Hating on Conan: What's the Point?

James Wolcott says, "Conan O'Brien, who cares." But then he goes on and on: "[I]s there anything worth remembering from O'Brien's multiyear stint on Late Night?" If Triumph isn't memorable, who or what is?

Wolcott's ideal host may be Dick Cavett, but an entire generation watched Letterman (whom he grudgingly accepts), Leno, and Conan. Arsenio, too, but he's largely forgotten today. Twenty years ago, though, Arsenio was the hottest late-night host. (This graph offers more proof of Arsenio's stark rise and fall.) I watched Arsenio all the way through to his last show with James Brown.

Dennis Perrin explains to Conan fans who took offense to his previous post, that he really likes Conan but thinks he's in way over his head as the new Tonight host, and will have to water down his style even more. But he stands by his assertion that Jimmy Fallon's a mediocre host. (No kudos for having The Roots as his band?) As for me, I can't really say. And nobody mentions Carson Daly!