We watch... so you don't have to.
Jack Paar, RIP
A talk-show pioneer is dead. We often hear about the influence Letterman and Leno have on the political scene. I guess that's true, as far as it goes. But back in the day when viewers had three networks to choose from, Paar was a kingmaker, a giant. John F. Kennedy's appearance on The Tonight Show in 1960 was a huge and galvanizing event.
Leno and Letterman owe a lot to Paar, who was arguably more interesting than the former and more edgy than the latter (for his time). Paar walked off his own show after a dust up with network censors. He stayed off for a month, until the suits had bowed and scraped to his satisfaction. His first night back, he began his monologue: "As I was saying, before I was interrupted ... " Paar was 85.
