Late And Later

I heard comedian Louis C. K. interviewed on NPR. He used to write for Conan O'Brien and discussed my favorite recurring bit, "Actual Items."

Let's go back a little. David Letterman revolutionized late night TV by using found comedy. He'd go out on the streets and talk to people, show weird items from the news or in stores, answer viewer mail, etc. Steve Allen may have started the trend, but Letterman really ran with it, and gave it a modern spin.

Jay Leno, for all his popularity, was not an originator. He started doing the Tonight Show as a Carson acolyte, and later shifted in the direction of Letterman.

Conan was something new. He was clearly a fan of Letterman, but took it one step further--he did fake found comedy. A signature piece like "Actual Items" is the old Letterman routine "Small Town News," but Conan takes pieces found in the paper and adds bizarre twists.

I think he knew it was a good routine, since he did it on his first show and has been doing it ever since. He has examples up on his website. For instance, there's a small note in an ad for Supermac And Cheese that says "regular mac and cheese still available for step-children." Or in a promotion for large, ugly panties, the copy reads "the fastest way to tell your husband you're done with sex."

PS Is it just me, or has Letterman's comedy been getting surreal lately? I'm not sure if it's because he cares more or has stopped caring.