Being the Change (that may never come...)

Politicians and other assorted important people often choose Friday and Saturday nights to make statements or sign legislation that may be unpopular to the public at large. The idea is that the reporting wing of news organizations are running off a skeleton crew and it is more likely that the weekend surprise will be overlooked, or forgotten, by the time people start caring again on Monday morning. It is a very effective method of avoiding disdain.

I am not an assorted important person, or a politician, but this is my weekend surprise...

In the recent late night battles, I have been a member of Team Jay.

(Ducking the tomatoes and rotten eggs...)

Yes, it is true. I think Jay Leno is funny. I should have stood up for him weeks ago, but the barrage of anti-Jay statements on the web served to shame me into silence. But I will not be quiet, no, I will not be silent anymore.... la-la-yeah. Don't get me wrong, I think Conan is funny as well. In fact, he is funnier. Letterman is funny, but I feel like his is the type of humor that judges me. I feel laughed down upon by David Letterman. But Leno, I get. Old fashioned, everyman, humor. Yes, it doesn't take an intellectual heavyweight to appreciate Leno's middle-of-the-road comedy. But by the time his show comes on, my intellect has already done all it is going to do.

But this isn't a post about humor. It's about decision making that effects other people.

There is no doubt, Conan got screwed. But Jay got screwed as well. NBC execs made a gamble years ago that O'Brien's popularity would continue to soar while Leno's would go in decline. The first part of that gamble paid off, the second didn't. But rather than admitting a mistake and making a tough decision, they tried to have their cake and eat it too. And after they realized the cake was not very tasty, they still refused to admit a mistake and tried to cut the cake into smaller pieces, as if that would make any difference.

But this isn't a post about the late night wars. It's about the complete absurdity of so many people with money and power.

Here's what was shocking to me about the whole fiasco. Conan seemed to be completely taken aback at the incompetence of the higher ups at NBC, as if people in the upper echelons of power have a history of treating people with respect. He obviously has not been around the block very much.

I am, of course, making an unfair generalization. There are decision makers in business, churches, and politics who are genuinely good people who have the greater good always in view. There are managers of retail stores who listen to the concerns of both their associates and customers and refuse to speak the language corporate nonsense. There are school boards who honor the loyalty of long-term employees and who refuse to give ridiculous "We've decided to go in another direction" statements when they decide not to renew a contract. There are politicians and church leaders who refuse to call things any other thing than what they are.

Of course, I am not talking about anyone or situation in particular. :)

I guess the great dilemma is trying to figure out the right balance between being fatalistic and proactive. When do you try to become a part of the change, and when to you realize that things never change?

These are things I'm still trying to figure out as I ramble on...