Ahh… that explains the low wages of the typical factory employee working with heavy machinery.
So you’re saying that Leno and Letterman’s talents are so rare that in a supply and demand economy they should be compensated with as almost much money as the US Treasury can print? That’s poppy-cock. I think that both Leno and Letterman know that they were both lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time because there’s any number of smart-aleck comedians in this country who could easily take their places.
Exhibit A is Conan O’Brien. When he took over NBC’s “Late Night” franchise he wasn’t expected to last a month, but given the chance he’s succeeded admirably. I don’t think Conan’s talents are that rare that he couldn’t be replaced by someone just as funny. What is rare is not the skills of the host, what is rare is for the suits to give a guy or a show a chance to find its audience.
Exhibit B is Chevy Chase. His show on Fox bombed. So what? So did Letterman’s first daytime show on NBC. The difference may be just that Dave got another chance and a better time slot against weaker competition where he could establish his show and correct his mistakes, and Chevy didn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Letterman, O’Brien and Leno. I even think Jimmy Kimmel is funny. I don’t begrudge them their enormous salaries. I just don’t think that their talents are all that rare or exceptional to justify what they make.
I used to work for a large accounting firm, and there was a tax manager there named George Anderson who said many funny things every day. To the best of my knowledge George didn’t have a team of writers crafting his bon-mots either. George was - and I hope still is, because I haven’t seen him in years - a smart and very funny guy. Given the chance to host his own late night network talk show rather than supervising compliance work on US Income Tax Form 1120 George would be a big star just like formerly no-name Conan O’Brien.
And don’t get me started on Jennifer Aniston or her hubby, Brad Pitt. There’s no shortage of good-looking blondes who can do what they do either.
that raises another good point! What about our obsession with sexuality and beauty??? We have so many “taboos” and the “thrill” of breaking them has only worked to heat things up (so to speak)
Well that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? Anyone can come up with a one liner now and again. No one is going to tune in to see “George from Accounting” unless he can be consistantly funny, night after night, for years and years.
How much did Jenifer Aniston make on the set of “Ferris Bueller: The TV Series” or Brad Pitt as “Uncredited Partygoer” in “Less Than Zero”? Not much I imagine. For whatever reason, they have risen in their profession so that people will go to a movie or watch a TV show specifically to see them. If I was bringing in millions of dollars of revenue for my company, shouldn’t I deserve a % of that profit?
Maybe I’ve lived in Manhattan too long. I’m starting to believe that anyone who makes less than 100k a year (including myself) is living in poverty.
I would make fun of you for saying that an accountant was funny, but my wife is also a big 5/4 accountant and I’d like to continue seeing her naked.
I have, however, read accounts of folks who were considered hysterically funny at the water cooler who thought they’d be grand in showbiz and failed miserably. It’s a big jump from the office elevator to the standup stage; few people can pull it off successfully. **
Actually, although I loathe defending the Jennifer Anistons of the world, this is simply not true. Pick up any B-grade movie with a bombshell starlet for proof: having a skinny waist, firm boobs and a nice ass is only the first step to success in acting. Jennifer Aniston ain’t Meryl Streep by any stretch, but she’s a cut better than most apsiring actresses.