So tomorrow is Conan’s last day on the job at “The Tonight Show”. I’m sad about this and disappointed for the way the whole thing went down. Now, for all you rock dwellers out there, you can get caught up on the latest here, but this is not the place to hash out the specifics.

I do find the whole thing interesting, however. The 5 nights-a-week late shift comedians continually develop material from current events and cultural happenings. This way, humor stays relevant, but something else is at work here. These comedians take serious matters and make light of them, or shine a light on ridiculous and frustrating happenings. In this way, it’s become the perfect way to unwind at the end of the day, watching someone to make light of the world and send you to bed laughing.

It is clear the impact these men have had on culture through all of the news attention, Twitter trending, and such over the last few weeks. I think that people are frustrated because these are the men who are supposed to write the jokes, not be the brunt of them. And this says more about the cultural impact of creative humor than just about anything that’s happened in recent memory. Their comedic styles create loyalty and the expectation of entertainment, and disruption creates an uproar. People change jobs every day—jobs that have the power to affect our daily life—but we rarely cry foul like the public has over this shuffle.

Which leads me to my point. I think that comedy is an art (a gift I don’t possess), and we culturally consume this art, not with gratitude, but with expectation. Artists have a tendency to succumb to expectations, often in self-destructive ways. We then marvel over, criticize and revel in their destruction, unaware that we played a part. It’s a tough place to be in.

As we continue to contemplate how art and creativity influence culture, take a moment to be thankful for the people who entertain you. And maybe watch Conan’s last show tomorrow night—I’m sure it’ll be a good one.

-Whit