They Are Going After Conan O'Brian

[Superman Returns]

NBC expressed regret Monday for an Emmy Awards comedy skit that included a mock plane crash and aired on the network the evening of a fatal Kentucky jetliner accident.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the many families who lost loved ones in the plane crash in Kentucky on Sunday, and to the entire community that has suffered this terrible loss," NBC said in a statement the day after the ceremony.

"In no way would we ever want to make light of this terrible tragedy," NBC said. "The filmed opening during the Emmy telecast was meant to spoof some of television's most well-known scenes. The timing was unfortunate, and we regret any unintentional pain it may have caused."

The prerecorded skit was broadcast as part of the live Emmy ceremony just hours after a commuter jet taking off in Lexington, Ky., crashed into a field and burst into flames, killing 49 people. Only a co-pilot survived.

<http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/08/28/D8JPM6F00.html>

It was obviously a parody of LOST. People need to learn to just calm down and laugh a little. Of course Drudge was pimping this as another case of Hollywood gone evil.

[babylonsister]

1. I didn't even correlate the two til I read this. nt

[im10ashus]

9. Ditto.

It's so impossible to not offend someone, somewhere, at any given moment. What next? No more depictions of crimes on Law & Order because someone, somewhere, just lost a loved one to crime? We really are up against some impressionable "morans" in this country. I thought the opening was brilliant.

[babylonsister]

16. I did, too. I don't watch Conan much, but I thought he was

entertaining. Just think how many people got their panties in a knot over Janet's boob at the Super Bowl. It would be nice if there was nothing else to concern yourself with, but I thought the reaction was ridiculous and way overdone. We're regressing to puritans (well, not all of us). ;-)

[im10ashus]

18. LOL!

I am as pure as the driven slush. B-)

I never watch his show either, but his opening was hilarious. I had no idea, for instance, that he could pull off a song. But we Irish men are truly triple threats. We can drink, swear and sing. Usually in that order. ;-)

[babylonsister]

39. Well, whadaya know.

I know I probably do know, but you live in "the city"? I grew up on Lawng Eye-land!
But living in TX now, slush? I forget what that is! Irish men, you say? My maiden name is
vaguely Scotch-Irish, beginning with a McM..., so I can relate. and the singing? Oy! :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: And my voice is ... not bad! Drinking is no prob, and my swearing has gotten
infinitely worse since I've been on DU. Seriesly!

[Blue Belle]

60. I loved the "Gee We're screwed" song and dance number...

That was frickin' brilliant!

[NYCGirl]

68. I loved that too. Conan increasingly reminds me of Danny Kaye (who I guess

is relatively unknown out of classic film fan circles).

[Blue Belle]

81. No I totally see the Danny Kaye reference...

Conan isn't afraid to be a little goofy.

[Lisa]

22. same here -- it was so closely tied to the "Lost" storyline ...

... that I didn't even connect it with the crash, although I'd seen the story on the 6 pm news.

What I did think might get Conan into trouble was the jab at the Academy for "not inviting" Lost ....

[babylonsister]

27. I had read about that prior to the show; Lost and Desp. Housewives

were pretty much shut out, ABC spurned. So now they will be inspired to do better, right?!

[tridim]

2. "They" have about 2 months left until they are completely irrelevant

Fuck'em.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. does 'they' refer to the freepers or the emmys?

:evilgrin:

The demise of either would suit me just fine.

[CATagious]

8. it was shocking...

here in Lexington.... the local channel covered the crash non-stop on Sunday without commercials up until the start of the Emmy's. And then what do we see? The plane crash skit. The local channel should have been able to join the broadcast after the skit or something. Sorry if I don't feel like laughing about it, just about everyone on that plane was from around here including my friend's mom.

[Superman Returns]

23. I'm sorry to hear that

[nini]

47. Sorry for your friend's loss.... but

this was an obvious spoof the show Lost.

If we cannot separate fantasy from reality we're in deeper crap than we realize.

Yep, the timing was unfortunate, but the spoof should not have made the horrific crash any worse on its own.

[ComerPerro]

66. you are very optimistic

[sweetheart]

3. its a witch hunt make no mistake

if *you* have put your head over the parapet, and *you* know in what regard,
then of course what does one expect. The neo-witchhunt is the swiftboat of
yesteryear and we've so moved on. Look at the wind power, the atom bomb and
the thousands killed from derelict criminal government, look at how we've
progressed... but really...

...its all about a guy who chats up a camera, and whether he's the new brad pitt,
or whether he'll be adopting a baby from cambodia with his live-in gay lover.

[eleny]

4. "meant to spoof some of television's most well-known scenes"...

I don't remember ever having seen even one plane crash as part of a well known scene. I guess I'm way out of the tv loop.

[nosillies]

7. It was from Lost

[eleny]

19. Thanks - I never heard of the show

[nosillies]

21. IMO, it's actually one of the ones worth watching

It makes you think. Rent the DVDs.

[ContraBass Black]

12. It was how LOST opened, and I hear it's one of the most popular shows.

I haven't watched it though.

[eleny]

20. Me neither - I never heard of it until today

[GCP]

5. Flight CYA you are cleared for takeoff

Roger that Communications Control, we'll be departing on Runway JonBenet, will be hitting a cruising altitude of 24 thousand feet.

[Ninja Jordan]

10. I go to school in Lexington (UK), and I'm neither a neo-con

nor a Bush supporter. It was shown immediately following local news coverage of the deaths. It was offensive to me.

[durrrty libby]

17. It may have been sadly ironic, but come on................

A Lost skit has nothing to do with the real crash

Put the anger on whoever or whatever was responsible, but sticking Conan in the middle of it is

wrong....wrong.....wrong.

Jesus...people are nuts.

[MyNameGoesHere]

56. I am assuming your

remote was broken and you are a paraplegic?

[Pastiche423]

70. "...you are a paraplegic"

WTF does that mean?

As to the skit........ at 1st I thought the plane scene was a take off of Snakes on a Plane, until Conan came out of the ocean and ran into the fat guy on LOST.

[Ninja Jordan]

71. Tastless sketch, tasteless comments (nm)

nm

[MyNameGoesHere]

79. Maybe. But still

if it was so tasteless why watch it? I don't get it. If something offends me I can always just not watch it.

[WA98070]

63. That's your local station's fault not Conan's.

[Bake]

74. My son is at UK and will be flying out of that airport

I thought it was in very poor taste.

Bake

[rucky]

11. I'm surpised Dick Morris hasn't been offended by...

Conan's mastrubating bear sketch.

[lpbk2713]

13. Looks like I picked the wrong week to run for Finnish president.

[Blue_Tires]

15. brilliant scene!!

[high density]

14. Do we all need to put our lives on hold now when a plane crashes?

If another plane had crashed in the Ukraine yesterday morning instead of Comair 5191 in LEX, would any of these "offended by proxy" idiots give a shit?

Probably NBC should have given WLEX a heads up on what was coming down the line, beyond that I think some people need to just turn off the TV and sell it in a yard sale.

[karlrschneider]

25. And what about car chases? The M$M has a couple a week of those

and over 100 people a day die in car wrecks. How sterile do we have to be in order to never ever offend someone's sensibilities? :eyes:

[FredScuttle]

37. Amen

So these folks were so emotionally devastated...that they had to watch the Emmys? I wouldn't watch the Emmys with a gun to my head.

[xchrom]

24. it was about a televison show!

how stupid can drudge get -- there is nothing, nothing to apologise for.

what this really shows is the power of the conservative phone bank.

[Missy Vixen]

26. Great. The swiftboating of Conan O'Brien

>Of course Drudge was pimping this as another case of Hollywood gone evil.<

Conan's actually getting some misdelivered mail, I think: The NBC brass are actually pissed off over his BRILLIANT "Trouble at NBC" skit, and they're trying to make this the issue. C'mon, NBC, have the balls to admit that you have no sense of humor.

I'm too old to stay up and watch his show regularly, but he still makes me laugh till I cry.

Julie

[high density]

34. Conan does that "NBC Sucks" thing on his show fairly regularly

Though I'm really surprised that he was allowed to bring it to the primetime slot. The "Trouble" song was great. Conan apparently loves dancing around and he looks so hilarious doing it. I'm glad I caught that on my DVR.

[elehhhhna]

28. Breaking: The REAL reason they're upset --

In Bushmerica, when a media personality makes a blowdryer out of driftwood, We the Sheeple are obliged to believe IT IS A DAMNNED BLOWDRYER. It's the laughing that ticked 'em off. They're hear enough people laughing at 'em in their nightmares lately.

Ya freedomhaters.

[Bluebear]

29. I would have pulled the skit, sue me.

'People need to learn to just calm down and laugh a little.'

If someone's sense of humor about air calamities is nonfunctional on the very day of an air tragedy, I can understand it. Conan is so talented he could have put something together in no time. The bit should have been pulled.

[Ninja Jordan]

35. Thanks. I agree

I don't appreciate getting called 'shit for brains' by supposed liberals on this board either.

[blonndee]

43. Which "supposed liberal" called you a "shit for brains"?

Can you link to that post? Thanks.

[Ninja Jordan]

55. here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2000317&mesg_id=2000665


You're welcome.

[blonndee]

42. I do agree, mostly, but I think it's being overblown.

If people are going after Conan, that may not be fair. Maybe he wasn't offered the opportunity to do such a thing.

I feel bad for those who were affected by it, I really do. But the coverage (and at least some dramatic reaction here) is making it sound like it was something that was intentionally cruel and insensitive, and I just don't think that was the case.

[Lisa]

61. or I guess they could have just cut the turbulence scenes ...

... and jumped right to Conan on the beach, meeting the guy from "Lost" -- that way they could have kept the spoof part intact, and the people in the audience who knew about that particular TV show would have gotten the point (and that's the group they would have been trying to reach anyway).

[earth mom]

30. Anyone who connects the two have shit for brains.

I mean seriously, c'mon now! This is what the media is trying to do 24/7: CONTROL US! I know on the Emmy's Conan also made a crack about Faux news being fake, which we all KNOW it is, and this is NO DOUBT payback. Connect the F-ing Dots! Use your brain people!!! :eyes:

[onenote]

51. use your fucking heart

A plane crashes and kills 49 people. Later that same day, the Emmy awards open with a plane crash skit. The manager of the NBC affiliate local to the crash site suggests that it was inappropriate and insensitive. No one suggests that it was a skit about that crash. Just the juxtaposition of imagery and news of a horrific plane crash and a joke about a crash a few hours later. NBC appropriately expresses regret for any unintentional pain it may have caused. HOw the fuck is this "swiftboating" or "going after" Conan. Jeeze.

[earth mom]

57. Use your fucking brain!

There is NO logic to this. Most of the country probably hadn't heard about the crash. I didn't. Probably because I live on the West Coast. Did you hear about the small plane crash that happened here in Oregon the other day? Probably not. Your logic is silly and your insult about my not having a heart is total bullshit! Get a grip and get a clue!

One of the reasons our country is in the situation it is in is because the networks are bending over backwards to not offend this group or that group to keep their filthy advertising dollars rolling in! They subvert and oppress the news and do it in the name of the almighty dollar! Is this really the way you want to live?! Because I sure as hell don't! Give me the goddamn truth and don't fucking sugar coat it and don't goddamn twist it to suit selfish purposes!

That there was a plane crash that coincidentally happened right before the Conan O'Brien film clip was shown, was unfortunate, but that's life. No one was intentionally doing anything to offend anyone. To make a big deal about it and make Conan look like he's insensitive is bogus! Shit happens. Deal with it.

[onenote]

59. my brain is fine, yours seems a bit locked up.

Keeping in mind that you are the one that set the tone in this subthread by suggesting that anyone bothered by the opening Emmy skit has "shit for brains", I hope you won't mind if I don't apologize to you for the grievous insult I laid upon you by suggesting you needed to use your heart.

As for the fact that you were blissfully unaware of the Lexington crash because you live on the West Coast, not much I can say other than I suspect most people on the west coast aren't as oblivious as you were. And your attempt to equate the Lexington crash, which involved commercial aviation and resulted in the largest loss of life from a plane crash in the US in nearly five years, and the Oregon incident, which involved the crash of a private plane that resulted in no fatalities (and only one injury) also reflects a brain that needs some rest. Your brain also creates an interesting connection between NBC's apology and the Fox (in your earlier post). NBC's apology was triggered by a complaint by the station manager of the NBC (not Fox) station in Lexington, the site of the crash.

As for your comment about "give me the goddamn truth and don't sugarcoat it" -- I'm not sure what that has to do with the juxtaposition of a comedy sketch involving a plane crash and an actual plane crash that occurred a few hours earlier, but the "goddamn truth" is that the juxtaposition bothered some people close to the event, and NBC issued a rather mild apology.

Maybe when you've had your rest, you'll be able to cope with the world.

[earth mom]

78. Wrong-one person died in the crash here.

FYI-I NEVER said the plane crash wasn't sad. Because it is sad. But I think you and others are overwrought about what happened and are blowing the whole "Conan thing" TOTALLY out of proportion.

The reason I brought up the media is because people are complaining about something the network unintentionally did. Add this to the mountain of complaints about every god damn thing and it's just ridiculous! As a result, the networks and ultimately the CORPORATE MEDIA are so damned worried about being "PC" about everything that they can't and won't even report the truth anymore! Is this what you really want?! Because complaining, bitching and moaning about stuff like this will only lead to more censorship. Wanna complain about something that really matters? Then complain about how the networks aren't reporting the rampant corruption in Washington D.C! Simple as that.

Some advice: YOU take a break and chill out.

[jpgray]

31. Better cancel showings of the Blues Brothers if there's a bad wreck

I mean, come the fuck on people.

[countingbluecars]

32. Those who found it offensive

or insensitive could have changed the channel or turned it off.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

33. What about the parody of the Dateline child molester series?!?

Hilarious. NOT!

[FredScuttle]

36. How long before...

I can hear a Lynyrd Skynyrd song in Kentucky now?

[dogman]

38. Does Kentucky have an ocean?

The plane in Kentucky didn't reach enough altitude for turbulence. Shouldn't Katrina coverage be canceled because Ernesto may strike? This is regoddamndiculous. Once again the RW pulls this shit while calling liberals reactionary and over-dramatic.

[CATagious]

40. deleted message

self deleted

[blonndee]

41. Excuse me, but you're the one who's acting like an asshole.

Goodbye and good riddance.

[Superman Returns]

44. I would like to apologize

I understand if you were upset. I didn't realize the affect the crash had on your area. However, when I see Conan making Fox News jokes only to have a bolded headline on Drudge attacking him for a LOST parody, I begin to wonder. I regret bringing this topic up now. I'm sorry.

[CATagious]

45. I appreciate that...

I'm upset about the callous responses. I have no idea what is being said by freepers about Conan. I'm upset about people making light of this accident and telling me I should just laugh about it.

Thanks your condolences and apologies! It has calmed me down and my hands aren't shaking now. You're alright in my book.

[Ninja Jordan]

58. I agree

the crash happened in my neck of the woods. some people around here have to make it political. The nbc skit was shown at the wrong time. period. get over yourselves. Alot of people were affected by it.

[alfredo]

46. You know we had anothe bad air accident today. A plane

with 7 people on board crashed in the mountains to the south east of Lexington.

Enough, we've had enough.

[Radio_Lady]

53. Sorry to hear you about that.

If I had been in charge of the show, it would have been difficult to cut that spot, which was pre-recorded.

However, it was a judgement call by some NBC network executive or producer.

Certainly one could argue that the skit was "accidentally tasteless" I would say. I've never watched the show "Lost" -- and I did not see the Emmy awards.

[alfredo]

54. The skit was quite funny, but you are right,

you would have to know the shows to understand the joke. There was no way for them to redo the skit in such a short time. They could have cut from him being on the plane to him on the beach, but it wouldn't have worked as well.


Taste and O'Brien do not mix. Some of his characters are the vomiting kermit and the masturbating bear.

[Radio_Lady]

73. I only see him when I have insomnia, very infrequently.

I like the Scotsman, Craig Ferguson -- especially since we've been to Scotland twice and I just love his accent.

He's attractive and does a heck of a lot of OTHER accents besides Scottish.





The Late Late Show started out with veteran interviewer Tom Snyder, but Tom left the show in March 1999 and was replaced by new host Craig Kilborn. Craig left the show in mid-2004, and the producers went through a long series of guest hosts.

It appears that they have now found a permanent new host in yet another Craig: Craig Ferguson, the Scottish comedian who played the boss, 'Mr. Wick', on "The Drew Carey Show".

It's shown locally weekdays at 12:30 a.m. on KCBS (Channel 2) following the David Letterman Show.

When Tom Snyder hosted the Late Late Show, there was no studio audience, just a one-on-one conversation with his guest. But when Craig Kilborn took over, the show started taping in front of a live studio audience. Which means you have the opportunity to attend a taping and see celebrities in person being interviewed.

[alfredo]

76. I like both of them. The guests are what makes me watch

him or Conan.

I am up until 2 AM, so it is not too late for me.

[NoSheep]

48. puleeeze.

[susanna]

49. Uh...what's the connection between...

...the crash and Conan O'Brien? The original post does not really tell me that. Just saying.

[Kickoutthejams23]

50. Virtually nobody would have made the connection.

Had NBC not pointed it out to them. Conan from what I heard did a brilliant job. (apparently kudos as well to Bob Newhart). I admittedly didn't know the Emmy awards were even on (nor for that matter did I catch any plane crash coverage either).

But of course that never stops anyone from having an opinion.

[drbtg1]

52. Did the skit actually show a plane crash?

As I recall the skit showed Conan sipping champagne then the plane hitting turbulence. Conan tries to hide in an overhead baggage compartment. The next scene shows Conan walking in the water to the shoreline, completing the comparison to the previous year's Emmy winner for best drama (which gave "Lost" a spot in cultural literacy).

If the skit actually showed a plane crashing, then yeah, NBC should have given some thought about pulling the bit. But was there a shot of a plane crashing?

If not, the only real offense is the theft of the bit from Billy Crystal's usual Oscar opening.

[high density]

83. There was no shot of a plane crash or images of a crashed plane

Opens with an exterior shot of what I'd say is a 757. Next shot is of Conan sitting in the passenger cabin of an airliner and chatting with a flight attendant. The cabin then appears to bounce around as Conan curls himself up into an overhead storage bin. The next shot is of Conan getting out of the water on a tropical beach. It lasts about 40 seconds.

[WA98070]

62. Just another smoke screen. If you were personally effected by the event

you probably weren't watching the Emmy Awards anyway.

[Ninja Jordan]

65. Actually

here in Lexington, the Emmys immediately followed local news about the deaths. There were plenty who stumbled upon the sketch unintentionally.

[WA98070]

64. What we should really be mad at Conan about is when he said

The Daily Show and Colbert Report were fake news. How could he put these two great shows in the same group as Faux News?

[walldude]

69. Um... I hate to be the guy to tell you Santa is not real but...

TDS and Colbert are fake news shows. Jon Stewart on Crossfire: "But our show isn't real news. The lead-in to our show is puppets making crank phone calls..."

[high density]

82. I think the target of that joke was Fox News... (NM)

[ComerPerro]

67. gotta get moral outrage from somewhere

[obreaslan]

72. Of course they should go after him....

As they were filming two weeks before the crash in Kentucky, Conan knew it would happen and he did the skit anyway. The BASTARD!!!!! :sarcasm:

I know it's a terrible thing for the families of those who died, but there is no connection between the two. There seems to be a unique technology built into my remote control that no one else has. One button changes the channel and the other turns off the power.

[Bake]

75. The rest of the skit WAS funny, and I don't blame Conan

I repeat, though, that I thought it was tasteless. Probably not Conan's decision to run it, more likely the producer or director's call. They could have just as easily had it start with Conan coming up out on the beach and cut the plane part.

And I don't think anybody did it intentionally; just poor taste.

Oh, anybody who wasn't aware of the crash by Sunday evening either (a) never had his/her TV on, or (b) has shit for brains. It seems that some so-called progressives/liberals can be as much assholes as the wingnuts.

Bake

[WI_DEM]

77. I don't see "them" going after Conan--he isn't even mentioned

but affiliates in several states did complain about it and so NBC gave in to their pressure.

[Superman Returns]

80. Wow

Who knew my thread would be this popular. Usually I get 3 responses.

[Kingshakabobo]

84. A real flame-bait artist you are.

Just kidding.