Suspect I owe somebody a hat tip for this one Hat tip to commentor Germy Shoemangler (thanks, Sharl!). Mike Sacks, at Dangerous Minds:
… It was the Emmy award-winning Markoe, arguably as much as Letterman himself, who set the silly, ironic, smart and absurd tone of the show…
Mike Sacks: You once described yourself as “one of those 1960s art-student types.” Were you in any way a radical?
Merrill Markoe: I was certainly against the war in Vietnam. And I attended a Black Panther rally once—by myself, I might add. I was one of the few white people there. What I was doing there I cannot exactly explain, except that I attended almost every event that was within walking distance at the time. But, me being me, I always left early. I left every important cultural event of the sixties and seventies early. Name any one. Altamont? I left before the killing. I felt compelled to attend these events, but I never really liked big, angry crowds, or drugs, or the smell of patchouli. By the way, everything smelled like patchouli back then! Even sweaty, knife-wielding bikers who drank Ripple…
So it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that you felt like an outsider in the sixties?
I’m very consistent; I’ve felt like an outsider every single decade. Some of it is because I struggle to control my tendency toward contrarianism. If I know there is something I am supposed to be doing or saying or wearing, I feel compelled to resist—particularly with creative endeavors, like writing. If I see an obvious punch line or plotline driving toward me, I can’t help but make a sharp left turn into the unexpected. I don’t like to replicate what I’ve seen done before—I don’t like to give people what they expect. I think it’s my job to come up with a surprising angle or to add some personal twist.
You first met David Letterman when you were doing stand-up in Los Angeles in the late seventies. Would you say that one of his strengths as a stand-up, even at the beginning of his career, was the degree to which the audience felt a strong rapport with him—that they always felt they were in on the joke?
Yes, correct. He was always a crowd pleaser. Plus, he always had Johnny Carson in mind as his model. Dave always knew how to connect with an audience, even from the very beginning.
Both you and Letterman started in the trenches of showbiz. Can you tell me about the first TV show you worked on together?Dave and I worked on a 1978 CBS variety show called Mary, starring Mary Tyler Moore and featuring Michael Keaton. I don’t know if it qualifies as the “trenches” of show business, but I do know it was canceled after three or four episodes, even though 60 Minutes was the lead-in and Mary Tyler Moore was America’s sweetheart. The show was an uncomfortable combination of old showbiz style variety, mixed with a miscalculated attempt to include some of that wacky, absurdist comic sensibility that the kids liked so much from that new program Saturday Night Live.
For example, the Mary show did a parody of the Village People song “Macho Man” that had Dave and Michael Keaton dressed in L.L.Bean catalog outfits, in a setting that was made to look like a scene from Deliverance. I forget where the comedy was supposed to be in all this. I do know the powers-that-be didn’t realize that “Macho Man” was a gay anthem. I also remember vividly that Dave was in real agony about this bit of levity…
Steve O’Donnell—a longtime writer for Letterman—once described the show’s staff as those who really liked television but also kind of hated television. Was this true for you?
Yes, absolutely. I was particularly sick of seeing everyone on television doing that bigger-than-life, fraudulent, full of shit television persona—which was mainly how the shows all worked then. I welcomed the idea of a host being caught having real reactions to odd situations…
sharl
One of Germy’s typically worthwhile links, in this comment. The interview was an enjoyable read.
Ken
This is that Mary show. WOW
WOW!!!!
Culture of Truth
Please proceed.
Amir Khalid
I actually remember Mary Tyler Moore’s variety show, whose entire run was aired here in Malaysia. It was kind of obvious they hadn’t figured out what they wanted it to be. (I guess those three episodes came cheap from the syndication house.) The names David Letterman and Michael Keaton wouldn’t have meant anything to me at the time, though.
Omnes Omnibus
@Amir Khalid:
There goes my faith in your prescience.
Amir Khalid
@Omnes Omnibus:
I know, and I’m sorry to let you down.
Omnes Omnibus
@Amir Khalid: I’ll do my best to carry on regardless.
Mike in NC
After appearing on Letterman sometime during the 2004 election season, Andrew Sullivan concluded that he was basically a typical conservative Midwesterner. Like most rich pricks tend to be.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
Markoe used to have a column in a now-defunct local magazine, and she wrote a hilarious one about the surreal experience of having your ex-boyfriend’s career take off after you broke up, to the point where you were sitting on Sunset Blvd. looking at a giant billboard of him while a commercial on the radio shouted that he was coming to town. Sadly, I can no longer find that copy of the magazine.
She also has a book of essays with the perfect title for this crowd: “What The Dogs Have Taught Me.”
Valdivia
I remember Tyler Moore from the Dick Van Dyke show, never saw or knew Mary existed.
Omnes Omnibus
@Mike in NC:
Does he own a shiny pickup truck?
Heliopause
So instead we did a bigger-than-life, fraudulent, full of shit postmodern irony schtick that the Clever Set lapped up like porn sluts for almost four decades. Ha! Joke’s on them!
Omnes Omnibus
@Heliopause: So, not a fan then?
different-church-lady
@Mike in NC:
Sure, but what did he think of Letterman?
mai naem mobile
Both Carson and Letterman were/are known to be liberals. And, Jay Leno who one would have thought was the liberal is kind of conservative. Shows you what Sully knows.
Valdivia
shoot me now.
Omnes Omnibus
@Valdivia: I see it more as an opportunity for a drone strike.
Valdivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
you’re so right, now would be a perfect time.
lamh36
I haven’t watched Letterman consistently in years. In my younger years bout the only late night show I watched with any consistency was the Arsenio Hall Show, but of all the “younger” then Johnny Caraon host, I preferred Dave.
of all the current host, I still prefer Dave’s caustic acerbic brand of hosting. Fallon is was too goofy, Meyers I find way too unfunny and like Fallom food man nice all the time. Kimmel has his moments, and it more close to sarcastic funny I like, and Conan is on cable and I just don’t really watch many cable talk shows with any real dedication.
with Dave gone and Colbert out and Stewart leaving, I doubt I ever really pay much attention to late night even remotely anymore.
lamh36
Ok, so, my family will tell u, I loved Amy Winehouse before any of them even heard of her. It always happens that I’ve been listening to someone all alone for a while and then all of a sudden, everybody’s listening to them…Adele, Sam Smith, Sean Paul, Estelle…to just name a few. I tell my sisters or anyone who’d listen, ‘hey hall should listen to this”. they’d go “ok sure” and NEVER do. then all of a sudden they asking me “hey have you ever heard of Maroon 5″…and I’m “yes Sister, I have and told you about them before you made “This Love” your ringtone!!”
Anyway, haven’t gone to see a documentary in the theatre in a while, if at all, but this Amy Winehose documentsry looks good.
https://twitter.com/psddluva4evah/status/601230246445092865
jl
@lamh36: I watch rarely too, mostly clips on intertubes. I like Conan’s video game reviews, his humor often strikes me as junior high stuff. I found Letterman’s humor often too mean to take on regular basis, but from clips I watch, he has mellowed. I am not a late night talk show fan. Gets boring for me as even a semi regular thing.
different-church-lady
Watching the finale now, and thinking, “What the hell, why haven’t I watched your show in the last ten years?” Been a long time since I laughed like this…
jl
@Valdivia: Preview of first Fox Debate? They are limiting it to ten (only TEN!?). Right now all three make the cut. As does Trump.
There goes my cherished dream of a fifty GOPer first debate. The humanity!
Who Will Be Left Out? Fox News Limits First GOP Debate To Top 10 Candidates
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/fox-news-debate-gop-candidates-2016
Edit: Right now, Graham is doesn’t make cut. That is just not right. Can’t have a real GOP foreign policy discussion without Graham.
We need to write letters demanding the whole field is in on the debate. Might be 16 or 17. That would be so much fun. We need a BJ letter writing campaign demanding Fox News allow free debate among all the candidates.
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36:
Most of those you’ve named are brilliant, but I cannot stand Sam Smith. OTOH, have you checked out Hozier?
Valdivia
@lamh36:
It looks very powerful and sad.
Also what @Omnes Omnibus said:
Take me to Church. Amen.
ira-NY
Well, I concluded at about the same time that Andrew Sullivan was basically a typical arrogant pseudo intellectual. Like most grifting transplanted Brits tend to be.
Valdivia
@jl:
so how they do the cut off? by polling?
it seems there are like 50 people running already!
Smiling Mortician
@Valdivia: But do you remember the Mary Tyler Moore Show? Classic.
Omnes Omnibus
@Valdivia: I love the soul revival stuff that’s out there right now. BTW, this video is to controversial for US TV. VH-1 shows a live performance with the video projected in a grainy way on the backdrop behind the performers.
Valdivia
@Smiling Mortician:
oh yes! Didn’t watch a lot of it but I do remember it. I always liked her.
@Omnes Omnibus:
Really? because of the gay theme? I can’t believe it. Or maybe I do.
I love Hozier’s voice, there is a tone in it, expressiveness.
Mike J
I love longer days because I can stay outside playing later. I hate longer days because one of my neighbors is mowing his lawn and it is 9PM.
Omnes Omnibus
@Valdivia: I assume it is the anti-gay violence shown in the video. I find it interesting that the song’s lyrics are clearly hetero, but the video is deliberately different.
Valdivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
did I imagine the signs in the march were Russian?
it is interesting hearing him sign about her and the images are between men. Nice way to show the universality of the feeling.
lamh36
@Omnes Omnibus: I did hear Take Me To Church and I’ve heard good thing about Hozier. I may check it out for sure
Omnes Omnibus
@Valdivia: I can’t say if it was Russian, but the signs were done in Cyrillic.
lamh36
David Letterman Final Top Ten
Best line goes to Chris Rock and I actually love Colbert
@chrisrock to #DaveLetterman: “I’m just glad your show is being given to another white guy.” #LettermanFinale
lamh36
The classic stuff is just reminding me that I actually did watch alot of segments with Dabe back in the day.
I really did lI’ve his bits with kids. I’m amazed how many I actually remember
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: Also, for blue-eyed soul – done IMO with respect – take a look at St. Paul and the Broken Bones.
Valdivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
yes I thought it was cyrillic. I assumed it was Russian because of the antigay laws there.
Omnes Omnibus
@Valdivia: I think it is a reasonable assumption, but I just don’t know enough about the Slavic languages to be able to say for certain. I can tell the difference between the Romance languages, and I have a good shot at differentiating Nordic/Germanic ones.
Valdivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
yeah me neither, for all I know it could be Ukranian.
Last year I read an Estonian/Finnish novelist and learned the two languages are almost identical (well, very near at least) which was news to me.
lamh36
So are all these people in that day in the life video losing their jobs since Dave is leaving?
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: Odds are that they are employed by the network, not by the show.
Mike J
@Omnes Omnibus: Good chance they’re employed by the production company. I doubt they’ll have trouble getting new gigs though.
lamh36
@Omnes Omnibus: well CBS only has one other talk show And I believe I read somewhere that Colbert has his own writers
ETA; good to know they’ll be alright. It was kinda bittersweet seeing that segment and thinking those same people would be out of a job
Omnes Omnibus
@Mike J: You are probably correct. About both. “I did “Letterman'” is probably a killer item on a resume.
wasabi gasp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH6b_lSQst0
Omnes Omnibus
@wasabi gasp: You are simply evil.
Corner Stone
Dave’s son Harry doesn’t seem to like his dad very much.
Corner Stone
One of the best slices of pizza I ever had was at a shop a block or so away from the Late Show’s studio in NYC.
Omnes Omnibus
@Corner Stone: But isn’t your baseline in Houston?*
*I claim no superiority based on Wisconsin.
Omnes Omnibus
As a good night present, have some Lee Fields. I am off.
fuckwit
@Omnes Omnibus: No. but he was at that Applebee’s saladbar every damn day
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus: That was in 2005, so I am comfortable saying after 10 years of travel and otherwise stuffing my pie hole that it was pretty fracking good for a random walk in for a slice.
fuckwit
@Corner Stone: i’m seeing a pattern. letterman, a creep who sexually harassed his staff (and apologized for it on national tv, to his ccredit, but still). seinfeld who dated some girl like 30 years younger than him or something. johnny carson i remember mention of being physicallly abusive to either his wives or random people in bars, i don’t remember. louis ck who jerks off in front of women withou their consent. armisen who is kind of an emotionally-manipulative boyfriend-from-hell. and to op the list, papa bill cosby, serial rapist.
there may be something very weird and disturbing in famous standup comics.
Corner Stone
Won’t you, stay with me? Mumbles mumbles with me.
redshirt
Omnes and Velveeta.
Keith P.
@Omnes Omnibus: “Take Me To Church” finally drove me away from radio. That damn song plays on multiple stations simultaneously (not to mention I just think it’s overly repetitive) and at its peak was being played every hour and half (has to do with how radio categorizes its playlist). It makes me kind of wonder if Hozier (and other musicians) know how radio drives their songs into the ground and if they hate it too or just go, “Fuck yeah, send me another royalty check!” like I imagine Anthony Kiedis does.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: Hozier’s first song is great. I look forward to hearing more from him. “Take Me To Church” was one of those songs that sounded completely fresh and new when it came out. These days, that is hard to do.
And I agree that Sam Smith is crap.
Suzanne
@Keith P.: I cannot handle hearing One. More. Chili. Peppers. Song. EVER. Seriously. It is what I imagine plays on the radio in the inferno.
sharl
@wasabi gasp: Hahaha, OMG, that Crispin Glover thing…whatever it is…combines creepiness, lameness, and goofiness in a way that I find strangely endearing.
I need halp.
srv
Talk about unsung heroes:
NotMax
@srv</a.
Except that
1) It wasn't a filibuster, it was a time-limited, pre-arranged grant of floor time, and
2) The bill whose business it delayed on the floor was about fast-track for the trade treaty.
But the snippet did get his name right.
Aleta
Couple of old, dog videos from Merril Marcoe’s tube channel that I still love :
http://youtu.be/3u-quGlpzGM
http://youtu.be/tGv8t2sSXDE
MomSense
@Aleta:
Those are great.
Susan K of the tech support
Great find, great interview (and I enjoyed the video at the end where she went on The Daily Show and chatted with Jon Stewart). Thank you.
...now I try to be amused
@fuckwit:
Stand-up comics say you have to be a pretty fucked-up person to want to do stand-up comedy. There is a lot of violence in their slang: “Killing” the audience, “dying” on stage, etc.