NYT: Why Johnny Carson was bad

Actually, he was awfully good on multiple dimensions.

The New York Times runs a long book review about what a boring and horrible white male person Johnny Carson, the king of late night television from 1962-1992, was: “How could someone so robotic and bland become a late-night giant?”

On Comedy

Johnny Carson and the Fantasy of America

The late-night host looms over the culture to this day, in part because he knew how to mix comedy and sex. But there was a darkness at the heart of his appeal.

By Jason Zinoman
Nov. 20, 2024

In reality, Carson was ridiculously talented, a point that was made by a 1963 episode of the Jack Benny Show in which Carson makes the older show biz legend jealous by doing magic tricks, singing, tap dancing, and drum soloing. Miffed, Benny can only insist on playing his violin in response.

In private, Johnny wasn’t the warmest guy. He didn’t have many close friends. But his magisterial objectivity made him better at being America’s most important judge of who was entertaining and who was not.

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