Not exactly animation news, but we at Ani-jobs want to add our condolences to the family and friends of Ed McMahon. According to the New York Times, Ed McMahon died this morning at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center at the age of 86. Ed McMahon is know nationwide for his sweepstakes, commercials, and Star Search; however, McMahon’s true claim to fame is the famous cry “Heeeere’s Johnny” that kicked off every Tonight Show for 46 years.
“I laugh for an hour and then go home,” Mr. McMahon once said. “I’ve got the world’s greatest job.”
McMahon also perfected the role of “second banana”, bantering with Johnny Carson and being the butt of many of his jokes. The New York Times writes of this moment:
Mr. McMahon rarely ran the risk of upstaging Carson. “To me, he’s the star and I’m on the sidelines, just nudging him a bit,” he said. But early in their association he slipped up.
It happened one night when Carson was telling the audience about a study concluding that mosquitoes preferred to bite “warm-blooded, passionate people.” Before Carson could deliver his punch line, Mr. McMahon slapped his own arm, as if crushing a mosquito. The audience roared. Carson coolly produced a giant can of insect spray from under his desk and said, glaring at Mr. McMahon, “I guess I won’t be needing this prop, will I?”
In his personal life, McMahon was hardworking individual holding down a myriad of jobs as he trained for his dream in show business. He was also valiant, serving in both World War II and the Korean War as a fighter pilot. But most of all, McMahon was the kind of man who simply liked to laugh, and for all the years of laughter, we are grateful.