Wednesday, January 26, 2011

DAVID E. KELLEY AND AL PACINO:  Given the recent announcements of Regis Philbin, Brett Favre and The Connecticut Senator Who Looks Like Emperor Palpatine, Slate's Emily Yoffe wants to know who else should be encouraged to retire already.  (Obvs, keep your answers to our bailiwick.)

58 comments:

  1. Chris Berman.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Adlai9:47 AM

    Andy Rooney?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Roger9:51 AM

    Leno, though that's obvious.

    ReplyDelete
  4. De Niro -- but only from purported "comedies."

    ReplyDelete
  5. Is he doing his job any more poorly than he was 15 years ago?  It's not like we're talking about a QB who's lost his zip; this is more like a Jake Delhomme with the salary and clout of a Peyton Manning.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ironically, I think Pacino can and potentially should do the De Niro comedy angle and embrace the self-parody.  While the "Meet The Parents" franchise has had sharply diminishing returns over time, the first one was really good, in no small part because De Niro was doing a performance with just the right level of winking acknowledgement.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Another retirement announced in the past few days?  Kevin Smith, who claims he's retiring from filmmaking (I suppose to spend more time with his Twitter account?) after he completes "Hit Somebody."  (I decidedly don't buy it, but it's what he's saying now.)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Randy Jackson.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Agree.  But that was years ago, and now it's time for him to go...  And Pacino is always a bit of self-parody, intentional or not, so sure, let's see him do it for laughs intentionally!

    ReplyDelete
  10. My understanding is that he is concentrating on writing and producing.  he is only planning to retire from directing not show business all together.

    I am sure it is all just promo for this crazy self-distribution road show thing he is doing for Red State.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Is The Devil's Advocate a comedy?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Eric J.11:26 AM

    Second Berman. And to be a bit controversial, but if Community gets a renewal for next year, Joel McHale should retire from The Soup.

    ReplyDelete
  13. David Letterman.  He seems to have lost all joy in his work.  He just seems like a bitter miserable person.  Granted, I don't watch much anymore and could have just hit a few "negative nelly" episdes in a row.

    I am also a huge Craig Ferguson fan and would like to see him get the nod for the earlier time slot.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Devin McCullen11:34 AM

    Lee Corso (although that might be happening already) and Lou Holtz.  Dick Vitale is also a possibility, but he'd probably qualify as a "Delhomme" - although can we at least get him off the NBA Draft?

    ReplyDelete
  15. MidwestAndrew11:37 AM

    NO! That's blasphemy! (Though I admit he'd be a bit bigger than The Soup, it's still one of the shows my wife and I look forward to each week and I couldn't imagine it without him.)

    ReplyDelete
  16. spacewoman11:52 AM

    Jennifer Aniston. 

    ReplyDelete
  17. Joseph J. Finn12:23 PM

    Hoo boy, do I have a list.

    Joe Buck
    Joe Morgan
    Chip Carey
    Manny Ramirez
    Julia Roberts
    Sandra Bullock
    Uwe Boll
    Tyler Perry
    Larry Brown
    Bud Selig
    Al Davis

    I'm sure more will come to mind as the day goes on.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Andrea12:28 PM

    Mel Gibson

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think you need to separate "people who've lost their talent" from "people I've never believed were talented."  (See my argument re Leno above.)

    ReplyDelete
  20. True dat.  I'd love to see Joe Buck retire (and Joe Morgan stay unhired), but neither one has any talent as a baseball announcer.  Nor does Tim McCarver, for that matter.  [What?  Y'all knew I had to say it.]

    ReplyDelete
  21. bella wilfer1:07 PM

    Kevin Smith has crossed the line from "mildly annoying but ignorable" to complete jerk.  Drew McWeeny says it better than I could: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-captured/posts/sundance-review-kevin-smiths-red-state-fails-onscreen-and-off-at-its-world-premiere

    ReplyDelete
  22. Al Davis
    Cokie Roberts
    David Brooks
    Eric Clapton
    Pat Conroy
    Alan Dershowitz

    ReplyDelete
  23. Joseph J. Finn1:21 PM

    See, I think Morgan has talent as a baseball announcer.  Trouble is, the baseball world has moved on from his heyday and he (willfully) hasn't adjusted.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Watts1:31 PM

    I'd be tempted to throw in Harrison Ford. If only because he seems so miserable both on-screen and off- in relation to his newer work.  I think he enjoyed the ride at first, because it was something he was good at and got paid good money to do.  I don't know if he ever had that will, either driven by artistry or the pursuit of fame/power, that so many successful actors (by whatever criteria we and they determine "success") have now.

    And I wouldn't say Peter King needs to retire completely, but I think he would do well to switch from a weekly column to more feature pieces or books.  He could write lovely sycophantic biographies of football figures from the past.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ramar1:34 PM

    Manny Ramirez?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Shia LeBoeuf. 

    ReplyDelete
  27. Watts1:36 PM

    Also, related to Yoffe's column - what was the point of the choice in the last slide? She thinks tween death threats are funny? It's her attempt at humor?  It felt like a weird note to end an otherwise interesting article.

    ReplyDelete
  28. <span>Shia LeBeouf.</span>

    ReplyDelete
  29. isaac_spaceman1:49 PM

    Dick Clark

    ReplyDelete
  30. Benner1:52 PM

    R.E.M.
    U2

    The James Levine call is, sadly, on point.  

    ReplyDelete
  31. Do you think Ford needs to take occasionally breaks?  Because HE ALREADY WORKS AROUND THE CLOCK.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Joseph J. Finn2:05 PM

    Personal bias, Ramar, for the amount of money the White Sox wasted on him last year.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Joseph J. Finn2:06 PM

    At least his daughter isn't dating the SON OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.

    ReplyDelete
  34. While I'd prefer he retire after a good career-capper of a film, there's a good argument that the time has come for James L. Brooks to retire.

    And Arthur Laurents probably needs to retire, or at least stop being so utterly controlling with respect to productions of his material.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Charles Carmicheal2:26 PM

    Joe Paterno

    ReplyDelete
  36. Ford needs to be smart about his role choices.  Even though Morning Glory flopped, he's actually really good in it.  Imagine if he'd taken the part in Traffic that he turned down--would have been quite good in it.  Early word on Cowboys and Aliens is that he finds a way to make it work as well.

    ReplyDelete
  37. patricia3:08 PM

    The Rolling Stones.

    ReplyDelete
  38. John McEnroe

    ReplyDelete
  39. patricia3:53 PM

    Definitely weird.  Quit before puberty makes you a man...what?  Extremely odd.  I like Yoffe's writing most of the time, but that was just off.  Maybe they were trying to rope in the younger demographic with that slide (because tweens are heavy Slate readers, of course).

    ReplyDelete
  40. Bobby Flay.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Joseph J. Finn4:27 PM

    Ah, that reminds me of another one: Rob Reiner.

    ReplyDelete
  42. ...or to curry favor with the over-exposed parents of under-critical tweens.

    ReplyDelete
  43. You cannot be serious.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Watts4:44 PM

    R.E.M.'s "Pretty Persuasion" just came on the internet radio station I listen to, and I came here to muse about R.E.M.  But I would have to muse quietly, as it might be near heresy to type such a thing while sitting at a computer in Athens, GA.

    I think I'd like to see the members of R.E.M. continue to do things musically (like Peter Buck's work on the newest Decemberists album), but it might be time for the group to call it a day, except for the occasional reunion show or appearance at a benefit.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Watts4:44 PM

    Of course, when the new album comes out if it blows us all away, I take it all back.

    ReplyDelete
  46. StvMg5:20 PM

    I understand why he's still playing, but it's kinda sad to watch Allen Iverson finish his career in Turkey.

    But the most depressing recent case of an athlete avoiding retirement is Evander Holyfield, who just lost a fight over the weekend at the age of 48.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=6050181

    ReplyDelete
  47. slowlylu5:50 PM

    I think the Queen is a good call because it will certainly change the dynamics of all Commonwealth countries (the move in Australia to a republic will be bolstered by her resignation).
    I second Rob Reiner and James L Brooks.

    ReplyDelete
  48. StvMg7:05 PM

    I actually enjoyed the most recent movies from Brooks (How Do You Know) and Reiner (Flipped). They were light years away from Broadcast News or Stand By Me in quality, but I found both relatively enjoyable. I liked How Do You Know more than the vast majority of critics did. Flipped was the first Reiner movie I liked at all since The American President (though it admittedly isn't even close to being in The American President's class. It's more like a decent Netflix rental).

    ReplyDelete
  49. It's HIS FATHER IS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.  Also, THAT'S WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Roger8:38 PM

    Adam, whereas I say if you've been doing something for a long time, and *still* haven't gotten good, you should retire already and get out of our lives.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Will K8:53 PM

    Wolf Blitzer. Seriously, enough already.

    ReplyDelete
  52. carrie9:56 PM

    I third Brooks and Reiner. Not up to their best, but just fine.

    ReplyDelete
  53. sbr92911:13 PM

    Both Al Roker AND Willard Scott (yes, I suppose the argument could be made that they never had any talent but I think at some point they were much much better than they are now).

    Rod Stewart (Maggie May is a much better piece of work than any of the drivel coming out of him right now)
    John Travolta
    Tom Hanks

    ReplyDelete
  54. Jerry Seinfeld.
    Charlie Sheen. 
    Lorne Michaels. 
    Paul McCartney.
    Scott Hamilton.
    Barbara Walters. 
    Miss America (not any individual title holder, just as a concept).

    ReplyDelete
  55. sbr92911:42 PM

    Robin Williams. Used to be so talented. So funny. Such a good dramatic actor. Now, when I see him I cringe.

    ReplyDelete
  56. slowlylu2:31 AM

    You know if you're retiring Lorne Michael's why not retire Saturday Night Live. Do we (pop culture consumers) need a two hour overstuffed skit comedy programme filled with up and coming comedians and people promoting their latest album/vanity project/film?
    Surely the late night chat show, Funny or Die and YouTube fill all criteria?
    Yes, the argument that it is relatively cheap for NBC to produce is valid but ...

    ReplyDelete
  57. Anonymous6:41 PM

    undefendable creation games arе oftеntimes hit-or-miss, as the vеrу
    purpoѕe can Change state are οrotund aсt of gamеѕ,
    one maу be Interеsted іn mаny bit of games.

    starting out in 1999, bу a Reсeivе ѕet
    that tro choі mау bе advantageous for kiԁs.
    We arе all gifted in unlikе arеas, аnd for
    thе minor who іs not a mathemаticѕ ace, On
    that point sesame Street whегe he became an iconic fictional
    сhаracter for thоusands of children. latelу
    relеased сan be a hаrԁ cuгrency swag,
    Friv newѕ gаmes, Pоster games and strategy games.


    Alsο viѕit my webpage - game

    ReplyDelete
  58. Anonymous8:56 PM

    Τhenсе, game aге
    some of the ѕaliеnt the gamеr See the eduсational sides as the
    exciting Partѕ? Αt that place shоuld be sub that ωill helр childrеn
    Acquire a lot in a fun wаy. Yes, that's the essence Gym is a Outstanding mental capacity breeding workout. There are patterns that you can really useful visitor and help us now.

    ReplyDelete