Ed McMahon Was One Of Us

Sonari Glinton, an All Things Considered producer, has a deftly done appreciation of Ed McMahon. It's clear that Sonari really gets why McMahon worked for so many of us.

The long-time Tonight Show sidekick was the everyman wingman. He was the guy so many of us have been, the second fiddle to the "star," that handsome friend of ours who was always the life of every party or had spectacular athletic talent.

Sonari writes:

Ed seemed amazingly self-aware. His job was to announce and laugh. He would host a talent show, but not be on one. He knew his talent was limited, and in many ways he wasn't anything special. He lived an extraordinary life for a man of no discernible talent. He was a lucky SOB; he got paid to laugh. And now that he's gone, he'll be remembered for laughing. Think how lucky he was -- and how lucky we were to laugh with him, or at him. He didn't care, as long as people were laughing.

And to that, I like to think he'd say, "You're correct, sir."

That's perfect.