Having "a good sense of humor" is a characteristic most of us desire for ourselves and appreciate in others. And beyond that, being really funny has led to fame and fortune for a variety of individuals over the years, especially the late night comics.

Leno and Letterman, the NBC and CBS star headliners -- for those of us who stay up past the 10 o'clock news -- take the first shift until 11:30. Then the second round begins with Conan O'Brien and Craig Ferguson, on their respective networks. ABC's headlining comic is Jimmy Kimmel, whose nightly gig starts at 11 p.m.

Of this group, Leno, Letterman, Ferguson and Kimmel have had writers who off and on present funny and enjoyable material for their viewers. For me, O'Brien is a complete turnoff, being a lousy host and never funny. Ferguson, on the other hand, is delightful, with ad libs done in his native Scottish brogue, to go with his cue card comedy. Kimmel, too, I have appreciated up until his show following "The Oscars" last month. But what a disgraceful, disgusting event that turned out to be.

Since when is there anything funny about a female staffer strumming a guitar exclaiming via the f-word that she is having sex with Matt Damon? And how embarrassed I was to see Damon, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz all joining in on the same "dirty little ditty" about the staffer having sex with Damon. Then Kimmel and Ben Affleck compounded this course, vulgar scene with their chant about Kimmel having sex with Ben. What a disappointment that Kimmel, his writers and these personalities have sunk so low in their ideas about what constitutes comedy and humor! It was not "adult humor." It wasn't humorous in any way.

Over the recent years, I have been rooting for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and their careers ever since their success with Good Will Hunting. And we've seen all of the Harrison Ford movies, and even enjoyed Brad Pitt in a role or two. But now, sad to say, this five-minute bit has spoiled things for me. We won't be supporting the careers of any of these folks with our movie dollars, nor will we be catching the Kimmel Show from now on.

Of course, "the stars" are human, just like their fans and viewers. With sex being a part of each person's nature, it is a fair topic for discussion on a variety of levels, including the comedic. But this Kimmel Show was way over the top and should never have seen the light of day in front of a TV camera or anywhere else! ABC should apologize to the public for allowing this to air, regardless of the late hour. If the writers cannot come up with better material, they should be replaced. And we hope the sponsors cancel their ads.

How can these Hollywood greats face their young children and their non-sex-crazed fans after such an incredible display of gross vulgarity? It is indeed sad that they would choose to be a part of something so course and utterly devoid of humor or any other attribute.

There are many examples of comedy shows and individual comics who have entertained us without relying on the f-word or bathroom humor. Some of these shows and their individual stars go back many years. They were entertaining and made us laugh then. And because of their universal topics, I believe they still can do that now.

Last night was a case in point. On TV we saw a 1932 comedy starring Harold Lloyd, of silent movie fame. It was indeed a riot and had us roaring with laughter from the "troublesome incidents" in which Lloyd was engaged. The late, great Danny Kaye, also was featured in a movie. His talent and acting abilities were second to none when it came to humor.

There are plenty of individual role models and successful shows from which the present-day writers can get ideas. Let's hope that in the future, the quality of entertainment and humor will uplift us individually and collectively. In these troubled times, laughter is a commodity that must not be in short supply!

Duane West, a longtime resident and former mayor of Garden City, is a contributing columnist for The Telegram.