Late Night Critique

I've been watching parts of Conan O'Brien's new Tonight Show, sometimes on TV, but mostly online. He's obviously had some big shoes to fill. Now, I may not be the best person to comment on Conan's first few weeks: I've been a fan over the years, and Conan's style appeals to people my age. Of course, his physical comedy (the "string dance") and self-deprecating humor (pale Irish guy with oddly arranged hair) may not go well with his new target audience: middle aged average Joes, the people who made Jay Leno #1 for over a decade. Time will tell if a) Conan can rebrand himself to reach wider demographics and b) loyal Jay Leno fans will permanently adopt Conan as their new go-to late night host. It does not help that Jay will be back on NBC in September with a primetime talk and variety show every day at 10pm, and his old viewers might tune in then, skip Conan, and go to sleep earlier. In the meantime, Conan figured out a way to find out what people really think of him:

Btw, regarding another late night host: can we please get over Letterman's controversial remarks about Sarah Palin??? Yes, he crossed the line, but is that a reason to fire him? People like him push the envelope for a living, and yet, this particular instance has made people angry as hell. Moving on...
The Adventures of Obama & the Fly: OK, you've probably heard about Obama's fly swatting during a CNBC interview; the blogosphere has discussed it ad nauseum. Conan, as well as the always entertaining Jon Stewart, each offer their own thoughts on this frivolous pop culture moment. Conan adds a little addition, while Jon recounts a similar experience.
Hope summer is treating everyone well. I've still been busy, but I'm trying to relax too.