I admire and enjoy reading Teachout for his calling out the NY theatre industry on their smug groupthink, but I agree that he’s missing the boat with this obituary.

Johnny Carson helped define comic timing for a couple of generations of Americans. I certainly know I learned how to tell a joke from him. While there are some specific lines that we’ll remember (I’ll always know what to do when I come to the famous “Slaussen cutoff”) what was really important was his overall ability to deliver a joke, whether as a part of a monologue or as a conversational aside. He really served as a role model for humor – hell, for panache – among American males of a certain age.

Plus, I’ll always respect the man for his retiring and staying retired. There’s nothing sadder than an old celeb (or athlete, for that matter) who just can’t go gracefully into the good night.

(Incidentally, the thought that there are kids in my office who really have no notion of how big Johnny Carson was just makes me feel so very, very old…)