The benefit of the doubt is undoubtedly beneficial...

In the wake of the recent announcement of Conan O'Brien's upcoming tour schedule, there seems to be a sort of backlash that is cropping up among those who do not count themselves among the Fans O' Coco. Surprisingly, there are some very harsh and vocal detractors out there who seem to have an opinion of Mr. O'Brien which ranks somewhere between root canal surgery and the Third Reich. Most interesting is the prevailing attitude which indicates that many are tired of hearing Conan "whine," that he is spoiled and demanding and just needs to shut up. Interesting because, as of the last broadcast of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" on Jan. 22nd of this year, Conan has been under a gag order that prevents him from making any media appearances or official statements of any sort.
Now, it might be tempting to dismiss these accusations of whining and diva-like behavior as sour grapes from those not used to encountering integrity in a show-business setting. However, since my mommy raised me right, I am going to play devil's advocate and try to understand where just all of the animosity is coming from. Perhaps I am all wrong about Conan, perhaps he has actually found a way to become a jerk while in exile.....
We'll start with some of the last public statements Conan was allowed to say. As he was a person being forced out of his dream job after years of being placated by his network, he probably had some very venomous and vengeful things on his mind.....

Jan 22nd (Final show) - "We are going to have fun on television!" At first glance, these seem to be innocent words, but upon closer inspection I can see where they might be trouble. There are, certainly, those who see television as no place for fun. These serious minded folk do not want their broadcasts littered with "entertainment" or "amusement." It might seem like Conan is complaining about those who take their television so seriously. He may have been slyly heckling the humorless viewers of Face the Nation, Crossfire, C-SPAN, and of course, Leno.

Later in the same show, Conan advised his viewers that "If you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen." My first instinct was take these words as an inspirational call to selfless living, but if looked at from a different angle, they can be very inflammatory. After all, these are the United States of America, and as Americans we are free to live our lives any way we see fit. It is our constitutional right to not work hard, if we so choose. Being told to do so by someone about to leave on an extended vacation seems pretty galling. And the definition of "kind" can be loosely interpreted. If you (sometimes) visit your mother in the retirement home and don't kick your dog, aren't you just as eligible for the "amazing things" to come as anyone else?? Who chooses who is deserving and who isn't?? Yes, I can see where Conan overstepped his bounds on that one....

After the last credits rolled, Conan found a way to be able to keep in contact with his fans and the world at large: Twitter. Over the past few weeks he has sent out one or more messages a day, Tweeting about everything from the mundane to the ridiculous and even the somewhat important (such as announcing his tour.) Below I will give a sampling of some of what he said....and what his subtext may actually have been.....

"Today I connected all the freckles on my arm with a Sharpie. It spells out RIKSHAZ9LIRK. Clearly I am The Chosen One" - An obvious swipe at religion and those with faith. Also, confusing for those with freckles that don't spell anything.

"Hey gang! Look for me at the Oscars tonight. I'll be in the parking lot, wearing my prom tux and listening on the radio." - Ousted from the Hollywood scene and on the outs with the media, he grovels about not being included. May also be hurtful to those who did not get invited to prom.

"I just punched what I thought was a paparazzi with a long lens. It was an old man with a wheat bread sub. Sorry." -Another veiled crack about the media....and old people to boot. And wheat bread.

"Sweet victory! I'm now trending higher than my twitter nemesis, Justin Bieber. Who's the tween heartthrob now?" An aging TV has-been attacks the youthful up-and-coming music sensation in a desperate cry for attention....And using the word "Victory?" So blatantly stealing the phrase from the Second World War, robbing the veterans of that conflict of their past glory.

You know, I must have had it all wrong. Here, I thought Conan O'Brien was handling his unfair treatment by NBC with grace and humor, while instead what he has been doing is leaving an ugly trail of bitterness at every turn. How could I have been so blind? How could I have thought the very best of his motives, when it is so easy to believe the very worst? How could I have forgotten to view the situation with a cynical eye, instead weakly allowing myself to be swayed by all the positivity and laughter and fun?

Somewhere along the way, I grew soft and happy. I am so glad that I stopped to think like a sane, rational, serious person. After all, where would all that silly happiness have gotten me? Really?