Let’s Not get Overly Coo-coo for Coco

Did the greatest entertainer in the world just pass away or something? Good lawd, the most rabid Conan fans need a bit of perspective. A guy lost a job. He's still rich. You'll get to see him somewhere else. Stop posting comments on blogs wishing all the Olds who watch Leno would die. Because, first of all - nobody has been watching Leno. Not “older“ people. Not even Jeff Zucker.

Ah youth, to be so naïve you’re actually still surprised by the fact that quite frequently crappy no-talents get ahead of other people at work. Yes, it’s true! I’m old enough to have been on the Conan end of that scenario several times. (Only I was making in the tens of thousands what he makes in the millions.)

 It's All So Goofy
At some point this past week or so I went from being transfixed by the highway wreckage that is NBC to being tired of all the Coco-hype. He's not always THAT funny. Especially if, like me, you prefer more intellectual, political satire to goofiness. His monologues are frequently in the mediocre-to-average range and some of the bits, like Masturbating Bear, pretty juvenile. To me, the funniest stuff on his shows have been the taped-on-location bits - the UPS delivery guy, the pool boy. (Triumph was funny but a little too mean at times for my taste.)

And he's certainly not a great interviewer, which should be a prerequisite for a talk show. But then again, neither is Leno, Ferguson or Fallon. (Letterman, when he's not being snotty, has his moments with guests that he likes.) And to be fair, there was actually a time when Leno used to make some half-way decent political zingers.

Anyway, deep breaths, people.

The Weekend of Weird Outfits & Who Got What? Golden Globes & Figure Skating Championships

Bling, Bling, Bling
This weekend I was overwhelmingly bedazzled - and sometimes due to actual performances. Let's put it this way - any actress who's being panned for her choice of high or low coture at the Golden Globes need only check out Johnny Weir's free skate outfit. She will feel much better about herself.

Gold Medals and Golden Globes
These strange few days included trying to monitor:

Two sets of figure skating national championships - the prelude to the Winter Olympics, and

That fluffiest of Hollywood self-congratulatory events - the Golden Globes. Which are supposedly a prelude to the Oscars. Yawn.

It's all a blur at this point. Did Ryan Bradley win the Best Supporting Actor in a Musical or Comedy? Did Drew Barrymore and Justin Long win the Pairs event? 


 I do know this - the Golden Globes broadcast did not win best Short Program. Gawd.


Some Globes You Got

The movie-star laden Globes also tosses a few bones to the supposedly lesser (but often greater) TV lineup. My primary interest.  (And by the way, feck you, movie stars who couldn't be bothered to even applaud for the TV show nominees and winners. We saw you, and we took names.)

As an event, it's the Hostess Twinkies of television. Occasionally you like to indulge in something so frothy and unfullfilling. But after awhile you get a little sick.

But I'm glad Ricky Gervais thinks he's so funny -that makes one of us with that opinion.

Making the Team
When the GGs rolled around Sunday evening I was still recuperating from three days of US and Canadian skating events.


Miracle of miracles, a few standout performances revived my sadly flagging interest in the art/sport/occasional farce of skating. I'm back on Team Jeremy and Team Joannie (Rochette) for their work in winning the US Men's and Canadian Ladies crown, respectively.


Jeremy Abbott's 2010 Nationals Freeskate

And then there are the incomparable Virtue and Moir. You could OD on this OD, feel compelled to watch their Compulsory and freely watch the Free Skate for hours.They Are Magic. The Best. The End.

Abbott and Tessa and Scott grew up elsewhere but now train in Detroit. We are happy to take credit for them.

And now a couple days rest before more rich people patting themselves on the back (the Screen Actors Guild awards) and the divas of American dance and lady skaters take the ice for U.S. Nationals, Part the Second.