January 23, 2005

Johnny Carson, R.I.P.

In Heaven an angel just said, "Heeeeere's Johnny!"

Television legend Johnny Carson died this morning of emphysema. To me late night television will always be Carson's realm. He ruled his domain with charm and humor. After he left the Tonight Show in late night was not the same. Neither Leno, Letterman, or O'Brien have the same sense of timing and ability to interact with the audience. Michael Ventre writes,

The day television died was May 22, 1992, when Johnny Carson hustled out of a Burbank studio, leaving tear-soaked cheeks, 30 years of memories and a void that could never be filled.

Like music, television carried on, but it was never quite the same again. Carson was princely. He was to television what Sinatra was to music, what Brando was to acting, what JFK was to the presidency. He was Carnac the Magnificent’s alter-ego, as trusted and reliable as the turbaned Carnac was inept. (Answer: “Ben Gay.” Question: “Why didn’t Ben Franklin have any children?”

But Carson’s strength was his accessibility. You could take him to bed. Every night. Millions did.

I'll remember the golfswing and Carnak's envelopes sitting on Funk & Wagnals' porch. His comedy was risque enough to be primarily for adults but not raunchy.

Godspeed, Johnny.

"Late-Night King Johnny Carson Dies at 79"

UPDATE: There's some nice tributes to Johnny around the blogosphere:

• Leslie Barclay mentions Aristotle and Carson in the same breath--and it fits.
  

• Mint Witch remembers negotiating with the parents to let him watch The Tonight Show when Robin Williams was on.
  

• Jeff Jarvis writes, "Carson also represented the golden age of America's shared experience in media."