"Our society is getting dumber and dumber," said Allen. "They've done on-the-street interviews on 'The Tonight Show' (which Allen created and hosted) with high school students who did not know the name of that big country north of here."

Allen told the students that his initial problem as a TV show host was overcoming his shyness. "Shyness is not unusual among talk show hosts. Carson, Paar, Cavett, they all had to deal with it." The legendary entertainer was not shy, however, when it came to offering such acting insights and tips as: "Your goal should be to 'be' your character in the (manner of) Robert DeNiro and James Dean"; "when preparing for a movie, a play or a commentary on air, talk out loud to yourself when you're driving, describing what you see"; and perhaps most importantly, "don't give up your day job. Even if you're marvelously talented, the universe is not about justice."