# Which late night comedian will fair the worst when writing their own stuff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449 "2007-12-18T13:21:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/21 "2007-12-18T18:48:43Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] If I was Leno, I would just check out a book of knock-knock jokes from a school library, pull up a stool on stage and fire away. There is a radio show here in Boston that recently played a clip of a stand-up comedian that was so God awful terrible that he had me doubled over in laughter. That would be a good effect to shoot for. [/QUOTE] That could work. Machinegunning crappy oneliners kept Henny Youngman going for nearly a century. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/22 "2007-12-18T19:06:12Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] No, because as has been pointed out, he’s a member of the WGA and thus won’t be able to rely on his writing to help him through. He’ll have to rely on his ability as an improvisational performer, which **Cluricaun** rates as low. [/QUOTE] So are you saying he can’t WRITE DOWN what he’s going to say because he’s a WGA member? Who’s gonna know? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/23 "2007-12-18T19:11:38Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] So are you saying he can’t WRITE DOWN what he’s going to say because he’s a WGA member? Who’s gonna know? :dubious: [/QUOTE] Well, _he_ would, for one. So far as I know, he supports the WGA strike. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/24 "2007-12-18T19:18:54Z")
I’m saying that Leno, a man with hundreds if not thousands of stand up gigs under his belt will fare much better at holding an audiences attention with improv and off the cuff reactions than a guy who’s biggest claim to fame prior to landing a talk show was writing a Simpsons episode. Nothing against Conan, really he’s fine, but say Leno never took the gig and Johnny Carson still had it. Who would you expect to fare better, the seasoned old stage pro or the guy who wrote a funny monorail song? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/25 "2007-12-18T19:33:01Z")
Letterman is at his best when the stuff he has planned bombs. But I don’t think any of the late night talk show hosts will be able to come up with even the current 10 minute monologue much less the side bits to put on an evening show without some loss of quality. I know they’re in a different union, but would say Leno writing his own stuff and crossing the picket line be considered a scab? If not at least pissing the writers off? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/26 "2007-12-18T19:33:11Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] I’m saying that Leno, a man with hundreds if not thousands of stand up gigs under his belt will fare much better at holding an audiences attention with improv and off the cuff reactions than a guy who’s biggest claim to fame prior to landing a talk show was writing a Simpsons episode. [/QUOTE] I’d agree with you except that Conan is in his 15th year hosting the talk show. I don’t know much about his improv skills, but I think he can vamp and be wacky for half an hour or an hour without much help. I don’t watch any of the talk shows very often, so I’m probably not a good judge here. But I think Leno is about as funny as a supermarket circular - though obviously he did have a standup career - and Conan is pretty naturally funny. I get the sense that Letterman is Letterman whether he has a script or not. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/27 "2007-12-18T19:35:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sitnam] I know they’re in a different union, but would say Leno writing his own stuff and crossing the picket line be considered a scab? If not at least pissing the writers off? [/QUOTE] Leno and Conan are _both_ members of the WGA. That’s why they have stated that they will do “unwritten” shows only. They do not intend to violate the writers’ strike. And I believe Conan has said something to the effect of “I hope the show does suck, just to show the producers how much they need writers.” ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/28 "2007-12-18T19:46:39Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] I’d agree with you except that Conan is in his 15th year hosting the talk show. [/QUOTE] Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, am I that old? Ok, I’m sure he’s picked up enough tricks in 15 years that he can do a few bits on his own, but I’m sticking with Leno to be the best. Maybe he’ll be funnier doing his own stuff than the writers stuff (which I agree is tepid at best) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/29 "2007-12-18T19:53:38Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, am I that old? Ok, I’m sure he’s picked up enough tricks in 15 years that he can do a few bits on his own, but I’m sticking with Leno to be the best. [/QUOTE] Ok. _De gustibus unum_ or whatever it is. 😉 Actually, I did overestimate a little. He went on the air in late 1993. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/30 "2007-12-18T20:29:10Z")
SNL did a sketch once that showed the aftermath of the teleprompters failing to work on a local wake up show (mayhem that resulted in cannibalism)- I predict something similar. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/31 "2007-12-18T21:42:56Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, am I that old? Ok, I’m sure he’s picked up enough tricks in 15 years that he can do a few bits on his own, but I’m sticking with Leno to be the best. Maybe he’ll be funnier doing his own stuff than the writers stuff (which I agree is tepid at best) [/QUOTE] You keep using the word “funny” to describe Jay Leno, I don’t think it means what you think it means. He might have been funny once, he may have an occasional good bit now and then but his delivery sucks. He constantly repeats his punchline which doesn’t make it any funnier, or he yells the punchline which doesn’t make it funny either, the longer he’s been around the worse these habits have become. Frankly, I think he’s just been coasting for a long time. The funniest thing he does is the Headlines bit and he really has nothing to do with the humor in those. Conan has written more than just one Simpson’s episode. He’s written for SNL and he’s written some other things. He’s won an Emmy for his writing. Frankly I think Conan is funnier\* than Leno or Letterman. But Craig Ferguson is the funniest of them all! ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/32 "2007-12-18T21:44:01Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] the guy who wrote a funny monorail song? [/QUOTE] I know **Marley23** addressed this, but he’s been writing and producing since the 1980s, gained a cult following on the show, and hosted the Emmys. He’s no joke. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/33 "2007-12-18T22:23:16Z")
During the aforementioned previous writers’ strike, those (like Letterman) who went it alone were IMO awful. They’d do better to go to a short monologue and long interviews. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/34 "2007-12-18T22:25:40Z")
I sort remember Letterman from the 88 strike. The top ten lists were particularly dire during that period. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449/35 "2007-12-18T23:07:15Z")
Not sure what it’ll mean but AFAIK, Letterman is the only one to have gone through a writers strike before and even tried to muddle through without them for a bit. When the strike was over he said pretty much “Yeah, we gave it a go for a week with out the writers. It sucked, and we gave up.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-late-night-comedian-will-fair-the-worst-when-writing-their-own-stuff/430449.md?page=1)