The First Advertiser to Come Back to the Show & Actual Items - 9/20/2001

[@astrocitizen]

0:45 -- I am... 90% willing to bet my immortal soul that -- these days -- some jerk would get up on their soapbox that the whole "Ow! My knee!" thing was some tasteless reference to the WTC disaster. Probably back then, too.

[@strawberrylemonadelioness]

Actual Items is one of my favorite Conan sketches. Partially because I also really like Jay Leno's Headlines and I enjoy the parody aspect of it.

[@GarretGrayCamera]

I went to a show around this time, it was really subdued but you could tell everyone just wanted to get back to normal. The show I went to was easy to get into, even the back three rows were empty because people were still kind of down. Before that, you'd have to wait in line for hours to get a seat.

[@anactualmotherbear]

It was an intense time for all New Yorkers, and even the New Englanders (like me) who could see the smoke from across the water. By the end of September we didn't just want to laugh again. We didn't want clever or smart jokes. We needed stupid shit to give us belly laughs. Every time I've experienced trauma the thing that brings me out of my funk is something really dumb that goes for the cheap giggle, like a fart or a kick in the nuts. I think it has to do with the whole "shutting off your brain" thing. Laugh at someone's butt and you're suddenly not thinking about horrors anymore.

[@CGTV100]

I remember seeing this episode in its first run. That last ad for the Christmas village was the funniest thing I could remember

[@mattkomar7622]

I think they slipped in a Replacements reference in there since there's no Westerberg, Minnesota but there is a Paul Westerberg from Minnesota

[@mattkomar7622]

also, a reference to Scharpling & Wurster in "Wurster, North Carolina" (Jon Wurster is the drummer for NC band Superchunk) and Scharpling, NJ (Tom Scharpling is from New Jersey)

[@virus2003]

I notice Grand Rapids, MI comes up often in these segments as well. Perhaps a nod to Andy Richter's birthplace?

[@mattkomar7622]

@@virus2003 probably. The Scharpling and Wurster refs were probably slipped in by Andy Blitz, who's friends with them. They both appeared in bit parts in some sketches.

[@trust5977]

Former writer Brian Stack often tweets about the Replacements so you’re probably correct.

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

2:17 this bit is now reality instead of satire in today's clown world..

[@AutisticPersona]

You can tell that Conan is still a little Shell Shocked from 9 days ago.

[@canaisyoung3601]

That was pretty much how America felt back then.

[@techmouse.]

Apparently Conan thinks $3.19 for a gallon of milk is a good deal in 2001. It's not even a good deal today.

[@canaisyoung3601]

It's badger milk, so it's probably cheaper than real cow's milk.

[@anactualmotherbear]

"SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWS!"

[@Gyrbae]

"2blockspastRadioShacknexttothetallbuilding"

[@timboslice1979]

Tampons, now for women. How foretelling that is since men can allegedly menstrate now. Ugh. Insanity

[@AlolaMasked]

Raggedy Ann & Andy: 😰🥺

[@LHydock]

Wow, look at how saggy and droopy the curtain backdrop is. You can tell it was hastily put together, unfortunately replacing the very short lived, and superior model introduced in early September. I wonder how it felt for the staff taking down that model, and replacing it with this baggier, cheaper one. I noticed they tried going for the clear model again in your Oct. 2nd video (Which honestly would've been a great direction to go), but by Oct. 4th, they seemed to change their mind on using the model, and went back to the curtain look, using the curtain they would go on to use for several years (Until around mid 2008).

[@SantaBarbaraBiking]

Studio Stage the curtains do look bad

[@TiredRetrogamer2]

I'm glad someone else noticed this. I remember when Conan showed off his new set not long before 9/11 happened. It always struck me as so obvious the way they bunched the curtain over where the Towers were in particular. I still don't get why people were so quick to hide or digitally remove them back then.

[@MarceloRomero360]

I'm impressed! You have an eye for this.👍👍

[@EmperorMAR]

Wow I praise your insane attention as it relates to Conan

[@HumblyArtsy]

could you post the complete episode if possible? Thank you for the uploads!!

[@donsharma6136]

post 9/11

[@Gyrbae]

Yes, 9/20/2001 came after 9/11/2001. You are a fucking genius.

[@TiredRetrogamer2]

@@Gyrbae Equally insightful comment. Bravo.

[@Gyrbae]

@@TiredRetrogamer2 Are you saying the op isn't a genius? Why you gotta attack people like that Lewlew