Johnny Carson has always been an interesting figure in the pop culture lexicon. It seems that he is someone who is totally immune to any criticism whatsoever because what he represented was so powerful. This episode of 'American Masters' for the most part is interested in more of the myth than the man. The allegory of Citizen Kane and Rosebud is brought up frequently during the documentary as if finding Johnny's Rosebud will define him. I felt that the documentary was too flattering to Carson and too much in awe of his legend that it really ultimately failed to present a real dissection of Johnny and his faults and successes.
One problem with this documentary is that it just reiterates everyone's love for Johnny. There isn't an interviewee on the show who doesn't love Carson. All of his faults are portrayed as gleams of polish that make up the legend. I for one would have loved to have seen more time spent on some of the darker instances of Carson's career. I have always thought he was in the wrong in his feud with Joan Rivers. Rivers is given some time to articulate her side of the story but I for one would have been far more satisfied if some other people who had dealings similar to this were represented.
I guess what is conveyed here is the legend of Johnny Carson and the legend has weight. Dozens of interviewees are questioned about Johnny's need to entertain and there is a weight put around all their answers which become half answers. Surprisingly Carson himself answers the question in a 'Tonight Show' clip and the answer is simple, he liked the attention. It's a beautifully honest answer but it kind of defeats the mythic propositions of the documentary. In some ways I liked seeing these comedians being very conscious of this giant shadow they live in. If you like sentimentalism in your documentaries than you will love this. In Carson's case the legend is more interesting than the man, who by all accounts could be a pretty nasty bastard.
One problem with this documentary is that it just reiterates everyone's love for Johnny. There isn't an interviewee on the show who doesn't love Carson. All of his faults are portrayed as gleams of polish that make up the legend. I for one would have loved to have seen more time spent on some of the darker instances of Carson's career. I have always thought he was in the wrong in his feud with Joan Rivers. Rivers is given some time to articulate her side of the story but I for one would have been far more satisfied if some other people who had dealings similar to this were represented.
I guess what is conveyed here is the legend of Johnny Carson and the legend has weight. Dozens of interviewees are questioned about Johnny's need to entertain and there is a weight put around all their answers which become half answers. Surprisingly Carson himself answers the question in a 'Tonight Show' clip and the answer is simple, he liked the attention. It's a beautifully honest answer but it kind of defeats the mythic propositions of the documentary. In some ways I liked seeing these comedians being very conscious of this giant shadow they live in. If you like sentimentalism in your documentaries than you will love this. In Carson's case the legend is more interesting than the man, who by all accounts could be a pretty nasty bastard.