Get some humor, Carolla

"Listen, why don't you just go to the bar, write whatever (expletive) you're going to write," Carolla said. "Just write the (expletive) you're going to write. Just write the show sucks and I'm using my own money and just go write it now and leave me alone, would you?"

At this point, it dawned on me that this was not the humorous banter I thought it was. I didn't have an ax to grind, but Carolla obviously did.

"Write something (expletive) about the show and give the mike to somebody else, please. I don't care if any of you like the show. It's going to be a great show and you'll just be wrong."

At this point, we learned what this was really about.

"Everyone (critics) hated 'The Man Show' and everyone had a problem with 'Love Line.' Everyone has a problem with everything I do, but the shows are good."

What made this somewhat ironic was that the question I never got to ask was how it felt to have overcome earlier TV failures (which he had, just not the one I was wrong about) and bad reviews to become something between a cottage industry and a mogul. He's got multiple TV shows on multiple cable networks, plus his radio show.

In essence, I was trying to toss him a softball.

Instead, he got all hot and bothered. A few moments later, he even had to falsely assert, "I wasn't just yelling at critics."

So . . . the next time you hear Carolla say he doesn't care what critics write and he doesn't read his bad reviews, don't believe it. He hates critics in general (and me specifically) so much that he'll launch into a profanity-laden rant in the middle of what's supposed to be a press conference to promote his show.

Which put my dumbness over the non-existent sitcom in perspective.

As for me, well, the whole thing sort of reminds me of the time a UPN executive tried to get me fired a few years ago. I mean, it wasn't like an executive at a real network wanted me fired.

If, say, Bob Newhart had yelled at me, I'd feel bad.

Adam Carolla yelling at me? Not so much.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com