Has Conan O'Brian gone completely downhill?

[MasterShakes]

I absolutely loved his show, but lately, every single time I turn him on, he has this same basic rotation of jokes (with different variations of course):

Star Jones is fat.
Reuben Studdard (sp?) is fat. (I find it absolutely astounding that anybody is still making jokes about this guy)
Michael Jackson is strange.
George W. Bush is dumb.
Kirstie Ally (sp?) is fat.

The man needs to hire new writers. It seems that he has inherited the Tonight Show, and he's already lowered his jokes to that level. I'm not saying that the above jokes are offensive (though I'm sure they are to those people and the people who know them personally) - they're just not funny. It's the same stuff every night. From everything I watched years ago, he seems capable of being easily the best late night show there is. Maybe losing Andy Richter did it, but I think he's capable of being funny without Richter.

Am I wrong?

[Brainwalter]

So you turn it off after the 4 minute monologue?

[miajag81]

I think Conan is still hilarious.

Also, the very reason I think the Ruben Studdard jokes are still funny is that he is such old news...kind of like how Norm MacDonald was still constantly making O.J. jokes like five years after the trial.

[-Skeme-]

I was dying at an episode a while ago. Anybody catch the ghost of an old NBC announcer? "Women are as dumb as muuules.. anybody who educates them are fools." And "Irish men pour whiskey on their beef.. and wake up face down in the street."

Classic.

[TheMainEvent]

His monologues have never been his strong point. The 10-15 minutes after the monologue is the best part of the show...and no, it isn't close.

[MasterShakes]

[ QUOTE ]
So you turn it off after the 4 minute monologue?

[/ QUOTE ]

I usually turn it off once it gets to the guests. I realize that my post deals exclusively with the monologue, but does that excuse how terrible that monologue is, night after night?

The only thing I've found to be funny on the show even somewhat recently are the Walker Texas Ranger clips.

[TheMainEvent]

[ QUOTE ]

The only thing I've found to be funny on the show even somewhat recently are the Walker Texas Ranger clips.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did anyone catch the Walker clip with Haley Joel Osment? classic.

"Walker said I have AIDS!"

[tdarko]

[ QUOTE ]
I usually turn it off once it gets to the guests.

[/ QUOTE ]
really? i think you really get to see how brilliant he really is when he starts to interact with his guests. first nobody has ever diced up bill o' reilly like he did (if you like him or not), plus his wit is unmatched and that isn't written. i don't know why you turn it off once the unwritten stuff comes on, to me this is when he really starts to shine and you get to see how sharp he is with is expressions, comebacks and subtle humor.

[Brainwalter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So you turn it off after the 4 minute monologue?

[/ QUOTE ]

I usually turn it off once it gets to the guests. I realize that my post deals exclusively with the monologue, but does that excuse how terrible that monologue is, night after night?

The only thing I've found to be funny on the show even somewhat recently are the Walker Texas Ranger clips.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's show in between the monologue and the guests, which another poster correctly identified as the funniest part of the show. Also, his interviews are funnier than any of the other late night guys' interviews.

[pooh74]

I was there a month or so ago (when Neil Young was there) and he was so [censored] funny off camera it was like night and day. Although even on camera he was hilarious, the monologue was very ho hum at times.

Still the best show of its format around.