A lot of people missing from the list
And a few that shouldn't be there!
David, What were you thinking when you sent out the invitations?
He was thinking, "I want to get every Jewish comic who's still alive and give them even more exposure. Nevermind black legends like Whoopi, Eddie, Cosby, Chappelle or Martin Lawrence. Nevermind Latino comics like Lopez, Cheech, Gabriel Iglesias, John Leguizamo or Paul Rodriguez."
"I fulfilled a lot of people's predictions about me. I've become a real scumbag."
Danny Vermin
Cosby would never do this, and it's highly likely Eddie and Martin Lawrence wouldn't do it either. Gabriel Iglesias is still fairly new and isn't anywhere near the caliber of comics being interviewed. John Leguizamo is not a stand-up comic; the closest he's come is his one man Broadway shows (which are brilliant, but aren't stand-up comedy). George Lopez would be interesting, but at the time these interviews were conducted he was completely wrapped up in his late night talk show and various stand-up appearances.
I do agree with you that there should be a little more variety, but realistically you'd have to consider who agrees to do interviews, who has a schedule that allows them to do the interviews, and who actually has a career that constitutes an interview.
Jane Lynch and Steve Carrell are presently in their prime and are easily the busiest people on Dave's list this season. If they have a day to devote to the series I believe anybody I listed has the time as well. And like Gabriel Iglesias, they are also reletively "new" compared to legends like Billy Crystal and Don Rickles. I'm convinced Dave just picked his personal favorites.
"I fulfilled a lot of people's predictions about me. I've become a real scumbag."
Danny Vermin
I agree. To some extent he's picking people he likes. But there are a couple of other things going on here. He's picking people who have shaped the field of comedy, and that's why so many of them are in their 60s or older. And I also think that he tries to pick folks who are naturally funny people and good storytellers. Some stand-up comedians are funny only with rehearsed, scripted material (sometimes written by someone else)--whereas many of Steinberg's guests came from an improv background (e.g., Second City, etc.) and can be spontaneous and think on their feet.
And some just have great anecdotes to tell. I also like the way he intersperses key clips in the interview, so we can relive some classic moments from comedy history.
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A. Einstein