> > Not trying to defend Leno, but this notion that he can't handle those > topics seems a bit off. I would state he very consciously chooses not > to handle them, for which he can be criticized, but not that he can't. > In interviews, Leno has stated he doesn't view the Tonight Show as a > place for grand social commentary or contemplative reflection; it is a > place to poke fun at the day's headlines, so he veers away from the > tough stuff, not because he is incapable of it, but because it isn't > in keeping with his incarnation of the show. (SNIP) He faced the > audience, > and he started talking. His mother had passed away the night before. > And Jay Leno just talked. He was open and honest and real and > everything he is accused of not being. You could have heard a pin drop > as Leno spoke for the entire segment about his memories of his mother, > and everyone in the room felt connected to him at that moment. I only > cite this example to say he can do that sort of thing, and when he > does it is something to behold. But he just doesn't use the Tonight > Show like that very often. So if anyone feels the Tonight Show ought > to be the place where we come to heal the wounds of the day, then I > suppose Leno can be criticized for not wanting the show to be that. > But I'd refrain from stating he can't do that.
I remember that show (when he talked about his mom dying - I still checked on Leno in those days) and it was refreshing, though I had some quibbles with it that are not worth mentioning here. But really, if you can talk from the heart about your mother dying then you are really pretty far gone. I don't think you can use that as a basis for saying that he has any real gift for dealing with serious issues. And it is not really true that he has a policy against dealing with serious issues. He has commented on 9-11 and natural disasters and other things on the show, and he has interviewed lots of politicians. His claim (and I have heard him make it also) that the Tonight Show is not a political platform is BS - he played a significant role in launching his friend Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor of California. Leno may have seen that as simply helping out a pal, but the recall of Gray Davis was one of the most naked, brass knuckled acts of political aggression in the modern history of California, and Leno used his Tonight Show platform to play a non-insignificant role in it. We have noted often that when Leno is not wearing his Tonight Show persona he can be a decent and genuine and more likable guy. But the point here is, does he generate that kind of authenticity in his role as Late Night Host during a time of serious national conversation or mourning? The answer is, whether or not he is capable of it, he almost never does it, and when he tries he is clearly inferior to Letterman, which is no real humiliation since Dave is a master at it. I think the fallacy in this thread is the assumption that late night talk show hosts should be picked on the basis of their ability to help the nation process big serious issues. That may be one aspect of the job description occasionally, but nobody is going to be good at all aspects of that job, and, God willing, we won't need Jimmy Fallon to help us deal with too many post 9-11 type attacks down the road. -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
