Most young people only have a vague idea of who Johnny Carson is, if they have even heard of him at all. But if you’re 40 or older, you probably remember him as the host of “The Tonight Show.”
From 1962-1992, Johnny Carson ruled the airwaves as the King of Late Night. If you were a stand-up comedian in the late 70s through the early 90s, and you were invited over to the couch to talk to Johnny after your 5-minute set, you were now Hollywood royalty.
Everybody comedian on the planet wanted to be like Johnny Carson. In 1992, when Johnny Carson retired, everyone thought that David Letterman would be a shoe-in as the new host. And why not? Letterman’s own late-night show had been following Johnny Carson for the last ten years, and it was no secret that he idolized Carson. And in turn, Johnny personally liked David Letterman more than Jay Leno, who had guest-hosted “The Tonight Show” many times.
The TV world was scandalized when “The Tonight Show” hosting spot went to Leno instead. As a result, Letterman moved to CBS to start his own show opposite Jay Leno.
The next year, in 1993, a young upstart comedian who was a writer for “The Simpsons” got his own late-night show at NBC. For years, he followed Jay Leno in the lineup, even though his style was much more like David Letterman, whom he adored. This, of course, was Conan O’Brien.
In the irony of all ironies, Conan had a brief stint hosting “The Tonight Show” for nearly eight months in 2009-2010, until his low ratings prompted NBC to bring back Jay Leno as the host.
What’s the point of this little stroll down late-night memory lane?
All of these hosts have been victims of what you might call “Carson’s Curse.” In one way or another, they all wanted to be like Johnny Carson, who will forever be immortalized as the greatest late-night host ever.
Even today, people who remember Johnny Carson will watch Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and other late-night hosts, and remark that they just can’t measure up to Carson… even though it’s been over 30 years since he was the host of “The Tonight Show.”
But let’s be clear: Johnny Carson didn’t put a curse on anyone. Rather, he was so good that everybody wanted to be like him, but nobody could measure up. Instead, over time they developed their own styles with their own audience.
Conan O’Brien alluded to this when he said, “It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique.”
Is there a writer you look up to? Someone you admire so much that it’s hard not to want to be like them? Maybe you emulate their style or you’re trying to build your platform just like theirs.
Be careful. It’s OK to learn from other writers and their styles or techniques, but the world doesn’t need another JK Rowling, Stephen King, or James Patterson. What the world needs is for you to give the most valuable gift you can possibly offer… and that is uniquely you.
Today’s Challenge: Grab a sheet of paper and write down 3 things that are unique about you. How can you integrate these into your writing?