# The Goodnight Show: Johnny Carson dead at 79 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277 "2005-01-23T18:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/21 "2005-01-23T20:02:05Z")
Excerpt from another of his favorite songs: (lyrics by Irving Kahal) > [@](#): > > : > > I’ll be seeing you In every lovely summer’s day, > In everything that’s light and gay, > I’ll always think of you that way. > I’ll find you in the morning sun > And when the night is new. > I’ll be looking at the moon, > But I’ll be seeing you. Goodnight, Johnny. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/22 "2005-01-23T20:01:50Z")
Rarely does a celebrity death make me stop and cry, but as an insomniac since high school, Johnny Carson was like, well, really he was like a friend. Everyone else in my family has always lived by “early to bed, early to rise” so many nights it was just me and Johnny in the den. Another great example of why everyone needs to stop smoking _now_. Please. RIP, friend. And thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/23 "2005-01-23T20:15:03Z")
I just got a message from my mom about this. They are the same age, and she was always a huge fan of his. I still miss his show–Jay and Dave just aren’t the same. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/24 "2005-01-23T20:16:26Z")
A very funny man. I always thought he would do something else after the Tonight Show. Another of his cool interests was drumming. Starring Jack Lemmon, Jack Haley, Hayley Mills, the Mills Brothers, Dr. Joyce Brothers, and Spawn the Wondercarp in Dracula Gets Bombed on a Wino Take the Ventura Freeway to another freeway until you get to the Slauson cutoff. Stop the car. Get out of your car. Cut off your Slauson. Get back in your car and travel until you come to …the fork in the road It was so cold… How cold was it? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/25 "2005-01-23T20:18:17Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > The _National Enquirer_ ran a story a couple weeks ago about how Carson was suffering from emphysema, so I assume that was the principle cause of death. [This article](http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=435893) supports that. Not a nice way to go, from what I’ve heard. A sad, sad day… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/26 "2005-01-23T20:20:14Z")
This is a guy who really deserves his own accolades. Nobody will ever own the talk show format the way that Carson owned it. he was the gold standard. Everyone else is aluminum foil. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/27 "2005-01-23T20:23:11Z")
Darn. So now he’s doing The Late Show? ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/28 "2005-01-23T20:34:24Z")
☹ It’s a sad day, indeed. He was a comic genius. Godspeed, Johnny. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/29 "2005-01-23T20:49:14Z")
☹ I’m bummed. ☹☹ ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/30 "2005-01-23T20:59:13Z")
He will be missed, if only in our hearts. ☹ Who else would have handed Ed Ames a tomahawk? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/31 "2005-01-23T21:03:09Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > He will be missed, if only in our hearts. ☹ > > Who else would have handed Ed Ames a tomahawk? I loved Johnny’s spontaneous quip after that one: “Frontier Bris!” ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/32 "2005-01-23T21:05:22Z")
Oh, man. That stinks. My favorite thing was when one of the jokes in his monologue would fall flat, and he’d give the audience that look–you know, he’d kind of pull his head back and press his lips together…it was a cross between saying “who me?” and scolding the audience for not laughing. It was hilarious every time. And let’s not forget the greatest comic ad-lib of all time: “I didn’t even know he was Jewish.” ---
**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 23, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/33 "2005-01-23T21:23:31Z")
Fuck. And to think he’d just started a new career of writing jokes for Letterman. We’ll miss ya Johnny. Jay Leno had better say something nice. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/34 "2005-01-23T21:30:05Z")
> [@](#): > > You may not know it, > but buddy you’re a kind of poet. > And you’ve had a lot of things to say. > And when I’m gloomy > you always listen to me, > until it’s talked away. > > Well, that’s how it goes. > And John I know you’re getting > anxious to close. > So, thanks for the cheer. > I hope you didn’t mind me > bending your ear. > > For all of the years, > for the laughs, for the tears, > for the class that you showed, > make it one for my baby > and one more for the road. – from “One for my Baby,” as adapted by Bette Midler and sung to Johnny Carson on the last “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/35 "2005-01-23T21:31:25Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Jay Leno had better say something nice. And David Letterman. I’m sure they will be appropriate and moved. After all, Johnny blazed the way for them. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/36 "2005-01-23T21:39:20Z")
I think Letterman was a lot closer to Johnny. And it’s telling that Carson was sending his jokes to Letterman instead of his ‘heir’ Leno. But I wonder if Letterman will even be able to show clips or anything, given that all that stuff is NBC’s property. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/37 "2005-01-23T21:46:05Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > – from “One for my Baby,” as adapted by Bette Midler and sung to Johnny Carson on the last “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” Darnit **Polycarp** -I remember that show. He was the king of late night TV for my generation. ☹ ---
**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 23, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/38 "2005-01-23T21:46:41Z")
I have no doubt Letterman will do something nice. On a show last week he had told a joke and said, “No, that wasn’t one of Johnny’s.” AFAIK, the only post Tonight Show appearance Johnny ever made was on The Late Show. Johnny came out and told Dave how uncomfortable he was sitting on the other side of the desk. So, he brought a portable desk and unfolded it next to Dave’s. One of Johnny’s biggest assets was the ability to get more mileage out of a bad joke than most comedians could get out of a good one. Letterman has this quality if in a lesser degree. Jay does not have this. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/39 "2005-01-23T21:51:27Z")
By the way, there’s also a thread in Cafe Society [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=298475) that was started by **Eve**. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277/40 "2005-01-23T21:58:51Z")
Sad news indeed. Besides the humor, the one thing that I’ve particularly missed since Johnny Carson has retired was his skeptical attitude towards sham artists such as Uri Geller. Those guys couldn’t get away with their crap on his show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goodnight-show-johnny-carson-dead-at-79/286277.md?page=3)