DAVID LETTERMAN: QUINTESSENTIALLY POSTMODERN?
DAVID LETTERMAN: QUINTESSENTIALLY POSTMODERN? Geri Lynn Woods Hum 413 Prof Linda Kintz November 15, 1991 "Late Night with David Letterman." To fans those words mean hip, irreverent and absurd humor. To detractors this conjures up images of an arrogant and abusive talk show host. What happens every weekday at 12:30 AM probably occurs somewhere between these two extreme views. The enduring popularity of this program in a previously undesirable time slot, as well as the special niche it has created for itself in redefining the format established by 'The Tonight Show" make it worthy of critical attention. To what extent do David Letterman's ironic style of humor and departure from the traditional talk show conventions work? In the fast-paced and rapidly changing landscape of television, where cancellation occurs more often than renewal for programs, does a successful nine-year run constitute a tradition itself? What does it mean that a celebrity can establish a loya