Watch this video of "Inside the Actor's Studio" host James Lipton on Conan O'Brien last week, reciting the lyrics to Kevin Federline's hit single, "PopoZao." See if you can actually pinpoint the precise moment when making fun of James Lipton ceases to be funny.
Normally, I've a big fan of CO'B. I look forward to the days when he takes over control of "The Tonight Show," and that dumb bastard Jay Leno retires to a lifetime of polishing and repolishing his various motorcycles.
But surely he must have realized that goofing on James Lipton's ludicrous pomposity and barely-repressed femininity is only funny when he's not in on the joke. The joke is that he's a huge ham. So inviting him on your comedy show to do a funny bit just invites him to do his usual crappy hamminess. See, Conan, it's not that people actually think James Lipton is behaving in an intentionally entertaining, funny manner. He's just a self-serious douchebag who happens to be on television, providing him with ample time to make an ass of himself.
Honestly, I don't know if James Lipton will be funny to me any more. He's in on the joke...Now it's just...lame. (I'll probably still think that old Ali G. interview with James is hilarious, though...That guy's a genius!)
Two things:
ReplyDelete(1) You refer to me as a "hipster" at times, which is laughably ridiculous. I'm quite possibly the least hip person I know. Hip people cross the street when they see me coming for fear that they will catch a bad case of The Dorks.
(2) We agree all the time! I think you just focus on the disagreements. Our Top Ten lists this year contain a large number of the same films, I'd wager. And we both like Later-Era Scorsese and "Eyes Wide Shut," which is more than I can say for most philistines.
And, come on, James Lipton is just a bloviating wanker. He's never once said anything insightful or interesting about film. He just fawns over movie stars.