I watched Johnny Carson from as early as I can remember ... or at least once my parents let me stay up that late. His show was always a little uneven, with rather silly camp and dumb, obvious jokes, but Johnny himself had such a quit wit and a kind nature that it never seemed to get old. I remember crying the night of his farewell broadcast.

The nightime comics of today cannot seem to do their shows without a palpable sense of angry irony. Jay comes off as an ass. Dave has his moments -- he was hot when he started on CBS, and again when he returned from bypass surery -- but mostly it's pretty smirky, almost like they aren't trying. Conan is a jerky boy.

Only John Stewart even comes close, in my book -- and it's not because he pays homage to Johnny in his shtick. No, John Stewart doesn't use irony as a funny coating for mean-spirited jokes, he uses it to cut into the hypocrisy in our world, especially our political world. I confess much of my affection for him -- and even perhaps my ability to appreciate his sincere core -- arises out of his appearance on Crossfire. But unlike with Jay and Dave and Conan (and the other schmucky mucks who have peppered the late-night broadcast hours), with John Stewart, you get a real sense that he's there for you.

And that was Johnny's specialty. It was apparent from his earliest appearances on The Tonight Show way back before I was born. He played the games, but his heart was with us, the audience. He wasn't putting us on. He wasn't pulling something over on us. He was sharing a bit of himself and his sense of fun every night.

Johnny Carson is dead at 79. Too young. I miss him all over again.

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