Latest news with #RonaldReaganPresidentialFoundation
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jay Leno Warns Against One-Sided Political Jokes: ‘Why Shoot for Just Half an Audience?'
The former late night host's comments came days before Stephen Colbert announced the end of "The Late Show" Jay Leno has said for years that he doesn't understand why comedians would lean into one-sided political humor – and most recently cautioned against it just days before Stephen Colbert announced his late night show run on CBS was coming to an end. 'Comedy can be used to unite or divide people,' Leno said on July 15 during a conversation with David Trulio at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institution. Leno was asked for his thoughts on the intersection of comedic commentary and politics, two realms he sought for years to balance carefully. More from TheWrap Jay Leno Warns Against One-Sided Political Jokes: 'Why Shoot for Just Half an Audience?' | Video Speaker Mike Johnson Slams Ghislaine Maxwell's 20-Year Sentence: 'A Pittance' | Video The Best New Shows on Netflix in July 2025 Connie Chung Says 'Shame On' Shari Redstone and the Ellisons: 'I Fear the End of CBS as I Knew It' | Video The former late night host also said it was fun to receive letters from viewers who equally accused of him of being a Republican or a Democrat. They often were reacting to 'the same joke' he said, which was 'how you got the whole audience.' Leno reflected on his decades-long friendship with Rodney Dangerfield and noted, 'I knew Rodney for 40 years. I have no idea if he was Democrat or Republican. We never discussed it. We just discussed jokes.' '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 pressures of life or whatever it might be — and I love political humor,' Leno continued. After he was asked how to find 'common ground' through humor, Leno insisted that only catering to one political persuasion was ineffective. 'Well, why shoot for just half an audience all the time? You know, why not try to get the whole, I mean, I like to bring people into the big picture,'' he said. 'I don't understand why you would alienate one particular group, you know, or just don't do it at all.' Watch the interview in the video above. The post Jay Leno Warns Against One-Sided Political Jokes: 'Why Shoot for Just Half an Audience?' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Jay Leno says political comedy can alienate audiences: ‘I don't think anybody wants to hear a lecture'
Jay Leno is happy standing in the middle of the aisle as far as political humor goes. During a recent conversation with David Trulio for The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the former late-night host spoke about some of the risks that can come with mixing politics and comedy. 'I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, the pressures of life, wherever it might be,' Leno told Trulio. 'And I love political humor, don't get me wrong, but what happens (is) people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.' Leno then asked, 'Why shoot for just half an audience, why not try to get the whole (audience)?' 'I mean, I like to bring people into the big picture. I don't understand why you would alienate one particular group. Or just don't do it at all,' he said. 'I'm not saying you have to throw your support or whatever, but just just do what's funny.' His ethos then and now is simply just, 'Funny is funny,' he said, adding, 'I don't think anybody wants to hear a lecture.' Leno's interview with Trulio appears to have been conducted prior to CBS announcing the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.' CNN has reached out to a representative for Leno for comment. CBS announced earlier this month that the network was cancelling 'The Late Show,' a late night program that has been on the air since David Letterman hosted it in 1993. Colbert took over as host in 2015. The show will end in the spring of 2026. The network cited financial reasons for the move, but there have been questions about the timing of the announcement given Colbert's previous criticism of President Donald Trump and the recent settlement between the Trump administration and Paramount, the parent company of CBS, over a lawsuit involving '60 Minutes.' There were also questions about the move coming amid Skydance Media's $8 billion acquisition of Paramount, which required and recently received approval from federal regulators. Leno hosted 'The Tonight Show' on NBC from 1992 to 2009 before Conan O'Brien took over. Jimmy Fallon has served as host of the program since 2014. Fallon, along with other current late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers, all of whom are known to be critical of the Trump administration on their respective programs, voiced support for Colbert following the CBS announcement.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Jay Leno says political comedy can alienate audiences: ‘I don't think anybody wants to hear a lecture'
Jay Leno is happy standing in the middle of the aisle as far as political humor goes. During a recent conversation with David Trulio for The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the former late-night host spoke about some of the risks that can come with mixing politics and comedy. 'I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, the pressures of life, wherever it might be,' Leno told Trulio. 'And I love political humor, don't get me wrong, but what happens (is) people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.' Leno then asked, 'Why shoot for just half an audience, why not try to get the whole (audience)?' 'I mean, I like to bring people into the big picture. I don't understand why you would alienate one particular group. Or just don't do it at all,' he said. 'I'm not saying you have to throw your support or whatever, but just just do what's funny.' His ethos then and now is simply just, 'Funny is funny,' he said, adding, 'I don't think anybody wants to hear a lecture.' Leno's interview with Trulio appears to have been conducted prior to CBS announcing the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.' CNN has reached out to a representative for Leno for comment. CBS announced earlier this month that the network was cancelling 'The Late Show,' a late night program that has been on the air since David Letterman hosted it in 1993. Colbert took over as host in 2015. The show will end in the spring of 2026. The network cited financial reasons for the move, but there have been questions about the timing of the announcement given Colbert's previous criticism of President Donald Trump and the recent settlement between the Trump administration and Paramount, the parent company of CBS, over a lawsuit involving '60 Minutes.' There were also questions about the move coming amid Skydance Media's $8 billion acquisition of Paramount, which required and recently received approval from federal regulators. Leno hosted 'The Tonight Show' on NBC from 1992 to 2009 before Conan O'Brien took over. Jimmy Fallon has served as host of the program since 2014. Fallon, along with other current late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers, all of whom are known to be critical of the Trump administration on their respective programs, voiced support for Colbert following the CBS announcement.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jay Leno criticizes modern late-night comedy for alienating half the audience with partisan politics
Jay Leno reflected on why he always kept his jokes politically balanced while hosting 'The Tonight Show' for over two decades. The 75-year-old comedian recently sat down for an interview with David Trulio, the president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, during which he was questioned about his approach to political humor. 'I read that there was an analysis done of your work on 'The Tonight Show' for the 22 years and that your jokes were roughly equally balanced between going after Republicans and taking aim at Democrats. Did you have a strategy?' Trulio asked. 'It was fun to me when I got hate letters [like] 'Dear Mr. Leno, you and your Republican friends' and 'Well, Mr. Leno, I hope you and your Democratic buddies are happy' — over the same joke,' Leno recalled. 'And I go, 'Well, that's good,'' he said. 'That's how you get a whole audience.' Leno went on to note how late-night comedy has changed amid the current divisive political landscape. 'Now you have to be content with half the audience because you have [to] give your opinion,' Leno said. 7 Jay Leno hosts 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' on Nov. 5, 2012. AP When Trulio asked if Leno had any advice for comedians today, the 'Jay Leno's Garage' host referred to his longtime friendship with late comedy legend Rodney Dangerfield. 'I knew Rodney 40 years,' he said. 'I have no idea if he was Democrat or Republican. We never discussed [it], we just discussed jokes.' '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 pressures of life, whatever it might be,' Leno continued. 'And I love political humor, don't get me wrong, but it's just what happens when people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.' 7 Jay Leno rides his vintage 1910 Model O-O White Steam Car on July 14, 2025. Snorlax / MEGA 7 Jay Leno appears on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' on June 15, 2016. Getty Images While speaking with Trulio, Leno discussed how comedy could be used to create common ground. 'Funny is funny,' Leno said. 'It's funny when someone who's not….when you make fun of their side and they laugh at it, you know, that's kind of what I do.' 'I just find getting out — I don't think anybody wants to hear a lecture,' he continued. 'When I was with Rodney, it was always in the economy of words — get to the joke as quickly as possible.' 7 The New York Post front cover on July 27, 2025. Trulio pointed out that both Leno and Dangerfield achieved massive success during their careers, noting the two's 'approach worked in the marketplace.' 'Well, why shoot for just half an audience all the time? You know, why not try to get the whole [audience],' Leno replied. 'I mean, I like to bring people into the big picture,' he explained. 'I don't understand why you would alienate one particular group, you know, or just don't do it at all. I'm not saying you have to throw your support or whatever, but just do what's funny.' 7 Stephen Colbert during a shooting of 'The Late Show' on June 25, 2025. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS 7 Jimmy Fallon hosts 'The Tonight Show' on Feb. 21, 2013. AP Leno's comments come amid the uproar that ensued after CBS announced on July 17 that it was canceling 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' with the show's final episode scheduled to air in May 2026. At the time, the network clarified that the cancellation was 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,' and noted, 'It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.' Weeks ahead of the cancellation, CBS and Paramount paid President Donald Trump a $16 million settlement following his lawsuit against the news network for airing an edited interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election. 7 Seth Meyers hosting 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' on Feb. 24, 2014. AP Colbert, who frequently blasts Trump on his show, criticized the settlement and described it as a 'big fat bribe' during an episode that aired days before the cancellation was announced. The host's supporters, including several politicians, have accused CBS and Paramount of canceling 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' for political reasons. Trump celebrated the news of the cancellation in a post on his platform Truth Social, which drew a fiery response from Colbert, who told the president 'Go f— yourself' during the opening monologue of his show on Monday. Several fellow late night show hosts and comedians have rallied around Colbert. 'The Tonight Show' host Jimmy Fallon and 'Late Night' host Seth Meyers, 'Last Week Tonight' host John Oliver and 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart attended Colbert's taping on Monday in a show of support. Stewart and Oliver previously worked alongside Colbert on 'The Daily Show.' On Friday, 'The Late Show' creator David Letterman slammed CBS' decision to cancel the long-running show as 'pure cowardice' and asserted that the network mistreated Colbert, who succeeded him as host in 2015. Fox News Digital's Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
