Our society worships heroes. We love to celebrate sports and military heroes
and Ollie Norths and Arnold Schwartzeneggers and movie stars, singers, writers,
comedians and almost anything else. We put them on our cereal boxes and we buy
whatever products they are hired to endorse and we mob them at airports and
read endlessly about them in scandal sheets. I'm not even sure anybody knows
why we idolize them so. It might be that most of us are such lazy slobs who
sit around watching TV and talking all the time and who really admire people
who actually do something well.
That could be somewhere near the root of it, since most of our famous people
have fame that can be traced to something tangible, such as talent. But Ed McMahon
is the one who fascinates me. Here is a man, beloved and instantly recognized
by millions, a man who probably gets mobbed at airports as much as anybody.
But what does he do? I've never been a hard-core Tonight Show watcher, but I've
never seen Ed dance or sing or juggle, and I've certainly never heard him say
anything funny. Is he smart? He's not cute. Or odd-looking. He's polite, well-dressed,
and his big line, beloved by millions- "He-e-e-e-ere's Johnny!!!"
I doubt he even wrote that line, clever as it is. Did he used to be a tap dancer?
Did he work his way up through the ranks of radio or TV announcing? I don't
think so. His voice and delivery when he sells us medical insurance are not
particularly noteworthy. He's just Ed. He's famous for being well-known, or
perhaps well-known for being famous. The Ultimate Celebrity. Imagine fame without
all the blisters and sweat and practice and performances and pain. How would
you set out to do it? It's perfect piece of showbiz sleight of hand.
Imagine a kid in high school discussing the future with a guidance counselor
or career consultant or whatever name they call them by now. How would you set
out to become Ed McMahon? What steps, what plan would help? Head for Hollywood
and smile a lot? Ed just has to be a lot of fun to have around. That's the only
plausible explanation for his fame. I'm sure Ed McMahon is the perfect person
to invite to your barbecue or cocktail party. The ultimate grown-up tag-along.
I'll bet he never tries to pick up wives and relatives, eats or drinks too much,
parks in the neighbor's driveway, stays too long or tells off-color jokes. I'll
bet Ed could coach any Little League team to the local pennant, or teach World
History to any skinhead punk who hates school. I'll bet he'd jump start your
car any time, take your mail in, feed you cat when you went on vacation, tip
your kids for delivering papers or shoveling his walk, and I bet Ed pays his
parking tickets. With a smile. I bet he never throws artistic fits, or expects
the world to kiss his feet because he has talent. Maybe the wacky world of showbiz
has canonized the right man. He's my hero. What a guy!
(PS: Ed does have a skill that I overlooked earlierp; he has laughed at
every single quip, aside and joke Johnny Carson has told for 20 years, and laughed
convincingly and heartily. Maybe the ability to laugh on cue is worth millions...)
© 1987 by Harvey Reid
This web site
concerns the music and life of acoustic musician, writer & music educator Harvey Reid.
If
you don't find what you want, or if you have comments or questions, please email
to
This web site
concerns the music and life of acoustic musician, writer & music educator Harvey Reid.
If
you don't find what you want, or if you have comments or questions, please email
to
