Title of This Johnny Carson Bio Foreshadows Its Biases
Johnny Carson remains one of TV’s most iconic figures, a fact underscored by the many books written about him. From Ed McMahon’s memoir to Henry Bushkin’s insider account, Carson’s life has been dissected from nearly every angle. Bill Zehme’s Carson the Magnificent, completed posthumously by Mike Thomas, enters this crowded field with more hagiography than biography. A sampling includes King of the Night: The Life of Johnny Carson ; And Now... Here's Johnny! The Life of Johnny Carson ; Johnny Carson: The Magnificent Life Of A Late-Night Legend ; and others by his friends and sidekicks. The latest entry in this crowded and competitive field is Carson the Magnificent by Bill Zehme with Mike Thomas. Zehme had written previously about Carson, most notably in a celebrated 2002 article in Esquire magazine, and he repurposed the stockpile of information he had gathered for this book. However, when Zehme passed prematurely from cancer, his friend and colleague M...