Conan O'Brien Is Proud To Be a Pork Chop

Conan O’Brien has been present in my life, in one form or another, for as long as I can remember. Through The Simpsons, SNL, or his late-night show, I’ve basked in Conan’s comedic glow for quite some time. Still, his most recent deals with Sirius XM and Samsung have made Conan a greater presence. Now I can turn on my Samsung SmartTV (no big deal) and get a whole channel of Conan. Conan bits and interviews ‘round the clock!

He’s also been recording new material for his radio channel. Not only can you get access to old Conan, but fans are also treated with Conan sitting down with the likes of Jordan Schlansky while they seemingly just riff. There may be a loose premise when they sit down. I’m not sure. All I know is that getting these two in a room is sure to produce comedy gold. This latest video was no exception.

It begins, as most Schlansky segments do, with Conan goading his Associate Producer into saying something pretentious. Schlansky takes the bait, as he is wont to do, and Conan ribs him for it. What seems to be a newer feature in these bits is Schlansky getting a chance to fire back at his boss. In this case, while comparing himself to a rare cut of Italian beef, he labeled Conan as a pork chop.

An amused Conan decides to lean into the comparison and fire off an impassioned monologue about why pork chops are as American as, let’s say mass shootings. It is just as silly as it sounds and yet likely more silly than you can imagine. There’s something about this bit that feels freeing. Schlansky feels more free to break character as opposed to remaining stern like he used to. It feels like two friends having a good time. If that isn’t a perfect video for a Friday, I don’t know what is.