I just don't get why he has had a talk show for years. The guy... is so boring! and he seems to like to insult any of his guests who are ''weird'' or dress weird... or don't follow a 24/7 christian lifestyle.

He either asks the most generic questions... or he acts like the people he reviews are ''so crazy'' OMG you have weird hair what is wrong with you! omg you have sex what is wrong with you!

He just seems like such a prick and plays it way too safe.

Am i missing something? was he funnier in the 80's?

Do I find him funny? No.

*

Yes, he's a prick.

Gunsnhalen said:

I just don't get why he has had a talk show for years. The guy... is so boring! and he seems to like to insult any of his guests who are ''weird'' or dress weird... or don't follow a 24/7 christian lifestyle.

He either asks the most generic questions... or he acts like the people he reviews are ''so crazy'' OMG you have weird hair what is wrong with you! omg you have sex what is wrong with you!

He just seems like such a prick and plays it way too safe.

Am i missing something? was he funnier in the 80's?

Yes, Letterman was much much funnier in the 80's. What changed? When he moved to CBS and show time changed from 11:30 to 10:00 (which is considered prime time for talk shows), Letterman became more conservative. The guy flipped on a dime, I stopped watching him after a his first year on CBS. At the time the "industry rags" said he'd have to change his style a bit to cater and expand to a different demographic.

I don't know much about christian lifestyle.... This was guy that fucked every woman on his staff and one of their ex's try to blackmail him,

=====================================

[Edited 10/13/13 20:49pm]

Tempest said:

Do I find him funny? No.

*

Yes, he's a prick.

Plus I stopped watching his show yeaaarrrrss ago

On Letterman the guest is the butt of the joke, rarely is Letterman (Unless he does it.) Letterman doesn't like being the butt of the joke (generally speaking).

Leno makes fun of everyone and doesn't mind when he is the butt of the joke-as long as it's funny.

TD3 said:

Gunsnhalen said:

I just don't get why he has had a talk show for years. The guy... is so boring! and he seems to like to insult any of his guests who are ''weird'' or dress weird... or don't follow a 24/7 christian lifestyle.

He either asks the most generic questions... or he acts like the people he reviews are ''so crazy'' OMG you have weird hair what is wrong with you! omg you have sex what is wrong with you!

He just seems like such a prick and plays it way too safe.

Am i missing something? was he funnier in the 80's?

Yes, Letterman was much much funnier in the 80's. What changed? When he moved to CBS and show time changed from 11:30 to 10:00 (which is considered prime time for talk shows), Letterman became more conservative. The guy flipped on a dime, I stopped watching him after a his first year on CBS. At the time the "industry rags" said he'd have to change his style a bit to cater and expand to a different demographic.

I don't know much about christian lifestyle.... This was guy that fucked every woman on his staff and one of their ex's try to blackmail him,

=====================================

[Edited 10/13/13 20:49pm]

I know! he did fuck a lot... but yet he highly condoned Prince, Madonna, Grace Jones, Marilyn Manson, Lady GaGa, Billy Idol etc. For being sexual, being suggestive, and calling them whores. Yet he's fucking half his staff and some were married... pssh.

I just can't take anyone seriously who treats half his guests like there from mars. Look at the interviews he did with Marilyn Manson, Grace jones, George Michael, Metallica. ''Oh you have long hair?, or you wear weird masks? you play loud music? you wear makeup? LE GASP what is wrong with you.

psssh

kewlschool said:

On Letterman the guest is the butt of the joke, rarely is Letterman (Unless he does it.) Letterman doesn't like being the butt of the joke (generally speaking).

Leno makes fun of everyone and doesn't mind when he is the butt of the joke-as long as it's funny.

THIS!

he always makes everyone the butt... which is why i love when the tables are turned.

Hes got really lame now, particularly since hes become a father(almost 10 years ago now) and got married and settled in domestic bliss!! All he wants to talk about with his guests now are their kids!! The show is now more suited to daytime than late night!!

His show used to be so cutting edge with lots of skits like throwing stuff off the studio roof, Oprahs scripts read by those 2 studio techs, visits to Rupert Gees Deli and other bizzare stunts and now the only funny thing he does is spray water on the public outside in the hot weather!!

The last I heard his contract is extended to 2015!!

Gunsnhalen said:

kewlschool said:

On Letterman the guest is the butt of the joke, rarely is Letterman (Unless he does it.) Letterman doesn't like being the butt of the joke (generally speaking).

Leno makes fun of everyone and doesn't mind when he is the butt of the joke-as long as it's funny.

THIS!

he always makes everyone the butt... which is why i love when the tables are turned.

The way Letterman can make fun of others but not allow others to do it to him-annoys me. Although, Letterman is good when Dr Phil (with all the pre-wriiten material they give him), Julia Roberts, or Madonna comes on.

kewlschool said:

Gunsnhalen said:

THIS!

he always makes everyone the butt... which is why i love when the tables are turned.

The way Letterman can make fun of others but not allow others to do it to him-annoys me. Although, Letterman is good when Dr Phil (with all the pre-wriiten material they give him), Julia Roberts, or Madonna comes on.

*

Only problem is, in order for him to be "good" it means his show will get seriously stale having only those 3 guests over and over.

Gunsnhalen said:

TD3 said:

Yes, Letterman was much much funnier in the 80's. What changed? When he moved to CBS and show time changed from 11:30 to 10:00 (which is considered prime time for talk shows), Letterman became more conservative. The guy flipped on a dime, I stopped watching him after a his first year on CBS. At the time the "industry rags" said he'd have to change his style a bit to cater and expand to a different demographic.

I don't know much about christian lifestyle.... This was guy that fucked every woman on his staff and one of their ex's try to blackmail him,

=====================================

[Edited 10/13/13 20:49pm]

I know! he did fuck a lot... but yet he highly condoned Prince, Madonna, Grace Jones, Marilyn Manson, Lady GaGa, Billy Idol etc. For being sexual, being suggestive, and calling them whores. Yet he's fucking half his staff and some were married... pssh.

I just can't take anyone seriously who treats half his guests like there from mars. Look at the interviews he did with Marilyn Manson, Grace jones, George Michael, Metallica. ''Oh you have long hair?, or you wear weird masks? you play loud music? you wear makeup? LE GASP what is wrong with you.

psssh

It's been what over a decade since I saw a Letterman show... he was always a prickly iinterviewer. No pun intended...

I recall him "fucking" with guest and if they couldn't take a joke will then, oh well. That is what set Letterman apart with he first emerge, he wasn't a fawning host nor did he make some of guest feel entirely comfortable. Though I heard when he was on the NBC, the guest he" fucked" with the most were those who came with their outragous demands... the green room had to painted their favorite color and all such. An outright moral condemnation about a guest personal choices or lifestyle? I can't speak to that, I do recall some very well know celebrities who said on air he was intimidating. My thoughts were if you didn't care for him or his show don't go on.

"The Late Show With David Letterman, was well written, his skits were hilarious, his musical guest were top notch. He had a rep of inviting unknown bands/singers and comedian's on his show. He use to interact with his audience a lot, Paul Shaffer band use to play about twice a week...that band could jam. I don't think his auidence gave two shits about his well known guest, I think they like they other things that came with it. All that changed, Sandra Bernhard spoke of being hurt when Letterman didn't invite her on anymore after the move to CBS.

he should probably retire and let Conan take over (but he will always be King)

Fallon is not funny but has the best band

Jay Leno sold out years ago but used to be really funny

Kimmel is not bad

Arsenio sucks still and now in a major way

[Edited 10/14/13 16:00pm]

David Letterman is the reigning king of Late Night, and every other talk show host knows it. Jay Leno is a scumbag who will stab anyone in the back (re: Conan) and every comic knows it. If you don't get Dave's humour you probably didn't watch the show since the David Letterman Show in the mornings in 1980 like I did. If you're 40 or 50 or 60 David Letterman makes sense to you. If you're younger and not deeply into comedy Letterman will not seem funny. Yes, he's made his mistakes with sleeping with his staff, but he handled the potential blackmail by Stephaine Berkitt with grace and intelligence. He's smarter than everyone else. He does poke fun at himself all the time. He's fond of saying "I just want to keep doing the show until it becomes sad." which is very funny. Johnny Carson got boring towards the end of his time too. But I'd still rather watch Letterman than the isipid Leno or Fallon, but time marches on, and things change. I suspect Seth Meyers' show will be hot and funny, and I see him taking over the mantle from Letterman eventually.

[Edited 10/14/13 17:02pm]

David Letterman is already part of american (modern) pop culture

I've seen some 80s videos and the guy seemed petulant at best

I certainly prefer his 90s/00s older/calmer persona

and I disagree with gunsandhalen, he is not the most progressive/leftist guy out there, sure, but he's certainly not Fox/neocon/prude stuff...

I don't think Letterman is a Christian either. He was raised in the Lutheran Church in Indianna but he's kind of an agnostic, I believe. I don't really know. Most comics are not religious.

[Edited 10/14/13 17:17pm]

McJagger said:

David Letterman is the reigning king of Late Night, and every other talk show host knows it. Jay Leno is a scumbag who will stab anyone in the back (re: Conan) and every comic knows it. If you don't get Dave's humour you probably didn't watch the show since the David Letterman Show in the mornings in 1980 like I did. If you're 40 or 50 or 60 David Letterman makes sense to you. If you're younger and not deeply into comedy Letterman will not seem funny. Yes, he's made his mistakes with sleeping with his staff, but he handled the potential blackmail by Stephaine Berkitt with grace and intelligence. He's smarter than everyone else. He does poke fun at himself all the time. He's fond of saying "I just want to keep doing the show until it becomes sad." which is very funny. Johnny Carson got boring towards the end of his time too. But I'd still rather watch Letterman than the isipid Leno or Fallon, but time marches on, and things change. I suspect Seth Meyers' show will be hot and funny, and I see him taking over the mantle from Letterman eventually.

[Edited 10/14/13 17:02pm]

Letterman can only be the butt of the joke if he approves. Generally, he can not let his guest do that to him-unless he gets to up them one.

McJagger said:

David Letterman is the reigning king of Late Night, and every other talk show host knows it. Jay Leno is a scumbag who will stab anyone in the back (re: Conan) and every comic knows it. If you don't get Dave's humour you probably didn't watch the show since the David Letterman Show in the mornings in 1980 like I did. If you're 40 or 50 or 60 David Letterman makes sense to you. If you're younger and not deeply into comedy Letterman will not seem funny. Yes, he's made his mistakes with sleeping with his staff, but he handled the potential blackmail by Stephaine Berkitt with grace and intelligence. He's smarter than everyone else. He does poke fun at himself all the time. He's fond of saying "I just want to keep doing the show until it becomes sad." which is very funny. Johnny Carson got boring towards the end of his time too. But I'd still rather watch Letterman than the isipid Leno or Fallon, but time marches on, and things change. I suspect Seth Meyers' show will be hot and funny, and I see him taking over the mantle from Letterman eventually.

[Edited 10/14/13 17:02pm]

Agreed.

McJagger said:

I don't think Letterman is a Christian either. He was raised in the Lutheran Church in Indianna but he's kind of an agnostic, I believe. I don't really know. Most comics are not religious.

He's never given any indication of being religious. Would surprise me if he was.

I find Dave funny, but rarely in a laugh-out-loud kind of way. He's droll. Still prefer him to any of the other late-night hosts. I like his cynicism.

What made me a Letterman fan for life:

(skip to the 4:00 minute mark in the first video)

And a pretty good read on Letterman's place in late night TV, from Rolling Stone:

How David Letterman Reinvented TV

Ever since he's been pushing his political views on everybody I stop watching him. Not funny at all.

Enough people find him funny that he's been making $20 million+ per year for more than two decades.

But not EVERYONE finds him funny. So if you don't, then don't watch him.

My Top Ten favorite Letterman moments:

10. How Much Gas Is In Joe Frazier's Car?
9. Toast On A Stick
8. Asking Rush Limbaugh, "When you wake up every morning, do you just say "Wow - I am full of so much hot air!"?"
7. Top Ten Lists
6. Mujiber and Sirajul - especially the very first time he visited their store. He found them selling bootleg Letterman Show merch. They didn't know who he was, LOL. Later, he would send them around the country and every time they met someone, they told them "Dave says 'Hello' to you!"
5. His first telecast after 9/11. Some of the best TV I've ever seen.
4. Drew Barrymore dancing on his desk and flashing him. The look on Letterman's face was priceless
3. Prince's performance of "Dolphin". Between holding up the Symbol, telling the audience "This song is from a CD that you will never be able to buy", and the way he tried to describe what happened after Prince "died" it was five minutes of awesomeness
2. His mom

And my Number One Favorite Moment from The Late Show With David Letterman is:

I Would LOVE to see that Prince interview.

Gunsnhalen said:

I Would LOVE to see that Prince interview.

Not an interview, but lol...

Gunsnhalen said:

I Would LOVE to see that Prince interview.

There is no Prince interview. The only thing is a split second shot where the Artist formely known as Prince is introduce to artist known as Pinhead (David Letterman). Prince just performs Dolphin. Letterman makes fun of his new Symbol name with different cardboard cut outs and after Prince sings the song Dolphin (Where Prince dies) Letterman kills the artistry by making fun of it-"Is he okay." And Prince aint been back since.

kewlschool said:

Gunsnhalen said:

I Would LOVE to see that Prince interview.

There is no Prince interview. The only thing is a split second shot where the Artist formely known as Prince is introduce to artist known as Pinhead (David Letterman). Prince just performs Dolphin. Letterman makes fun of his new Symbol name with different cardboard cut outs and after Prince sings the song Dolphin (Where Prince dies) Letterman kills the artistry by making fun of it-"Is he okay." And Prince aint been back since.

You forgot when Letterman said "The song he will be doing for us tonight is from this CD right here, which is titled The Gold Experience. And I'm told this particular CD will never be released....so it makes perfect sense why he's here promoting it tonight."

[Edited 10/15/13 13:02pm]

90's Prince & 90's Letterman a match made in hell and heaven

BUT I WILL NOT FRONT...

This maybe one of the funniest late night interviews EVER... i mean EVER. Her and David rip into each other pretty well here.

i like him... always have

i think he absolutely slays all your other late night hosts