Jay Leno Criticizes Political Late-Night Hosts: “Nobody Wants to Hear a Lecture”

Shut up, Big Chin.

There's a reason why no one's been clamoring for your return to late night.

Unpopular opinion, but I agree with him. They're just preaching to (half) the choir anyway. It's all about their own smugness and it doesn't lead to any practical change, so why do it in the first place?

He really is circling the drain.

[QUOTE] There's a reason why no one's been clamoring for your return to late night.

Jay left with the ratings crown for a reason. NBC’s late night audience would double if Leno came back tomorrow.

R2, only one party is sending people to El Salvador torture camps for having tattoos

R2 So let's just all be quiet about the rise of fascism in our country.

Enjoy your big pile of money and STFU.

R4 Hi, Jay! Thanks for coming to DL. You must need something to do.

I guess he thinks people would rather hear all the homophobic jokes he made over the years

I actually agree with him, and it makes sense. Late-night talk shows air right after the 11 o’clock news, traditionally, that’s when you’re supposed to unwind with something light, fun, and entertaining before bed. Celebrity interviews, comedy bits, silly sketches, that’s what people used to look forward to.

But when late-night started turning into The Daily Show for liberals, it alienated a lot of viewers. And not just conservatives—plenty of liberals don’t want to hear political commentary night after night either. Especially right before bed.

Let’s be honest: politics has been exhausting for the last 10 years. Who wants to go to sleep with that stress hanging over them? No wonder the ratings tanked.

He took his SHOTS at all the politicians too!

Who the FUCK is he kidding? Jay's OLDE and INSANE, he's discovered that no one really likes him except his wife!!

"I'm not interested in knowing about how our nation is falling to Nazis."

Yikes, he looks a Spitting Image puppet.

If we had normal, boring politicians things might be different, but these are not normal times and you can't pretend nothing is happening. I also don't believe that "half the audience" is conservative...they are maybe 40% and they would rather watch FOX or other media that caters to them, not people like Kimmel and Colbert. And if people don't want to hear anything about politics, well, they can go to Netflix or go on YouTube and watch cat videos. The younger generations don't care at all about network TV.

R6 Why does entertainment always have to be steeped in politics? Can Hollywood offer any form of true escapism anymore? It feels like every corner of pop culture—superhero movies, the Oscars, late-night TV—is constantly pounding us over the head with political messaging and team identity.

It’s exhausting.

That’s why reality TV is the most popular live TV cause it’s mindless entertainment and doesn’t talk about politics at all.

Like imagine being tired and wanting to unwind and you see Alan Cumming screaming about trans rights at like 12:30 in the morning.

Like that’s exactly how everyone wants to fall asleep.

I know we’re liberal here but I thought we were the logical ones.

[QUOTE] So let's just all be quiet about the rise of fascism in our country.

Isn’t that what the news is for? You have multiple cable news outlets feeding you that shit 24/7. You have the internet. You have the news on the internet! You have message boards. You have Reddit. You have podcasts. Is that not enough? Does Trump have to be discussed everywhere nonstop?

Maybe people don’t want to hear that shit when they’re watching a late night variety show. I know I sure don’t. I get enough of the 24/7 Trump Show here on Datalounge where every tweet he makes warrants a new thread.

I was actually surprised when Trump made that comment in his Truth Social post last week about the Tonight Show needing a new host. I had always assumed Fallon was more like Leno and steered clear of politics (I don’t watch him) but then I saw a clip yesterday of him singing about Epstein in his monologue, so apparently that assumption was wrong.

[quote] Jay left with the ratings crown for a reason. NBC’s late night audience would double if Leno came back tomorrow.

Why stop there? Why not use hologram technology to re-create Red Skelton?

[quote] Like imagine being tired and wanting to unwind and you see Alan Cumming screaming about trans rights at like 12:30 in the morning.

I'm sorry, is it 1975 where you only have 3 or 4 TV channels to choose from and no internet? You can watch old clips of Carson and Leno on YouTube if it helps you sleep better.

Die in a grease fire-- oh wait...

By the way, I never watched Leno either. I was never a fan. Letterman was my guy.

I mean, he’s right. Even I’m sick of everything being about politics. Sometimes I just want to laugh. It’s why I stopped watching Kimmel and Colbert. I do t watch any of it now. I’m just burned out by all the chaos and politics and bullshit

R13 Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t always ultra liberal. He became famous catering to a lot of white men who probably identify as conservative today. He wasn’t always Bob Hope.

"Why does entertainment always have to be steeped in politics? Can Hollywood offer any form of true escapism anymore? "

Because it's the right thing to do you stupid cunt. And BTW, "non-political" entertainment doesn't exist. There is always a message.

Jay was fair. He didn't demonize one politician over the other.

However, Jay retired ten years ago and things have changed.

R19 You only proved my point. People aren’t watching it.

R19 Ultra-liberal entertainment loves to say, “If you don’t like it, change the channel.” And guess what—people are. That’s the problem. It’s not just about alienating conservatives. It’s the moderates, the indifferent, even liberals who don’t want to live and breathe politics 24/7. They’re tuning out too.

Which is why conservatives get aways with so much lying R27. In olden times people cared about politics and they belonged to organizations which schooled them. Today not one person in 100 is doing their citizenship responsibility which is why grifters have taken over the country.

[QUOTE] By the way, I never watched Leno either. I was never a fan. Letterman was my guy.

Well, Leno was my guy. And he killed Letterman in the ratings for a reason. Jay had what more people wanted to see after a long day of bullshit.

Even Jay’s final show got more viewers than Letterman’s, and this was AFTER Jay came back to late night.

Near the end of his tenure on the Daily Show, John Stewart devolved into a smirking jerk. Chris Cuomo lapsed into a habit of mansplaining at the close of his broadcast and then cooing and billowing (“love ya, bro!”) on the handoff to Don Lemon. But it sounds like the audience for partisan ranting is shrinking.

I always liked Colbert but in the segment that was shown when they announced the cancellation of his show, he danced around in a gray suit and looked and sounded so smug and cheesy. The tone and content felt (to me, at least) like a straight Catholic Randy Rainbow. Just over the top and pandering. That can be ok, but it has to be funny.

We have a duty as Americans to live as freely as we please. There may be a market for neutered entertainment, but it is frankly unAmerican. Capitalism is very different a philosophy than democracy.

He is NOT being sufficiently anti-MAGA!

We live in totalitarian times, and they are literally rounding up gays and putting them in concentration camps.

And he wants both sides jokes? WRONG!!!

Ratings tell you all you need to know. People are watching other things or scrolling on their phones. Times change. Entertainment changes. Move along.

Leno’s automotive content on YouTube is so engaging and usually a real pleasure to watch.

Media appetites for late night talk shows have changed, probably because we can find more interesting, shorter, funnier commentary on other platforms. The idea of waiting up for a late night program sounds anachronistic right now, and sitting through advertisements feels senseless.

I never watched Leno on the Tonight Show. I never cared for him.

But then he started his YouTube channel dedicated to classic cars and I've been hooked ever since.

[QUOTE] The idea of waiting up for a late night program sounds anachronistic right now

I actually think it’s still a sound business model. It was called a variety show for a reason. You were supposed to get a variety of delightful things that would relieve tension and help you fall asleep. We might need that now more than ever. A cheeky monologue, a comedy skit or two, some lighthearted celebrity interviews, a comedian doing their latest stand-up routine, and a musical act. Where else can you get something like that all in one place every night?

It’s a great idea. They just fucked it up. These shows don’t even have the right hosts—I can’t believe NBC hasn’t replaced Jimmy Fallon yet. It all starts with the host. It has to be someone you’d welcome into your home.

I don’t know who’s uglier. This cunt or that other cunt Judge Judy.

R27 Exactly. Many moderates got saturated with preachy, screechy diatribes and tuned out. Some of the most strident, most disenfranchised firebrands lump a whole life of disappointment into the politics of the moment. I think that’s naive, and a little dishonest.

I found much of Jay Leno's humor was mean spirited. And he does seem the type to kowtow to Autocratic government influence.

PA Leez!

I don't understand how Colbert could be losing the network 40 million per year and have 200 employees.

It's just a guy sitting at a desk talking. Why so expensive?

How to say that you're MAGA without saying that you're MAGA.

Damn, I'm going to be sore tomorrow from having to hit the Block button so many times on this thread.

[quote]I don’t know who’s uglier. This cunt or that other cunt Judge Judy.

Judge Judy wins any cuntiness contest by a mile.

[QUOTE] Which is why conservatives get aways with so much lying. In olden times people cared about politics and they belonged to organizations which schooled them. Today not one person in 100 is doing their citizenship responsibility which is why grifters have taken over the country.

There is something to what R28 is saying. There is an increasing lack of civic engagement in America. But that doesn’t mean late night comedy shows are the avenue in which we’ll change that. I don’t know how to fix that problem. I’m not sure we really can do anything to fix that problem. Americans are disillusioned with politics because the country keeps getting worse no matter who’s in charge, and I don’t blame them for being so apathetic.

[quote]Jay left with the ratings crown for a reason. NBC’s late night audience would double if Leno came back tomorrow.

No, it wouldn’t. Everything about how people consume late-night has changed.

Most viewers don’t watch live TV: they watch YouTube clips the next morning, if at all. The slow death of traditional late-night has been happening for years.

And it’s not just about platforms. It’s about tone. In Leno’s era, neutrality was rewarded. Playing it safe meant wider appeal. That’s why Leno and Letterman could mostly avoid politics and still dominate. Conan leaned even harder into weird and apolitical, and it worked.

But then The Daily Show happened.

Jon Stewart showed that politics could drive ratings, especially with younger, more progressive audiences. That shift never really reversed.

Colbert and Seth Meyers saw bumps in their numbers when they leaned into liberal commentary because that’s what their audiences wanted. Also: the guests, the jokes, the framing… late night has skewed liberal for years now, because the viewers do too.

Bringing Leno back wouldn’t double the ratings because what gets ratings now has changed as all things do eventually.

Leno did Bill Clinton & Monica jokes for years after the incident. It became very tiresome and outdated.

Well he’s right. Just look at this site. Bill Maher gets more scorn than Joe Biden. The media, though highly influential, is not the political machine. Every fucking big politician on the left attended Trump’s inauguration. Yet the left wants to hear their late night hosts and celeb heroes constantly bash Trump. No. They are entertainers and have routinely made their money from half of the population which is right wing. Be real about shit. Stop relying on entertainers to make you sleep better at night.

He said, while delivering a lecture.

[quote] And he killed Letterman in the ratings

Such bullshit, revisionist hyperbole. Which is the era in which we live.

Leno would top the ratings but he never “killed.” It was always close. But in this era, everything is hyperbolic clickbait, even posts on Datalounge.

And the open joke was that everyone knew Leno “won” because old, boring people would watch him while younger people who were the more desirable demographic would watch Letterman.

Leno sold Depends and NyQuil while Letterman sold Apple and Microsoft. So everyone was happy.

“Killed.” Utter contextual bullshit. 🤣

no one wants to hear a lecture about a lecture.

Besides, Paramount removed programming for purely financial concerns.

For purely financial concerns, I have cancelled my Paramount account.

I don’t believe in a complete separation of politics from media. I just don’t. Media has the power to influence politics. But what I’m calling out is hypocrisy. First of all no one wants to hear a lecture. Leno is being an over exaggeration cunt. The only one I saw make a lecture was Jimmy Kimmel. Other than that, it’s been mostly jokes. Leno was probably paid by Trump to say what he said. But why aren’t you holding the weak ass left who attended Trump’s inauguration to task. They must know something we don’t know about November 2020. The only hero this past January was Michelle Obama.

[QUOTE] Leno did Bill Clinton & Monica jokes for years after the incident. It became very tiresome and outdated.

Everyone did Bill and Monica jokes years after the incident, R46. SNL was much more brutal with the Monica skits which continued years after Clinton left office! What, you think the expiration date on that was the year it happened?

And now you understand the difference between Letterman and Leno.

Colbert was too much anti-trump stuff. People that watch these useless talk shows don't want to hear that.

These talk shows are pure SHIT. The guests who are only there to push some shitty project. Each guest always has a FAKE "funny story". Anyone that watches these shows has way, way too much time on their hands.

[QUOTE] And the open joke was that everyone knew Leno “won” because old, boring people would watch him while younger people who were the more desirable demographic would watch Letterman.

Now you’re the old person who gets Depends commercials aimed at them, R49. Still think those ageist cracks are funny? Still think older people’s viewing habits somehow shouldn’t count for anything because they have trouble with continence?

R8 Even if it is Leno, no lie was told. They probably need another black late night host, like Arsenio, that’s going to have a built in black and youth demographic, but also funny, intelligent, and charismatic enough to pull in older Millenials and Gen X. I’m guessing most boomers are asleep nowadays when late night starts.

Seth Myers is my favorite host. He is unapologetically liberal without lecturing. He is just funny. Intelligent funny and interviews his guests well.

"SNL was much more brutal with the Monica skits which continued years after Clinton left office!"

Looks like there was only one appearance of Monica after Clinton left office, on January 12, 2002. I think the skit was about a funeral for Buddy, the Clinton's dog. Monica appeared in the audience. But other than that, I don't remember many (any?) "Monica skits".

But maybe?

[quote] These talk shows are pure SHIT. The guests who are only there to push some shitty project. Each guest always has a FAKE "funny story". Anyone that watches these shows has way, way too much time on their hands.

Says the man posting on an internet gay gossip forum.

Isn’t he lecturing, though?

R57 Ummm the Weekend News report? I’m not the poster who made the accusation but I remember the news hosts still making Lewinsky jokes well into the early 2000s. It didn’t really stop until 9/11 happened.

R14 Bullshit. Reality tv does not get higher ratings than scripted tv, even accounting for streaming. At one time Survivor and Millionaire did. Of course American Idol was ratings king for years but I don’t consider that true reality tv. It was like an award show every week. Reality gets high ratings for cheaply produced content for low brow Americans who like quick, unintelligent drama and humor. But it is not getting broadly high ratings. Reality tv is what ruined American tv.

Most of you like political comedy as long as you and the comedian think alike.

Actually I see you said live tv but that’s still puzzling. Theyre edited and over produced. It’s not live. wtf? Big Brother might be live. What else is live?

You could rephrase that as follows: Most of us like political comedy as long as the comedian is reasonable intelligent and well informed.

And thinks like you.

"Most of us like political comedy as long as the comedian is reasonable intelligent and well informed"

Agreed. Also, there is no one reasonable, intelligent, and well informed on the other side. So they don't have to think like I do.

Hortense is all over this thread, FFing posters who disagree with her pearl clutching over political late night hosts.

Well, lots of us are reasonably intelligent and well informed. I can’t imagine what it feels like to be an outsider.

This is hardly a novel observation. Topical humor is a bit divisive, and political humor even more so.

But what Leno doesn’t understand is, this isn’t “political.” Something more fundamental is going on. A demagogue has ridden our nations rubes to launch a sort of soft coup, and is abusing the office on a daily basis.

That’s not politics, it’s a national emergency.

He is not wrong. I stopped watching 5 years ago because it became a hamster wheel.

Late night hosts have been doing political commentary for decades. The only difference now is that we're in such a state of decay and disarray, the humor becomes more and more uncomfortable.

"we're in such a state of decay and disarray, the humor becomes more and more uncomfortable"

Not really. It's reassuringly confirming. It's telling me what I think, but with a frisson of laughter.

It would be uncomfortable if the humor made me question what I think.

Just being honest.

Carson said more or less the same things a bit more gently. Understandably as he worked in gentler times.

I remember the Johnny Carson era Tonight Shows. And watched Jack Paar as a little kid.

Back then you watched to see guests that you could only see if you went to the movies or to Vegas. Talk shows were the only way to see them otherwise.

All that's gone now. There's no mystery today about anyone. Everyone is overexposed.

Shut up, Jay.

Hang on to your hairpiece and go roll down another hill.

Something that Fallon (or more likely Lorne Michaels) gets is these days, you need to have a successful presence on Youtube Shorts/Instagram Reels/TikTok to survive. SNL would not be on the air today if not for their clips on social media.

People knock the stupid games Fallon plays on his show, but they translate very well to these short form social media mediums.

Colbert bitching about Trump for 20 minutes (no matter how right he may be), is just not that entertaining long term.

He was so unfunny.

I saw Leno do standup years ago. He was great. Very funny. But he toned it down for the Tonight Show and was boring.

I will say this. He’s been going through a lot with his wife’s dementia.

Kind of have to expect — and allow him — to be Mr Crankypants.

R71 This is my theory. I think good portion of intelligent working adults know we are fucked. I’m including those who are Republican and/or center right. We’ve always been a center right nation. But now we have an electorate so dumb, so reactionary, so superficial that is actually intuned to politics. We cannot make these people not vote. Even the black underclass is slipping away. It’s crazy scary but who knows, maybe if the whole system doesn’t collapse, we can fix it before it collapses.

Many of the arguments here are disingenuous for not mentioning Greg Gutfield’s show on Fox.

He’s a Trump shill, his ratings are massive and he targets the Left.

Will Jay Leno or the MAGA morons criticize him for “lecturing” his audience or being too political?

[quote]I will say this. He’s been going through a lot with his wife’s dementia.

All the more reason Leno should be terrified for the world's future in light of the mad king's dementia and insanity.

Ugly, tired old bag of untalented shit.

Pedo and fascist enabler. No doubt a Republicunt. STFU and siddown.

[QUOTE] People knock the stupid games Fallon plays on his show, but they translate very well to these short form social media mediums.

[QUOTE]Colbert bitching about Trump for 20 minutes (no matter how right he may be), is just not that entertaining long term.

Your post would make sense, R76, if Fallon was killing it in the ratings. But it’s the opposite—his ratings are worse than Colbert’s! Hell, Jimmy Kimmel has surpassed Fallon, something downright unthinkable when Jay Leno was in that slot. Jimmy Fallon has brought NBC late night to lows never seen before. He’s godawful. If anybody should be getting yanked, it’s Fallon.

Does Fallon cost as much as Colbert?

Is this asshole thinking he'll get his job back by saying this bullshit?

Shut up Jay - not everyone is as craven for money and power as you. People need to hear about what's going on - this is not normal times.

R84 Wow I didn’t know that. Well in all fairness he’s been on air for over 10 years now. He had the highest ratings for at least up until the heart of the pandemic, that would be a good 5-7 years. I think the pandemic changed viewing habits in ways we haven’t analyzed yet. But also as the person pointed out the streaming bits are built the show’s success, not merely converting internet users to tv watchers. It’s not like the first days of YouTube. That is NBC Universal loaded content that people are watching on YouTube or TikTok, not someone at home uploading it. Kimmel and Colbert ratings aren’t dramatically higher. And I would guess they don’t get half his web traffic online or on social media. I suspect their ratings are higher due to technicality. The people watching it are more likely to consume traditional media and less likely to consume that same content online.

R85 yes.

[quote]People knock the stupid games Fallon plays on his show, but they translate very well to these short form social media mediums.

James Corden fully mastered this. His clips and Carpool Karaoke were everywhere the next morning.

[quote]Many of the arguments here are disingenuous for not mentioning Greg Gutfield’s show on Fox. He’s a Trump shill, his ratings are massive and he targets the Left.

Ah, yes, R81. The guy who said that Republicans should learn from "the blacks" and start saying, "What's up my Nazi" to each other. Glad to know that's what you're into!

He should not be included, not because of that, but because his show comes on at 10:00 which means it's [bold]not late night[/bold] and against with actual late night talk shows that start at 11:35 and compete against each other.

So them saying his ratings are higher doesn't mean as much. It's spin that you should see through.

R81 very good point actually. But the ugly mofo brands his show as political entertainment, while as all the big 3 networks all brand their shows as traditional late night fodder. It is somewhat of a double standard. But in all honesty, it’s more like a right wing version of The Daily Show, though it would be impossible for right wing to execute satire. It would never be even handed because right wing politicians are walking parodies. I said what I said.

With that being said, they should just bring The Daily Show to late night. Which of the big conglomerates own Comedy Central? Make the first run airings on late night and then you can run the episodes throughout the week on Comedy Central including bonuses and behind the scenes stuff with the guests. And having these bits readily accessible online with bites from the original 1st run interviews.

[quote]Many of the arguments here are disingenuous for not mentioning Greg Gutfield’s show on Fox. He’s a Trump shill, his ratings are massive and he targets the Left. Will Jay Leno or the MAGA morons criticize him for “lecturing” his audience or being too political?

Agreed, but Gutfeld's show is different from the traditional late-night talk show.

It's a group talk show. He doesn't conduct interviews. He has a group of regular guests, but no mainstream celebrities. His guests are all seated together from the start. Gutfeld brings up a topic and they all chime in with their opinions. Also: Gutfeld's show covers sexual topics in a pretty bold way.

Putting aside his politics, the format he's come up with is modern and smart.

He showed us who he was when he starred on Tim Allen's show.

I agree Leno's humor was very mean-spirited.

R91 correct. Thats the point I was trying to make. Gutfeld is more like a right wing version of Maher. Someone like Maher could never have high ratings because the left won’t let him. Gutfeld often clashes with his fellow right wing guests. At times he is more liberal or “outside of the box” than the guests. That is part of the appeal. The left is so fucking sensitive you can’t have a host that does this. At times I think Maher is not merely representing his own ideas but rather a point of view which is important to the conversation, just for the sake of devil’s advocate. But the left is so motherfucking bunz and perpetually offended, it can never pan out that way for a left wing comedic personality/political pundit.

Or maybe more simply the American demographic is just so fucking dumb, that a right wing lowest common denominator will always be ratings king.

Quelle surprise. DeFucktard is a fascist enabler. I think a lot of us forgot that with all your shenanigans. Still hangin’ with President Pedo, fake negro?

R15 calls himself liberal while...bashing liberals

I guess Trumpers are so embarrassed by their views they have to pretend to be liberal

R93, explain why there are no funny conservative comedians, if it's the left that's so perpetually offended. There was a "Comics For Kamala" with tons of A-list comedians. If you held a "comics for Trump" no one would show up except Roseanne and Rob Schneider

Republicans: Everyone today is too easily offended!

Also Republicans: I'm offended by anti-Trump jokes

Of course Jay Leno would say that. This is someone whose career revolved around making Monica Lewinsky jokes that a 70 year old in Iowa could chortle at. He never said anything insightful and never took a single risk. He is the ultimate toothless hack.

No one mentions that Jay Leno's comments are political speech, too.

[quote]At times he is more liberal or “outside of the box” than the guests. That is part of the appeal. The left is so fucking sensitive you can’t have a host that does this. At times I think Maher is not merely representing his own ideas but rather a point of view which is important to the conversation, just for the sake of devil’s advocate. But the left is so motherfucking bunz and perpetually offended, it can never pan out that way for a left wing comedic personality/political pundit.

Again, putting his politics aside, like it or not, Gutfeld's show is more in tune with the times than Colbert. It's rough and tumble. Freewheeling. Audacious. More YouTube than network TV. No Brioni suits.

The left needs it's own late-night version.

Oh my, DeFucktard just cannot help itself.

[quote] And BTW, "non-political" entertainment doesn't exist. There is always a message.

Now if Disney and other studios were to confess that, that would be something.

R97 😂 Excellent point. But the left was perpetually offended pre-Trump era.

Why do people in this thread keep trying to build up Gutfield? He's not in the same league as the "normal" late night hosts.

Old, irrelevant white man says what?

R104 It’s the ratings stupid. Queen Bey is the best popstar alive to me but I’d be a fool to dismissed the fact that Taylor Swift murders her thousand dollar weave wearing ass when it comes to traditional record sales.

It isn't enough DeFucktardo @R100 brings his arrogant, stanky ass here to lecture us mere mortals about politics, now he's the ultimate TV critic telling us what we should and should not watch.

How did I ever manage my life before coming to DL and being lectured by a pompous, know-it-all gas bag like Defucktardo @R100.

[QUOTE] Again, putting his politics aside, like it or not, Gutfeld's show is more in tune with the times than Colbert. It's rough and tumble. Freewheeling. Audacious. More YouTube than network TV. No Brioni suits. The left needs its own late-night version.

Whenever we get one, I won’t be watching. Gutfeld would be just as detestable to me if he were a liberal. He’s an asshole. And I like men in suits. That’s why society is crumbling now, everyone is a slob. No class. I suppose this talk show host would be a Fetterman-type wearing hoodies and Crocs? I swear, Trump has turned this country into an episode of Jerry Springer. Our best days might be behind us.

Who asked this cock-knocker about good taste?

He never had it. He was never funny. He never turned any heads or stepped over the line. If he were a color, he'd be clear. If he were a spice, he'd be flour.

Mavis is the lucky one. She gets to live the rest of her life having no idea Jay Leno existed.

Leno didn’t become a ratings king on his own however. He inherited the house that Carson built. Furthermore NBC had the youngest audience during the 90s. Old people were more likely to go to bed after 10pm. Leno benefited from the network having a younger demographic and thus being up for late night. CBS had the oldest audience and still did during the aughts and early 2010s. With television no man is his own island. And now television viewing is so fragmented with such low ratings, the demographic breakdowns are a bit irrelevant.

DIE JAY.

DeFucktard and all his sockpuppets are beyond Muriel’s reach? .

Tell Jay not to worry, very soon we will not have this kind of problem

Colbert’s ratings were poor and he was thought to be on the verge of being replaced by Corden at 11:30–until he started focusing his monologue on Trump, at which point he quickly became the top-rated 11:30 show.

That said, I now find him way too pleased with himself. R56 beat me to it—in writing and performance by far the best combination of laughs and commentary verging on outrage is Seth Meyers’ A Closer Look. On a frequent good night it can be repeatedly laugh out loud, while still getting information and a point of view across.

A lot of the comments above remind me of the time pompous blowhard Paddy Chavefsky announced he just couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t condemn Vanessa Redgrave for using the precious Oscar stage to say something political—apparently oblivious to the fact that’s exactly what he was doing.

Howard Stern and Joan Rivers were always right about this unfunny blimp.

[quote] Jay left with the ratings crown for a reason. NBC’s late night audience would double if Leno came back tomorrow.

Put down the crack pipe, gramps.

[quote] Again, putting his politics aside, like it or not, Gutfeld's show is more in tune with the times than Colbert.

That’s why Colbert is #1 in the ratings. Fuck off.

[quote] Colbert’s ratings were poor

They were #1, you retard.

R116 I don’t know about the ratings doubling but no lie was told. Leno left on top. I don’t know why people want to ignore real truths because they don’t like the person.

[quote]Why do people in this thread keep trying to build up Gutfield? He's not in the same league as the "normal" late night hosts.

It has been pointed out that his show is very different from the others.

But in TV, it's the numbers that count. Gutfeld beats them all in ratings especially in the coveted 25-54 demographic.

Q2: Colbert average: 2.417 million views - 25-54: 200,000

Q2: Gutfeld average: : 3.009 million views - 25-54: 360,000

R93, Maher didn’t even know that the stock market crashed during Trump’s first term. The guy is dumb as shit.

[quote]Again, putting his politics aside, like it or not, Gutfeld's show is more in tune with the times than Colbert.

If there's one Nazi show on at 10 PM, then all of the Nazis will watch it.

No one serious considers him a late night host because that show doesn't air in late night.

The first time I saw Leno was when he was on letterman. Letterman clearly loved Leno. And with good reason — Leno was funny as fuck. A comedians comedian. My sister and I would watch Letterman when I got home from work (I worked a late shift in college and she had dropped out of high school and was having serious problems), and when we saw that he was having Leno on, we would always be so happy.

But then years later he got the tonight show and he seemed like a different person altogether. I guess people just change gears when they really want something.

He always led the ratings war (almost always) but it was grandma humor. No thank you.

Fallon brought to the show a large online following.

The Tonight Show has been much more adept at monetizing the content in new ways as people increasingly viewed the show as stand-alone segments on social.

To add: Matt Belloni had a good discussion about it with a former CBS late-night exec on his podcast The Town.

CBS is toast. Done.

I always hated him

why do you keep insisting maga is half the country.

its not.

Interesting book.

[quote] why do you keep insisting maga is half the country. It’s not.

That is correct that not all Trump and conservative voters are MAGA.

Just amoral and/or brain-damaged.

[quote] Ah, yes, [R81]. The guy who said that Republicans should learn from "the blacks" and start saying, "What's up my Nazi" to each other. Glad to know that's what you're into!

R89 You clearly didn’t understand my post.

R122 Greg Cutfeld think he’s like the real life version of the characters Tim Allen plays on TV but he is fucking fugly. At least Tim Allen was good looking and charming to women.

R6 The US has supported and installed dictators and financed fascism in many countries around the world for decades. You didn't care then. You care now because it's in your country. The suffering the US has caused others is now causing inside the United States.

Also there was no internet and social media to film the atrocities committed by the US in countries like Vietnam or you would have seen little girls getting raped and villagers being brutally murdered by American soldiers.

You only care about your own suffering. The US has been a brutal empire from the very beginning. The difference is that its brutality was directed towards people of other countries. Now its towards its own citizens.

I feel so terrible that posters here are complaining they are somehow being forced to watch Alan Cumming.

Their TV sets must not come with an off button and must be stuck on only one channel.

R134 That’s an interesting take actually. I keep telling people all things are like a boomerang. I want to dispute you but in all bare honesty- what lie was told? Still Trump needs to be defeated. Past sins don’t justify present day morality. Curious, where are you from?

Even his wife ended up forgetting him.

that is true and it's also true about motharussher.

but you know better than to try to doxx motha r and openly criticize that country's leadership.

r10, so you can still type after your lobotomy. Watching a simpleton like Leno must have worked well for you.

J needs to worry about paying off his gambling debts to avoid another beating

R140 That’s why he made the comments. I told him to fuck around and find out again.

Can it, Whitey!

R136 Even if Trump is defeated, who will replace him? Another commander in chief of the American empire. All presidents were working for the interests of the US empire. No exceptions. If you were on a sinking ship, would it make a difference if you changed the captain? The only way to survive is to jump off the ship onto a new one. When I hear people like Rosie O'Donnell say that she wants the US to go back to how it was before Trump, it makes me laugh. It was an empire before Trump just like it is now. The difference is that the US used to create amazing culture and entertainment to distract its own population and the rest of the world from what it was doing. The empire has reached its final destination with Trump. It no longers needs distractions because nobody, as you can see, can stop it now. It has reached completion. Don't change the puppet, change the system. It's the only way out.

you're asking the wrong questions again and thats typical of maga.

canada is getting punked by India of all fucking places, STFU

R143 Boy bye. Didn’t yall elect a crackhead for mayor of Canada’s biggest city— TWICE. America still creates great culture. Hamilton, Beyonce records, the New Yorker.

[quote]Even if Trump is defeated, who will replace him?

Trump won't even be on the ballot, so the first part is nonsensical. Still, the question is legitimate.

I hope this will bring us the return of Chuck Noblett.

R145 ...gun culture, Rush Limbaugh, mandatory bible teaching in schools.....

Nobody wanted dancing Ito judges from the Brown/Goldman trial but he shoved them down our throats for what over a year?

Fuck off Captain Clueless.

I heard that everyone is now demanding CBS return Jay Leno to late night.

It would be really weird if late night hosts DIDNT mention politics at all.

We’re bombarded daily by Trump’s craziness. We expect hosts to make fun of it

[quote] Jay left with the ratings crown for a reason.

Debatable, and even if he did, he stole that crown from Conan after his primetime flop. He's as irrelevant today as he was then.

[quote] I heard that everyone is now demanding CBS return Jay Leno to late night.

It would be fantastic if he did return.

It's funny how Jay and David Letterman have their detractors but Conan O'Brien is still almost universally beloved.

I'd say it's because his comedy never came from a place of nastiness and because he wrote the "Marge vs. the Monorail" episode of "The Simpsons" which is still very fondly remembered. He's also still very funny on his podcast and his HBO Series, "Conan O’Brien Must Go."

He looks like a life size marionette.

I used to love Conan. I thought he was hysterical. I really soured on him when he was such a sore loser over being replaced. You can’t win them all. He could have taken his leave gracefully, or just been grateful by accepting the change in time slot that was offered.

Jay Leno is a revisionist bullshitter. He was always making jokes about presidents and other politicians.

[QUOTE] Debatable, and even if he did, he stole that crown from Conan after his primetime flop. He's as irrelevant today as he was then.

Bullshit, R152. Jay had the crown when he stepped down for Conan and he had the crown when he stepped down for Jimmy Fallon. There is nothing to debate.

R153 Jay, honey, it's not gonna happen.

Don't you have anything better to do today than hang out on DL? Don't you have a car or motorcycle from your vast collection to crash?

[quote]why do you keep insisting maga is half the country.

It pretty much is. Americans are goddamn nuts.

Odd that he didn't bring this up when Biden was President.

R160 30% of the country is MAGA. But you'd never know that from watching the news.

Yes, r159, I’m sure Jay is here defending his legacy — he’s fraught with anxiety that a dozen hundred-year-old gay men on a forum might disapprove of him.

R163 Hi, Jay. Sorry no one cares about you anymore.

"Hey you hear about those ICE raids?? Crazy, amiright? Seems like some guys will do anything to find a housekeeper!"

*rim shot*

Jay is maga. End of story.

Jay Leno isn't going to satisfy a MAGA late night audience.

I'm guessing something more like home videos of ICE agents sexually torturing immigrants with laugh tracks and "Yakkity Sax" added.

Jay is a grifter just like Trump. Joe Conason could write a book about Leno's grifts, although perhaps less exciting than "The Long Con"

r168 The best was he stole the Tonight Show from Letterman.

Never realized Jay was a Trump cunt.

He was always crypto-republican. Always had that red state vibe.

Bullshit. Jay is your typical moderate Dem. “Red state vibe” Gtfoh 😂. Is that why the man resided in California for most of his life and still lives there in retirement? You loons have simply veered so far to the left, you can’t recognize the middle anymore.

R172 thinks only Democrats live in California.

Guess he hasn't hung out too much in Orange County.

He got his.

R172 You’re Trump cunt is showing.

Yes, R172. Everyone in California is a hippie stoner flower child. Just like everyone in Texas is a gun-shooting oil-drilling cowboy and everyone in Georgia sips mint juleps on the verandah.

Where are they busing these trolls in from now? Can we start a gofundme so they get better material to work with? "California = Liberal" is such pitiful trolling it's cringeworthy. He's going to start talking about "the Heartland" and "real Americans" next.

[QUOTE] Guess he hasn't hung out too much in Orange County.

Except he doesn’t live anywhere near Orange County, R173. Never has. And this is a man who could afford to live anywhere on the planet. So why wouldn’t he take his “red state vibe” to an actual red state like Texas if he’s such a rightwinger?

"Teacher says everybody in the red states votes for the red party and everyone in the blue states votes for the blue party. That's what teacher says so it's true."

R177 also thinks Republicans only live in Orange County.

If you threw a rock down a short block in Beverly Hills, it'd pass by at least three houses inhabited by MAGAts.

The fact remains that you have absolutely zero proof that Jay Leno is a rightwinger. You can throw out all the strawmen you want. His “red state vibe” is all in your mind.

He's a Trumper! And not funny.

There are 400 other fucking channels.Stop bitching.

R180 Honey, we all know YOU'RE a right winger. They're easy to detect, the main giveaway being the immediate frantic denial that one is a right winger.

And we all know Leno is also a right winger. Now go put on your red cap and write him a fan letter.

Yeah I’m a rightwinger too. 🙄 You’re a lunatic.

Who knew "red states vibe" could be so triggering?

R185 Posted like a true right winger. :-)

R186 MAGAts hate it when their "red state vibes" get called out.

Wife has full dementia.

Isn't he worried about his Social Security?

Nothing this old fart has-been says is worth any discussion. Sit down and shut your trap, old man. You haven't been relevant in even the tiniest capacity for years now. Get your foot off the stage.

Leno is a republican. It is a known fact like a woman do carry a handbag to dinner.

List of US backed fascist dictators. The video is 14 years old so it's missing a few.

And now fascism, dictatorship and destruction of democracy has come to the US. Well well well. Isn't that interesting.

^^have come to the US^^

[quote]30% of the country is MAGA

And another 40% are conservative.

[quote]Leno is a republican. It is a known fact like a woman do carry a handbag to dinner.

Huh?

Leno has always been an unfunny, useless piece of shit.

R195 LOL! Not even close, darlin'.

R195, 70% of this country is not right of center. Put the bong down, hon.

Right/left/center is roughly 30/30/30. The 10% leftover are the idiots who poll "undecided" on election day. It's them and the center ("swing voters") who largely decide elections, since the other 30/30 (Dems and GOPj vote party line.

But what happened in 2024 was the Democrats cratered in the closing days of the campaign and a lot of their base stayed home, over resentment about the selection process after Biden dropped out, or anger about Dems weakly supporting Israel while they commit genocide in Gaza. That's what ultimately handed Trump his victory, not massive percentages moving right, but big chunks of the left staying home in protest.

[quote]Right/left/center is roughly 30/30/30.

YouGov poll:

[quote]27% of U.S. adult citizens say their politics are "far left," "left," or "center-left," while 24% say their politics are "center," and 34% say they're "far right," "right," or "center-right."

The Gallup poll in 2024 shows "liberal" at 25% and "conservative" at 37%.