Charlie Gibson and Lil' Wayne Together At Last

The broadcast network anchor of yesteryear was known for his staid demeanor and button-up somberness.  If anyone needs a reminder that those days are long gone, just take a look at the video below in which famous cough-syrup chugging rapper Lil’ Wayne does battle with Charlie Gibson in an epic scrabble match that has Wayne throwing down the word “Crunkswagger,” on Jimmie Kimmel Live.

In a world where Brian Williams can playfully lambast Congress on The Daily Show and Katie Couric can let her hair down in behind-the-scenes clips on her youtube channel, it was fun to see Gibson get goofy.  (His jocularity on Kimmel is in pretty stark contrast to that pair of bespectacled eyes that peered down at a not-so-prepared Sarah Palin on the campaign trail last year).

After the opening segment and an interview with Gibson, Wayne and Gibson appeared together and Kimmel played a game in which he stated facts and asked the audience if they pertained to the rapper or the anchor.   Kimmel saved his best for last, asking which of the two men had a penchant for cough syrup (a well know vice of Wayne’s, though he claims to have kicked the habit).  The silence and audience laughter prompted Kimmel to ask, “Charlie, do you like the purple drink?”