Logo

Video: Conan and Dave Tear Into Their Common Rival: Jay Leno

May 18, 2012  •  Post A Comment

With Conan O’Brien’s first visit as a guest of David Letterman in 13 years, the late-night hosts’ conversation turned to their common rival: Jay Leno, reports Bill Carter in The New York Times.

"The two men traded barbs about Mr. Leno on Thursday night, about how he would surely be watching the interview, and what kind of relationship Mr. O’Brien had with him, before and after the ‘Tonight Show’ turnaround,” Carter writes.

"Mr. Letterman made an observation he has long made about Mr. Leno: that as a stand-up comic in the 1970s, he was ‘the guy.’ But he told Mr. O’Brien that even then, Mr. Leno was ‘a bit of a brat,’ " the story notes.

The story adds, "Of course, the biggest thing the two comics have in common is that they both lost the ‘Tonight Show’ to Mr. Leno, and the scar has apparently not healed for either of them."

Here are a couple of pertinent clips from O’Brien’s appearance:

7 Comments

  1. Any negative comments that Jay Leno receives from anyone at anytime is well earned. The guy is a snake.

  2. I can’t attest to Jay Leno’s character as I do not know the man personally, but I do find him funny. David and Conan, on the other hand, not so much.
    Also, holding a grudge doesn’t gain any respect in my mind. It’s juvenile. Grow up guys and let it go.
    Besides, it wasn’t Leno who let Conan or David go.
    Did anyone honestly not foresee what was going to happen with Conan taking over the Tonight show? I certainly did. I think Conan fans were the only ones who couldn’t.
    I think Leno foresaw it also and it’s why he graciously left earlier than his contract stipulated. He had a good idea of the consequences and that it would give him leverage with NBC.

  3. They really don’t actually dis Jay in either of these clips. Jay was a cutting edge comic and then decided to play to the great middle of American audiences.
    Conan and Dave still walk the funny and dangerous edge and therefor appeal to a different demographic.

  4. I miss Johnny.

  5. I miss Jack Paar.

  6. I miss Steve Allen

  7. You find Jay funny? Jay Leno?
    What the hell is wrong with you?

Leave a Reply to Irving Cancel Reply

Email (will not be published)