Conan “Coco” O’Brien is still in rare form as he enjoys his last days breathing the douchey stench of NBC’s air. Most people thought an official announcement would be coming from Coco or from NBC yesterday – and now they’re saying an official announcement will come today, so whatever. I’m pretty sure Friday will be Coco’s last day, and I’m pretty sure Coco’s severance package is somewhere in the $30-40 million range. It seems in the negotiations over Coco’s contract, Coco did something really wonderful – he stayed strong for his staff and refused to back down on getting his staffers generous severance packages too:
The sticking point in Conan O’Brien’s complex exit negotiations with NBC involves his TV staff, not Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, a person familiar with the talks said Tuesday.
Although discussions also focused on whether NBC would keep the rights to familiar O’Brien comedy bits including Triumph, O’Brien’s focus was ensuring severance deals for his “Tonight” staff and crew, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were intended to be private.
O’Brien is “dug in on that,” the person said.
NBC fired back in a statement, saying “it was Conan’s decision to leave NBC that resulted in nearly 200 of his staffers being out of work.”
“We have already agreed to pay millions of dollars to compensate every one of them. This latest posturing is nothing more than a PR ploy,” the network said.
A spokesman for O’Brien declined to comment.
[From The Huffington Post]
Coco sounds like a stand up guy. But even good guys have their breaking points, and it sounds more and more like Coco has reached his. At this point, it might be less of a catastrophe if Coco simply burned his studio down. But no, Coco continues to blast NBC, and last night was particularly bad:
As Conan O’Brien tapes his final episode of The Tonight Show on Friday, and some predict an official announcement on Wednesday regarding his future, the embattled late-night host is biding his time with jokes and jabs at NBC.
“Hi, I’m Conan O’Brien, and I’m just three days away from the biggest drinking binge in history,” he said during Tuesday’s monologue. “I spent the afternoon at Universal Studios’ amusement park, enjoying their brand-new ride, the ‘Tunnel of Litigation.'”
Noting reports that he is legally prohibited from bad-mouthing the network behind the mess (Jay Leno is taking over O’Brien’s time slot after his prime time show was axed), O’Brien joked in his monologue Tuesday “Nobody said anything about speaking in Spanish.”
He then rails off an insult in Spanish which translates to: “NBC is run by brainless sons of goats who eat money and crap trouble.”
The redheaded comic then shares what he’ll do with his free time — and his plans include a Jersey Shore cast member! “Introduce myself to my children…Finally make good on my plan to backpack through India with ‘The Situation.’…Make a big move to Fox. Megan Fox.”
[From Us Weekly]
Ugh, I was with him until the Megan Fox joke. Bad Coco. Bad! He also came out with these gems: “You know things are bad when Cubs fans are feeling for you” and “I am not allowed to say things like, ‘NBC’s headed downhill faster than a fat guy chasing a runaway cheese wheel.'” Now… here’s the thing… I’m Team Coco and everything, but at some point this stuff becomes less funny and “stick it to the man” and just becomes unprofessional and stupid. Because this is what you’re showing your prospective employers – that if they ever make a mistake, you’ll burn the f-cking house down. I don’t know if Coco is really considering a move to Fox, but I know Fox executives will be thinking twice.
Coco in LA, greeting his fans on January 18, 2010. Credit: Nathanel Jones, Pacific Coast News.
Let’s not forget his decision to turn down NBC’s offer is what cost his staff their jobs in the first place.
I think he’s burning bridges at NBC, but the public is loving him for it. The whole ‘stick it to the boss’ thing is incredibly relatable for most of us.
I just adore that he’s not afraid to rock the boat. That he’s not toning it down. Everybody, everyday has to tone it down. It’s nice to see someone who doesn’t give a shit.
If I was getting a 30-40 million dollar severance, I wouldn’t care about finding another job!
NBC really made a mess with their late night decisions, and Conan was treated unfairly. At least he and his people now will leave with some cash in their pockets. Yes, the insults are getting old, though they were really funny at the beginning.
Leno and Conan both do nothing for me. I prefer Letterman and LOVE CRAIG FERGUSON.
I get a “Milton from Office Space” vibe from Conan. He was getting the shaft for too long, and now he can finally be free of the Leno Shackles, or “jackles” as I like to call them. So let him steal his stapler back and set the building on fire. He deserves it.
Well, if he lands at Fox I won’t be watching him there! Sorry Coco.
Why wouldn’t you watch him at fox?
I respect him so much for paving his own path through this corporate mess! he’s sticking to his guns and protracting the tonight show legacy while being a responsible boss. and hes doing it with all the god given talent and class I love him for.
i never watched any of these late night shows, and i may sound dumb, but i had no idea triumph was conan’s! makes me love coco more…and i don’t think the insults are getting old, cause each word he spews out, the people of nbc are squirming…and anything to lower nbc’s value, i’m into.
I’m with CoCo. Yes they may be getting old, but they are speaking to many of us in America. And unlike the rest of us he doesn’t have to worry about being jobless, he will survive, most of us have to quietly grit our teeth because rocking the boat means no job. So i love the fact that he is speaking for me on this one.
Sorry Kaiser, I usually agree with you
NBC is only working against themselves by snipping at him in statements like that. Right now momentum is on Conan’s side, and I kind of feel like NBC made this mess so they should just shut up and fix it as best and quickly as possible. They wouldn’t be doing this huge settlement if they weren’t responsible.
The nasty jokes are getting a bit old, but he knows it’s propelling him into higher ratings and huge public support, all of which will be big bargaining factors when shopping for a new show. Plus he might as well vent now because once that deal is signed, he won’t be able to anymore.
I know he technically canceled his own show but not allowing the pushback, but I’m glad he’s standing up for his staffers too and I’m sure he’ll bring them with him to wherever he goes. I’ve never heard anything bad about him as an employer, quite the opposite.
I’m with Conan 100% on this whole ordeal. NBC is stupid. How can you still technically call Conan’s show “the Tonight Show” if it technically airs at midnight and is thus considered tomorrow”? Leno’s half hour show would have basically been the tonight show and what exactly would he do with thirty minutes? “the Tonight Show” has been on for forever and expecting to change the timeslot because Leno failed at his primetime spot wasn’t smart. NBC has lost many viewers because of this and I can only imagine that Lenos ratings for his new show will be even worse because of this whole mess. I don’t think any other network would be so stupid as to try and pull something like this so I don’t think other networks would have to think twice because of Conan’s approach.
I think Conan’s been on top of his game. I also don’t think they made him sign any agreement about talking badly about the network because he’d probably be in violation of it even if it was sung or spoken in Spanish.
NBC signed a contract with Conan, they made him and his staff and crew move across the country for the show and only gave them 7 months? NBC should have just fired Leno since his show sucks and kept Conan right where he is.
I say good for him. Stick it right up their butts as far as they can take it. They screwed him over royally and I hope it comes back to haunt them when he competes against Leno in the future. Leno is old and his humour is dated and bland. At some point, people are going to realize what they’ve been missing & maybe the Tonight Show will get cancelled for good.
Conan had no choice to leave considering NBC is so far up Leno’s butt. Most people would not stay with a company that repeatedly screw you over and don’t respect you. Jay was supposed to leave but instead he got an earlier show. His show was such a bomb that it effect the ratings of other shows. Instead of being fired, he gets his old timeslot and NBC didn’t even discuss with Conan first.
I am with Peeches and Bitterbetty and like most of your other readers, Team coco 100%.
My first thought was that “he has to keep doing these monologues, for gossip column soundbites because no one is watching NBC”.
Then I also thought the public fascination with this is so intense because no one else can so publicly and strongly say these things to employers. its almost a reality show voyeurism taking place…too bad NBC couldn’t parlay it into good reality show television.
Maybe they will be smart enough to pilot a sitcom next year where a “local” television host gets canned by his network, and parody the whole thing….
nah. it would never happen.
conan has always made fun of nbc though
I don’t get it… why isn’t he trying to save his career by getting plastic surgery and posing in a bikini and is attempting to do it through talent and wit instead… I’M CONFUSED?!?!?
I have been deeply in love with Conan for at least a decade, so I can’t make an unbiased comment about him.
But I’m surprised by NBC’s statement – you think they’d make a more neutral, professional comment. They should have just fed us a line about how they’re also concerned about the well-being of the staffers and are committed to treating them fairly and getting this resolved quickly. To allow the comment above to be released as an “official” statement reflects poorly on the network, and also makes it pretty clear that this is an issue everybody’s taking reeeeeeeal personally. Egads.
I wish people were as passionate about health care and unemployment as they are about these two multi millionaires.
@fizXgirl314: LOL! You ARE feisty today! LOVE IT!
The way NBC handled this was so shitty–They should have pulled everyone together and told them what was up and their options. They didn’t. This got out to the media faster than it got to THIER OWN employees. This is what upset everyone so much. And honestly I would bet that Leno is as much behind this as anyone. He is a nice guy publicly but he is a very shrewd and cut throat businessman. He should have retired gracefully after his colossal failure at 10p. I mean Conan will leave with enough money to last a lifetime so I don’t feel sorry for him there. I feel sorry for him because NBC publicly humiliated him and that truly sucks.
i doubt his mocking NBC would deter a Fox contract. anyone who has watched the Simpsons knows that Fox must be pretty good about their own shows making fun of the network.
i personally am not sick of the craziness. he did get a raw deal, his dream job is being taken from him without having had the opportunity to shape it and let it take off, and he’s understandably upset.
it’s also unfair to compare Conan’s ratings over the last couple of months to Leno’s ratings after several YEARS on the Tonight show.
apart from the odd chin joke,the jabs aren’t really toward one another, which is a relief to me. it’s against a network that makes an insane amount of money. and while most of us struggle to keep it together, i have been enjoying conan calling NBC on their b.s., they can certainly afford it.
NBC’s plan was stupid to begin with. 10:00 Jay spot whith really bad ratings. Ok let’s cancel Jay’s show and then punish everyone else by moving their shows back. I don’t blame Conan for leaving, how does he know what their next dumb move will be? Why sit around and wait for them to put him in a position to have Jimmy or Carson Delay fired?
Also I don’t think Triump the Insult Comic Dog is part of the discussions because Robert Smigel has the rights to him.
thanks, I think it’s cuz I’m back home in the states… I LURRRVEEEE AMERICA… *starts singing the national anthem*… I’ve been roughing it in Switzerland for a few months now lol…
Oh come on! Conan’s jabs are tame and he deserves to make fun of NBC. Letterman made fun of NBC and GE on a nightly basis during his tenure on Late Night before things even got bad between him and the network.
Conan’s ratings are through the roof. NBC should quit complaining, Conan picking on them is ratings gold.
Where I’m from what NBC did to Conan regarding the schedule change, actually what they did to him with Leno @ 10pm and then the schedule change “option” could be construed as Constructive Dismissal. That is: making it so hard for the employee to do their job or changing the conditions and then blaming them for failing… to the point of forcing them to quit.
So please don’t give me the It’s Conan’s choice to walk away. As for Conan’s continual NBC jokes – why would he stop now? He’s gone in 3 days, he may be muzzled before then, certainly after, obviously. Get it all off your chest now Conan – as someone else said, every day everyone else swallows this stuff without being able to speak up. Speak up for everyone.
Team Conan.
I think Conan is handling this whole mess the only way he knows how…With jokes!
Don’t forget, this was his dream job, and he’s being royally shafted. He only has a few more days to make these jokes on NBC so he should cherish every moment of it.
And in regards to NBC’s PR ploy crack;
The idea that Conan fighting for the best deal for his staff is all a front? Yes, the guy who paid staff out of his own pocket during the writers strike is all about image. Anyone in the industry will tell you how much respect they have for Conan and the kind of person he is. And everyone knows the kind of people who run NBC.
I usually agree with every word Kaiser says but I have to say that I disagree with her here. I don’t think Conan is even CLOSE to unprofessional or stupid here. I think he’s playing this exactly right. He got screwed. He has every right to call them out…well unless he’s contractually obligated not to. I doubt that’s the case considering what he’s actually saying, in Spanish or in English.
I cannot stand the argument that it was HIS decision to leave and leave his 200 employees stranded. That’s like saying the wife should be blamed for leaving her marriage after her husband comes home saying that he wants to keep his girlfriend and have his family too.
@Whitey Fisk – I think you’re right. It’s always been OK to make fun of the network, but as soon as he made fun of the execs, they got all bent out of shape. Clearly taking it personally. And they definitely should have expressed that their goal is ALSO to make sure the staff is taken care of. That statement just makes them sound like jerks.
@Ron – I totally agree. They should have all gotten all parties together to work the problem out right off the bat. Instead there’s all this behind the back, “sure he’s fine with it!” nonsense.
I bet NBC never anticipated Conan getting this sort of support, or ratings.
conans ego and refusal to move his show to a later time is what screwed his staff in the first place. Saying he is standing up for them is a joke, he got his and they are screwed.
Sing it brutha Conando, shout it from the rooftops!
The guy shouldn’t be shamed to sit back politely with his hands folded on his lap for “appearances” sake.
He’s not an actor and it’s not a role, it’s for real that this man got scumbagged.
For those decrying anyone giving a crap about Conan’s situation because of “Haiti” and “healthcare”, etc. -go blog on CNN, MSN or Faux instead of pulling that self-righteous phony-baloney here on a celebrity blog site … those postings were ridiculous and beg then the (rhetorical) question -just what in the hell were you folks doing here at all? -there’s a world to save!!!
This whole Conan/Leno situation is ridiculous. This seems very similar to the whole Brett Favre fiasco a few years back. Mr. Packer retired his quarterback throne only to plead for his spot back the next year. However the team management felt “out with the old, in with the new!”. Not only has it worked out for the Pack, but Mr. Favre isn’t doing so bad himself. Our society is based on “THE NEWEST, YOUNGEST, HOTTEST THINGS”, maybe NBC needs to acknowledge this! Sooner than later!
Conan and his staffers got royally screwed and NBC deserve everything they get! He hasn’t gone far enough IMO. I’m thoroughly enjoying all of it, including Letterman’s jibes as well. Leno should of had the class and grace to step down and not put Conan in this awkward position. He had The Tonight Show for years and he should of let Conan have a fair shot at it. Leno has no integrity.
I totally support Conan. The NBC suits and Jay Leno are miserable failures. I hope Leno’s Tonight Show takes a big ratings hit. Leno should have opted for early retirement, he is on a downhill slope and is so dull I have never been able to watch him. I wish Conan all the best and admire him more because of this.
insults getting old? are you kidding? he’s on fire, and getting better every night. goats who eat money and crap trouble. I’m DYING.
Lets not forget that this guy failed and is getting fired. The suit that came up plan also should get the boot. I wonder how history would of been different if NBC had given the Tonight Show to Dave Letterman instead of Leno?
Oh…I thought this was the Ann B. Davis sues Minute Rice thread?
I’m so confused.
I believe conan hobrian is kick ass!!! butt i found my self watching leno and switching back from that british guy and that otha person……. (that I had to look up, that did that sorry bass movie “Taxi”, to find and read his name off of the cover) Jimmy Fallon and if im not too busy trying to see whats carson is talking about. also around that time i try to figure out if that dude with gaps in his teeth was on that night or if he is only on-on fridays ? ….. hell o hell aka hahaha!
I do believe something big something ratings/new direction/modern/next generation prob 1994-95ish being thought out right now and need new (talent?)…
retirement…close around the next fad bla bla what ever {Boulderd} I is!!!
Anyways Conan will survive. Might be in the spot light and in focused or not, the only real question is……………….. how the F*@# am i going to pay my god dam bills!!!
this is reason 12398210381 why i love my Coco so much 🙂