How to Listen to David Letterman's Monologue

One of the best parts of "Late Night with David Letterman" is David Letterman's initial monologue. Letterman weaves political events, celebrity news and issues facing New Yorkers into the first few moments of his show to warm up the audience. When you listen to David Letterman's monologue, you can process today's news in a humorous way.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Listen to David Letterman's Monologue

1. Turn to your local CBS affiliate to listen to David Letterman's monologue the day after his show. A number of local morning shows will highlight funny parts of Letterman's opening monologue for people who have to go to bed early, but want to enjoy his comedy.

2. Log into video-sharing websites to find David Letterman's monologues from the recent past. CBS and other major networks are working with video-sharing websites to promote their talent through extensive clips. You should only use websites that have the permission of CBS and the production company to replay video clips.

3. Record "Late Night with David Letterman" with your digital video recorder or VHS player and watch the monologue the next day. The benefit of watching the monologue this way is you can fast forward the recording to get to the parts you want to watch.

4. Listen to local radio stations with humorous morning shows to hear clips from David Letterman's monologues. Morning radio hosts often play clips from Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno as a discussion starter for guests or callers.

5. View Sunday morning talk shows and cable news programs to see highlights for late-night monologues. Hosts often select jokes about politicians and the government to demonstrate the humor in certain actions by American leaders. You can view multiple shows on Sunday morning to see different clips or see replays of a favorite joke in the monologue.

6. Save the "Late Night with David Letterman" website on your computer bookmark list (see Resources below). This website is updated daily to reflect Letterman's famous Top Ten lists, monologues and interviews with popular celebrities.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch clips and listen to past monologues by David Letterman in order to appreciate his comedic timing. David Letterman has been telling jokes in monologue form since the mid-1980s and his timing relies on a traditional setup followed by a punch line. Your research will allow you to enjoy new monologues as they come along.

Resources

• David Letterman's web page on the CBS website