Late Night Comedians Lampoon Cain Ad That Already Seems Like a Joke

While talking heads puzzled and puzzled over what on earth the slow-smile Herman Cain/chief of staff blowing smoking ad was trying to accomplish, late night comedians have taken great joy in mocking it.

Stephen Colbert did the best parody on Comedy Central of not just the eight-second smile bit, but had his staff do a series of “dangerous” things in phony Cain ads. I have a soft spot for Colbert's version of the elongated smile.

Over on The Late Show with David Letterman, he and his crack staff likewise took a stab at re-imagining Cain’s ad, throwing a smoking baby into the mix.

Conan O’Brien also made sport of the unorthodox commercial and had his staff do edgy things just before Cain’s drawn out smile appeared on the screen.

Cain certainly is getting a lot of free mileage out of his freaky web-based spot. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

Notes on Pop Culture, Christmas Edition: Fallon as Pattinson, Ferrell & Reilly as Bowie & Crosby, Conan's Eccentric Decorator

Jimmy Fallon Strikes Again with Robert Pattinson ‘Bothered’ by Christmas Shopping



This ongoing spoof of Twilight vampire Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson, can be goofy and silly at times, but I like Jimmy Fallon’s Pattinson impersonation where he was sitting in a tree and complaining about all things Christmas shopping, particularly when it comes to venturing out at 5:30 in the morning.

FYI: The video is NOT for kids.

Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly Do David Bowie & Bing Crosby’s Drummer Boy



Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy with Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly from Will Ferrell

This video – a parody on the real duet sung by David Bowie and Bing Crosby -- has a substantial creep factor to it. I think it’s Ferrell’s make-up and God awful hair. Um . . . Merry Christmas?

Here’s the real Bowie/Crosby video. Come to think of it, the original video feels a bit off too, can’t put my finger on precisely why though.



Which is creepier, the actual Bowie/Crosby version or the Ferrell/Reilly version?

Conan's Got an Eccentric Yuletide Decorator



First, Team Coco spoke with this eccentric "holiday decorator" about what kind of Christmas and Hanukkah decorations they should put on Conan's set. After some consulting -- as seen in the video above -- this was the insane result:



Who says Godzilla holding a candy cane, King Kong with Santa's sleigh aloft over his head, a UFO, a giant sandwich and a robo-rabbi don't go together as naturally as tinsel and a Christmas tree?

Who Knew Playing Don Draper Was So Dangerous?

Jon Hamm, who plays Don Draper on Mad Men, appeared on Conan O’Brien’s show last night and talked about how he had to go to the hospital, TWICE, after sustaining injuries while pretending to be Don Draper. His on set injuries included: Seven stitches on his head, a broken hand and a separated shoulder.

During the interview, Hamm told O'Brien about a scene he shot with Elisabeth Moss in which she firmly shook his hand, which was broken at the time. The pain from the handshake brought him to his knees. Guess being Don isn't all Old Fashioneds, smokes and dapper duds.

Conan-Leno Late Night Skirmish Bringing Out Best of Comedy

Man, has Conan O’Brien been razor-sharp since the release of his well-received statement to “People of Earth.” He’s a guy with nothing to lose . . . which is amplifying his risk-taking humor. And that’s a good thing.

His monologue on the Tonight Show yesterday – with its direct hit to Jay Leno and the bit about the Winter Olympics -- was positively Jon Stewartesque, just the right combination of smart, mean and amusing (because he’s right). Maybe all networks should threaten their comedians with demotions. It might make ‘em funnier. Take a look at excerpts from the monologue below, via MSNBC’s Morning Joe:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Meanwhile, over on ABC, late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel eviscerated Leno by doing an entire show while dressed as Leno. His satire of Leno’s Headlines shtick was such perfection that I almost felt badly for Leno. Almost. But not really.



Be sure to check out the New York Times piece imbroglio; it’s well worth the read. Best quote came from a columnist from Advertising Age who said people are siding with Conan “because he’s suddenly become an unlikely (Harvard-educated, multimillionaire) Everyman: the freckled face of American job insecurity, a well-meaning hard worker who spent years paying his dues but has now been declared redundant by the halfwit overlords driving his company into the ground.”

Team Conan.

I Want to Give Conan a Big Smooch

Score one for Conan O'Brien. He released a classy, funny, heartfelt written statement today saying that he loves The Tonight Show and has adored it since he was a kid, but if it's moved to 12:05 a.m., as NBC execs have proposed in order to make room for Jay Leno at 11:35 (after Leno floundered at 10 p.m.), he will not be its host.

Addressed to "People of Earth," Conan's statement read in part:

"Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

. . . The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

. . . My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. "

At least someone cares about one's colleagues, promises made and maintaining the quality of a storied TV franchise. Conan signed off cleverly by saying, "I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way."

So much funnier than Leno. Seriously. (For the record: I'm not related to Conan even though we're both from Massachusetts and both share the same last name.)

Read the whole statement here.

*Team Conan*

Image credit: Drinkwater/NBC via AP/NY Daily News.

Jay AND Conan in the 11:30 Hour? What a Mess!

Them there internets are all abuzz over reports which suggest that Jay Leno will legitimately become the Brett Favre of late night TV if he agrees to reclaim his original 11:30 p.m. slot which he famously abandoned amid a week of farewell shows, a slot that NBC -- with great pomp and circumstance -- passed on to Conan O'Brien.

Why?

Leno's 10 p.m. show has not been pulling in the kind of ratings NBC had hoped it would. I only watched the first few episodes and never turned in again. (Though I did tune in when Kanye West gave his first public statement about his Taylor Swiftus-interruptus.) I found the show awkward and, frankly, unfunny. (Plus his set looked cheap.) I much preferred to watch Conan at 11:30, especially since I've jumped off the Letterman ship.

Is Leno going to go along with the unceremonious shoving of the ever-patient Conan out of the 11:30 slot, forcing the younger comic back to midnight? That's what the New York Times' Media Decoder is reporting:

"Pressed by affiliates and shrinking ratings, NBC has a plan in the works to radically alter its late-night television lineup, restoring Jay Leno to his old spot at 11:35 each weeknight, while pushing the man who replaced him, Conan O'Brien, to a starting time of 12:05 a.m.

NBC executives held extensive discussions with Mr. Leno and Mr. O'Brien on Thursday about the future of the network's late-night lineups.

And while NBC official said no final decision on the plan had been made, two senior NBC executives who had talked to the top management about the moves said that under the plan being discussed, Mr. Leno would definitely shift back to 11:35 but in a half-hour format, while Mr. O'Brien would slide back his start time by a half hour and then produce an hourlong show."

This entire Leno show debacle -- where five hours of primetime that used to be filled with costlier scripted dramas and comedies were sacrificed in exchange for a less expensive talk show format that NBC suits hoped would yield ratings for less money -- is a huge embarrassment for NBC, particularly after all the money and time they spent promoting the new lineup and all the press Leno got for his 10 o'clock chat show.

My questions: Why would Conan agree to such a demotion? Why would Leno take a giant step back? What does this mean for Jimmy Fallon, if anything? On the plus side, will this mean we'll be seeing more scripted TV?

Image credit: NBC via the New York Times.

'Mad Men' Week Takes Over Talk Shows

Mad Men week continues here on Suburban Mom as Jon Hamm and Mad Men takes over TV talk shows. But in order to catch the promotional interviews, you've either got to plan on staying up late (in one case getting up early) or setting your DVRs . . .

Mad Men's leading man, Hamm (who plays Don Draper), is slated to appear on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien today, August 11.

Hamm is also scheduled to appear on Good Morning America and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, August 12.

On Thursday, August 13, Hamm is listed as a guest for Live with Regis and Kelly, on the same day as Kate Gosselin, which is an unusual pairing.

On Friday, August 14, January Jones (who plays Betty Draper) is expected to also visit Jimmy Fallon.

Image credit: Frank Ockenfels/AMC.

Suburban Mom's Political Fix: Hillary Clinton Tells Off Questioner, Dances, Plus Testy Health Care Town Mtgs

Hillary Clinton Tells Off Congo Questioner

Me thinks that our secretary of state must've been on the receiving end of a whole mess o'sexist commentary thus far in her tenure, and constantly feel one-upped by her suck-all-the-oxygen-out-of-the-room spouse who got international accolades for helping to negotiate with the North Koreans for the freedom for two U.S. journalists last week. That's the only explanation I have (except maybe sleep deprivation) for Hillary Clinton ditching her normally professionally cool responses to difficult questions and telling a college student from Congo, in a matter of speaking, that she didn't like her question. One problem: The questioner didn't intend to insult Hillary Clinton. The translator screwed up. Whoops.



Hillary Dance Party

I always feel badly for U.S. officials when they venture abroad, play along with local customs and show courtesy to their hosts. How many presidents have donned un-western-like clothing and gotten mocked for wearing the duds by the folks back home?

So when an international host invites you to dance, what are you supposed to say, "No thank you. The late night comedians and folks on the internet will torture me about my dancing. Forever. I'll pass."

Of course not. You dance. And then be a good sport and suffer through the ridicule. Like Hillary Clinton has to at the hands of Conan O'Brien's staff about her dancing during her trip to Africa:



Testy Health Care Town Meetings

The recent spate of health care/health insurance town meetings between congressmen and senators and their constituents have gotten fairly heated haven't they? Some have devolved into circuses where no one gets heard and no one communicates and it all becomes white noise as tempers flare.

As I've watched this unfold, I've seen two sides getting fired up and becoming unable or unwilling to actually listen to the concerns of the other side, with the exception of Barack Obama himself, who seems game to field and handle pointed questions without shutting people down. (However people haven't been as nasty to him personally as they have been to U.S. congressmen and senators.)

The pro-Obama administration folks have tended to parrot the president's lines, like the ones spoken today at Obama's town meeting in New Hampshire: "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan." Obama said he doesn't want government bureaucrats OR insurance company bureaucrats "meddling" and getting involved in medical decisions made between you and your doctor. He said there won't be "death panels" run by the government to decide if a frail or sick senior should be provided health care. Obama has repeatedly told the story of his mother spending the last weeks of her life fighting with the health insurance company over her cancer treatments. He's also fond of saying, "No one in America should go broke because they got sick." The White House has created a web site which officials said seeks to clarify some of the misinformation voters have been given about the various health care reform bills. (Full disclosure: I haven't read the health care reform bills, though I think I might and then post what I find.)

All of those things seem to be common points of interest on which both conservatives and liberals could, essentially, agree. Keep all bureaucrats out of medical decisions. Pick your own health plan and your doctor. You shouldn't be driven into bankruptcy if someone in your family is sick. All good.

However there's a divergence from all of those common points when it comes down to actual legislation. People, many of them conservative-leaning, have been doing some research into the bills and have become nervous. They fear panels of government officials making decisions related to their health. (I imagine someone from my state's notoriously unfriendly Registry of Motor Vehicles handling my or my children's health claims and I shudder.) They don't want a single, government-run health care plan, which Sen. Arlen Specter today said he'll consider as senators discuss competing pieces of health insurance legislation. People are justifiably leery about how much this is going to cost, particularly during a recession.

Then, at town meetings across the country where there have been people posing well reasoned questions about the plans, there've also been screaming nutcases. The media give a lot of the coverage to the nutcases and eventually everyone who questions the plan is lumped under the category of an unruly mob. It's at this point when we realize that when it comes to health care and making life-and-death decisions, people take things very personally.

Democratic proponents of the health care overhaul haven't made things better by labeling the voters who are getting riled up at town meetings "un-American," like several of the people at Senator Specter's meeting with constituents today. There's a way to express your skepticism, disapproval and ask tough questions without being a jack ass.

Having partisans like Ann Coulter and James Carville chattering on Good Morning America about these emotional town halls certainly doesn't help bestow calm or promote rational discussion. But rational discussion can be quite boring, mind-numbing at times, and doesn't make for good TV which thrives on drama and conflict. I'd love to see leaders from both sides of the aisle, step up and seek the calm, boring middle ground here, tamp down the fury and the name calling and bore us all to death with reasonable and open discussions. For as long as it takes, without rushing. But I guess that's just too much to ask for.

Or we could just call Jon Stewart for his read on the situation. While he is a liberal, he's funny.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Healther Skelter
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien' & the Pressure of High Expectations

Best line from the premiere of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien last night was the one about how O'Brien said he'd picked a fabulous time to assume the reins of the show: When it's on the third rated network, when he's living in a state that's bankrupt and when GM (now known as Government Motors) is a sponsor.

I always feel badly for the comedians on the first night of a new show because they're clearly not totally comfortable yet and the audience isn't sure what to expect. It's rough terrain to trod and typically leads to unevenness. And there were indeed awkward moments last night, particularly during O'Brien's overly long monologue which seemed laden down with things like pre-taped videos. Excluding the introductory video showing O'Brien running coast to coast -- a la Forrest Gump (link to video here) -- I would've loved to have seen a current affairs-oriented monologue, preferably with contemporary stuff. (The Sotomayor bit seemed dated already.) I wanted more breezy comedy, fewer video and forced moments, but I must admit that seeing O'Brien hijack the tour group was amusing.



What did you think of O'Brien's premiere?