The Departures Continue: David Letterman

So this is the final week of David Letterman and The Late Show as we know it.  I have been watching some of the final shows and I can see why Letterman wanted to avoid them: they come across more as a funeral than a celebration of a long and fruitful career.  

Josh Eells in Rolling Stone magazine had a good article on Mr. Letterman titled "David Letterman:  Happy at Last."  In describing the end of an era, the author stated: 

At the same time, he must look around at the celebrity Pictionary and the twerking pranks and figure maybe it's not worth it. He's like the last T. Rex after the asteroid hit, watching a bunch of chipper mammals scurry around the plains he used to roam.

As the longest running late night talk show host in television history, Letterman has plenty to be proud about. And Stephen Colbert has huge shoes to fill. 

And at the age of 68, you just hope Letterman can enjoy his retirement at his Montana ranch with his young family and ignore late night TV. It's not what it used to be with all the current fawning over celebrities. Like the evening news, it plays to the lowest common denominator rather than shedding some light of an entertainment industry that sometimes needs a good scolding. 

The Seths and Jimmy/James are lightweights, like USAToday compared to the New York Times -  we may like the colorful graphs, but you need some depth once in awhile too.  Dave, we will miss you.