There were news stories going across every major wire this morning that Nicole Kidman had a blowout on the Late Show with David Letterman the other night. They said that Kidman "lost it." There were suggestions that the interview between Kidman and Letterman was a complete train wreck and "difficult to watch" at times. These statements couldn't be further from the truth.


Nicole Kidman was appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote her new movie Australia. Like many actors and actresses who appear with Letterman to promote their films, Kidman came in expecting possibly that the bulk of their discussion would be about the movie. What anybody who watches the Late Show with David Letterman would know is that the show is about comedy first and promotion later.


It would appear that people just don't seem to get it. What is really scary is that any major news medium would think that the appearance was news worthy. It was hysterical! It was about comedy. It was what David Letterman does best.


The Late Show with David Letterman is known for mining the moment to pull out the funniest things we can imagine. Nobody in the business is better at late night hilarity than Letterman. He's been doing it for many years and everything that was happening during that appearance was happening because David Letterman wanted it to happen. There may have been occasional moments like when Kidman asks if they could talk about the film that seemed odd, but it was hilarious. Every guest knows, even kidman, that appearing on the show means comedy is going to happen.


The kind of exchange that went back and forth between Kidman and Letterman has happened dozens of times. Once Letterman realizes there is a fun avenue to go with the interview, often about topics the guest was not anticipating, away it goes. That's what makes the interview worth doing. That's where the laughs are most natural. That's what the Late Show with David Letterman is all about. If you are interested in seeing a serious probing interview with an entertainer about thought provoking subject matter, go watch Charlie Rose, he is also great at what he does.


It is sad to think that people genuinely don't seem to get the joke any more. What has happened to every one's sense of humor? If you want to see an uncomfortable talk show moment, go check out old footage of Johnny Carson exposing Uri Geller as a fraud on the Tonight Show. That was great stuff.


With everything that is going on in the world it is so important to remember how to laugh. If you can't watch the Late Show with David Letterman without thinking that it is supposed to be a serious piece of broadcast journalism you are lost. Perhaps it's time to jump around in a clown suit or something. Go do something silly and kid in touch with your inner kid again. David Letterman has always been about not taking anything too seriously. Maybe you should too.

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