tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251043500092242623.post6779181274082017493..comments2024-03-25T03:31:09.538-04:00Comments on markrothmansblog: There's Johnny. 4.mark rothmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06577361966051927102noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251043500092242623.post-19571227450930977582014-05-22T21:12:56.036-04:002014-05-22T21:12:56.036-04:00Okay, here's my Carson story, which isn't ...Okay, here's my Carson story, which isn't even a tenth as good as Mark's, but here it is. When I was in junior high school, in the early sixties, I used to go to the drug store once in a while and pop for 15 cents, to buy a TV Guide. For some reason, I kept them into my adulthood. Years later, I was looking at them, and realized that I had one that listed the broadcast of the Tonight Show on Monday night, indicating that "Johnny Carson begins tonight as regular host of the Tonight Show," or something like that. Cut again to a few years later, and it was announced that Johnny would soon be retiring from the Tonight Show. So I wrapped up the TV Guide and mailed it to him in care of NBC Burbank. A few weeks later I received a nice signed note from him thanking me for it, and saying that he would add it to his collection. Now cut ahead a few years more, and I heard a radio interview with a guy whose job it had been to answer Johnny's mail. Thousands of letters and all kinds of stuff had arrived at the studio every week, and this guy had to deal with it by replying to as much of it as he could. Of course, Johnny rarely saw any of it! POOF! Now go back a couple of years, when I was still believing that I was in possession of a signed note from Johnny Carson, and TV Guide ran a cover story about Jay Leno starting his run on the Tonight Show. I made a point to go out and buy the issue. I still have it. Jay recently retired. It didn't even occur to me to mail it to him. BUT this story has a nice ending. Miss America 1988, Kaye Lani Raye Rafko, is from my home town, and I had purchased a TV Guide back then with her on the cover. Happily, she still lives here, and I have become slightly acquainted with her in recent years. So, I had a chance to present her with her cover issue in person, and she sweetly and graciously accepted it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12060914884320829030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251043500092242623.post-83702083418271725012013-12-03T03:15:11.497-05:002013-12-03T03:15:11.497-05:00I doubt that Carson sent anyone to complain (not t...I doubt that Carson sent anyone to complain (not that you said he did). This was probably a case where he mentioned something that made him feel old and an overzealous assistant decided to "protect" Johnny from ever dealing with even the slightest melancholy thought, and somehow impress her boss. A bit like Elvis saying he'd like a soda and then smiling to a friend when all the guys would run to get it first so they could be the one to hand it to him. Carson didn't like being babied and the book mentions it. And from what I've seen, Mark, you're so tall and big it would be depressing to anyone to imagine how long ago it was when you were a kid. We'd all feel old at that thought. Carson was probably much more sensible than his assistants.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com