The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 18, 1993, Page 8, Image 8
Greed alor
Letterma]
Well, the battle is
over: David Letterman
is going to CBS. ^
Good riddance, I
; The past year has
exposed Letterman as
not quite the "Mr. <0
Nice Guy" he would
appear to be on "Late
Night." After a vitri- |
olic tantrum for not p .
getting the "Tonight
Show" gig, he left 1???
NBC for a $16 million
lure from CBS.
What else does Letterman gi
from his switch? The 11:30 p.n
slot, which has been the cause (
so much stress for him, as well <
ownership of the show and produi
tion rights for a second show.
The dust has now cleared, an
everyone seems happy, but there
still something foul in the ai
something seems tainted.
Apparently, Letterman has fe
slighted because he was passed n
to replace Johnny Carson, and Jc
Leno was given the job insteai
There is a reason for that: whi
Letterman is an effective clown, f
is not a particularly insightful inte
viewer, nor does he have
"Tonight Show"-worthy sense (
class and taste.
The entire appeal of "Lat
Night" is just what the name woul
imply: it is on late ? too late to b
watchins television. But that's th
fun, and Letterman has alway
played it to the hilt with his unusu
al gags and, more importantly, hi
"Guy Next Door" sense of fun.
Well, the guy next door to m
would never sell out his loyalty fo
$16 million, especially when h
was not exactly poor in the firs
place ? NBC has already bee
paying him $7 million annually.
The unfortunate fact is the onl
reason for the switch seems to b
greed.
NBC pays Letterman more in
working day than I will probabl
make on any given year before
am 30.
With his current salary at NBC
Letterman makes roughly $35,00
per episode, generously assumin
200 shows per year. Under his ne\
contract, he will make $80,000 pe
episode. His demand from NB<
was either the 11:30 p-mf'time sic
or a mammoth $50 million. Gree
indeed.
Letterman's desire for th
"Tonight Show's" time slot ha
been consistent and unwavering
but why? His ratings are as good a
they are primarily because his chie
audience ? insomniacs and col
lege students ? do not start watch
Happy Hon
rri
lry our newcai
overlooking F
rm
B(
TEA1V
REGI
P
BASK
NO E]
PAY
CONTACT
1C
le prompts Fy
i switch
ing television until The c
. after midnight. Jan. 1
? It is difficult to Supre
Tm decide who has less the ca;
class: Letterman for v. Ou
running away from guided
the network that has To
nurtured his antics for mary
the past decade or Willia
NBC's inability to respon
LEE decide whether or not oral
rv. t ?i to tiie Leno. mac hi
The network, for Lanci
I once, did the right service
thing in letting him Ann 1
go. appell
ct Many have criticized Jay Leno these
a. for revamping "The Tonight crimii
if Show's" set and surroundings. Berkel
is Why? Did anyone think that Leno, wrote
c- who seems to be in this for the bounc
long run, would really want to keep as a re
id such relics as Doc Severinson and Ber
is Ed McMahon around? agains
r; At least Leno is not afraid to fered
take a few risks. True, he has yet to pursui
It find the show's ideal flow, but he age tc
ip will. He wants to. was ei
ty On the other hand, Letterman ey she
d. wants the CBS version of his show of pro
le to be as similar as possible to the the sta
le present show, despite his newly
r- granted ownership. For alLhis coma
plaints about moving to a new time l-C "1*
)f slot, he does not want to change
anything for fear of losing his audie
ence. If that is the case, why H
d change the time slot at all? Hussein
e What will this do for the young rfso utl1
threatei
e market which normally watches "
s "The Arsenio Hall Show" before Bosnia
switching over to "Late Night"? It ussia
s remains to be seen how Hall's Comm<
show will fare, but it is likely that States,
e many will ditch the outspoken, . ?
r unpleasant Hall in favor of "Not- 1jir\ ^ *
e so-Late Night" with Letterman.
d To give a sense of scale, Hall er
n makes an unbelievable $20 million e
annually. Letterman will make $16 sP? n
y million. Even Whoopi Goldberg's dent, yi
e confused show earns her $5 million vvor. v
a year- \) ',
a Jay Leno, Johnny Carson's sue- u v
y cessor and host of the most revered . 0 ='
I talk show ever produced, makes a ''rst ,stlJ
meager S3 million. ele^
On his show. Letterman has ("helsca
0 always appeared to be an overportin?
g grown child, spending an hour a c
v 3 i C f u- surtacc
v day in a playground ot his own Howevi
:1 creation. He toys with remote-con- st vj(
r trolled trucks, plays with monkeys
)( and sits in front of a cardboard Secret
c' city. environ
It would appeal- that the child's camp. I
e tantrum got him what he wanted. I is a par
hope Letterman finds what he is ter mor
looking for at CBS. A lot of card- points?
board buildings can be bought with Clinti
$16 million. It might even buy a from hi;
, soul. his ecoi
lie seei
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ypRAWf
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ideo poker ri
>pinion filed The tria
1 by the S.C. Paul E. Shoi
me Court in missed Bei
>e of Bcrkebile m argument am
ten was mis- I | the law onl;
I. to illegal gan
offer a sum- The Supre
of the facts, . said in its ru
m Outen, the ill iBBPlk so'c 'ssue on
ident, had sev- whether the
video poker CARSON requires the j
ines in his HENDERSON an illeSal
ister County prerequisite
i station. Carol L^???J recovery ol
3erkebile, the bling loss."
lant, lost $4,000 playing The law, directly baser
machines. Outen initiated English law first acceplec
rial proceedings against Carolina in 1712, was \
lile because the checks she that anyone who lost 50
to pay her gambling debts more while gambling coi
ed. Outen received $1,000 recover monetary losst
suit of these oroceedinss. three months. The law
kebile then filed a lawsuit only to mention illegal
t Outen alleging she "suf- gambling, while in Soutf
lost time from her normal video poker machines are
ts, mental injury and dam- The Supreme Court,
) her reputation," and she as best as it could inte
ititled to be repaid the mon- legislature's intentions,
had gambled away because 1991 law did "not requir
visions in a law passed by ing of illegal gambling ;
te legislature in 1991. ment for recovery."
oken promises: a i
'linton is under fire. Saddam
fails to comply with U.N.
ons, and the United States
is military action. War in
rages on. Instability in Vm
threatens the newly formed
jnwealth of Independent '"<*
x W ,. I
^
lese headlines sound famil- jf W' \
sy were from various papers
lanuary 1992, yet a year lat- C . E .
still ring true. Considering H O L M A N
"need for dramatic change"
by our newly elected presi- 1????-???
ou might have thought the
vas about to witness something as dra- Will have sa
?the Second Coming. er taxes. W1
ve haven't. So when will we? means Clinu
jess when change will occur, we should ating some c
idy Clinton's actions since winning the short-term si
to work and
/ people have said his choice to send So, even
Clinton to a private school, after sup- on the iniddl
public education, is hypocritical. On the ering its lorn
:, this argument cannot be refuted. And the n
_t, Washington D.C. has some of the reform has i
blent schools in the nation. from his old
ough she would be protected hy the nate Ron Br
Service, Chelsea would be entering an er, is under I
ment as hostile as a terrorist training al gala to b<
iven though Clinton is president, he still as Pepsi, Sc
ent. Is risking the safety of one's daugh- this. Brown'
e linpoiuuu man scoimg a ltrw puiuiiai uitiaioi d;
known to vi
an is fairly criticized for backing away zens.
s middle-class tax cut, die cornerstone of These eth
lomic plan. However, the American pub- experienced
ns to suffer from glaucoma and only John Sununi
tok r <
se Of Beer
L Drink ^ M
lis Ad I
00 Purchase) | 1^^ H
)464 i I JL
in Street 5
it's Wing-Inn i I
?. |e ?*
icc
^ Mon.
/ ^ Sund
iVJHE FIRST
lling a poor ?
1 judge, Berkebile successfully argued becau
t Jr., dis- the "statute has the effect of pro- costs.
rkebile's tecting a gambler, regardless of ning
i claimed the legality of the game, from broke';
y applied abusing the vice and exceeding The
ibling. limits which bring harm to the judgm
me Court gambler and his or her family." ual's \
iling, "the This is an extremely liberal idea nize t
appeal is in a very conservative state. When ence
1991 law did the conservative coalition machii
claying of begin worrying about the misfor- tirjvirv
ame as a tunes of addicts, much less broke
; to the gambling addicts? valuat
' a ?am- When did free enterprise, which . .,
1. , . cnmin
video poker most certainly is, get ^
1 upon an passed over in favor of morality?
J o t_ n-.t. .: . 1 waste
j in soum uon i conservatives want less
vritten so government interference?
dollars or The Supreme Court's ruling back,
jld sue to only allows an individual to sue to ^
is within collect monetary losses of 50 dol- Sl,50(
r appears lars or more; the ruling is by no ^ees 1
forms of means an assurance the appellant infonr
1 Carolina will win. An individual, however, severe
: legal. would have to be financially pun- As
however, ished by a video poker machine to rulim
irpret the even make the idea of a lawsuit Attorn
said the economically feasible, considering to enh
e a show- attorney fees and such. 1994?
as an ele- Video poker machine owners politic
may be forced out of business helps i
sign of things to c<
focus on lower taxes. Because he missal. It leads
is "backing away" does not mean Clinton's decisior
he will not offer it. has been inaugura
Figures released last week by Congress was
the Congressional Budget Office tions facing Bro'
show the deficit has grown by rather than rake
about $60 billion because of higher Congress overwhi
health care costs, which throws a Why? What w
monkey wrench into Clinton's eco- people to hold h
nomic plan. Clinton now must simple.
reconsider the tax pledge so he can The Republicai
raise the revenue to make up for hoping they screv
the shortfall. sidelines and cha
Conservative commentators Vvere re-elected
from Rush Limbaugh to George happened. This is
id it can mean only one thing, high- politics. So, Clint'
tile this may be true, more likely it However Clint
>n will cut spending and delay initi- campajon promis
>f his plans. He is also considering a seekin/entra?ce
mnulus package 10 gel people back revers^ his Ueci;
spark economic srowth. , .
, . , ~ . u ...... ? cy ot deportation.
thoueh he appears to be walflinu .. .
i i" . . . . i . . lie has author
le class tax cut, he is at least cons id- , , , , ....
.-term impact on the economy. b,ockade "am ,l?
nan who stressed the need for PAC 'etugees. Cou c
done anything but separate himself nip-Bopping w
friends. Commerce Secretary desig- us. a^()ul'
own, the ultimate Washington insid- Based upon his
fire for a recently cancelled inaugur- destined lor dram
. funded by PAC contributors such tics as usual. He
my and J.C. Penney. In addition to promises. Let us
s law firm once represented Haitian Clinton is mortal,
lby Doc" Duvalier, who has been takes, but can we
iolate the human rights of his citi- Perhaps, when
see the dramatic (
ical dilemmas are not unlike ones being a politician
by Bush's former Chief of Staff will become a m<i
j, which eventually led to his dis- bl]1iet and do wha
ATI
DR VCX
worn
Thurs., Jan. 18-21 7:30
y, Jan. 22 7:30
day, Jan. 23 8:30
ay, Jan. 24 12:3'
STOP TO INTELLIGENT LIFE INTH
^aAaaAAAa/M>
gamble
se of these burdensome
What good is there in wina
lawsuit if you end up
)
state should limit making
ent calls about an individ)rivatc
life; one must recoghcre
is a significant differbetween
video poker
nes and, for example, drunk
11
>uldn't the state be usina
>le taxpayer dollars to fight
ials? Courtrooms should not
cupied by appellants who
their own money of their
ccord and then sue to get it
the way, the state collects
) per machine in licensing
each year. Has someone
led the suite that there is a
money shortage?
a final thought, could this
I have been favored by
iey General Travis Medlock
ance his race for governor in
Sadly enough, this type of
al manipulation of the law
elect many public officials.
)me?
people to unfairly question
is and motives even before he
ited.
aware of many of the allegawn
and other nominees. Yet,
these people over the coals,
dmingly approved them,
arped logic allows unqualified
igh offices? Politics, pure and
is are allowing these people in,
v up. They can then sit on the
istise Clinton and say if Bush
the errors would have never
the ugly reality of Washington
on is not wholly to blame,
on's most blatant negation of a
,e dealt with Haitian refugees
into our country. Last week, he
,ion and backed the Bush poliized
the U.S. Coast Guard to
prevent a last-minute influx of
this be the beginning of his
hirh Rush and Onavle warned
; actions, it appears we are not
atic change, but for more poliis
already backing out of his
hope he won't betray our trust,
and he is prone to make misafford
to pay for them?
Clinton takes the oath, we will
;hanges he spoke of. Instead of
worrying about re-election, he
in of integrity who will bite the
it is right.
'yvyvv|
1
JR|
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