Team Conan

Jeff Zucker should be tarred and feathered in the middle of the intersection of Alameda and Olive for all of NBC to see. In Hollywood's latest gross example of failing upward, Zucker, by making a batshit-crazy TWO YEAR, "IRON-CLAD" commitment to having Jay Leno occupy five hours of primetime real estate, obliterated not only the 10 p.m. network television drama, but has ignited a late-night TV tornado that will leave nothing but broken contracts, and pricey eight-figure penalties in its path.

I'm on Team Conan. He's a smart, hard-working guy who uprooted not only his own family, but the families of his entire writing staff to make the journey west and helm the Tonight Show, an honor he had dreamed of for most of his life. Everyone in Hollywood knows what a colossal douchebag Jay Leno is. And even if Conan's jokes don't always soar, he deserves so much more than the bullshit NBC is giving him now.

"He actually respects the chair," Pauly said, referring to O'Brien's shot-across-the-bow letter to NBC.

O'Brien understands the roots and the history of the Tonight Show. He understands its place in the television continuum and doesn't want to see a mockery made of the show by greedy executives trying not to trigger contract penalties.

Check out Conan O'Brien's full statement here.

Oh and guess what? American Idol is back tonight. Though I've long lost the fanaticism I one had for the show, I still watch. And since this will be Simon Cowell (and thus, I imagine, the show's) final season, I guess I'll have to blog it. So stay tuned.