/Chris, I agree with almost all of what you assert; however, since Letterman himself calls them "Stupid Pet/Human Tricks," don't you agree that he knows his humor is "stupid?" Great humorist, like Letterman do "stupid" things; bad humorists are just stupid. Perhaps someone would like to define good "stupid" humor and bad stupid humor? Patrick [log in to unmask] On Wed, 18 May 1994, Chris White wrote: > In response to my friend Gloria Monti's posting regarding > The Late Show Starring David Letterman , and the humor (or > lack thereof) contained within, I'd like to make a few points > in defense of Mr. Letterman. > > Letterman's humor is predominantly based on sarcasm, and is > often self-deprecating as well. He loves knocking big stars > down to the size of the "common" person. Witness his recent > comment to Jeff Goldblum, "You know, Jeff, we're just a couple > of stooges up here." Or his joking about how badly his recent > interviews with Madonna and James Caan went. > > He skewers just about every cultural icon imaginable, with a > distinct emphasis on pop culture icons. The obvious extrapolation > here is that those with a strong background in pop culture would > have an advantage in "getting" the humor. On the other hand, those > whose pop culture knowledge is, shall we say, limited, could very > well end up staring at the television screen with blank expressions > on their faces, thinking, "This is stupid". > > Additionally, Letterman has consistantly altered the boundaries of > the talk show format, much as Steve Allen did during his term as > host of "The Tonight Show" years ago. Whether through taking his > camera unannounced into retail businesses, maintaining ongoing > on-camera relationships with workers in nearby businesses, > addressing sidewalk crowds with a public address system, or > bringing passersby onto the stage from the street, Letterman > involves the public in a manner never before seen in talk shows. > His "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "Stupid Human Tricks" bits show us that > Warhol was indeed correct with his well-known observation > regarding fame. > > Who else would brazenly interrupt the taping of a segment for "The > Today Show" by leaning out of a window and shouting through a bullhorn > to the crew and crowd below, "I'm not wearing any pants!", thereby > incurring the wrath of the obnoxiously egotistical Bryant Gumbel? > This alone qualifies Dave as a hero in my eyes. Not to mention a > ground-breaking force in television humor. > > Is Letterman's humor occasionally stupid? Of course. That's part of > his charm. Is it always stupid? Only if you don't "get" it, or don't > want to. But then, that's what the channel changer is for, isn't it? > > - Chris White >