This season, television shows were chock full of drama and new beginnings. Whether you are a longtime fan gearing up for the new season of “Lost,” a late-night aficionado clinging to the last remaining episode of “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” or a college kid glued to the television to watch the fights on the “Jersey Shore,” there was no shortage of good shows to obsess over.
On Friday, Jan. 22, Conan O’Brien took to the stage of the “Tonight Show” for the last time. After the whole NBC debacle, Team Coco fans tuned in to watch his last starring role on television for the next seven months. But in true O’Brien style, the night was big on laughs and A-list stars. The show started off with O’Brien informing HBO that, should they make a film about this ordeal, he’d like to be portrayed by Tilda Swinton (an eerily surprising doppleganger). What followed was a montage of Conan’s finest moments from his run on “The Tonight Show,” set to the Cheap Trick classic, “Surrender.” Soon after, Steve Carell came onstage to shred Conan’s NBC ID badge. Next was movie star Tom Hanks, who was the first person to affectionately deem Conan O’Brien, “Coco.” For the final performance, the endlessly talented Neil Young performed “Long May You Run.”
To round out the night, a red-faced O’Brien on the brink of tears said a few words to thank the fans and those in the audience: “The fact that people traveled and camped out in the rain to be in our audience — you made a sad situation joyous and inspirational. To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me, and I’ll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical ... Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get, but if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”
To prove that amazing things would happen, Will Ferrell, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Ben Harper and Beck took the stage to sing a rousing rendition of “Freebird,” with Will Ferrell breaking out the cowbell during the raucous guitar solo. It was a show no one will ever forget in late night, and it’s certain that no matter where O’Brien goes next, a slew of his fans are sure to follow.
The real surprise hit of the season has to be the brow-raising “Jersey Shore.” With their glossy, spiked hair, overly-tan skin and fist-pumping dance moves, the self-proclaimed guidos and guidettes of Jersey Shore found their way into the hearts of American television viewers. Sure, say that their behavior was scandalous and their priorities always on the naughty side, but they knew how to have a party. Week after week, 3.5 million people tuned in to watch the drama go down in Seaside Heights. There was loud house music, sex, swearing, smoking and the obligatory fistfight. What happened in Jersey Shore was there for everyone to see with it’s-so-bad-it’s-good qualities; “Jersey Shore” became the latest guilty pleasure. Whether it was calling girls “creatures,” working out or swearing at the top of their lungs, it was an infectious hit that had everyone wishing they could spend a wild summer in Seaside Heights.
For those looking how to be a proper guido, heed the advice of Mike, more commonly known as “The Situation:” “These are rules to live by — shave last minute, haircut the day-of, maybe some tanning and the gym. You gotta do the guido handbook.”
And after nine glorious episodes, the Shore has come to an end. What have we learned? That GTL (gym, tan, laundry) is the way to live; you’re not a real guido until you have a nickname; Ed Hardy is a fashion god, and inside all of us is a tan, Italian fighter ready to live it up. In the words of the loquacious Pauly D, “You have to stay fresh to death.” Now, thanks to “Jersey Shore,” we all know how.
You can reach this staff writer at ydesta@theeagleonline.com.
