Ed McMahon had one of the toughest jobs in show business. Make everybody else look good. Whether it was Johnny Carson, or small town radio hosts.
He was so good at it, he probably didn’t get enough credit for it while he was still alive. Being the “straight man” or “foil” is a lot like being a waiter or waitress. If you’re doing your job, people don’t think about you.
It’s more about what you don’t say, and when you don’t laugh. Adding to the proceedings without being noticed.
Below are a couple of simple tributes from Conan & Dave, plus a portion of an interview with Mr. McMahon I was a part of several years ago in Southern Illinois.
What blew our minds is how interested he sounded in being interviewed by a little morning show in the middle of nowhere. My partners were Ryan & Juli, and there was no set-up or introductions beforehand. We figured he probably had a piece of paper with our names on it.
But he was paying enough attention that when he heard a female talking, it had to be Juli, so he called her by name like they were friends.
Just doing his job, making other people look good.
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RyanP
This still ranks as one of my favorite radio memories. I remember how giddy we were after we finished that interview. He was a classy guy.