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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Jan.28, 2005
/ 18 Shevat, 5765
Carson's death should remind us of what was good and what we've lost
By
Tom Purcell
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The news about Johnny Carson hit me hard, and now I know why.
I'm going to be 43 in April. I'm not old, but neither am I young. But in my lifetime, our country has seen dramatic change — not all of it good. Johnny Carson reminds me of what was good and what we've lost.
Carson took over the Tonight Show in 1962, just seven months after I was born. Critics say the show was hip and edgy during its first ten years in New York, but when he moved to California the show became more routine and predictable.
But that's what I liked about it.
I didn't start watching the show until I was a kid in the 1970's, mostly in the summertime. One summer when I was 12, my parents took us to Washington, D.C. After a few days of touring the monuments in the blistering heat, we drove to Baltimore to visit relatives. We stayed at their house that night, and I had the basement all to myself.
I loved my temporary taste of independence — my first sense of being an adult. I turned on the television and — no cable then — the only channel I could pull in was NBC. Johnny and Ed McMahan were doing their Carnac the Magnificent act. When McMahan rudely interrupted, Johnny spoke his pre-written insult:
"May Shamu the Killer Whale relieve himself on your living room carpet."
As I got older, I watched Johnny more. In high school summers, I dreaded the daylong football practices, but when we finally got home in the evening we'd go swimming up the street in Miller's pool. We'd pitch in for pizza and talk under the stars, and then I'd head home in time for Johnny.
I don't know why, but it was reassuring to watch his show each summer night. No matter how miserable the day was, no matter how much I dreaded the next day of practice, Johnny brought perspective. There are good days and bad, he made me feel, but just take it as it comes, just as he did for 30 years.
My mother held a strong affection for him. She said he reminded her of her father, who died one month before her wedding, when she was 19 years old. She said her father had a similar warmth and wit. She didn't know why either, but Johnny comforted her.
I never thought about any of this much until he died last week. Sure, he was 79 and lived a long and interesting life. But I'm still sad about his passing.
He was a great reflection of what it is to be American. He was at once authentic and good, but also flawed. He carried with him the great values he learned in the Midwest — he was polite, unable to boast, embarrassed in many ways by his success.
But then he had a few too many to drink now and then. He'd been addicted to smoking. He was divorced three times.
But each night all these qualities, good and bad, were laid bare for the world to see. He came out on the stage impeccably dressed — he had dignity and respect both for himself and his audience.
He often made himself the butt of his jokes, and when he went after the powerful and the mighty he always did so with class, never with malice.
I compare his show to so much of what is on television today. Where he was respectful and even embarrassed by fame, so many on television today are climbing over each other for a taste of it. They humiliate themselves on Fear Factor or celebrate self-absorption on MTV. They have no sense of perspective and certainly no sense of shame.
So Johnny is gone and that is why I'm sad. With his passing, I sense that the civility, class and gentlemanliness of my childhood are also long gone.
That's why his passing hit me so hard.
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© 2005, Tom Purcell
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