Bill Burr’s five best rants on Conan

5. Oprah’s interview with Lance Armstrong

It is pretty hard to find a comedian, or anyone for that matter, who has a real problem with Oprah Winfrey. The television legend is typically celebrated for her career, marked by hard work, dedication, and a savvy business sense.

But as we all know, Bill Burr isn’t your typical comedian. This is a comedian who can be easily annoyed but knows how to channel that irritability into humor.

And while many people were quick to condemn Lance Armstrong for taking steroids during his cycling career, Burr is much more forgiving. Burr chooses to focus on the money raised for cancer research through the Livestrong campaign rather than worry about the sanctity of cycling.

It is especially interesting to watch this particular rant given the development of “cancel culture” in 2019. It is something Burr himself has addressed and we get hints of it here. While everyone wants to break down Armstrong, Burr reminds viewers that Oprah got her start “interviewing midgets who wanted to bang their boyfriend’s mailman.” Perhaps looking back at some of Oprah’s early work wouldn’t be all that flattering according to Burr.

The best way to judge what separates a great Burr appearance from an all-time Burr appearance is the reaction from Conan O’Brien. With so much of late-night interviews prepared, it’s special to see O’Brien have to push away from the desk from laughter. It is something fans see often when Burr is on the show.