Add Brian Williams to the List

There are a few people who, when they appear on any of the late night talk shows, are must see. When I find out they are to be on Dave or Fallon if I am not able to be up I make sure to set up a Tivo recording.

On that list for me are Bill Murray, Bill Cosby, Micheal J Fox, Regis Philbin and Jungle Jack Hanna. There are others who from time to time become something you must see, these folks are people that no matter what they are promoting, or even not promoting, you must see the show.

Brian Williams now must be added the list. He is intelligent on any subject and is remarkably funny. On tonight's David Letterman show Williams did his Regis impression and it, incredibly, it is dead on. As Dave and he talked about the unfortunate incident that Al Roker has been all over the news discussing recently he made this quip " That hasn't happened in the West Wing since Nixon found out he had to release the tapes." Pretty clever stuff.

One of my favorite people: Brian Williams

Saturday Night Live

After watching this weeks Saturday Night Live just a couple of hours ago one instantly thinks of an important question. Why is Saturday Night Live so awful a majority of the time and occassionally, such as tonight, so outstanding.

This weeks episode had Maya Rudolph has the host. Rudolph, a SNL veteran, is funny but she is not the funniest host they have had even in the last month. I think much of the time when the shows are not funny the issue is the writing. The question is how can it be funny some weeks and not others.

Weekend Update is dependably funny but their show is inconsistent at best. This weeks show did have an advantage. Unannounced guest stars such as Justin Timberlake, and Amy Poehler certinly helped this week. Bill O' Reilly certainly was a surprise guest on the Whats Up With That skit and played it well. The skit featuring Barack Obama and family at home replaying Cosby show scenes was top of the line funny.

Still we all watch the show, each week, we might Tivo through some if it, we might shut it off after Weekend Update but we still watch. On rarer than they should be nights like tonight there is a payoff that is worth the loyalty.

Bill Cosby on Jimmy Fallon

Last night I was reading late in the living room. My son joined me about 12:30 as he had been preparing for finals. As per normal when David Letterman was over I switched over to NBC and Jimmy Fallon.

A great night to see the show as Bill Cosby was the guest. Cosby must be at least 75 now and he looks like one of those men whose features have never stopped growing. Cosby is a large man. He has big hands, a big head, big ears and an enormous nose. And he still may be the funniest man on the planet.

Cosby features are stretchable like the jello he used to do advertisements for. Last night Cosby told a routine about joining the army, and the horrors of basic training and how they fueled his desire for education. Having not been a good student as he passed through high school this was a challenge for him.

The fact is that Cosby can talk about anything and be funny. Fallon in his role as Superfan which comes so naturally to him appeared as excited, perhaps more so, than you or I would be.

Perhaps the best part of the performance was that my son watched it with me. Cosby, who works clean, made my son laugh. His exposure to Cosby is mostly in passing and of the famous Bill Cosby. Last night my son learned how funny a person could be just being funny. No profanity, no insulting, just simple stories told in a way that made them fall down funny.

Cosby is a legend for all the right reasons. Anytime he is scheduled to be on television we would all be wise to watch.

My Weakness is Strong by Patton Oswalt

I have been enjoying Spotify recently. I will be posting a blog about this new Music Service very soon. Today I listened to Patton Oswalt's comedy album My Weakness is Strong. Oswalt a popular comedian who has found his niche right on the edge of stardom exhibits an everyman persona if your everyman is a chubby, pop cultured obsessed tending to nerd white male.

One can argue the constant language issues in modern stand up comedy which is why I look forward to listening under this same arrangement to Bob Newhart and Bill Cosby but for modern sensibilities there is no doubt that Oswalt is a very funny man.

This album has him riffing on giving up alcohol and drugs, family, marriage and having a child. These are very funny but a few bits are genuine standouts such as Oswalt's take story about Rats in his neighborhood, accidentally walking in on an orgy, airplane travel and a hilarious but about time travel from the days of Obama to the days of Clinton which must is much funnier and thought provoking than the premise might make one think.

If you want to laugh and can deal with the everpresent language this is a funny record.