Tonight Present legend Jay Leno is weighing in on the present crop of late night time discuss present hosts, whom he believes are alienating viewers by sharing overtly political views.
Leno stated on Sunday, July 27, that he tried to maintain his jokes politically impartial throughout his tenure on The Tonight Present, which he hosted from 1992 to 2009 and once more from 2010 to 2014.
“It was enjoyable to me after I bought hate letters: ‘You and your Republican mates' [or] ‘Properly, I hope you and your Democratic buddies are completely satisfied' … over the identical joke,” he stated in an interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Basis & Institute.
The comic continued, “I am going, ‘Properly, that's good.' That's the way you get a complete viewers. Now it's important to be content material with half the viewers as a result of it's important to give your opinion.”
Leno, 75, went on to say, “I don't suppose anyone desires to listen to a lecture.”
“I like political humor, don't get me improper, however what occurs is folks wind up cozying an excessive amount of to 1 facet or the opposite,” he defined.
Leno stated discuss present hosts that skew an excessive amount of in some way politically can alienate viewers.
“Why shoot for half an viewers? Why not attempt to get the entire? I prefer to convey folks into the massive image. I don't perceive why you'll alienate one specific group,” he stated. “Or simply don't do it in any respect. I'm not saying it's important to throw your help or no matter, however simply do what's humorous.”
Leno's feedback come after CBS shockingly canceled The Late Present With Stephen Colbert on July 17. Though the community stated the transfer was “purely a monetary resolution,” some critics, together with Stephen Colbert himself, have questioned whether or not it was politically motivated, citing the present's robust rankings and Colbert's frequent criticism of President Donald Trump on the present. (Simply days earlier than the present was canceled, Colbert criticized Paramount settled a defamation settling introduced by Trump for $16 million.)
Final week, Trump's Federal Communications Fee authorized an $8 billion merger between CBS mother or father firm Paramount and Skydance Media.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote by way of X on July 18, “CBS's billionaire homeowners pay Trump $16 million to settle a bogus lawsuit whereas attempting to promote the community to Skydance. Stephen Colbert, a rare expertise and the most well-liked late night time host, slams the deal. Days later, he's fired. Do I feel this can be a coincidence? NO.”
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren additionally questioned by way of X whether or not the cancellation was a “political favor in alternate for approval of Paramount's megamerger with Skydance.”
CBS stated in a July 17 assertion that the cancellation is unrelated “in any approach to the present's efficiency, content material or different issues taking place at Paramount.”
