{"id":2275,"date":"2017-11-13T07:30:13","date_gmt":"2017-11-13T12:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nickzaino.com\/departmentoftangents\/?p=2275"},"modified":"2017-11-12T19:30:02","modified_gmt":"2017-11-13T00:30:02","slug":"garry-shandling-and-tom-petty-legends-and-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickzaino.com\/departmentoftangents\/2017\/11\/13\/garry-shandling-and-tom-petty-legends-and-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"Garry Shandling and Tom Petty: Legends and Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

It makes sense that Tom Petty and Garry Shandling were longtime friends. They had a lot in common. Both were great craftsman and more influential than it might seem. Shandling pioneered meta comedy with It\u2019s Garry Shandling’s Show<\/em> in the 80s and The Larry Sanders Show<\/em> in the 90s (Petty made cameos on both). Petty wrote some of the most elemental, romantically ideal rock and roll of his time over his 40-year career, from \u201cAmerican Girl\u201d right up to the end with \u201cForgotten Man.\u201d <\/p>\n

The unfortunate commonality they share is they both died suddenly at 66 while still vital artists. Both of their deaths prompted tributes from every corner of their respective arts. Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Conan O\u2019Brien, Amy Schumer, and Judd Apatow all had kind words for Shandling. Petty himself memorialized Shandling in Billboard<\/em><\/a>. And everyone from metal dudes to country stars to sensitive singer\/songwriters covered Petty\u2019s music or cited him as an influence. <\/p>\n

So I was somewhat startled to happen upon this conversation between Shandling and Petty while stumbling down a YouTube hole. It\u2019s remarkable. Shandling is self-deprecating, Petty is sly. They make good mutual foils. They both like to laugh, and they both play the \u201cyes, and\u201d game well. That\u2019s probably they worked so well in ensembles, Shandling with his castmates and Petty with the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch. They can communicate from the standpoint of legends. They know the worry that goes into doing your best work, and doing it consistently, and they know how fame can isolate an artist. <\/p>\n

At one point, Shandling says all kidding aside, \u201cThis is the most fun I\u2019ve had in a couple of years.\u201d Petty agrees and adds, \u201cThe sad thing is it takes three cameras for us to feel good.\u201d There\u2019s a handwritten note, presumably written by Shandling because it\u2019s in first person, talking about how Petty had invited him up to his house after Shandling\u2019s first stand-up gig in a while. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s some gallows humor, some halfway serious talk about meditation and Buddhism, and how they stoke their creativity. Divorce and lawsuits. And Petty\u2019s mixing board. And Shandling\u2019s ass. It\u2019s weird. It\u2019s wonderful. And there\u2019s no reason it should exist. But if there had been a Shandling-Petty reality show on TV somewhere, I would have watched it every week. <\/p>\n