Chris Rock, Conan O'Brien, Barack Obama, and George Bush

WWJD.

Sometimes, I wish that motto helped to guide comedians and late night talk show hosts.

WHAT WOULD JOHNNY (Carson) DO?

I can't imagine Carson engaging in the sort of exchange that Chris Rock and Conan O'Brien had on Tuesday's Late Night.

Late night TV isn't what it used to be.

Certainly, presidents and politicians have always figured prominently in nightly opening monologues, as well as the chat between talk show hosts and their guests.

But I don't think there's any denying that the tone of the "jokes" has changed. It's passed from being at least somewhat good-natured and clever to being downright ugly.

An example:

After the mandatory "How are you?" stuff, O'Brien asked Rock what he thought of Barack Obama.

Chris Rock: The big question is... Is America ready for a black president? Well, I say we just had a retarded one. When did being black become a bigger deterrent than being retarded? I mean, I had a hard life, but it's not as hard as I am Sam.

The audience loved it and so did O'Brien.

For me, it was cringe-inducing.

I don't think that's funny.

How is Rock's mocking of President Bush and the mentally disabled less offensive than Ann Coulter's infamous "faggot" joke?

HAHAHA! President Bush is retarded!

That's what passes for professional comedy on network TV?

Pathetic.

That fact is Rock can freely make such "jokes" because Bush is a Republican and they don't fire back the way libs do. And of course, NBC is a lib bastion. Furthermore, advocacy groups aren't likely to jump on Rock's case the way they bombarded Coulter.

Will Rock's tasteless "humor" be condemned?

Will he be called on to apologize?

Will O'Brien put out a press release distancing himself from Rock's remarks?

Will NBC drop Rock from its programming?

Answers: No, no, no, and no.

What would Johnny do?
____________________________

UPDATE:

This is interesting. Rock's comments on Conan O'Brien last night weren't off the cuff.

He used his "retarded president" line in an interview with Life.

When LIFE asked comic Chris Rock if America is ready for an African American president, Rock tells LIFE: “It’s ready for a retarded president, why wouldn’t it be ready for an African American president?”

Of the current presidential contenders, Rock says, “I like Al Gore, actually. (A) He’s more qualified than everyone that’s running on the Democratic side. (B) If he won or didn’t win, he has an agenda to help people and make this a better world...” Rock tells LIFE: “Maybe Barack will win, but I probably won’t see a black president. There’s real equality when you don’t notice [race], you don’t even talk about it. I probably won’t live to see that.”