The Barbarian and I

Earlier this week, I attended a taping of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Besides the fact that you can see all the cameras and the various people that make the show happen, it wasn't too much different from watching the show on television.

Where it does differ from the ordinary home experience is that, as an audience member, you are obligated to clap virtually nonstop for an hour. This may not seem like much of a burden, but I assure you it is. By the end of the taping, my hands were raw from repeatedly contact, and my fake enthusiasm had withered to an almost imperceptible level. I could barely bring myself to manage a smile, let alone laugh, scream, and applaud heartily whenever the audience-do-your-thing sign lit up.

From now on, I think I'll limit my audience participation to yelling at the TV.