Carson Daly Amuses One

   If you stay up late enough, you're bound to see things you never thought possible. Friday, Sept. 16 Steve Carell was on "Last Call w/ Carson Daly" touting the return of "The Office", and I'm sure the continued success of his movie. Not paying too much attention, I did happen to catch Carell explaining how a scene filmed at a Chili's™™ restaurant had to be changed because of Chili's™™ MGMT objections. It seems one of the female staffers of the Office was to have been over-served, (which doesn't happen at Chili's™), and was to then vomit, (which also doesn't happen at Chili's™™). The changes were that she would become drunk by drinking from other's glasses, and that she would then fall over. At this point in Carell's telling of the tale, Daly quipped, "Oh, apparently the Tara Reid role."

   Now, you might know that Carson Daly is a rather dim person. Dumb and cheery, yet snotty and sarcastic at times, a very good set of characteristics for a chat show host, I think. You may also know that he was engaged to Miss Reid a few years back. Those two details add a lot of flavor to the line. Going to the 'Tara Reid is a drunkard' well may be old hat for certain bloggers and stand-ups, but his being her ex and not usually very quick-witted made it a much better joke. If it had been JLH that had become a walking punchline I'm sure he would have a page of professionally written slams to serve up; but this one he did himself, and it was quite beautiful. --r-

(Jennifer Love Hewitt is the one that broke up with him without his knowing. He isn't that dumb; she didn't bother to tell him directly, he said he heard it on the radio. The story is half-told all over the place, I've always assumed he cheated and she didn't feel he deserved private notification.)