Dennis Miller recently had a rude awakening.

““It was an extremely awkward situation,” recounts a producer for The O’Reilly Factor, who did not want to be identified. “We basically had an intervention for Dennis.”

It began with a short presentation of audience research showing that 99% of Miller’s references in his monologues are so obscure that 99% of the audience doesn’t get it.

Strangely, however, audiences seem to like the “Miller Time” segment because they enjoy watching a man who’s supposed to be funny, but isn’t at all.

It’s like the popular appeal of some of the worst American Idol contestants.

The audience revels in the ego-boosting idea that they’re funnier or can sing better than someone on TV.

At the end of the intervention, Miller’s enormous ego had been considerably deflated. He hesitated for a moment and then asked weakly, “You mean that I’m only making myself laugh?”

“That’s exactly it, Dennis,” one staff member said as others nodded with enthusiasm.

“But I’m smarter than Tiberius Gracchus Major and his brother-in-law, Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Corculum, combined.”

“And I’m funnier than Dave Gorman’s 1986 stand-up routine at The Fringe even if you added Muledeer’s bit about sharing a Sakatini with Ho Chi Mihn.”

O’Reilly tried to interject “But Dennis…”

“This is like the 1855 Klamath & Salmon Indian War,” Miller continued with an arrogant smile, “when …no, no, this is more like an early episode of Sing Along With Mitch when his male choir...”