The wait isn't over....but baby, it's better!

It has been a while since I posted to this blog, almost a full month.....I've had people ask if I was done writing about "Waiting for Coco" since, in some ways, we are not waiting anymore. He has come back to us on many fronts: He's on tour, he's signed a deal to TBS, he can be interviewed on television and in newspapers and magazines. Yes, in a lot of ways we have our Conan O'Brien back. And yet I do still feel obliged to keep watch, and keep reporting on the process that will eventually bring Coco back to our late night screens. Until he is delivered safely where he belongs, unharmed and unhinged, I can't let that last relieved breath escape my orange-tinted lips ( Gloss or Cheetos? I'll never tell!) And so the wait goes on.....although I do have to say, much has changed...

For a long while, we the Conan fans were surviving in what could only be described as a desert - dry and barren, devoid of any signs of our beloved funny man. We'd sit in the quiet of the evenings, watching the tumbleweeds blow by as we recounted story after story, and shared clip after hilarious clip. Then, a little sustenance would trickle in: We'd get to read daily Conan Twitters, and we had our insider updates from our beloved Aaron Bleyaert. Sometimes news would come to us via our own Mike Mitchell, and sometimes we had to rely on the media to let us know that yes, Conan was still alive and kicking. We had a fight ahead of us, we desert dwellers. We had to inform NBC of what a huge mistake they had made, and we had to show other perspective networks what a catch our Mr. O'Brien would be. We had to dispel the mountains of misinformation that were floating around, shoot down the Leno fans who thought they knew ANYTHING.... If a poll was posted online we would descend like hyenas on a lame zebra to prove to the media outlets that Conan's fans were forever loyal. If NBC dared try to promote their Favorite Son in any way that was at all open to public opinion, they got it by the truckload. And it wasn't pretty. But it was always funny. Conan's fans are, if nothing else, always funny.

Through it all, we would regroup on a daily or even hourly basis at our "basecamp" - the I'm With Coco message board - to exchange info, share stories, and get updates on the latest news. I was on the board when Conan Tweeted for the first time, when the tickets for his (at that point unconfirmed) tour went on sale, when the TBS deal was announced. I shared in the excitement of other lucky "Legally Prohibited" ticket holders, and commiserated with those who were not so lucky. I debated the merits of TBS over Fox, dissected the meaning behind RIKSHAZ9LIRK, marveled over photos of dolphin-kissing and gas-pumping. I vented in anger over Leno's pathetic TV interviews, media comments, and "jokes" that were hurtful not just to Conan but to we, the fans. I tried really, really hard to not be cynical, although at times it was extremely difficult, and to be kind, which I found some days to be impossible. And through it all there was an army of others just like me, parked firmly on that desert floor, drinking up whatever drops we were given and always looking forward toward whatever the next day might bring.

Then, even as we were firmly entrenched in our Conan drought, we noticed a change on the air. Of course, a huge shift occurred when the tour started. Suddenly we had first-hand accounts, photos, and even videos of this man we had been deprived of for so long. When I first heard his voice, live and in person at McCaw Hall in Seattle, I nearly wept....not only from joy, but from relief. It was so good to hear him saying new words, making fresh jokes. He was no longer stuck in the exile of videos from comedy moments past. He was, in front of my very eyes, creating new and hilarious moments. It was almost too much to absorb. I still struggle with convincing myself that my memories weren't some crazy and fantastic dream....

And then - the floodgates broke!! Just a few shows into his tour, the gag order imposed by NBC expired, and suddenly Conan was not only appearing in our cities but right on our computer screens and even our TVs! The first TwitPic he sent out that showed his face brought an avalanche of comments and speculation on IWC.....Soon word hit the board that Conan would actually be interviewed on the prestigious news magazine "60 Minutes." At almost the same time, we saw his image splashed across the pages of Time Magazine. We, the shell-shocked Conan fans, went from near dehydration to near drowning overnight. It was a lot to process.

Immediately, the backlash smacked us out of our stupor. From many different directions, some expected and some surprising, came criticisms of all sorts - negativity spawned from the "60 Minutes" piece, bad reviews of the tour, sarcastic dismissals of the TBS deal. Although the bad press was actually pretty scarce, the reports would be repeated on the board many times an hour, with us rehashing them over and over. It was hard not to take the harshness personally. After believing in this person for so long, the offhand and often misinformed slams would sting like arrows to the heart. It was hard not to feel frustrated and at times even deflated. How could they be kicking this man again?? How could they not see how amazing his journey was? Again, it was hard to keep the cynicism at bay......

But, Conan showed himself to be a man of his word. He didn't let the bastards get him down one tiny iota. He worked hard. He stayed kind. And amazing things DID happen. One by one, reviews came out that were positive.....heck, even glowing. The TBS deal, a surprise at first, showed itself to be a wonderful fit, and Steve Koonin, TBS President, became a friend and a recipient of thousands of gushing "thank you" cards. Experts on everything related to television politics came out to say that the claims Conan made were true, and the arguments made by NBC were flimsy and unfounded. There was a feeling of vindication in the air.

In what I believe to be one of the best things to result from the past few months, we the fans have been granted access to the world o' Conan that we would have never previously expected. Aaron Bleyaert (our beloved Bley) has kept us updated with behind the scenes stories and photos, and has allowed us to post comments back to those on the road, making it feel like we are all personally involved in this tour ( and not in a "crazed stalker" way.) We are actually encouraged to share in the fun. Also, many on tour, including the writers and band members, have started Twitter accounts, keeping us entertained with their daily adventures, misadventures, photos, and inner thoughts. These folks, who a couple of months ago we knew only by name and maybe from skits on TV, have become "friends" to a great number of us. It is such an amazing synergy.... We fans sending the love to the guys and gals on tour, and them sending it right on back to us. As a fully grown and unmedicated adult (with kids and everything) I unabashedly admit that I do love this whole crazy bunch of folks. Now not only do I consider myself a Conan fan, but more a fan of "Conan & Co." They are all wonderful, funny, kind, and off their collective nut. What's not to love, am I right?

And so yes, the wait for Coco continues, but now it has an entirely different feel. Instead of being isolated and concerned, we are united and determined. No more shall we wonder what will happen to our hero, or when, or how. Now, we can simply marvel in the awesome things that he has achieved for himself.....and maybe, just a little bit, we can feel pride in the fact that we never gave up on him, we never forgot. I hope he knows that. I truly do.