The Diagesis of Conan O'brien

Late Night with Conan O'brien is one of my favorite shows to watch in the whole wide world. For a long time, until school began to catch up with me, I made it a habit of watching the show almost every night. Every time this red-headed host comes out from behind the Blue curtain with his signature quirky dance and hair flip, I am already laughing, even though I have seen it many many times in the past. Well anyways, I digress. In this blog I want to take a look at the diagetical world of Late Night with Conan O'brien.

1. The Timing of the Show- not everyone may know this, but while Late Night and other closely related late night talk shows seem to be broadcast live, they are not. In reality, the show is filmed about 4 oclock in a dark room deep within the massive building that is the headquarters of NBC in New York City. In real life, when the show cuts to a commercial, everything doesn't cease. Instead, the part that the directors choose not to show you is how during the commercial breaks Conan talks to guests, reviews lines, and the how the audience relaxes. All these elements serve to create a diagetical time frame for the show. This leads me into my next point.

2. The Props and backgrounds- There are many ways that props act to create a diageticial world for the Late Night show. One way is through the use of a painted drapery of New York City which hangs behind Conan's Desk. We all know that the city doesn't really look cartoony or folded (as is evidenced by the nature of the drapery). Also, some of the props, such as the theater style entrance way, microphone on Conan's desk, and coffee mugs all serve to give the diageticial world of Late Night with Conan O'brien appeal. The microphone (as Conan has pointed out numerous times) doesn't actually work. The theater style entrance is nothing more than a set piece that gives the illusion of a massive stage, and the coffee cups serve to make the diagetical world closer to a "real life" talk show or news room. All of these things serve to shape the diagesis of the show.

3. The Guests- The guests on the show all seem to be on to have a casual chat with Conan. They come on waving to the audience, smiling and pretending (if not really having) a good time. In reality, the guests on the show have been specially chosen to appear with one sole purpose in mind: to plug something that they have been involved in. The goal of an actor or actress is to get people to go see his or her movie. For a musician, it's to get the audience to buy their album. For the Broadway star, to get their shows' rating up so that they can win a Tony Award.

3. The audience- Another thing that is not consistent in reality but is portrayed in the diagetical reality of the show is the size of the audience. If you have ever been in a taped show, you will know that the audience seating is in actuality very small. On the show, however, the audience looks like a massive theater full of people. This idea is accomplished through clever camera work and sound bites that are used over top of the the real audience to give it a "bigger feel." Also, often shows such as this one will use cue cards for the audience for when they should laugh, awe, or make other noises. Another thing, is that Conan often uses satire in his use of cheesy, unbelievable skits that involve "audience members" who are very obviously, in reality, members of his cast. All these things serve to create the diagesis of the world that is Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Even though I now notice these pieces at play and can recognize that Late Night with Conan O'Brien is not reality, but instead a diagesis, I still thoroughly enjoy watching it. Every day is a new adventure and every new guest brings new insights into a world that is ever expanding as media becomes more complex and more and more stars and starlets rise and fade away. It is kind of my way of keeping in touch with what is happening with popular culture, and I like it very much.