A bit dated, yes, but I don't think archaic as he led directly toward the more politically-oriented talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Steven Colbert. Yes, they're at night rather than during the day, but the entire nature of day time TV has changed, to a large extent because the idea of the housewife (one of my least favorite words because no one married a house) at home watching shows is largely obsolete. And both Kimmel & Colbert still (usually) wear a suit and tie while hosting.
I find it neither surprising nor upsetting that the current generation doesn't know who he is since my generation has (mostly) no clue who Jack Paar and Steve Allen are (hint: Carson's predecessors).