Now and always, I'm with Coco

So unless you've been living under a rock (and apparently I do know at least two people who have been), you know that this past Friday was Conan O'Brien's last show as host of The Tonight Show. I made it a special point to be home to watch it, as I wanted to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, in regards to my support for him. And I must say, it was a thoroughly enjoyable -- and surprisingly emotional -- episode. Now when I say "surprisingly emotional," I'm referring to my own experience, and not Conan's. When I watched that montage at the beginning of the show, chronicling some memorable moments over the past seven months, I got legitimately sad. I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to see more moments, and I felt badly for Conan that this reflective moment was happening, as he said, a decade before it should have.

For me, though, the highlight of the episode was Conan's final speech. To me, this perfectly expressed how graceful and gracious the man is, and it's obvious why he's garnered such support from not only fans, but the entire entertainment industry. In the end, you got the sense that Conan is a man at peace with his situation, and I can't help but think of the Montreal Screwjob. Instead of fondly looking back at the decade plus that he had spent with the company, Bret couldn't get over the unfortunate way things ended. And because of that, he carried the heavy baggage of bitterness. And it just feels like he missed out on years of his life.

I'm really glad that Conan seems to be in a better place, mentally and emotionally. I encourage you to watch the video for yourself:



I actually had the pleasure of seeing a Conan taping back when he was hosting Late Night. This was during the writer's strike, so he was on his own out there. And the guy was utterly hilarious. And when he spoke to the audience before the taping began, his quick wit was highly evident. That's why I'm not particularly worried about him losing his crowd-favorite bits. He's funny enough to make anything work. He'll be okay -- it just saddens me that he worked so hard for that proverbial throne, only for it to be taken away from him.

And now my plea, to all the celebrities out there who voiced their support for Conan. Please, PLEASE put your money where your mouth is! When the opportunity to appear on Jay Leno's Tonight Show presents itself, turn it down. Hit him where it hurts -- it's really the only way to make a point.