David Sedaris’ Adventures As A New York City Apartment Cleaner | Late Night with Conan O’Brien

(Original airdate: 07/13/94) David Sedaris talks about his day job as a New York City apartment cleaner and shares the strangest thing he witnessed as an elf at Macy’s Santaland.
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Running from 1993-2009, Late Night with Conan O’Brien is one of the most beloved late night shows in television history. Known for its absurdist humor, hilarious celebrity interviews and featuring the best stand-up comedians and musical acts of the 90’s and early 2000s. Hosted by Conan O’Brien alongside sidekick Andy Richter and house band Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7, Late Night with Conan O’Brien featured unforgettable segments like “If They Mated,” “In the Year 2000,” “Desk Driving” and made a breakout star of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
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[@vcarr6433]

Based on the dull reactions from the crowd you can tell he was way ahead of his time.

[@rudypalma1250]

Now they scream with laughter before he even gets to the punchline.

[@dissipatedfog]

The book he's promoting is Barrel Fever and Other Stories. All of his books are great listens. I've read them in print as well, but nothing beats listening to him read his stuff aloud.

[@RxLifestyleVitalism]

David Sedaris is the BEST! 😂🙌 I love his perspective! He has such an endearing honesty and authenticity. Grinning ear to ear whenever he speaks.

[@blacksquirrel4008]

If you ever get a chance to see David Sedaris he does a great show. Mostly, he’s reading his books but it’s hilarious.

[@richsackett3423]

He's getting a lot older and his current tour is very long. Expect a lackluster performance.

[@blacksquirrel4008]

@@richsackett3423 oh, sorry to hear that. I’ve no intention of going to any live shows of anything anymore so glad I caught him early.

[@kensurridge9631]

I saw him just before the pandemic and he was wonderful

[@theresachristie7150]

He's as great as he ever was, in my humble opinion

[@kathleenheneghan8670]

I love that he was a Macy's elf years ago & then his sister was in the movie "Elf" years later. Too bad he didn't make a cameo.

[@Andrew_Haase]

…NPR’s reading of Santa Land Diaries + his original reading of Six to 8 Black men…Have been our Families Christmas listening tradition since 2007…I highly suggest y’all do the same

[@danielleschumacher1120]

I love when David's first thought after discovering a gun was to wipe his fingerprints off 😆

[@janetmitchell4452]

Is this not. Conan, not David?

[@whoamellie5610]

Can't believe this is like 27 years ago now 😆 That's wild.. My 90s-kid mind would still guess '27 years ago' was like 1983, not '94 😆 ..Feeling older all the time x)

[@kylesanders8276]

Same, in the 90s/00s to me 30yrs ago was still the 70s

[@PurpleMintSam]

This video is from almost 3 decades ago? God, I'm old

[@Dana-kb5mk]

Everything feels very 27 or 42. I quit counting, stopped worrying and allowed myself to enjoy Life, David & Amy Sedaris more 😘❤️👽🖖🥰♾️🕉️🔥☘️ What a great #Upload🔥😘❤️👽🖖🥰♾️🕉️🔥☘️

[@charliebearhugs]

Oh you made my day with this! He is my favorite author. I don't think I've seen an earlier video of him 😀

[@junejune9619]

Love David Sedaris

[@BudFuddlacker]

This guy has some great lines during the interview and he’s not getting the laughs I expected

[@PlasticNationStrangr]

Seriously! What a dead audience!

[@LbeLLe421]

It seems to me that they didn’t have as many mics on the audience as they do now. And now it always feels so manufactured. I actually found this enjoyable to listen to and a nice change of pace. But that might just be me

[@louiearmstrong]

Sedaris is an acquired taste. I love his work, but also understand why a 1994 free ticket, Times Square tourist Conan audience might find him boring

[@bobdroll6381]

It's a psychological fact that crowds are more "generous" with their laughter if they're responding to a known or established entity; Sedaris was no household name in '94. Further, he wasn't saying anything especially funny. His Woody Allen vibe and "handling kids" exchange didn't help matters either. Unless you count nervous laughter.

[@ZalbaagBeoulve]

I've never seen young Sedaris. Thanks for this

[@rikeep]

Can’t wait to see David live next year

[@DurkMcGerk]

I'm also pulling for him

[@LawrMich]

I’m seeing him in February, I’m so excited!

[@Frank.E.Valley]

@@DurkMcGerk With luck he could live for quite a while still!

[@downhilltwofour0082]

David is definitely worth looking up He is funny!

[@QuantumBraced]

They hadn't yet invented clothes that fit in the 90s, his shirt looks like a sail. :D

[@51StPi]

Yes but we were comfortable and we got our moneys worth in cloth.

[@andrewanderson1755]

Lol who cares?

[@Independentfellow]

Two problems, (1) it was the style for baggy clothes (2) he’s a short, skinny man.

[@ilahjarvis]

In the audio version of this story he does a Billie Holiday impression that is positively eerie.

[@LacticAcid672]

Conan and David both seem kinda stilted here for two of the funniest people on the planet. Both basically babies at this point still.

[@bobdroll6381]

Conan? One of the funniest people on the planet? Hardly.

[@weemeemoo]

Conan seems more relaxed here than he does nowadays

[@michaelnagle5482]

“It was $15 an hour.” “That’s not bad.” For 1994 that’s probably excellent. But $15 an hour in 2021? That would be horrendous for NYC.

[@NextToToddliness]

$15 in 1994 is equivalent to $28.13 in 2021, which was definitely not bad for the mid to late 90's, considering how great the economy was.

[@michaelnagle5482]

@@NextToToddliness No, it’s fantastic! But there’s no way people doing that same job in 2021 are making that kind of money.

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

I thought he said it was $10 an hour and his boss took half. He might have meant that it was $15 for the three hours, so $5 an hour.

[@andrewspielman1921]

@@GabrielTravelerVideos correct. I was like… what? And he said his “master” takes half? Wtf?!?

[@KC-ed1dj]

EVEN IN 1994, $10 wasn't great for NYC. It was more than minimum wage, but you would have been barely making it.

[@chrisriehl1696]

I love this interview!

[@jchow5966]

I love his voice.

[@shelby8364]

all i think of when he talks about being a cleaner is his Fire Island story

[@sheilanovitz8578]

I enjoy his books very much indeed. His personality shines through his writing, so that there’s a sparkle to everything. Have read all the books, bar one that I want to put off reading as long as possible - because I won’t like reaching the end!

[@BudFuddlacker]

6:00 There’s a great example of how smart Conan is, he was able to figure that out and explain it right on the spot, and he’s entirely right

[@bobdroll6381]

There was nothing remotely impressive about that exchange.

[@MrRedberd]

He hates being on television, but I think he does great!

[@HEISENBERG-z6v]

LOL

[@damnmuggle]

Yeah hilt

[@NextToToddliness]

"I think people worry that they dont live in a democratic nation if they're waiting in line for more than three hours, especially if you're waiting to see Santa." - brilliant

[@invisibot6602]

Its like if woody allen were a decent person.

[@soloseraphimheartsong3710]

That’s amazing

[@jeremyphillips3087]

woody allen did nothing wrong. read the essay written by mia farrow's son. she's the villain, not him.

[@tunahxushi4669]

? what ?

[@arosha1]

It’s so weird to hear that voice coming out of a person.

[@B00s3]

I wonder which book he was promoting.

[@keefnerd]

I think Barrel Fever. But it's also in Holidays on Ice, which is really excellent

[@waywardmind]

Barrel Fever was out in '94, so it'd be that one.

[@Zetsuke4]

nice

[@tzu2146]

One of the funniest men on the planet.

[@4seeableTV]

Is he related to Amy?

[@prestonpope]

Yep, her brother

[@venezuela0076]

Yes, he actually did the voice of princess caroline's mom

[@kylesanders8276]

@@venezuela0076 oh wow, I didn't know that

[@kylesanders8276]

"This one time I came across plane tickets for something called the Lolita Express, with included photographs of this odd, striped cube structure. I guess it was some fancy getaway palace."

[@mcpappysgolden]

God, was the audience dead?

[@kbrown4ou]

David reminds me so much of Woody Allen here.

[@rossturcotte419]

look @ young stoner david

[@shaduck06]

PEOPLE wait in lines for hours in China, you figure they got sick of that. some parents stand kids on shopping center garbage cans to relieve themselves

[@JacksonPolyp]

his darker jokes really are not hitting, lol

[@no127]

He reminds me of Monica's underage boyfriend in 'Friends' who lied to her about his age. Anyone else think so?

[@markpx]

His cleaning work is a fetish, not a job. Key is when he says his "master."

[@princeedmunddukeofedinburg]

R.I.P, covid did get him....

[@samuelkronfeld112]

He's still alive.

[@JoRiver11]

Don't make up rubbish. There's already a surplus.

[@shelby8364]

frigg off