Weird Beard meets Letterman....and greatness ensues

The ongoing late night debate rages on, and I finally have a definitive answer of mine. I may prefer to watch Conan O'Brien, simply because his brilliantly-sophomoric brand of humor speaks to me (whatever that says about me), I can totally acknowledge that the reigning king of the scene is, and unquestionably will remain, David Letterman.

Just watch how he handled this classic-debacle of an interview with Joaquin Phoenix last night. After doing my nightly flip-through-the-late-night-show-capsules-to-see-what-guests-are-on-each-show ritual, the viewing choice was crystal---Joaquin Phoenix was to be seated next to Letterman, and I immediately knew that televisial crack was afoot. My expectations were exceeded. Whatever Phoenix's current M.O. truly is, whether he's doped up on God-knows-what or performing some bizarre Andy Kaufman-esque art-hoax, I hope he never stops, because so far everything his weird-bearded self has done has been the stuff of entertainment platinum. If its the former, let's just hope it doesn't lead to death's door, of course.

The way Letterman handled this awkward sitdown further proves his dominance. Phoenix says no more 20 words the entire time, and it's captivating. Thankfully, Letterman isn't afraid to bust shots at his guests when they're far from up-to-snuff, and his subtle interjections and silence-fillers hit like darts. Just imagine if this had been Jay Leno instead. I like Leno enough, he seems like a nice guy and all, but he would've never reamed into such a shitty guest with as much confidence as Sir Letterman.

This is the best shit I've seen all week. Enjoy:



If I was one of the many heads involved with Two Lovers, Phoenix's new flick that he was supposed to be promoting, I'd be quite livid. "Any press is good press," they say, but I can't imagine anybody feeling compelled to see a movie that its own star doesn't seem to give two shits about.