Former late night king Jay Leno expressed unhappiness about the direction the industry has taken in recent years. It’s good to know we’re not the only ones who have noticed that late night hosts now sound like a Greek chorus of progressive activists.
Joe Concha writes at The Hill:
Leno laments today’s late-night shows: ‘Everyone has to know your politics’Former NBC “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno said Tuesday that he doesn’t miss hosting a late-night show and lamented that “everyone has to know your politics” now during an interview with NBC’s Al Roker on the third hour of the “Today” show.”Do you miss being on the show, or is it such a different time that it would be hard to do?” “Today” host Roker asked Leno.”No, it’s different. I don’t miss it. You know, everything now is, if people don’t like your politics, they — everyone has to know your politics,” Leno replied.”I kind of used Johnny’s model. People couldn’t figure out. ‘Well, you and your Republican friends’ or ‘Well, Mr. Leno, you and your Democratic buddies.’ And I would get hate mail from both sides equally,” Leno said, referring to his predecessor at “The Tonight Show,” Johnny Carson.”But when people see you as one-sided, it just makes it tough,” Leno, 68, continued. “And plus, I did it when, you know, Clinton was horny and [George W.] Bush was dumb, and it was just a little easier.”
This video is cued to start at the 3:34 mark, just press play:
Trump clearly agrees with Leno:
Leno is right but I would go even farther. I think this all began during the Obama presidency. After coming down so hard on George W. Bush for years, late night comics didn’t know what to do with Obama. Their instinct to speak truth to power was overcome by their love for Obama. The same thing happened with Saturday Night Live.
Then Trump was elected and it was as if every comedy host and writer in America suddenly remembered their sacred duty to ridicule the president whenever possible. The problem is that they seem to think no one remembers the Obama presidency as their eight year vacation.
Featured image via YouTube.
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