esrosedotblog

BELOW PAAR

I feel like I grew up with Jack Paar. He had THE late night teevee show. He came between Steve Allen and Johnny Carson. Paar had great guests. He was funny. He was very touchy and even walked off the set during a show; in pique with NBC. Balls; convictions and courage to go with them.

He died today. I had a twinge. I thought I'd mention him. His New York Times Obituary is wonderfully written and apt. Maybe you will have a twinge too but you would have to be nearly as old as I to remember him. Here is a tribute in the Washington Post Giving the Talk Show a Good Name.

He had a lot of influence on me. You can't sit and watch so much of someone without internalizing it; an hour a day. I was in my early twenties. He had a five year career. It was kinda sad. I don't think anyone saw it that way at the time. It's teevee; people come; people go; five years is a long time.

Shows like his ruined teevee for me. I thought it would always be that way; spontaneous, interesting. Even the wrestling shows were better then. It got unwatchable later. Still is; so I don't. Ever.

Just for the record, I didn't give it up all indignant like. It just happened. The moment of truth came in 1997. We were renting an apartment for a year between Boston and Palm Springs. We had hung our art and gotten the rental furniture in. The cable-guy came. He looked for the cable box. It was under the biggest, most bolted-to-the-wall painting we had. We told him we wouldn't take it down for the teevee. We didn't. We were as surprised and nonplussed as the cable-guy. A year later, we moved to PS thoroughly de-toxed; never called the cable company. Seven years; haven't 'looked' back. Actually by the time we let it go, I was only watching CNN and a few other news things; the Weather Channel. The 'net took over in those departments.