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He’s young
Not only is Conan 13 years younger than his predecessor, Jay Leno, his whole shtick is young and fresh. He was a writer for “Saturday Night Live” in the late ‘80s, and is responsible for many recurring sketches like “Mr. Short-Term Memory" and "The Girl Watchers.” He also co-wrote “Nude Beach” and if you thought Andy Samberg’s “Dick in a Box” was racy, you should know that Conan beat ‘em to it, with the word “penis” being sung nearly 50 times. While the first few years of his 16-year stint on “Late Night” were shaky and received rough reviews, Conan quickly won over high school and college audiences. Today is about youth. We have a young president. Conan now brings this youthfulness to an earlier, more popular time slot, and we’re not mad about it.
He has a quirky sense of humor
Whether doing impressions, buttoning and unbuttoning his suit jacket, making weird voices, poking fun of people in the crowd, or creating awkward pauses for comedic effect, Conan’s style is all his own. It’s no wonder he wrote some of the best episodes of “The Simpsons” (Marge vs. Monorail, anyone?). Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, may be an acquired taste, but that puppet made his mark in comedy and is still relevant—he appeared as recently as last night’s “MTV Movie Awards.” Conan has even taken his unique humor to two current faves, “30 Rock” and “The Office.” It worked.
He’s more “of the people”
You know how Leno has this massive car collection? It can’t help but make me think of a guy going through a mid-life crisis. Conan has never come off as rich or elite in any way. He also interacts with his audience more than any other late night host, which makes his seem accessible.
Self-degradation
Following in the tradition of David Letterman, Conan often pokes fun of his hair, his pale skin, his height and his clumsy nature. He also is the first one to admit perhaps a joke wasn’t funny. We love when people can laugh at themselves. It’s endearing.
Do you think Conan will be a good "Tonight Show" host replacement?
Related links:
'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien' Guest List
Surprising Facts About Conan O'Brien
