7 Important Takeaways from Conan’s 60 Minutes Interview

Conan O’Brien has been a household name for years, hosting one late-night show after another until he hit it really big last year, when Jay Leno handed him the keys to The Tonight Show. When it happened, the majority of loyal viewers were actually pretty pessimistic about the changes, and he had to fight an uphill battle from the very first night. It never really got any easier, either — and we all know how that story ended. NBC now has some of the worst PR possible, and Jay Leno is back in the big chair, but half his audience has turned rather cold towards him for the part he played in Conan’s fall from grace. Recently, Conan agreed to an interview segment on 60 Minutes, and 14 minutes never felt so long.

We were hoping for something substantial to come out of this, but it seems that we’re going to have to wait a bit longer for that. We were, however, able to glean these 7 main points of interest from the interview; if you haven’t seen it yet, this may save you the trouble.



That Beard

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During the now infamous writers’ strike a couple of years back, Conan grew a strike beard. It was subtle, stubbly, red and got the job done, but it wasn’t anything near the lumberjack phase he’s in now. At first glance, he actually looks somewhat disheveled, which for a guy who spends his life on screen in a suit with an impeccable pompadour, is really saying something. Basically, he looks like a bit of a mess; the beard plays a large role in that.



It’s Like a Recent Divorce

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His wording and mannerisms in the entire opening segment of the interview are nearly identical to those of a man who is in the early stages of recovering from a terrible divorce. He acts as though his wife cheated on him with his best friend, killed his dog, took his kids, and then emptied the bank account on her way to the airport. He puts on the face of a defeated man, feigns bravado in an extremely transparent attempt to gain sympathy he already has, and refuses to answer simple questions as though answering truthfully will make him look less manly. It’s not a good performance.



“Toxic” Atmosphere at NBC

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One thing he did actually come out and say in straightforward terms was that the atmosphere at NBC had turned so “toxic” that he felt compelled to leave. This was notable because it was different from his usual inferences and playful hinting; he was saying flat-out that they made him feel unwelcome and that he could really no longer be happy there — no matter what the final outcome may have been had he stayed.



His Wife: She Speaks (And She’s Hot)

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It’s no secret that Conan is married; he mentions his wife somewhat frequently on the show and he’s been seen with her on his arm at several red-carpet events. This, however, was a rare opportunity to not only see her up close and personal, but to actually hear her speak. It was actually very interesting to see her not as an oft-mentioned semi-visible doll, but as a real woman who seems to be extremely well put-together, intelligent, and quite beautiful as well. 



Extreme Bitterness Towards Jay Leno

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Granted, nobody expected Conan to be happy with Jay Leno after all this, but it was somewhat surprising to see how quickly he lost his bearing whenever the man was brought up by Steve Kroft during the interview. Again, Conan kept trying to act as though he wouldn’t speak ill of any party involved in the drama, but after some prodding he didn’t seem to be able to stop himself. There is some extreme bitterness between him and Leno, and it’s no longer implied or simply based on how the fans feel. He may actually hate the man.



He’s Better Off Now than Before

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Finally, after spending ten minutes feigning timidity, Conan unsteadily admits that he is, in fact, better off now than he was a year ago. The ordeal that has so many people feeling sorry for him has made him upwards of 32 million dollars. It’s made him more famous than he ever was hosting The Tonight Show, and it’s allowed him to tour the country. Clandestine posters were even made up in his likeness, while mobs of fans (many of which had never even seen him on TV before this all happened) actually demonstrated in major cities across the country, in his name. He’s America’s sweetheart now, but a year ago he was just a quirky late-night TV talkshow host.



Overall: This Interview Was a Mistake

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Conan never should have done this interview, pure and simple. Before this segment aired, he was in a position absolutely beyond reproach. He was a victim and the public had nearly unconditional love for him, and his performance in this interview showed nothing but desperation. He wasn’t honest, he wasn’t straightforward, and above all, he came across as whiny and weak. The public didn’t want to see that, the public wanted to see him finally lash out against the parties that wronged him, and the public wanted to see it in this interview. Instead they got to see a crushed man with a scraggly beard trying to act like 32 million dollars and constant publicity aren’t enough for him to live on. This interview was a mistake.