Conan O’Brien Talks To Grads About Failure

COMMENTS (23)

• He should know about failure, hahaha his show 0.5 in ratings, Cake Boss Buddy and Kardashians bigger ratings then his show.

  Comment by mark hill — Sunday June 12, 2011 @ 11:18pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Sadly, how television ratings work by todays standards are joke. I watch Conan every night; I however don’t turn on the tv; I watch it online. I’ve been watching all my television programs via the internet for the last 10 years or so. My actual television hasn’t ever gotten reception; only my blu-ray player is plugged into it.

    People can rag all they want about Conan’s ratings, but I guarantee that if downloads were included in those ratings, Conan’s numbers would be far higher.

    Comment by Ed — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 12:55am PDT  Reply to this post

    • “Watching all my television programs via the internet for the last 10 years…” I find that a little hard to believe. What were you watching for the first six of those years?

      I agree how television ratings work today are a joke but I think your number of ten years is as flawed as their numbers.

      Comment by Deg — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 9:29am PDT  Reply to this post

    • Ed,

      People have done analyses of who’s watching what online. Your own anecdotal evidence notwithstanding, Conan ranks somewhere near the bottom in late night shows viewed online.

      Comment by Daisy — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 1:12pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • If he’s about failure, I’m sure most of us wish his level of failure. And maybe you could tell us what you’ve done?

    Comment by Tim W. — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 9:46am PDT  Reply to this post

• Why is George Bush in a wheelchair?

  Comment by Red Beard — Sunday June 12, 2011 @ 11:38pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • I was just gonna say the same thing. Age catching up with him, perhaps?

    Comment by JohnDoe — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 4:43am PDT  Reply to this post

  • George Bush, Sr. has Parkinsonism, a vascular disease similar to Parkinson’s, and is mostly confined to a wheelchair now.

    Comment by Bob — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 10:18am PDT  Reply to this post

• There was a protest at Dartmouth over Bush Sr. being on the stage; 76 professors/staff with tenure put forward petitions to dis-invite him. The protest, which called Bush Sr. for “being head of the CIA in a time of illegal and immoral acts” made him unacceptable. The protest probably didn’t help. I don’t know if he was in a wheelchair (I don’t see that) but he has had difficulties with his legs lately, at least recently at a Charity event.

  Ah, but what cost him the oval office may be some ripe reward; it was this month, in 1991 when Clinton committed to run.. which later let to the famous phrase “It’s the Economy Stupid”

  Comment by Chris — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 1:09am PDT  Reply to this post

• Classy, but ANXIOUS.

  And yes what is up with Bush Sr?

  Comment by Kris Morey — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 1:37am PDT  Reply to this post

  • See above comment about Bush, Sr.

    Comment by Bob — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 10:18am PDT  Reply to this post

• As a graduating Dartmouth student who was there at his speech, it absolutely hysterical.

  Comment by Derek — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 6:23am PDT  Reply to this post

  • Way to represent Dartmouth, Derek. Try mixing in another verb next time.

    Comment by Grammar — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 9:13am PDT  Reply to this post

  • You went to Dartmouth? Your comment is riddled with typos.

    Comment by the who — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 10:42am PDT  Reply to this post

    • As another Dartmouth person, maybe I can try do better

      Comment by Dan Tralder — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 8:03pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Yesterday on CBS Sunday Morning they said Bush Sr. gets around on a scooter now due to health problems.

  Comment by MJL — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 9:09am PDT  Reply to this post

• From watching the clips, it seemed like a funny and interesting speech. I’d like to watch the whole thing.

  Comment by Justin P. — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 9:31am PDT  Reply to this post

• What’s up with George Bush? The guy is 87 years old! I’d say the guy is fortunate to still be alive, quite frankly.

  Comment by Tim W. — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 9:48am PDT  Reply to this post

• Larry King at University of San Diego was better!

  Comment by Kevin — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 9:51am PDT  Reply to this post

• Can Conan just go away now please, nobody feels sorry for you.

  Comment by Mr. B — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 10:21am PDT  Reply to this post

• Conan’s now at .4′s…just barely breaking 400,000 viewers some nights…getting crushed by The Daily Show, Colbert and now even beaten by Chelsea Handler on a regular basis. TBS could have gotten higher ratings scheduling reruns of King of Queens in that slot for 5% of the price. And no amount of increased CPM’S is going to make up the difference between what they paid and what they are getting on a CPM basis. Nikki, where’s the story of what a disaster this is?

  Comment by mr michaels — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 10:52am PDT  Reply to this post

• I wish Jay would’ve gone to Dartmouth and said “Let me give the speech instead.” And then, right after Conan starts, a chancellor walks out and leads him off stage so Jay can tell some recycled old Clinton sex jokes to the grads.

  Comment by Myron — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 11:50am PDT  Reply to this post

• He should know about failure, hahaha his show 0.5 in ratings, Cake Boss Buddy and Kardashians bigger ratings then his show.

  totally agree. everybody is beating Conan…..funny how they don’t talk about his talk show failure much.
  I thought when he went to TBS he was going to do all his stuff, and all these people making noise were going to follow in droves….well it didn’t happen, he failed at the Tonight Show and he’s failed on Cable.

  Comment by chris — Monday June 13, 2011 @ 2:49pm PDT  Reply to this post