Conan O’Brien vs Stephen Colbert vs Jon Stewart

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I normally try to be inspiring on this site. I write about topics like ‘meditation,’ ‘meditation and me,’ and sometimes ‘meditation and the rest of the world.’ I guess I like meditation—I've been doing it for near fifteen years now—and I assume that it likes me. But as a chap named Monty Python once said, now for something completely different.

Perhaps the following video clip is not implicitly inspiring. But it is explicitly funny. Though neither sophisticated nor sarcastic, I was laughing out loud as late night American television hosts Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien staged a mock fight on the set of Late Night with Conan O’Brien last night—baseball bats, bricks, ice skates and a tumble down the stairs—and there was even a surprise appearance from Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee at the end of the blows.

A little juvenile maybe. Slap-stick humour definitely, the way only Americans know how and do absolutely the best.

What is really great about this clip, the in-joke that informs, underlines everything you see, is that these are three very famous people, working in exactly the same field, competing directly for television ratings and advertising dollars, who should supposedly have very large egos, making fun of all of that, and revealing—wait... is that irony, on American TV?—that they are probably very good friends, having a very good time.

Yes, it isn’t meditation, my usual, “inspiring” topic, but then what is meditation, when practised correctly, but pure joy? Which is in my opinion is exactly what pure humour is as well.

I find that pretty inspiring.

Sri Chinmoy on humour

Humour comes directly from God. Why? He needs humour. It is the salt of life. Fortunately or unfortunately, consciously or unconsciously, God has done something. He has created this world and every second He is getting a headache, a stomach-ache and a heart attack. Now, He feels that there should be some way to get rid of His fever and pain. When we suffer from anything we need medicine. In God's case there is only one medicine and that is humour. It cures the disease that He takes from the world.

From God the Supreme Humourist Pt.2

9 Comments
  • alf
    Posted at 23:25h, 06 February

    That was ridiculous. I liked it. Wonderful schmaltz from Huckabee to finish.

    alf’s last blog post..Wide Open Doors

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 10:35h, 07 February

    Wasn’t it funny? Breaking into a dance routine and Jon Stewart reaching for his inhaler were touches of genius.

  • Larry Keiler
    Posted at 10:57h, 08 February

    Well, thanks for that John. I don’t watch much late night TV so I’m not likely to catch this stuff on the first go-round. Oddly enough, though, I insisted that my partner watch Colbert and she got hooked immediately. Stewart too.

    Larry Keiler’s last blog post..Yoni School (US) Election Watch Pt. 8

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 11:43h, 08 February

    You mean you still have a TV Larry? 😉

    The great thing about the interweb I find is that you don’t have to watch late night TV, or TV any other time of day. I caught up with this clip online mere hours after it was screened in the US.

    Thanks for dropping by—good to see you again.

  • Larry Keiler
    Posted at 18:56h, 09 February

    Hey man, Flat Screen! HD! However, I use it mostly for DVDs.

    I appreciate your dropping by Mental Blog now and then and adding your thoughtful comments.

    (Excuse me if this shows up twice. I’m working on a different browser which seems a bit wonky…)

    Oh! And I Luv the CommentLuv feature!

    Larry Keiler’s last blog post..Poll Results

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 19:35h, 09 February

    I do have a TV, but it gathers dust and otherwise serves as a very good paperweight—although I don’t use paper so much these days either. Not too sure how I would live without my laptop though…

    Thanks again for the comment Larry—do feel free to help yourself to a serving of CommentLuv any time!

    Jaitra Gillespie’s last blog post..Conan O’Brien vs Stephen Colbert vs Jon Stewart

  • freya
    Posted at 16:29h, 21 April

    Great discussion! You’ve got a good blog going here.

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 11:46h, 22 April

    Thanks for stopping by Freya. Glad to meet another person writing about meditation.

    Jaitra Gillespie’s last blog post..Beijing says “Too much tricky” to Chinglish

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