. He’s a all right really. But I thought he was a bit inappropriate on the Letterman show earlier this evening. For one thing, he made a joke or two about Dan Rather coming near to tears earlier in that same chair. That wasn’t necessary. To me, it just seemed that Regis is living in a cocoon somewhere and all this that has happened is a movie and that the thousands dead are nothing other than movie actors who will be appearing in other films down the road sometime.
I don’t mean to imply that he doesn’t care or that he isn’t hurt, but his attitude on the Late Show, particularly after Dan Rather’s appearance, surely didn’t seem to show it. He was too jovial and that didn’t sit right with me.
I got the exact opposite feeling. When listing the guests for the night, Letterman said something about having Regis on just to have someone to make fun of. I think folks were really looking for a little bit of levity.
I read the Dan Rather comments as more reverent than mocking. Letterman was giving Regis a hard time about something random, and Regis was saying that Dave should show more respect because that chair had just been sat in by Rather.
I really enjoyed the show. It was strange to see Letterman get so emotional in the beginning, especially while talking about religious zealots.
As for Regis, I think it was * perfect. * Dave spoke honestly and emotionally, as did Rather (obviously…what a trip!) and they had to lighten up. What would you have them do? Turn the Letterman show into Oprah?
It was awkward to watch, no question about that. I know I was sitting here thinking, “Oh, man. He’s bombing something fierce.”
But Regis was in a bitch of a spot. The show up to that point had been amazingly emotional- both Dan Rather and David were near tears throughout- Rather couldn’t go on a couple of times.
While Dan’s behavior didn’t surprise me (Someone mentioned somewhere else that Dan’s sanity is nearly at the breaking point. I agree completely. He was in rough shape going into a incredibly stressfull, scary, and trying time. As time goes on, you can that he’s about to snap), Dave’s emotional rawness was not only surprising to see, but it was moving to watch.
I was impressed.
Regis, on the other hand, was stuck. He was being looked at to bring some levity to the show- someone to joke around with at a horrendous time for us all. He tried, in his own way. But look, he’s probably not the best person to bring in to skillfully work and lighten up the crowd- he’s Regis.
On a regular day, his comedy is painfull to watch.
Given that both Dave’s guests were locals, I’d venture to guess that many of the people they’d like to have were unavailable.
You’re right though, it was awkward and forced on Regis’s part. But given everything involved, Regis just might have been a good person to come in, joke around, and be able to walk away without much need to do damage control.
I have to agree with the poster, I thought Regis should have left Rather alone. Dan Rather is obviously under a great deal of stress, and is also clearly very upset with himself for breaking down like that. I thought it was the sort of thing that should not have been brought up again.
Dave on the other hand was amazingly good. I had no idea he had that kind of ability to be emotional on camera in him.
I was even more mad at my local CBS news, which reported Rather crying like it was newsworthy. Geez, they are human you know. I saw Brokaw and Jennings both start to loose it too. Personally I think its a good thing Rather could drop the facade of control a little bit in a non-news environment.
I normally loathe Regis. Last night was the first and probably last time that I enjoyed watching him. I didn’t think he was making jokes at all about Dan Rather; I, too, thought he was almost in awe of Rather’s emotion, as was I, and at Dave’s words too. When he said something like “what is the goddamn sense in that?” I almost lost it myself.
I predict last night will be one of the most remembered episodes of Letterman ever.
I personally think Regis tried to make the best of an awkward situation. And succeeded in some way. Performance won’t go down in history, but it got the job done. Dave was emotional - a rare occurrence, the only other one, if I recall, being on his return after his surgery - and it was a painful moment, as were the attempts at levity throughtout the show, but in a different kind of way.
But the show must go on. It did. And reasonably well, in my opinion.
I thought the show was great-- I didn’t take Regis’s comments about Rather’s tears as derogatory at all. We do need to laugh sometimes, lest we all go crazy, and I think Regis gamely played along last night.
omni-not, Leno wasn’t on last night, AFAIK. Unless his show got bumped way late; the NBC affiliate in my area (NYC, which might very well make a difference) has been broadcasting news late into the night. Maybe the show aired in other parts of the country?