Late Night with the King of Comedy

Published Oct 06 2009, 11:10 AM by Peter Keough

As the ongoing David Letterman sex/blackmail scandal has unfolded a couple of things have gone through my mind. The first was a sense of relief that Letterman would no longer resort to any more Clinton jokes, which he seemed to have been doing as recently as just the other day. The other was more elusive. The whole story reminded me of something. Not just the recent incident but the other bizarre things that have beleaguered Letterman -- the crazy woman stalker, the plot to kidnap his child. Then it hit me: Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy." It's all there -- the stalking, the kidnapping, the sex (or whatever it is that Sandra Bernhard is doing to Jerry Lewis as he's encased in duct tape), the extortion. The biggest difference being that the movie has a poignant innocence beneath its sordness. Poor Rupert Pupkin just had a dream. He wanted to triumph at what he loved doing. He wanted to make the world laugh. He wasn't in it for the money. Maybe that's the difference between the movies and TV.

Global Voices

Voices from "Zombieland"

Name (required)

Your URL (optional)

Comments (required)

Remember Me?

Follow the Boston Phoenix

All Blogs

more by Peter Keough

Review: Paranormal Activity | October 16, 2009

Review: St. Trinians | October 16, 2009

Review: New York, I Love You | October 16, 2009

Review: Where the Wild Things Are | October 16, 2009

Review: A Serious Man | October 09, 2009

See all articles by: Peter Keough

Latest Comments

Rush Limbaugh, NFL owner? - We cant allow such a bad person as Rush to be part of the NFL. This is a league that owners throw away...

By chris2004 on 10-17-2009 in Dont Quote Me

New in the Phoenix: Howie Carr vs. "Ernie Boch III"--with exclusive interview! - Let me get this straight: a guy goes to a prep school where his father is an employee (as one of Dad...

By aging cynic on 10-17-2009 in Dont Quote Me

Big questions following the Globe's non-sale - We look at the Massachusetts newspaper scene over the past few years with all the destruction, downsizing...

By John Gatti Jr on 10-16-2009 in Dont Quote Me

New in the Phoenix: Howie Carr vs. "Ernie Boch III"--with exclusive interview! - Nice work, Adam. You've not only captured the beloved EBIII quite well, but took the time to understand...

By Justice4All on 10-16-2009 in Dont Quote Me

New in the Phoenix: Howie Carr vs. "Ernie Boch III"--with exclusive interview! - Nice work, Adam. You've not only captured the beloved EBIII quite well, but took the time to understand...

By Justice4All on 10-16-2009 in Dont Quote Me

Latest Comments from Outside The Frame

Late Night with the King of Comedy

Leave a Comment