Larry King provided a service that was obvious, often derided, and often praised.

[Stinky The Clown]

He provided a platform for personalities to say what they wanted to say without the filter of the media, editors, and PR flacks. They were words that came out of their own mouths. They stood or toppled on the basis of their own merit. If they were lying, most people could tell. The words were hard to parse when the eyes of the speaker were on closeup view and that view preserved forever.

Suspected morons who went on the show saw the word "suspected" removed from their bio. The quivering lip of the political wife defending the political husband was real or it wasn't. In the unfiltered world of Larry King Live, it was easy for the public to determine which.

Larry never had an opinion. He never told you what to think. His told guests told you what they wanted you to think; *hoped* you would think. Leaving it up to you, refreshingly, to think for yourself.

Yeah, he was guilty of playing light, feathery, fluffy softball. And that was refreshing. It meant his guests were unfiltered and unplugged. And for many of them, unguarded.

That was a good thing.