tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182962435875556601.post102938039548817896..comments2023-09-24T08:04:06.909-04:00Comments on FSK's Guide to Reality: Conan O'Brien vs. Mainstream Media MonopolyFSKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903396202330950362noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2182962435875556601.post-88724977543865901292010-01-23T15:33:20.464-05:002010-01-23T15:33:20.464-05:00I couldn't agree more about everything you wro...I couldn't agree more about everything you wrote here. I'm a big fan of Conan's and was lucky enough to see him when he came to Chicago to do his shows a couple years ago. Watching his final shows this week, especially last night's rousing send-off rendition of "Free Bird" with Will Ferrel singing (and playing cow bell-- LOL) and Conan playing guitar, was bittersweet. I couldn't help thinking that if his show was consistently this good, he would have been left alone by NBC and they would have just told Leno to go fall in a ditch. The fact is, NBC didn't give him enough time to build an audience. I'll bet anything that when stupid Leno first took over from Carson, he didn't set the world on fire ratings-wise right away. They gave him time to build a following. But I guees that's the "instant gratification" times we live in-- if you're not a hit right away, you're discarded. It's a shame, but I'm sure Conan will land on his feet. And 40-plus million is a nice consolation (assuming it isn't eaten away by inflation; but if it is we're all in trouble).<br /><br />And you're right about the entertainment industry not being a free market. As you like to point out, there really isn't a truly free market anywhere left in this "country."<br /><br />I think if he was 20 years younger, Conan might have struck out on his own like you suggest, but not now. He's too invested (including emotionally) in the current paradigm.<br /><br />If you ever do decide to start your own show or something and you need writers, don't forget your buddy dionysusal :P I've been working at my wage slave computer programming job for over 20 years now and I'm simply fed up with it. I'm ready to try my hand at something else. I'm a true student of comedy and have a good working knowledge of it.<br /><br />Excellent entry. Jeff Zucker can cram it with walnuts, the weaselbrain.dionysusalhttp://www.angelfire.com/theforce/dionysus/noreply@blogger.com