Top Ten Grossest Candies

[Tim Strzechowski]

Letterman is not afraid to be a "pebble in a shoe" (whether to guests, 
networks, etc.), as opposed to Jay Leno (who tries really, really hard to be 
liked by everyone he interviews).

Letterman is better at being self-effacing than Leno, whose moments of 
self-depricating humor are contrived (again, to make himself appear like a 
"nice guy")

Letterman has a more skilled vaudeville-era wit, with comebacks and quips 
that are bawdy and more reminiscent of early George Burns, Groucho Marx, 
Henny Youngman, etc.

Ex.  On NBC he used to do a newspaper routine where he's hold up a headline 
and crack wise.  One day he held up a headline: "$ Hits New Low vs. Yen." 
He never said a word, just held the headline and let the viewers (gradually) 
get the joke.  A joke without saying a word.

Ex.  Another time he held up an add that simply read "$5.00 for Hair Cut and 
Blow Job."  The audience roared, and he let them settle down (a good 1.5 
minutes of audience laughter)before he delivered the perfect line:  "Just 
don't forget to tell them to adjust the chair."  The audience roared once 
more!

True, his humor has softened over the years and he's less acerbic, but every 
so often he'll give you a little glimpse of his younger days' wit.  He's one 
of the few comedians whose roots in early vaudeville-era humor is still 
around.






> Can someone, presumably an American, possibly explain to me the appeal of 
> Letterman?
>