Ear on TV: Week of 11.08.10: Cee-Lo Green

Cee-Lo Green plays Letterman and The Colbert Report

It's obvious now that Cee-Lo Green's 15 minutes of fame as one half of Gnarls Barkley were never going to be enough. This summer, the portly former Goodie Mob rapper cemented his transition to next gen soul singer with the YouTube sensation "F*ck You," which is quickly approaching 20 million views. Can't help but wonder what George Carlin would've made of this sensation.

Like with the phenomenon surrounding Gnarls Barkley "Crazy," it might be easy to forget that it's part of an album, and Lady Killer, Cee-Lo's third solo release, provides the perfect context for the expletive-filled release. Paying homage to classic Motown and Stax recordings, this is Green's most accessible release to date, and yes, "F*ck You" is the album's draw, even to the point of distraction. (Green will perform clean versions of the song on Letterman Monday and The Colbert Report Tuesday.)

With internet memes moving at the speed of light, not only has the song become a radio hit (thanks to the unfortunate edit to "Forget You"), but it's also generated several covers that probably signal it's already past its prime. Last week William Shatner did his trademarked spoken word cover of "F*ck You" on Lopez Tonight (scroll down for video), bleeps and all, to prove grandpa has heard it. British pop songstress Eliza Doolittle videotaped a version of it backstage getting ready for a show in London, guaranteeing the UK hype machine has already digested it. And the final straw for the zeitgeist camel appeared last week when it was announced that Gwyneth Paltrow* will sing the radio edited version "Forget You" on Glee on next week's episode.

*Gwyneth Paltrow actually makes her network television singing debut this week, performing on the Country Music Awards Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the pale whale Conan O'Brien returns this week with his new show and network, Conan on TBS, and it was only natural that he opens with Jack White as his musical guest, given their long history. This past summer, in fact, Conan O'Brien returned the favor, recording two limited edition singles for White's Detroit record label, Third Man. Other musical guests this week include Soundgarden (Tuesday,) and the Ben Harper-Joseph Arthur-Dhani Harrison collaboration Fistful of Mercy (Wednesday). It's great to Conan back, even if it were only to have another late night source for good live music.

Picks for the week
Monday, November 8
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Neil Diamond
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Cee-Lo Green
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Gogol Bordello
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: N.E.R.D.
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Toots & the Maytals
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Matt & Kim, Tift Merritt, David Cross (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Jack White
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Rooney
Tuesday, November 9
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Bon Jovi
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Cee-Lo Green
FUEL: The Daily Habit: As I Lay Dying
IFC: 360 Sessions: Alphabeat
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Walkmen, Steve Jones
TBS: Conan: Soundgarden
Wednesday, November 10
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Quincy Jones, Snoop Dogg
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Andrew W.K.
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Old 97's
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Jonsi
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Alberta Cross
TBS: Conan: Fisftul of Mercy
TBS: Lopez Tonight: DMX
Thursday, November 11
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Bruno Mars
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Chiodos
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Soulja Boy
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Robyn
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Jimmy Eat World
Friday, November 12
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Temper Trap
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Kings of Leon
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: A Perfect Circle
Saturday, November 13
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Pet Shop Boys
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Arcade Fire
PBS: Austin City Limits: Rosanne Cash, Brandi Carlile