Dennis Miller rants -- and viewers love it

May 15, 1996
Web posted at: 7:00 p.m. EDT

From Correspondent Sherri Sylvester

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Comedian Dennis Miller is letting off steam, and people are tuning in. His HBO program "Rant" is drawing a loyal following of folks who share his straightforward views on issues.

His guest this evening is O.J. Simpson prosecutor Christopher Darden, who says he has followed Miller's career since his days on "Saturday Night Live."

And Miller has followed Darden since Simpson became headlines after the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Simpson was acquitted of the murders last year, but still faces civil lawsuits from the victims' families.

O.J. is one of the comic's favorite subjects. Miller scoffs at the notion that the gloves were too small and regularly tells the audience that Simpson is a "bad man." (95K AIFF or WAV sound)

But Miller is unaware that tonight, Kim Goldman, Ron Goldman's sister, is in the studio audience.

Miller's loose-cannon antics suit a jaded audience who follow the news of the day with a skeptical eye. Viewers call in and voice their doubts with the show's host about O.J.'s fate during his visit with the Oxford Union debating society in Britain.

But at Studio 56 in Los Angeles, there is no debate. Everyone is in sync about the state of the world spinning around them. Even Darden says he appreciates Miller's style of putting his feelings up front where everyone can see them.

But, after watching the show, Kim Goldman finds the ranting about Simpson harsh and a little painful. It's too close to the truth, she says.

Miller's cynicism reflects the lessons he learned while surviving a career in the rough-and-tumble world of show business. But, he still gets a kick out of writing a simple joke and playing off the news for 26 minutes of laughs. (87K AIFF or WAV sound)

Related site

• A Dennis Miller Page

Feedback Send us your comments. Selected responses are posted daily.

| CONTENTS | SEARCH | CNN HOME PAGE | MAIN SHOWBIZ PAGE |

---

Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.