Conan Woos Far Younger Tonight Show Crowd

Will discuss spoof on Sikh holy place with State Department

(NEWSER) - Jay Leno has created a bit of an international brouhaha over a joke that's not sitting well with India's Sikh community. The Tonight Show last week displayed a picture of the holiest Sikh temple—the stunning Golden Temple of Amritsar—before Leno called it Mitt Romney's summer home. Sikhs have organized an online petition calling for Leno's "racist comments" to "be stopped right here," and an Indian official says the country's embassy plans to discuss the comment with the US State Department, the BBC reports. More»

...about $3.5M, up from last year's $3M

(NEWSER) - Big money, big money, no whammies? When it comes to Super Bowl XLVI, the big money sure has poured in: The commercial slots are officially sold out, at a cost of about $3.5 million for 30 seconds. The no whammies part remains to be seen... The Wall Street Journal reports that, bad economy and all, the price took a big jump over last year's $3 million. And this year's figure represents a 59% increase since 2001, a year in which 30-second commercials ran about $2.2 million. More»

Says he calls his dogs by the wrong name

(NEWSER) - Rick Perry dropped by the Tonight Show last night to chat about the campaign, and faced quite a few questions about his various gaffes. After noting that Perry had provided him with "a lot of material," Leno asked about that elusive third agency , as well as why Perry had gotten confused about both the voting age and the date of the election . Quipped Perry, "Every now and then I call my dogs by the wrong name. I get that wrong, too." The evening didn't pass without mention of Herman Cain and his woes. "Luckily, you're in the clear," noted Leno, "thanks to Herman Cain. Cause yours are gaffes, those are 'oh my Gods.'" Click to Daily Intel for more. More»

He's waiting until they're voted off the island

(NEWSER) - President Obama made his fourth visit to the Tonight Show last night, his second as sitting president, and told Jay Leno he wasn't spending much time worrying about his potential Republican rivals—because the GOP race is kinda like Survivor. “I'm going to wait until everybody’s voted off the island,” he said. “Once they narrow it down to one of two, I’ll start paying attention.” More highlights, courtesy of ABC , the Wall Street Journal , the Atlantic , and Politico :

• On his dislike for the Kardashians : “No, I have not seen the show. … I am probably a little biased against reality TV, partly because there’s this program on CSPAN called Congress that is…”
• On Moammar Gadhafi: The dictator “had an opportunity during the Arab Spring to finally let loose of his grip on power and to peacefully transition into democracy. We gave him ample opportunity, and he wouldn't do it.”

They've renewed their vows ... already

(NEWSER) - Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are on a post-wedding media blitz, which so far is playing out just as one would expect. Four signs the couple is getting even more ridiculous :

• They've already renewed their vows: Yes, a mere six weeks after getting hitched , Kim and Kris apparently felt the need to re-pledge their eternal love to one another, this time in front of a national audience on the Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday. Click to watch the video , which features Humphries wearing a top hat, apropos of nothing.