We generally think of Conan O’Brien as the nerdy guy who was a writer for The Simpsons before getting his break as the awkward replacement for David Letterman’s late night show on NBC. We enjoyed rooting for him as his talents developed, leading him to take over the coveted Tonight Show. Then, during NBC’s decision to effectively push O’Brien out of the Tonight Show time slot after its failed experiment with Jay Leno in prime time, we were on the side of the underdog with Team Coco. The documentary, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011), which follows O’Brien on his post-NBC tour of the U.S. and Canada, shows another side of O’Brien, as a star who is kind of a jerk.
The documentary, now available on DVD
The film also shows O’Brien behind the scenes, where in candid discussions, often while he is exhausted, he reveals that underneath the way he ended The Tonight Show in a positive way, he was understandably bitter about the way NBC treated him. O’Brien is also conflicted about his feelings, recognizing that he has been given opportunities and money way above what most people can even dream about, but his feelings are nevertheless honest.
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop also reveals O’Brien as something besides the happy-go-lucky man portrayed on late night television. He often dishes out barbs and good-natured punches to the people who work with him, knowing that they have to take it all as part of their job without complaint. We also see another side of him as he whines about his exhausting schedule throughout.
To say he is a “jerk” might be too harsh, as the movie really just shows he is human, perhaps with an understandably larger ego than a non-celebrity but probably a lesser ego than most celebrities. There are shining moments, not the least of which is the fact that O’Brien must have approved everything in the film, and he does not hide his warts, which is refreshing. He could have made a glossy movie that only made him look good, but he went for something more honest instead.
O’Brien seems self-aware about the circus that surrounds him, as well as his good fortune. In one scene, apparently in his kitchen at home, he honestly talks about how he uses humor sometimes as a way of criticizing others. We also see that he has genuine relationships with several people besides his family. He never seems condescending to his on-screen pal Andy Richter, and the two genuinely seem to respect each other. Also, his main assistant who is featured in much of the film is a woman who enjoys the exchanges with O’Brien and seems to be one of the few who can stand up to O’Brien.
Conclusion? Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop is an entertaining documentary about a celebrity, revealing a another side of O’Brien’s life and a human side of the man. I’m still on Team Coco.
What did you think of Conan O’Brien in Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop? Leave a comment.
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I think Conan is an ass; I’ve never been “Team Coco”. Lobbied behind the scene to force Leno out of the Tonight Show, then does the shocked Pikachu face when he fails in the ratings and Leno takes his show back. Hypocritical and classless in the way Conan handled it, then and since.