David Letterman Working The Drive Thru At McDonalds!

[NIKE SQ 460]

anyone remember this episode? That Dave is such a lark! :laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtPGdOs7zOM

[mark f.]

This is one of Dave's best bits. Up there with the Just Shades store bit.

[Dillydipper]

There, that's your real humor there, boy...!

(sorry, I'm from Indiana...we're all supposed to talk like that...)

[DjBryan]

Dave = funny PERIOD
others are posers

[Dillydipper]

Believe it or not, some out there still don't get his formula, trivializing the big stuff and making the small stuff ginormous.

[jstraw]

Dave always struck a chord with me that someone like Leno does not. Like me, Dave has to remind himself to be nice. He has the potential to show a mean streak. He used to display it more in his comedy, especially while interviewing but it's still there. And it's aged well, like a good cheese. If anything it's even better balanced now...though he can be a little too self-effacing at times.

I once heard it described as "casual cruelty" and that's about right. He's not really mean or cruel, but he always recognizes where he could be and measures his reaction in such a way that the audience, if not the target, can see that he's being deliberately gentle under the circumstances.

The best comparison for this that I've come across is not a comparison with Carson but a comparison with Groucho...which may only make sense for those familiar with his interactions with contestants on "You Bet Your Life."

[mark f.]

What I find interesting about Leno is that he can be very funny. I went to a taping of the Tonight Show a few years ago and Jay's warm-up was great - extremely funny and not all scripted. By the time he gets to his monologue he's so dull and stiff. But that said I'm with you guys - Letterman all the way. He takes many more risks and is a better interviewer. Just watch his recent Paris Hilton interview for proof. :laugh:

[Oatsdad]

What I find interesting about Leno is that he can be very funny. I went to a taping of the Tonight Show a few years ago and Jay's warm-up was great - extremely funny and not all scripted. By the time he gets to his monologue he's so dull and stiff.

I actually liked Leno a lot back in the 80s when he was a regular guest on Dave's show. Once he made it to the "big time", though, he just became a stiff. He went too safe and "middle America". No, he was never Lenny Bruce, but he had more edge and wasn't so dishwater dull...

[mr_mjb1960]

anyone remember this episode? That Dave is such a lark! :laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtPGdOs7zOMHopefully ,He's not saying "Do you want Fries to go with that Shake?":D Michael Boyce

[Evan L]

I remember that segment. It's interesting that Dave no longer does bits like this anymore. They used to be a hallmark of his NBC show. I miss them.

Evan

[Claudio Dirani]

Yeah, I think David Letterman is the world's best, imho.

[Tuco]

Thanks for sharing that. I wonder how many customers he chased that day.

[AKA]

What about a few years later, when he did the same thing at Taco Bell?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwvdmU36i5U

[gd0]

Even better than those bits was when he did a week-long broadcast from LA... among the local themes was a how-should-we-spend-a-day-in-Hollywood? bit.

He rented a big gaudy pink Cadillac convertible, picked up Zsa Zsa Gabor at her home, and proceeded to go trolling for drive-thru fast food.

One familiar joint after the other (it should be noted here that In-N-Out Burger drew an ecstatic cheer from the LA audience), driving thru, making dumb jokes with the employees, and the two of them stuffing their faces with all manner of tacos, onion rings, fried chicken and burgers.

Silly and brilliant.

[JerolW]

My favorite bit was when he did the show on the back of flat bed trucks.
jerol

[Oatsdad]

Thanks for sharing that. I wonder how many customers he chased that day.

Probably quite a few, but I'm sure that McDonald's benefited mightily from all the free publicity - especially since their agreement to allow this made them look cool...

[mark f.]

Probably quite a few, but I'm sure that McDonald's benefited mightily from all the free publicity - especially since their agreement to allow this made them look cool...

They'd never allow this type of thing these days. Especially the comment about Ronald being gay.

Wonder if this bit inspired the Burger King ads? The ad executives would be about the right age.

[Dillydipper]

I remember a week when the NBC show was in reruns, and they did something different to every one.

One was tinted green for St. Patrick's Day.

One was re-voiced...Merv Griffin's voice coming out of Dave's mouth!

WTF! :laugh:

[John Carsell]

Cracks me up.

One of his best for sure.

[Dan C]

I remember a week when the NBC show was in reruns, and they did something different to every one.

One was tinted green for St. Patrick's Day.

One was re-voiced...Merv Griffin's voice coming out of Dave's mouth!

WTF! :laugh:

Oooh! Those were great. I also remember one repeat where he had the entire show professionally dubbed in Spanish and ran the English subtitles below! :D Can you imagine any network allowing someone to do that these days?

I'm still a huge fan of Letterman, but I really miss the edge he had back on NBC.

dan c

[balzac]

My favorite bit Letterman ever did, and I can't even remember how many times he did it or exactly how he would mention it, but I think he had some sort of running gag about Al Jardine, something about being the most likely Beach Boy to be namechecked or something. Anybody that is dry enough to do Al Jardine jokes has to be commended. Letterman actually had the Beach Boys on one time and had them sing the Top 10 list. That was pretty cool.

Conan is my favorite (not as good at interviewing as Letterman, but has the best comedy bits and the best band and announcer), but I like Letterman as well.

The only thing I watch Leno for is "Headlines", which of course requires nothing of Leno but to show the headlines, and I think that bit goes back to Carson anyway.

[DjBryan]

Rant below

I have been watching many videos of Johnny, Rickles, and Letterman. Can we most agree these guys are funny? Many of the clips that I saw will not fly because of the p.c. police. Late night shows have lost its edge because we all have to make sure everyone is happy, and wont cry over joke. Beloved Johnny Carson, he made a joke about a certain person, while he crashed CPO Sharky set, after Rickles broke his cigarette box. It was a little off color (acting like Rickles), but if I happened today, he would be a hater.

As simple as Ronald is gay, that would be in the headlines for weeks.

I grew up watching All in the family, Sanford, Jefferson's, these were unp.c. They were funny, they where great.

Last night on Youtube, I counted many times on Letterman, or Carson videos, You couldn't get away with that, instead of laughing, just perplexed how sensitive people have become.

Its not what is said sometimes, but who says it?

[DjBryan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbovi0XHadU&feature=related


try this one

[Downsampled]

Conan is my favorite (not as good at interviewing as Letterman, but has the best comedy bits and the best band and announcer), but I like Letterman as well.

I agree that Conan's band is great. I went to a taping some years ago, and on the same trip also went to a Letterman taping. The comparison was not even close. Conan's band kicked a**!