“Totally Unqualified.. Booby Prize for No Performance”: Foraying Into Brand New Career After HIV Shock, Magic Johnson Was Degraded in 1998

NBA legend Magic Johnson played a crucial role in the re-establishment of the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s. With five championships in the bag, the experienced Magic Johnson was all set to hit the 90s with a storm with hopes of continuing his triple-double brilliance in the league. However, Magic’s whole life turned around when he had to retire after being diagnosed with HIV in 1991. Despite his comeback in 1996, Magic Johnson lost years of his NBA career as a result of his condition. But, the Lakers legend didn’t give up as he charged towards excelling in a brand new career. Unfortunately, Magic Johnson had to face a great deal of criticism for his efforts of making it big in the television industry in 1998.

Johnson launched his own talk show, ‘The Magic Hour’ in 1998 produced by Fox Television. The late-night show was hosted by Magic Johnson with comedian Craig Shoemaker as his sidekick. Magic interviewed many renowned celebrities on the show. However, despite performing strongly on the opening night, Magic’s foray into the television industry was strongly criticized by many media organizations including the ones that rooted for him during his NBA days. 

Magic’s attempt as a TV show host received backlash

As per a 1998 report from The Washington Post, “On Friday, the Los Angeles Times called Johnson “totally unqualified” to host a talk show, adding that he was not only “unclever, unwitty and often visibly uncomfortable in this venue but also earns the booby-prize for attaining no performance or interviewing skills in his long preparation for going against network heavies Jay Leno and David Letterman.”

Merely a week after the show was launched, Magic Johnson was targeted by critics. They claimed that the Lakers legend lacked the qualities needed to create a late-night presence as a dominant host. Magic’s nervousness as a host was also questioned and his ‘too nice’ tone with the celebrities was openly criticized. 

Shockingly, Magic Johnson went up against renowned hosts David Letterman and Jay Leno who were known for their late-night shows. Reports suggested that the show had strong viewership during the first week. However, The Magic Hour had mediocre ratings during the rest of the week.

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The show averaged 3.5 million viewers in comparison to CBS’s David Letterman’s 5 million and NBC’s Jay Leno’s 9 million. Given the competition, Magic Johnson’s venture into the entertainment industry as a TV host was short-lived.

TV journey of Magic Johnson lasted only eight weeks

The Magic Hour kicked off on June 8, 1998, but quickly became a topic of condemnation in the media. Following the criticism, Magic Johnson and the production tried to make some positive changes to the show. The Lakers legend also invited his show’s biggest critic and rival host Howard Stern on his show in an attempt to silence the chatters.

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Subsequently, the episode featuring Stern did boost the show’s viewership for a short time. However, The Magic Hour was eventually canceled after just eight weeks in September 1998.