 for five years previously, would remain standing to the side as Carson did his monologue, laughing (sometimes obsequiously) at his jokes, then join him at the guest chair when Carson moved to his desk.The two would usually interact in a comic spot for a short while before the first guest was introduced.McMahon stated in a 1978 profile of Carson in "The New Yorker" that "the 'Tonight Show' is my staple diet, my meat and potatoes—I'm realistic enough to know that everything else stems from that."