In a relatively short time, YouTube has become the repository of the entire recorded history of the human race. Its sheer gargantuan size means that millions of videos lurk out there beyond the Trending lists, just waiting to be discovered by the discerning time-waster, if only they knew the right keywords to enter. Damn the luck! Fortunately, Popwell is here with a monthly tidbit that you can enjoy right this very minute, in the privacy of your own home, yard, vehicle and/or workspace.
Chris Elliott is one of America’s greatest treasures. The criminally underappreciated actor and writer has starred in two classic TV series, Get a Life and Eagleheart. Both shows were a swan dive into his unique, hilariously surreal brand of comedy, relegating them to cult status almost instantly. If you haven’t seen every single episode of both series, you should stop reading this right now and go watch them.
Elliott started out as a writer on Late Night with David Letterman. He gradually began working his way into bits and sketches, where he proved to be a natural on camera. It should have come as no surprise, since he was the son of Bob Elliott of the classic comedy team Bob and Ray. During Late Night‘s wild 1980’s heyday, Elliott starred as a string of memorable running characters.
His most well-known characters included The Guy Under The Seats, The Fugitive Guy and The Panicky Guy. My personal favorite was Elliott’s off-the-wall take on Marlon Brando, telling lame jokes and doing the banana dance. This month’s clip features Elliott’s very first Late Night running character, The Conspiracy Guy.
Conspiracy Guy first showed up on October 6, 1983, darting onstage and ranting during Viewer Mail. Over the next few months, Elliott showed up several more time in a variety of wacky set-ups. He tried to open America’s eyes to The Conspiracy and Connie Chung’s Secret Committee of Twelve, before (literally) making his final bows on January 3, 1984. This month’s clip is a complete collection of Chris Elliott’s Conspiracy Guy appearances, expertly edited together by a YouTube genius by the name of Don Giller. Whoever Mr. Giller is, he clearly has a lot of old Letterman videos, because his YouTube channel is an insane treasure trove of Late Night goodness. He’s done some great stuff here, so with no further ado, please enjoy: The Conspiracy Guy Collection.
I heard Conspiracy Guy runs the whole Internet now.