Late-night television is getting a charge out of California's power crisis, with talk show hosts plugging into it for laughs.
"That's the big story here in California, power outages, no electricity," Jay Leno said in a recent "Tonight Show" monologue. "ATMs aren't working, elevators stopped working. People here are going without cappuccinos."
"It's getting worse. According to reports, today they asked the Amish to cut back," Leno quipped.
The timing of the power shortage could work to the advantage of Leno, David Letterman and others: They've wrung Florida dry for laughs and don't have President Bill Clinton to roast anymore.
Whether Californians are getting a kick out of the humor may be debatable but the jokes keep coming.
"In California, they're having power blackouts ... and here in New York City, we had an earthquake yesterday," CBS "Late Show" host Letterman said last week. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"
California-based Leno, whose show is taped at NBC's Burbank studio, is really milking the subject.
"This is unbelievable, isn't it?" Leno said. "I heard an ad on the radio today for Motel 6 and at the end Tom Bodett says, "We'll leave the light on for you -- not valid in California."
And another direct hit from Leno:
"Now the electric company says they can't pay their bill, Edison can't pay their bill.... Here's my question: when the electric company can't pay their bill, do you think they do the same thing the rest of us do? You know, use the phony accent when you answer the phone?
"You ever do that? You go, 'Jay Leno ... no, I am Chay Leano. I do not know that name. You have the wrong number."'<
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Dirk van Ulden said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
CoastalBoy said:
cube_corner said:
Better hurry up and increase spending soon! We can't allow a surplus.
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