Jay Leno laments late night comedians ‘cozying to one side’
Former Tonight Show host Jay leno expressed concern that many comedians today tend to cater to only one side of the political spectrum, limiting their audience. In a recent interview, Leno questioned why comedians aim to please only half of their viewers, emphasizing that people generally seek comedy as an escape from life’s difficulties rather then political lectures. Drawing on his own experience hosting The tonight Show, where he received criticism from both political sides for the same joke, Leno highlighted the value of reaching a diverse audience.He criticized current late-night hosts for focusing too much on expressing their opinions and alienating parts of their audience, advocating instead for comedians to focus on what’s funny without taking sides. Leno also commented on the 2016 presidential election, calling it an honest and positive day for democracy despite his personal dislike of the results.
Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno laments comedians ‘cozying too much to one side’
Former late-night television host Jay Leno asked why comedians only “shoot for half an audience” in a recent interview, saying he doesn’t believe “anybody wants to hear a lecture.”
Leno hosted NBC’s The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2009 before comedian Conan O’Brien briefly became the new host, with Leno hosting the show again from 2010 through 2014. Leno said he used to receive hate mail from his show’s audience of both political spectrums, “over the same joke,” and viewed this as a positive since he was getting “a whole audience.”
However, Leno said current late-night hosts need to be content with “half the audience,” since the hosts “have to give your opinion.”
“And to me, I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, you know, the depressions of life,” Leno said in an interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.
“And I love political humor, don’t get me wrong. But it’s just, what happens with … people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.”
Leno also said he prefers to bring his audience into “the big picture,” with his comedy routine, and didn’t understand trying to “alienate” a specific group. He concluded comedians don’t have to “throw your support” to anyone, and should “just do what’s funny.”
SOUTH PARK MOCKS PARAMOUNT DEAL AND ‘PRO-TRUMP MESSAGING’ IN SEASON PREMIERE
Leno said on Nov. 6, the day after the presidential election, that he was “not a fan” of the election results, in which then-presidential candidate Donald Trump beat then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite this, he said the election was “honest,” calling it “a great day for democracy,” on The Talk.
In July, CBS announced it is pulling the plug on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, citing “financial” reasons. Host Stephen Colbert is one of several late-night comedians who have been frequent critics of Trump, and told the president, “go f*** yourself,” over the president’s celebration the show is getting cancelled.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
