Letterman and Me: 25 Years Together

I was 21 years old and almost exactly half of the way through college (yes, that's the 5 year plan) when one night Johnny Carson's genius was revealed to a new generation. I, well ok, all of us, met Dave and Paul. Actually we had some awareness of Paul. He had been on Saturday Night Live. The good version. But Dave was news. He spoke our language. He had our sense of humor.
Dave's favorite guest was Andy Kaufman. Andy may have been the strangest man who ever lived. And the funniest. Andy, like Dave, knew the world is full of crap, and deserves to be laughed at. It's the only way to get through without crying constantly.
Dave hired the ubiquitous Bill Wendell as his announcer. Wendell was old school TV. His voice, along with Don Pardo's (employed by Saturday Night Live) had introduced many, many shows for decades. He was reliable and predictable. He was a smokescreen for the mayhem to follow.
Pee Wee Herman, Harvey Pekar, Kaufman, Sandra Bernhart, Howard Stern-they were Dave's version of Carson's Benny, Hope and Groucho. Respect for traditions? I give you Larry "Bud" Melman!
One of my high moments was the night that the Andy Kaufman-Jerry Lawler feud found its way onto network television, with Jerry slapping the taste out of Andy's mouth after a run of classic wrestling promo insults. Andy responded with a totally bleeped diatribe, from behind Dave, where, theoretically, Lawler couldn't get at him. The classic Dave response followed Andy's rant: "I think you can say some of those words on tv."
Carson was rightly eulogized as the patron saint of three generations of comedians. Pryor, Carlin, Williams, Martin, and Letterman were all among those whose best early exposure was with Johnny. Now Dave has equalled if not exceeded Johnny's generosity. Dave still has Tom Dreesen on regularly. When did you last see Dreeson on any other show? Dave boosted Paula Poundstone, Jeff Altman, George Wallace, George Miller, Larry Miller, Steven Wright, Jake Johanson, Ray Romano, and a rat named Jay Leno.
When NBC betrayed Johnny Carson and David Letterman and promised the Tonight Show to the now spectacularly bland and unfunny Leno, Dave went to CBS and never missed a beat. He populated our world with Sirajul and Mujiber, Rupert Gee, Joe G from the pizza place and Grinder Girl and Hula Hoop Girl. He kept the brilliantly creepy Chris Elliot. Jay Thomas and Darlene Love make Christmas for me every year, with the quarterback challenge and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" respectively. Who else could decorate a Christmas tree with a pizza, meatball, and miniature Empire State Building without drawing protests from the Ridiculous Right? And then knock the meatball off with a football the last show before Christmas?
We all hit middle age right behind Dave. His bypass surgery shook us all up. His hair changed color, and a lot of it departed, and we're all right there with him. He talks sometimes about the bad behavior of younger years, and we remember our own, thankful we survived it all. But still, he's funny.
Tonight, his 25th anniversary in late night tv, he again welcomed Bill Murray as his guest. Bill was the first guest on Late Night with David Letterman in 1982, the first guest on the Late Show with David Letterman in 1993, and many times in between. Bill's the perfect partner for Dave--same generation, same comic sensibilities, same staying power. Tonight they did a bit with CBS stuffed shirt Leslie Moonves. The masters even made that load funny.
Dave just re-upped through 2010. Interesting that NBC announced last year that Conan O'Brian will take over Tonight in 2009. Dave will continue beyond the man who owes his entire career to the best friend he stabbed in the back in 1992. Yes, Leno's ratings are higher than Dave's. But this is in the same country where Richard Nixon got more votes than Hubert Humphrey, Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter, and George II was allowed to steal two elections from obviously superior men. Those voted Most Popular in High School often have difficult lives. Popularity means nothing in this country. Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline are, apparently, popular.
David Letterman is funny. My kind of funny. Has been for 25 years on late night tv. And my life has been better for his work. Through a divorce, work ups and downs, issues with teenagers, deaths of dear ones and all the other stuff that makes up the journey, I've been able to have a laugh before going to sleep. Thanks, Dave! Can I have another 25?