Jay Leno had a simple philosphy that served him well for 22 years of late-night supremacy.
What could be easier? Ask today’s late-night hosts. They abandoned that principle in 2016 and have become more obsessed ever since.
Why? Orange. Man. Bad. And some are willing to face suspensions, or worse, to protect their political beliefs.
Now, we’re starting to see what lurks behind the propaganda, and it reeks of unchecked arrogance.
First, Stephen Colbert opened up to GQ Magazine about his work, sharing the function he sees behind “The Late Show.” It’s not comedy, entertainment or other elemental reasons.
It’s educating low-information viewers on the latest headlines.
Well, we are like your friend who at the end of the day paid attention to what happened today more than you did [emphasis added]. And then we curate that back to you at the end of the day. But it’s really more about how we feel about—or I, as the person who is the vehicle for that—how we felt about today. All those things that might’ve made you confused, angry, or anxious or happy or surprised or something like that. I share those feelings with the audience and they laugh or they don’t laugh. And there’s a sense of community there.
Yes, “The Late Show” trots out dancing vaccines so that viewers will be super-informed on the latest pandemic protocols. And let’s not forget show after show getting us up to speed on the Russian Collusion hoax.
Colbert’s arrogance looks quaint compared to Mrs. Jimmy Kimmel.
Molly McNearney, executive producer and co-head writer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” overshared on the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast about her hubbie’s program.
McNearney claimed she once was a die-hard GOP voter before moving to California and meeting ” people from different backgrounds.” Now, she sees right-leaning Trump supporters as “being deliberately misinformed.”
You mean some think MAGA killed Charlie Kirk, and others claim a dementia-addled president was perfectly fine at a 2024 celebrity fundraiser?
No, not THAT deliberate misinformation. Some other kind, apparently.
“Yeah, [Trump voters are] deliberately being misinformed every day, and they believe it, but it hurts me so much because of the personal relationship I now have where my husband is out there fighting this man. And to me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family, and I unfortunately have kind of lost relationships with people in my family because of it.”
Arrogant. Elitist. Woefully misinformed.
What’s missing? Comedy. Humor. Laughs. Escapism. Entertainment.
That’s the modern late-night landscape, alas. It’s no wonder “The Late Show” will go the way of the pager and 8-track tape come May 2026. And, most likely, Kimmel and co. will join them sooner or later.
Here’s betting it’s “sooner.”
