Alec Baldwin: is he right for a talk show?

Alec Baldwin is in discussions with ABC about developing a talk show for the network. Whether Baldwin gets a daytime show or nighttime show has yet to be determined. Alec Baldwin may not be the right personality type to host a talk show.

Baldwin has a personal history fraught with beefs. The list of Baldwin adversaries includes quite a spectrum; from PETA-style confrontations with Central Park horse-drawn carriage drivers to a very nasty marital breakup with Kim Basinger.

In the space of just the last few months we have 3 Alec Baldwin incidents to report:

1)  Alec called a guy in a black SUV a “meatball” and for apparently driving his car down a New York City street in a manner Alec found displeasing.

2)  Alec got arrested for riding his bike the wrong way on Fifth Avenue. He got angry with the arresting officer. An Irish-American like Baldwin should know better than to denigrate New York City cops.

3)  Alec took on the #MeToo movement and got in an inflammatory email exchange with Asia Argento, Rose McGowan, and Anthony Bourdain. Any male taking on the Me Too movement in a less than supportive way reveals his masochistic tendencies. Or maybe, Alec is just argumentative….?

The “hot” side of Alec Baldwin may not work for the role of talk show host. By “hot” I don’t mean good-looking. Baldwin looks great on TV. The “hot-headed side of Baldwin hints he is not a good fit for the interviewer’s spot in the world of TV talk. The hot attributes I see in Alec Baldwin mean that his presentation style may be too intense for the talk show format.

Here is what Marshall McLuhan said on the topic of the talk:

·      The talk show host offers a “low-pressure style of presentation.”

(Understanding Media 310)

·      The talk show welcomes the viewer through the use of “spontaneous casualness.” The viewer, deeply involved in a cool medium, closes the TV image.

(Understanding Media 317)

Think about the Late Night talk show hosts through history and you get a list of low pressure presenters:

Steve Allen

Johnny Carson

Merv Griffin

David Letterman

Jay Leno

Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Fallon

Seth Meyers

Stephen Colbert is not a classic low-key presenter. On The Daily Show, Colbert developed a high-intensity persona, a faux right wing, Bill O’Reilly knock-off. Colbert got his own show. The show moved at a NASCAR pace. Doing his rapid fire interviews on the Colbert Report Colbert steam rolled guests, always going for the comedy jugular.

Alec Baldwin’s suitability as a talk show host remains to be seen. He has moved into the spotlight. Doing Donald Trump on SNL Baldwin has achieved cult status across America. Alec’s confidence is flying high, but he must come down to earth to become a skilled talk show host.

Baldwin’s personality traits will determine the outcome. Success does not hinge solely on good looks; nor  even on intelligence and a great sense of humor. Baldwin is strong in all these regards.

More important than comic brilliance, is the tone of the show emanating from the host. Baldwin goes awry if gets too opinionated and self-centered. A self-centered, grandiose host does not win the love of the audience.

The overly opinionated host brands himself as just too hot for the medium. The Rush Limbaughs of the world do not work on TV. David Letterman mastered the art of interviewing guests without pre-judging. Dave’s opinions came across subtly, especially as he matured as a performer. 

Alec Baldwin, must come across as a low key presenter. The nurturant male host supports and listens to his guests. There must be genuine interest in the other person.

Baldwin’s approach to his guests will determine his show’s ratings and success. He cannot be that guy that argues with guys in the street and gets in disputes with cops.

Time will tell. Stay tuned…

Donald Trump vs the Comedians

Donald Trump's most powerful adversaries, the comedians,  come from the same place where Mr. Trump engineered his presidential victory-- the world of television. Trump established a TV foothold with his reality shows. Then he mastered the TV medium during the Republican primaries.

Trump triumphed with his Low energy Jeb Bush comment. Jeb came down like a house of cards. Many followed-- including Little Marco, Lyin' Ted Cruz and eventually Crooked Hillary. Trump's street fighter talent for seeing weakness in a foe made for fun television viewing.

Trump took over the game at this point. It kept happening on TV. Trump went back for every interview. He even survived his own skeletons-- like walking in on Miss Universe dressing rooms to groping women and bragging about  it. But not a single candidates matched Trump, mano-a-mano, insult for insult.

Trump spoke in rhythmims that sounded more like a stand-up comedian than a politician. Comedians say the truth-- always. We laugh when we hear it-- because it is the truth told creatively. His followers loved his lack of political correctness. That's the same reason we love comedians. They spout and shout what we cannot say.

Trump's biggest adversaries are now the comedians: SNL's Alec Baldwin, Kate McKinnon, and Mary McCarthy, the late night talk show hosts: including Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Myers, Jimmy Fallon and others, cable stars, Bill Maher, Samantha Bee and John Oliver. They challenge Trump their comedy assaults. They have no concern for political correctness either.

Trump probably hates the comics and late night talk show hosts. We always hate the things that resemble us most. Trump claims to hate the media, but media is his oxygen.

If Trump's adversaries, TV comedians and journalists, need him for their success he many not have any serious rivals. He recently added Rocket Man to his list of enemies.

Kim Jong Un from the mysterious land of North Korea answered by calling Trump a dotard. Dotard, a strangely effective insult, almost gets lost in translation. Dotard does have a ring to it!

Stephen Colbert: healing a pained nation

The talk show host serves the role of an electronic shaman, a healer of society’s wounds, using a gentle nature and the toolkit of comedy, full of pun, metaphor and sleight-of-hand wordplay. He (almost always a male) brings up the painful issues while adding salve to these raw areas. He makes sense of sensitive subjects not yet suitable for polite discussion and not fully understood or absorbed.

The starting point for my understanding of the talk show host came from a single source: 

1) a single passage by Camille Paglia in Sexual Personae

Camille Paglia speaks of “a category of androgyne, the nurturant male or male mother. He can be found in sculptures of the river gods, in Romantic poetry ((Wordsworth and Keats) and in modern popular culture (television talk show hosts).”

Paglia’s discussion moves to the transsexual qualities of the Delphic oracle and the mixture of male and female voices in the prophesying of the Oracle of Delphi. The medium assumes multiple personalities much like the “ventriloquism Frazer ascribes to entranced shamans.” (Sexual Personae, p. 46) 

The phrase “nurturant male” offers a dazzling insight into the funny men in control of the late night airwaves. The late night host is a different kind of comic, more gentle in spirit and supportive by nature than the aggressive standup with the take-no-prisoners mentality. 

In recent months Stephen Colbert has played the role of healer in the era of Trump. Donald Trump does not have a serious political rival from the Democratic party. Bernie Sanders plays a leadership role from the left, but Trump's true adversaries are the comedians. Alec Baldwin, playing Trump on SNL, played a significant role in the political dialogue with his brilliant mockery of Trump's hair, mannerisms, speech, narcissistic demeanor, and all-around bluster. Baldwin could not don (pun) the Don Trump wig forever. The job fell to Stephen Colbert to take the Trump bull by the horns. Colbert would wrestle the bull downward using the comedian's toolkit.

Colbert earned his stripes with Jon Stewart Daily Show and on the Colbert Report playing his Bill O'Reilly sendup, a faux conservative done totally tongue-in-cheek. As Tonight Show host, Colbert could emerge as the real Colbert, closer to his personal beliefs and a more nurturant male. He has used the opening monologues and his comedic talents to calm some of the nation's angst. Colbert, as late night shaman, offers a enlightened man's sensibilities as a contrast to harsh worldview of Donald Trump. Colbert's rise in the rankings proves the talk show host remains relevant, perhaps now more than ever-- in our totally electrified universe. Trump tweets all day and Colbert answers at night.

Charlie Rose interviews David Letterman

Talk Show Host as Integral Man

David Letterman’s television interview on The Charlie Rose Show on Feb. 16, 1996 begins with Rose introducing Letterman as “a broadcaster’s broadcaster,” putting guest and host in the same category. Interesting to note Charlie Rose introduced Letterman in terms other than a comedian. Yes, Letterman is a broadcaster but the late night talk show hinges on the host's sense of humor. The late night talk show depends entirely on the host. The talk show revolves entirely around the comic sensibility of the host, whether Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Myers, James Corden or Jimmy Fallon.

Here's the YouTube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IYekI7ldSI

Letterman begins by saying his team reviewed the Steve Allen shows done for Westinghouse as a guide for developing his late night show. 

Rose asks about Johnny Carson. Letterman marvels at Carson’s ease of presentation: “It’s so easy, it’s so smooth, it’s so measured… he’s not breaking a sweat…. It’s just Johnny…”. Letterman pointed to Carson’s skill at bringing the audience into his most minute gesture. TV is the close-up medium: 

“He’s so comfortable. Here was a guy that understood his limitations and stayed within them and exploited that part of his personality to perfection. And I think that was the appeal of the man, night in and night out; it was always going to be Johnny, you could tell if Johnny would raise an eyebrow, oh Johnny’s upset, Johnny laughs, oh Johnny’s happy.” 

Rose presses the issue looking for a more analytical explanation for Carson’s genius. “What was the genius though?” Rose pushed Letterman further to explain the genius of Johnny Carson.  “What made him… that he could do that night after night?” 

Letterman adds little as elaboration, “He never tried to get out of what he was good at—Literally, “Here’s Johnny!” …

Letterman may be evading the question. Perhaps Letterman feels his own humor far exceeds Johnny Carson. If that's the case, I agree with Letterman. His rapier wit may be the best ever seen on the small screen. Rather than criticize Carson, Letterman attributes Johnny's long run of success to his ability to stay within himself.

                                           

Charlie Rose’s vain search for an easy explanation for Johnny Carson’s thirty year run of success highlights an interesting comparison between Charlie Rose, the interviewer, and Johnny Carson and David Letterman, the comedian/late night hosts. Charlie Rose cannot easily understand the comedian.  To use McLuhan's notions-- Charlie Rose embodies a very literate, literary, fragmented, rational style of communication versus the comedian, the integral man, the spontaneous, non-rational, intuitive, comedic style of communication.

Letterman creates Carson’s milieu, describing a minimalist world of television performance where every gesture moves mountains and the face tells everything… “Johnny raises an eyebrow, Johnny smiles…” as his explanation of the Carson magic. Dave Letterman prefaced his remarks by establishing his credentials in a modest manner,  “I know what it takes for me to get through a sixty minute effort each night.” In fact, Letterman is one of the few living humans who can speak knowledgeably about Carson's job description, the late night talk show host/comedian.

Letterman marvels at Carson’s mastery of the art of putting on the audience. The performer, as McLuhan states, must wear the audience, put them on the audience like a suit of clothes. Rose struggles to understand. Charlie Rose is a another breed of broadcaster, a documentarian, a writer of history. 

The comedy host works from the intuitive, right side of the brain. Letterman’s thoughts leap forward in a discontinuous manner, painting a picture in the cubist style without all the connections in place. Charlie Rose, on the other side of the fence, organizes his thoughts, lines them up in a, b, c order, the outlook of the literate man.

Letterman the late night host, the integral man, organic and post-literate in his outlook, responds from another perspective.

Top 5 Donald Trump stand-ins (for Debate Practice)

Hillary Clinton searches for a good Donald Trump stand-in as she prepares for the debate.  Some top candidates could be...

1) Zach Galifianakis-- a true surrealist, with an unbridled id, like Trump. Hillary appeared on his cable show "Between Two Ferns" and appeared pretty flummoxed by Zach's line of questioning. Maybe they should work together some more.

2) Alec Baldwin-- narcissistic like Trump and self-important. Baldwin, from Long Island, understands the New York attitude.

3) Mark Cuban-- Alec Baldwin with more money. Trump is sensitive to Cuban's accusations that the Trump is not a real billionaire.

4) Stephen Colbert-- Colbert has the right-wing persona down pat. He stared down Bill O'Reilly and never flinched. Apparently, Stephen Colbert unearthed the actually role-player, a Hillary aide named Philippe Reines, (see below)

5) Chris Rock-- not sure why, but Rock might get Hillary to smile and she needs to do that.  He could prod Hillary on the subject of racism and Hillary could use that same technique on the Donald.

Ah, what the hell-- let's take a reach and add #6.

6) Nancy Grace (in drag)-- Nancy is no-holds barred, no slave to objectivity. She could just move her healthy head of hair around to capture the Trump orange-hued chignon.

"Philippe Reines, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton and one of the most astute observers of her personal and political vulnerabilities, is playing Donald J. Trump in her mock debate sessions, according to people familiar with Mr. Reines’s involvement." (New York Times, Sept. 23)

Reines may be an expert on Hillary's vulnerabilities but already he sounds way too smart and bookish. He's been on Hillary's payroll. Employees defer to their bosses, understandably, and hopefully this does not inhibit Reines during their mock debates. 

Trump claims not to be preparing-- but who would he pick as a stand-in for Hillary Clinton? She's a bit schoolmarmish, maybe more like the school principal. He could look to Melissa McCarthy, actually she's got the id for a Trump stand-in. Elizabeth Warren has potential but wouldn't take the job. Rosie O'Donnell? Fuhgedaboutit...

Barack Obama v. Larry Wilmore (a win-win)

What happened tonight at the White House Correspondents Dinner... many said Barack Obama outdid Larry Wilmore on the comedy front. Barack delivered a fine performance-- skewering Hillary Clinton, by imagining myself pulling down a much of Harriet Tubman's ($20 bills) by taking Goldman Sachs money for delivering speeches after he leaves office. Barack has been to eight of these events and his experience showed nicely. He knows the journalists well but chose to make most fun of his own kind, politics and politicians, and that focus gave his remarks a certain modesty and self-deprecation. Wilmore, had to find another tact, and made fun of the journalists in the room. He highlighted the struggles of news outlets, the dying print media and brainless CNN reporters, and that proved a trickier endeavor. Wilmore attempted to add comic intensity, but often sounded mean-spirited.  Nothing could be further from this comedian's true colors, Larry Wilmore is by nature an easygoing, amiable personality.

Truthfully, I think Larry Wilmore is too cerebral a comedian, more a comedy writer than a rough and tumble standup, to perform the role of emcee at a Roast. Wilmore strongest performance actually occurred in a non-comic vein when he lauded President Obama's amazing achievement, proving a black man capable for the biggest leadership role in the world.

Wilmore's comment came toward the end of his performance. Wilmore, approximately the same age as Obama, reminded us that years ago many did not believe a black man capable of playing quarterback much less leader of the free world. I found Wilmore's tribute to Obama more significant that any joke could ever be. Wilmore embraced the real truth of Obama-- a miracle in our lifetime, the game changer of an African-American president-- and did a great service in that moment.

Wilmore struggled to get an edge to his performance-- but he seems more capable of provoking thought and quiet laughter in his cerebral comic style. The material was there but maybe the standup's  anarchic personality, the  ..."I don't give a damn 'cause I just walked in off the street" persona is not a natural pose for this nuanced comedian. Wilmore has great comedic skills but the assignment works better for the Stephen Colbert type performer, full of piss and vinegar and loving the attention and the spotlight. We were lucky to have the selfless Wilmore on hand to deliver thanks to Barack Obama, a more important task than "killing" the audience with laughter.

Jimmy Fallon-- Most Cheerful Man on Late Night

Watched Howard Kurtz on his Reliable Sources show this Sunday morning on CNN. His guest Ken Tucker discussed Jay Leno's firing by NBC, for an 8 minute segment entitled  "Jay Leno, fired and smiling." Tucker was asked whether the the late night format, a 60 year old tradition,  can be revived to something different for the future.

Tucker wondered about the wisdom of NBC's second firing Leno, this time for Jimmy Fallon, a guy he predicted will draw a smaller audience than Leno. Tucker took issue with Fallon's inability to interview heavyweight guests like Barack Obama. Fallon, he added, lacks awareness of the late night tradition and history. He predicted  Fallon and NBC will swoon in the ratings like Conan did. Tucker unceremoniously called Conan O'Brien ... "a shriveled carrot of a man... pushed to the margins, there's no buzz."

Tucker feels the Johnny Carson mantle should have been passed to David Letterman rather than Jay Leno. Letterman has more gravitas than the others. Tucker said Jimmy Kimmel, Fallon's likely main competitor, understands irony, from the School of David Letterman, but reveals nothing of himself. Letterman, unlike Kimmel, understands the late night franchise, talks about his life and has interests beyond Hollywood and the world of entertainment.

"Is Jimmy Fallon just an empty, though stylish suit, bound for low ratings?" Kurtz called Fallon "the most cheerful guy on late night" and cheerful goes a long way on television. Fallon has musical chops and can do a skit as his SNL pedigree guarantees. Kurtz and Tucker pointed out Fallon's savvy regarding the internet, Twitter and his demonstrated ability to go viral with clips. Maybe the new job description for  late night TV host has becomes or devolves to to a guy with a baton in his hand-- a symphony conductor for all things electronic.

Tucker likes Stephen Colbert, playing the real Stephen Colbert and not the twisted right wing persona, as a late night host for a major network. Colbert, however, may be even smarter, kinkier and more of a cult hero than Conan-- a prescription for limited ratings. Colbert's interviews play like standup with the interviewee serving as the straight man to Colbert's virtuoso improv. Late night hosts are supposed to be modest and must always make the guest look good. Colbert's pace is frenetic, offering little of the soporific pleasures of Late Night Starring Johnny Carson. We loved the familiar tropes and Ed McMahon's big brotherly guffaws for years until we got sick of them. Colbert does not provide the needed space. He races along, not the optimum rhythm of late night which allows some room for relaxed viewer participation. Jon Stewart is better at that.

Ken Tucker never has to make decisions with unknown outcomes. He always knows everything-- the definition of a critic. A Ken Tucker endorsement probably proves Stephen Colbert makes the absolute worst choice as late night host on network television! But I did enjoy much of what Ken Tucker had to say about the latest skirmish in the Late Night Wars.