Sometimes a detail can elude you. It remains tucked away until it pops out at you. Sometimes you wonder if the detail is really there. Sometimes you can seen nothing but that detail. Right now I have both.
While discussing the Jay/Conan conflict last week, I got hung up on the declaration that Jay had promised to retire in 2004 when it was announced that Conan would take over the Tonight Show in 2009 and that he had somehow reneged on that deal. Earlier posts on this subject have sought to find details about the situation but I'd spent no real time pondering the support.
Conan has traditionally appealed primarily to the 18-49 demographic. It's the age group of which he himself is part. I get the impression that the bulk of those supporting Conan are in that 'key demo'. Age wise, Jay is of the group older than that.
On a surface level, this is about the variation in comedy styles. Deeper down, could this be a lashing out at the baby boomer generation? Due to the economy, many older people are now expecting to retire later in life. To some eyes, they could be seen as in the way, perhaps keeping younger people from advancing to positions of authority or even just jobs in general. Conan then becomes the champion, the symbol, of all those younger people waiting for their turn at the top and hoping that they'll get a 'fair shake' when their turn comes.
Now that I've thought it, I can't unthink it so I think there's something to it. I think.
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