Published: Good Men Project (May 21, 2015)
When Jimmy Kimmel got choked up on Tuesday as he discussed David Letterman’s impending departure from the air, he demonstrated an important fact:
Everyone needs a hero.
That’s a corny thing to say (or write), especially in an era as oversaturated with scandal as our own. Nary a celebrity or public figure has managed to avoid being tarnished by some sort of unflattering revelation. Our sports stars are regularly caught cheating, our political leaders are bought and sold by wealthy interest groups, and our news stories are filled with unflattering revelations about famous people making bigoted comments, running afoul of the law, or being unfaithful to their spouses; even Letterman had a sex scandal of his own back in 2009, which he survived by shrewdly owning up to his mistakes. Even our superheroes are becoming dark and gritty, with the most recent cinematic incarnation of Superman indifferently racking up hundreds of thousands of innocent casualties.
Despite the cynicism that permeates our culture today, the need for heroes is as strong as ever.
Yet despite the cynicism that permeates our culture today, the need for heroes is as strong as ever. To understand why, one need only look at Kimmel’s relationship with Letterman.
“Watching the [Late] Show was a great education for me,” Kimmel recalled, discussing how as a teenager he drew pictures of Letterman on his textbook covers, got a Letterman vanity plate for his first car, and hosted Letterman viewing parties at his house. The young comedian frequently jokes that he only went into show business so he could be friends with Letterman and openly admits that he was“terrified” in the days leading up to Letterman’s appearance on his own show three years ago. Indeed, Letterman wound up being more than just a muse for Kimmel. “The reason I have this show [Jimmy Kimmel Live] is because the executives at ABC saw me when I was a guest on Dave’s show,” Kimmel explained, his voice cracking with emotion.
Although the famously private Letterman seems to have successfully deflected Kimmel’s overtures for friendship, his influence as a de facto mentor is undeniable … and instructive. First and foremost, it demonstrates how the young are instinctively inspired by innovation and talent. “Even though it looked like every other talk show, it wasn’t,” Kimmel said as he described his first impressions of Letterman’s show. “It was totally original, primarily because the host of this show—who a lot of the time seemed embarrassed to even be there—he did not seem like he was a part of show business; he was uncomfortable, he never pretended to be excited, and his way of saying things was so subtle that a lot of the time the people he was talking to didn’t know he was joking.”
It isn’t necessary to ape all the details of what one finds inspiring about them; all that is required is the desire to do the same essential thing in your own distinctive way.
It’s noteworthy that Letterman’s sardonic and diffident approach to comedy had such an impact on Kimmel, whose persona is more traditionally cynical. The fact that Kimmel didn’t strive to be a carbon copy of Letterman isn’t an asterisk qualifying his admiration, but the strongest testament to its influence: What impressed Kimmel was Letterman’s ability to do something so original that both worked on its own terms and changed his industry in the process. These are qualities that can motivate future leaders in any field, regardless of the specific ways in which they manifest themselves. It isn’t necessary to ape all the details of what one finds inspiring about them; all that is required is the desire to do the same essential thing in your own distinctive way.
Thus as Americans say goodbye to David Letterman, it would be particularly appropriate to celebrate the impact that he had on Kimmel. After all, the greatest achievement that anyone can pull off—regardless of whether they’re a doctor or a lawyer, a scientist or a scholar, a politician or a comedian – is to shape the lives and careers of others who, without knowing them beforehand, are inspired by their work. Of all the legacies one can leave behind, none are greater or more meaningful than this.