The late-night comedy brigade gathered together during the final days of Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” to participate in their favorite activity: obsessing about President Trump.
Colbert hosted fellow late-night comedy hosts, including Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, on Monday’s episode as he gears up for the show’s big finale on May 21.
Kimmel, who was briefly suspended last fall after making false comments about the man who assassinated Charlie Kirk, suggested that viewers should watch more late-night television and cancel Paramount+. 
“We have a lot of shows. 30,000 people watching each one, and it adds up,” Kimmel said. “People watch us on YouTube now. People have a lot of different options and they keep coming to us. I will tell you, when I got knocked off the air for a few days, people canceled Disney+. Why aren’t people canceling Paramount+? Because you never had it in the first place?”
He also responded to Colbert’s question about whether any of the other hosts ever expected to be “doing a job that the president of the United States would have strong feelings about.”
“You know what’s even weirder? Doing a job that his wife has strong feelings about,” Kimmel replied, referring to the criticism he received for his tasteless joke about the first lady being an “expectant widow” just days before a man attempted to assassinate Trump. 
Meyers, who has hosted NBC&#8217;s Late Night with Seth Meyers since 2014, said he appreciates having Trump as a fan. “The thing I like, he posts when the show airs, and I want to say I appreciate that he is watching linear television,” Meyers said during the “Late Show” appearance. “If I would make my case for late-night, it’s that leaders of the free world are watching it when it airs.”
CBS announced that “The Late Show” was ending in July 2025, mentioning that it was “purely a financial decision.” However, some have speculated that Colbert’s show was canceled due to the merger between Paramount and Skydance. 
Colbert has been vocally opposed to CBS&#8217;s decision to pull the plug on the show despite reports that the program was losing $40 million annually.
The political commentator went on to blame the format rather than the content of the show.
“It’s possible that two things can be true,” Colbert told NYT. “Broadcast can be in trouble. They cannot monetize because of things like YouTube, because of the competition of streaming. They’ve got the books, and I do not have any desire to debate them over what they say their business model is and how it does not work for them anymore. But less than two years before they called to say it’s over, they were very eager for me to be signed for a long time. So, something changed.”

Colbert and Kimmel

TV’s Most Humorless Late-Night Hosts Gather To Obsess Over Trump

Entertainment

Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Kimmel

Late-Night

Paramount

Seth Meyers

Stephen Colbert

Television

It’s common knowledge that late-night shows skew to the Left, but the extent of the issue is far worse than most people realize. 
A report <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/20/us-news/late-night-is-getting-more-radical-with-number-of-jokes-targeting-right-up-10-in-2025-to-92/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_social_post_id=628779175&amp;utm_social_handle_id=17469289&amp;utm_source=twitter">published</a> by The New York Post last week found that 92% of jokes over the past year have been targeted at conservatives, representing a 10% increase compared to last year. The report was based on an analysis from media watchdog NewsBusters, which sifted through 818 episodes put out by the major mainstream late-night hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers.
Those shows included 197 liberal guests and only two who were conservative, Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld and economist Oren Cass. 
NewsBusters found that Kimmel was the worst offender, making jokes targeting conservatives more than 3,000 times and focusing most of his ire on President Donald Trump. Of those jokes, 1,668 were about the sitting president. 
Other late-night hosts also mocked the commander-in-chief. Across the spectrum of hosts, there were more than 7,000 Trump jokes over the course of this year, representing a big uptick from last year. 
“The numbers don’t lie,” Media Research Center president David Bozell said, per the Post. “So-called late-night comedians are part of the entire elitist media complex that has fueled hatred of conservatives for years.”
It’s an interesting approach to take in the wake of Trump’s massive victory in the 2024 election. Late night is not doing well, and it shows. CBS announced in July that it was canceling “The Late Show” after the upcoming season, which inspired outsized reactions from the left. The network described the move as a “purely financial decision.” A report stated that the program was losing $40 million annually.
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Colbert went off on an expletive-laced tirade during his first monologue following the announcement, blasting President Donald Trump and CBS. Colbert mentioned how the network’s parent company, Paramount Global, paid Trump a $16 million settlement after being accused of election interference.
Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show saw a sharp spike in viewership after he returned from being taken off the air briefly in September. Kimmel was taken off the air for a short time after comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The saga began when Kimmel was accused of slandering conservatives when he suggested Kirk’s assassin was part of the “MAGA gang,” despite authorities saying otherwise. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said at the time.
Kimmel’s post-suspension return drew a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmels-ratings-spike-crashes-back-down-to-his-usual-terrible-numbers">record-breaking</a> 6.3 million viewers, more than triple his regular audience. A few days later, those numbers had dropped by 64%, leveling off at 2.3 million.

JIMMY KIMMEL

Late Night Hosts Targeted Conservatives 92% Of The Time, Made More Than 7,000 Trump Jokes In 2025

Late Night Hosts Targeted Conservatives 92% Of The Time, Made More Than 7,000 Trump Jokes: Report

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is being mocked for saying he can’t fathom parenting without the use of artificial intelligence.
The tech entrepreneur made the remarks during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” When the host asked Altman if he used the platform to help raise his newly adopted baby, whom he shares with partner Oliver Mulherin, Altman said it was a crucial part of his parenting.
“I do,” he told Fallon. “I mean, I feel kinda bad about it, because we have this genius-level-at-everything intelligence sitting there waiting to unravel the mysteries of humanity. And I’m like, ‘Why does my kid stop dropping his pizza on the floor and laughing?’”
“I feel like I’m not asking a good enough question,” he continued.
“I cannot imagine figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT,” Altman admitted before quickly adding, “Clearly, people did it for a long time, no problem… I know [that] clearly it was possible,” he repeated, as Fallon laughed while replying, “Yes, it was possible.”
“But I have relied on it so much. I mean, it’s obviously the most important thing to happen in my life, so it’s top of my mind, and I use it all the time,” Altman said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sam Altman Says Technology Is the Greatest Equalizing Force in Society | The Tonight Show" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qMAg8_yf9zA?start=113&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Social media has not been kind to the OpenAI exec, especially as the topic of surrogacy and gay adoption continues to make headlines.
“And this, folks is why we shouldn’t let gay people adopt kids,” one X user <a href="https://x.com/yosoymario91/status/1998475717911466216">replied</a>. 
“That&#8217;s some terrifying propaganda,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/MadamSavvy/status/1998500574325583953">chimed in</a>. 
“See: why infants need their mother,” a third person <a href="https://x.com/RealBrittHughes/status/1998766261451309444">agreed</a>. 
Beyond the broader conversation about the widespread adoption of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and the potential adverse effects on society, parents are also sounding the alarm about specific incidents involving their children. In one case, ChatGPT provided information about how a 14-year-old could have an abortion without her parents finding out. 
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The platform also encouraged gender-confused kids to reach out to radical LGBT organizations to obtain so-called “gender-affirming” resources like chest binders, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chatgpt-will-help-kids-access-gender-affirming-resources-behind-their-parents-backs">reported</a>.
The parents of a 16-year-old boy who consistently engaged in conversation with ChatGPT about suicide are suing OpenAI for their role in the death, per another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-repeatedly-confiding-in-chatgpt-teen-committed-suicide-now-his-parents-are-suing">report</a>.

Altman on Fallon

Tech CEO Dragged For Saying He Can’t Imagine Raising A Child Without AI

Sam Altman: 'I Cannot Imagine Figuring Out How To Raise A Newborn Without ChatGPT'

Artificial Intelligence

ChatGPT

Parenting

Sam altman

Nate Bargatze is doing everything right – except follow the Hollywood formula.
Stand-up comedians often jump on the first big-screen project that comes their way. Not Bargatze, who still hasn’t made a feature-length comedy all his own. Others snag a sitcom deal promising a lifetime of residual checks if the stars align.
Think — Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr, Jerry Seinfeld, Brett Butler, Martin Lawrence and other funny folks.
Bargatze isn’t going that route. He’s content to Hoover up money on the road. He was 2024’s most successful comedian, <a href="https://news.pollstar.com/2024/08/27/why-nate-does-great-comedy-chart-topper-nate-bargatze-is-americas-favorite-funny-man/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earning nearly $80 million in ticket sales</a>. That’s in a landscape where Jim Gaffigan, Kevin Hart, Sebastian Maniscalco and others happily roam.
His Prime Video special, <a href="https://deadline.com/2024/11/nate-bargatze-the-breadwinner-tristar-pictures-1236166588/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Nate Bargatze: Hello World” became the</a> streamer’s most popular comedy special in less than a month. He even scored a viral “Saturday Night Live” sketch at a time when the NBC showcase rarely rocks the zeitgeist.
That “Washington’s Dream” clip earned more than 19 million views as well as a video sequel with nearly 9 million more.
<div id="attachment_865155" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-865155" class="size-large wp-image-865155" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694-864x576.jpg" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 1866 -- Pictured: (l-r) Kenan Thompson, host Nate Bargatze, Mikey Day, and Bowen Yang during the &quot;Washington's Dream 2&quot; sketch on Saturday, October 5, 2024 -- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2176181694.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images</div>
He’s a clean comedy machine, and he’s unabashedly heartland friendly.
Bargatze’s red state appeal is no monkey trick. He’s from Tennessee, and his gentle southern accent is just one giveaway. A 2022 profile describes his Tennessee home as surprisingly modest, understanding he could afford a home that would make Architectural Digest readers swoon.
He’s opened up about his Christian childhood with tenderness and humor.
“I think Jesus had more fun than I did [growing up],” he said playfully on the stand-up circuit. “I’m not complaining. My parents did a great job, I was just naïve a little bit longer than most kids were.”
His self-effacing shtick scores with fans, and he’s never more self-critical than when he describes his marriage.
He also loves to pay it forward. His Nateland Entertainment <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Nateland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube channel</a> features both his podcast and shows featuring fellow comedians who lack his national presence. If Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” helped launch stand-ups in the 1970s and ‘80s, podcasts like “The Joe Rogan Experience” and “Nateland” do something similar for today’s cutups.
<div id="attachment_865205" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LqGm0csbqo"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-865205" class="size-large wp-image-865205" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: YouTube.com/Nateland Entertainment" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-16-PM-6409-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>Screenshot: YouTube.com/Nateland Entertainment</div>
Bargatze’s runaway success is part of the larger, clean comedy revolution. The term “clean” once meant “clunky,” “edge-free” or just plain dull to some. Now, with superstars like Gaffigan, Maniscalco, Brian Regan and Bargatze working the comedy circuit that’s hardly the case.
Established comics like Adam Carolla wash their own mouths out with soap to appear on Utah’s Dry Bar Comedy circuit.
It’s worth noting Bargatze is the opposite of an overnight sensation. He’s been telling jokes for more than 20 years, but for much of his career he wasn’t a household name. Blame social media clips, Netflix specials, or just a never-say-die spirit. He’s now the biggest name in comedy.
<div id="attachment_865227" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-865227" class="size-large wp-image-865227" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-1024x576.jpg" alt="Credit: NateBargatze.com. Nateland Entertainment. Grand Rapids, MI." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/MixCollage-24-Jan-2025-01-35-PM-1378-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: NateBargatze.com. Nateland Entertainment. Grand Rapids, MI.</div>
Podcaster and actor Marc Maron called it years ago, telling Rolling Stone magazine Bargatze was “<a href="https://variety.com/2022/legit/features/everyman-comic-nate-bargatze-1235319057/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a comic who should be big</a>.” Finally, America agrees.
Perhaps his gentle brand of humor, observational and endlessly kind, is just what we needed in troubled times.
Rebel comedians aren’t hurting for work, either. Tony Hinchcliffe’s nasty jab at Puerto Rico during that infamous Madison Square Garden Trump rally could have hurt the mogul’s re-election chances, but Hinchcliffe emerged from the non-scandal bigger than ever.
Comedy podcasters like Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Tim Dillon and Andrew Schulz throw razor-sharp elbows and have made themselves rich in the process. There’s room for all shades of comedy in 2025.
Still, Bargatze can&#8217;t imagine that <a href="https://variety.com/2022/legit/features/everyman-comic-nate-bargatze-1235319057/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cobalt blue approach.</a>
“I was always uncomfortable making people uncomfortable. I’d be sad if I made somebody feel bad. That would break my heart. I didn’t realize my purpose was to be a relief, but the people who come to my shows — all different backgrounds, political belief, ages, especially since the pandemic — you can feel the relief when you hear them laugh.”
<div id="attachment_865157" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-865157" class="size-large wp-image-865157" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465-864x576.jpg" alt="THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 2071 -- Pictured: (l-r) Comedian Nate Bargatze during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2190016465.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images</div>
The funniest part of his shocking rise to fame? A Slate.com profile attacking him for <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2024/12/nate-bargatze-comedian-snl-netflix-special-your-friend-comedy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ducking the culture war battles.</a>
Of course, Bargatze’s neutrality is a politicized stance in its own right. His dogmatic avoidance of controversy might be celebrated in progressive circles, but it also renders his catalog incapable of addressing any of the glaring frailties in American culture.
As it turns out, Bargatze has been waiting to make his big-screen closeup on his terms. He recently signed up to star and <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nate-bargatze-reveals-plans-future-144600920.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">co-produce “The Breadwinner</a>,” a comedy with few details available at the moment. It’ll be his first starring role in a feature film, and the pressure will be immense.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl=1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">CELEBRATE #47 WITH 47% OFF DAILYWIRE+ MEMBERSHIPS + A FREE $20 GIFT</a></h3>
There’s zero chance it’ll duplicate the bawdy antics of a “Hangover” or “Old School” style romp. Bargatze has wisely protected his brand up until now. Why fix what isn’t broken?
&#8220;I was never great at auditioning for other people’s movies. So I kind of figured I would have to just make my own. I want to be able to create movies that hopefully the whole family can come out to. I believe people still want to go to movies and [that they] still like appointment-type television.&#8221;
Be warned. Sebastian Maniscalco took that path last year with “About My Father,” a story based on his life co-starring Oscar-winner Robert De Niro. It flopped. So did Bert Kreischer’s “The Machine.”
There’s no shame in sticking with what works.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Michael J. Fox Foundation – A Country Thing: Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson’s

The Clean Comedy Machine

comedian

Comedy

Nashville

Nate Bargatze

Netflix

Saturday Night Live

Remember Gov. Gavin Newsom’s French Laundry gaffe?
Many have likely forgotten, even though it showed the California Democrat as the ultimate hypocrite. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-masks-all-indoors-award-winning-journalist-claims-22-people-attended-newsom-dinner-not-12-15k-bar-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wannabe president dined, sans mask</a> with a large group at the height of the pandemic lockdowns.
No social distancing. No chance for Californians to similarly enjoy a carefree meal. He got caught red-handed defying his own rules.
That memory might have lingered if late-night comics or “Saturday Night Live” had parodied the moment. They had the material, of course. The jokes all but wrote themselves.
Instead, they collectively stood down. And other politicians followed Newsom’s embarrassing lead, from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-admits-breaking-lockdown-for-salon-visit-blames-business-says-she-did-nothing-wrong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Nancy Pelosi</a> to then-<a href="https://reason.com/2021/09/17/london-breed-san-francisco-mask-covid-hypocrisy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Francisco Mayor London Breed.</a> Comedy Nation looked the other way during those news cycles, too, and the American people suffered as a result.
Some of those same politicians won re-election post-COVID.
It’s why political humor has consequences. The right joke or comedy sketch can linger longer than a white paper or news headline. We laugh and then we think, and suddenly we’re looking at an issue in a new, startling way.
Even false political jabs can linger longer. Sarah Palin never said, “I can see Russia from my house.” Tina Fey’s Palin “Saturday Night Live” sketch character did, though, and people tied it to the real Palin.
Politicians hold considerable sway over us, yet they can be brought to heel by laughter. It’s why free speech matters and stinging satire leaves a mark.
<div id="attachment_855679" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-855679" class="size-large wp-image-855679" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192407154-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 8: California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to over 2,900 acres and 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate while a second major fire continues to burn near Eaton Canyon in Altadena." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192407154-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192407154-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192407154-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192407154.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images.</div>
Will we see comedians hold the politicians at the heart of the California wildfires accountable in the days ahead? If not, shame on them.
We’re watching gross incompetence in real time as thousands flee their homes and worry if they’ll be still standing upon their return. The raging fires are like something out of a Hollywood disaster movie.
It’s often unhealthy to score political points during a tragedy. At times, it’s unavoidable, and now is certainly the case.
We know L.A. Mayor Karen Bass cut $17.6 million from the city’s fire department budget. The progressive mayor wasn’t even in L.A. when the fires broke out. She was in Ghana on a political junket.
The optics couldn’t get much worse. Remember how “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gaqTdV4pqI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday Night Live</a>” and late-night comedians mocked Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas when he was out of state in Cancun during a deadly cold weather front in 2021?  It’s hard to forget given the nonstop jokes on the subject.
Fair? Unfair? He probably thinks twice now before jetting out of town. What Bass and Co. have done to California is immeasurably worse.
Need more material tied to the fires? <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karen-bass-ignores-questions-about-her-handling-of-devastating-fires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayor Bass literally stood silent</a> as a European journalist pelted her with tough but fair questions about the unfolding tragedy. Later, the Mayor tried to steer locals to a website where they could get more information, except during her speech she simply said “URL” <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/tv/la-mayor-karen-bass-stumbles-through-presser-script-failing-to-share-emergency-information-website-address-this-can-be-found-at-url/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and omitted the actual website’s address</a>.
More comedy gold for satirists speaking truth to power. An A.I. bot could probably crank out a few monologue jokes. Will late-night comedians bite?
So far, they’re <a href="https://latenighter.com/news/heres-how-the-late-night-shows-addressed-the-l-a-wildfires/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking the high road</a> regarding the devastation.
Far-Left “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert kept the mood serious.
“We want to send our love and concern to all the residents of Los Angeles who are facing what is being described as the most destructive fire in the city’s history.”
The host of “Late Night with Seth Meyers” took a similar tack.
“The scenes we’re seeing on television are obviously harrowing, and there are no real words that I can share other than that we are thinking about you and we are hoping for your safety.”
<div id="attachment_856473" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-856473" class="size-large wp-image-856473" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192537247-864x576.jpg" alt="LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS -- Episode 1607 -- Pictured: Host Seth Meyers during the monologue on January 9, 2025 -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192537247-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192537247-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192537247-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192537247.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images</div>
That’s understandable … for now. Although, if a Republican governor was in charge the tone might be different. Might.
It’s what happens next that matters, and it could have political repercussions.
Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” won’t hold back. The Libertarian host <a href="https://x.com/greggutfeld/status/1877334892398129301" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already weighed in</a> via his X account, and his 10:00 p.m. show will likely do the same.
<div id="attachment_856469" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-856469" class="size-large wp-image-856469" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-1954075349-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 22: Host Greg Gutfeld appears during Former 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's visit to &quot;Gutfeld!&quot; with at Fox News Channel Studios on January 22, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-1954075349-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-1954075349-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-1954075349-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-1954075349.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Roy Rochlin/Getty Images</div>
Another possible source of comedy? HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” The long-running host has shown a knack for truth-telling regardless of party affiliation. He’s been a thorn in the Left’s side for several years, mocking progressives for their extreme culture war positions and woke overreach.
He’s based in L.A. and might skewer pols who have made the problem exponentially worse. He’s also a Climate Change alarmist and might focus on that angle, even if there’s no evidence climate change played a role in the catastrophe.
So far, late-night hosts are living down to their partisan reputations.
Rather than satirize Newsom or Bass — or others directly overseeing the city and state — they&#8217;re targeting President-elect Donald Trump for his rhetoric.
Both &#8220;Daily Show&#8221; host Desi Lydic and Meyers <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/late-night-hosts-mock-trump-response-la-fires-1236271464/">attacked Trump&#8217;s critiques</a> rather than the actions, or inactions, of key Democrats. That&#8217;s a sign it will only grow more one-sided from here.
Will Jimmy Fallon courageously skewer the politicians who let their constituents down? Colbert? Meyers? Kimmel? Stewart?
<div id="attachment_856475" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-856475" class="size-large wp-image-856475" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192544199-384x576.jpg" alt="THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 2076 -- Pictured: Host Jimmy Fallon during the monologue on Thursday, January 9, 2025 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192544199-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192544199-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-2192544199.jpg 683w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images</div>
We’ll have to wait and see. If the past is prologue, these comedians will find a way to blame President-Elect Donald Trump for the crisis or avoid political name-calling in general. It may be up to YouTube-based comedians and podcasters to pick up the slack, and their social media platforms will only grow in response.
Too many modern journalists have refused to hold Democratic politicians accountable over the past few years. Just consider how many questions Vice President Kamala Harris has fielded of late over President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.
Try zero, and that’s inexcusable.
It’s no laughing matter when mainstream comedians choose politics over the truth.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Late Night with Seth Meyers – Season 12

Will Late Night Roast Newsom And Bass For Fires? Don’t Hold Your Breath.

California

Fires

Hollywood

Humor

Jon Stewart

Leftists

Satire

U.S. Politics

It only took three-plus years for late-night comedians to do their jobs – i.e. mock President Joe Biden.
Satirists looked the other way while the elderly leader racked up enough viral video gaffes to fuel a dozen YouTube channels.
Now, finally, late-night is addressing the elephant in the electoral room. Call it the ultimate heel pivot.
All it took was an unedited, 90-minute forum where Biden couldn’t fall back on notes, a teleprompter or a subservient reporter.
Biden is suffering from an undisclosed medical matter that’s left him quiet, frail and unable to complete his thoughts.
Or, as Bill Maher recently quipped, the president “famously loves trains but apparently not of thought.”
In Maher’s defense, he hasn’t been as overtly captured as his late-night peers. If Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and Jon Stewart aren’t reading DNC press releases to the letter, there’s a solid plagiarism case afoot.
<div id="attachment_762727" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-762727" class="size-large wp-image-762727" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2153507915-864x576.jpg" alt="THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 1978 -- Pictured: (l-r) Comedian &amp; writer Bill Maher during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2153507915-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2153507915-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2153507915-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2153507915.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images</div>
“The Tonight Show’s” Jimmy Fallon is the least political animal of the lot, but even he has treated Biden’s obvious condition with a cheeky, “Nothing to see here, folks” attitude.
No more.
He still played up Biden’s age over comments about his mental failings in his first appearances since the June 27 debate. A typical Fallon barb? He said Democrats plan to ape a 2009 Pixar film.
“Tie a bunch of balloons to the White House and hope he flies away like the old guy from ‘Up.’”
A day later, he doubled down on the flailing leader when discussing President Donald Trump’s search for the best Vice-Presidential candidate.
“Trump needs someone who can help him win, so right now the front-runner is Joe Biden.”
Colbert, who pulled as many punches as a WWE wrestler during Biden’s White House days, let loose with a fury that must have caught his audience off guard.
<div id="attachment_762729" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-762729" class="size-large wp-image-762729" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1936544080-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 15: Stephen Colbert attends Apple TV +'s Primetime Emmy Party at Mother Wolf on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1936544080-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1936544080-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1936544080-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1936544080.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />David Livingston/Getty Images</div>
Did the ghost of the late Rush Limbaugh visit CBS’s writers’ room?
“I don’t know what’s going on in Joe Biden’s mind, something I apparently have in common with Joe Biden.“
“Biden debated as well as Abe Lincoln … if you dug him up right now.”
The satirical kill shot? Colbert summoned Trump’s favorite nickname for the current Commander in Chief.
“I guess you could say he’s … Sleepy Joe,” he added, wincing for his audience’s consideration.
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” channeled more fury than anything else in its first original show since the debate. Meyers, nastier than his old “Saturday Night Live” persona, couldn’t deny what Biden’s debate performance revealed.
<div id="attachment_762721" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-762721" class="size-large wp-image-762721" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161015359-864x576.jpg" alt="LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS -- Episode 1539 -- Pictured: Host Seth Meyers during the monologue on July 11, 2024 -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161015359-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161015359-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161015359-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161015359.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images</div>
Nor could he make anything comical from those revelations, including plans to shrink Biden’s work day akin to a cranky toddler’s schedule.
“Your plan to calm fears about his age is an earlier bedtime? Are you hoping we’ll forget he’s 81 if you treat him like he’s 5½?”
The host wasn’t angry that the media covered up Biden’s frail state. Nor did he complain that Team Biden did the same so effectively. Instead, he raged against Biden’s interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos.
&#8220;This isn’t about how you feel. This is about how voters feel. If you truly believe that American democracy is at stake – and it is – then you have to act like it.”
Jon Stewart, the old/semi-regular “Daily Show” host, added his own sense of outrage to the Democrats’ plight.
“He’d been home for almost two weeks. He was jet-lagged? How big is that f***ing jet? The point is, for a campaign based on honesty and decency, the spin about the debate appears to be blatant bulls***. And the redemption tour hasn’t gotten that much better.”
He <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/07/11/jon-stewart-joe-biden-debate-trump/74365788007/">doubled down via his “Weekly Show” podcast</a>.
&#8220;Joe Biden has run on this idea of honesty and decency, but they have not been honest about the condition and the difficulties that he has been facing .. And so it undercuts one of the foundational arguments that they even have made.&#8221;
Freed from his Comedy Central perch, he dug further in, speaking for Americans who bought the media’s lies fed to them by Biden, Inc. 
&#8220;I have been stunned and disappointed and angered by what I saw, and how I&#8217;ve been talked to that I didn&#8217;t see what I saw.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_762739" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-762739" class="size-large wp-image-762739" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1848679452-384x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 11: Jon Stewart attends 2023 Night of Too Many Stars benefiting NEXT for AUTISM at Beacon Theatre on December 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1848679452-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1848679452-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-1848679452.jpg 683w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Michael Loccisano/Getty Images</div>
If Stewart had perused The Daily Wire over the past three years he’d have learned Biden’s decline is old news.
Let’s be clear about late-night’s sudden about face. The comic hosts want to defeat Trump in November. They realize a diminished Biden has little chance of retaining the White House.
Now, it’s time to usher the aging leader off the stage.
It’s why they, along with the press corps, suddenly started doing their jobs again after a three-year nap.
Not everyone has abdicated their duties as politically astute comics. Kyle Dunnigan of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/mr-birchum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mr. Birchum</a>” fame has been skewering President Biden for some time now. His withering sketches, alternately goofy and cutting, reveal a Biden that’s familiar to those who didn’t buy the media’s “cheap fake” narratives.
Joe Rogan’s Spotify podcast has roasted Biden’s mental decline, one of many reasons the show’s popularity remains sky high.
Even Dana Carvey, whose political impressions aren’t mean spirited, mocked Biden via his “Fly on the Wall” podcast.
It’s called “speaking truth to power,” a late-night host’s number-one duty. Sadly, once Democrats determine an election year plan, they’ll forget it all over again.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Late Night with Seth Meyers – Season 11

Late Night Gives Up The Biden Ghost

Bill Maher

Joe Biden

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/comedy">Comedian</a> Jon Lovitz said the overt biases of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">late-night show</a> hosts are becoming tedious.
The former “SNL” cast member discussed his feelings about hosts like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-colbert">Stephen Colbert</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/seth-meyers">Seth Meyers</a> constantly pushing a leftist political agenda on their shows. While Lovitz agreed that they were free to talk about anything they wanted, he also said these shows have become more political and less entertaining over the years.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t like it. I don&#8217;t like it,&#8221; Lovitz told Fox News Digital during a recent <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/jon-lovitz-tears-colbert-kimmel-pushing-political-agenda-late-night">interview</a>. &#8220;They were comedy shows. And now, except for Jimmy Fallon, they&#8217;ve all become very political. And for me, it&#8217;s just- it&#8217;s too much.&#8221; 
He continued, “I mean, Johnny Carson would, you know, he would do two or three jokes about whoever was president then or what was going on then and that was it. But they were entertainment shows.&#8221;
&#8220;I know all those guys. And they&#8217;re very nice guys. Very talented. I know Seth. I know Stephen Colbert. I know Jimmy Kimmel. I think they&#8217;re funny, you know,&#8221; Lovitz said. &#8220;But when they started doing the political stuff, like, so one-sided, it&#8217;s like- and that&#8217;s all it is, the whole thing, it&#8217;s just like, that&#8217;s not the shows that I used to go on. You know, it was ‘The Tonight Show’ and David Letterman.&#8221;
Lovitz discussed how much the format of late-night shows has changed over the years, and in his opinion, it’s not for the better.
&#8220;It&#8217;s their show. They can do whatever they want. But you&#8217;re asking me, do I like it, and I&#8217;m like, no,&#8221; the 66-year-old comedian said. &#8220;If I want the news, I&#8217;ll watch the news. I&#8217;m not watching those shows. They&#8217;re late night entertainment, but it&#8217;s all political, except for Jimmy Fallon. And they keep getting mad at Jimmy. &#8216;Why don&#8217;t you go into politics?&#8217; Because he&#8217;s doing a silly, like, escapism entertainment show.&#8221;
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Lovitz said most late-night hosts have sacrificed the humor and fun for partisanship.
&#8220;They just hammer it to death… they&#8217;ve become, &#8216;Here&#8217;s my political agenda.&#8217; They&#8217;re very open about it,&#8221; he went on. &#8220;And I&#8217;m like, well, all right. I have no say in that. It&#8217;s their show, you know. But I don&#8217;t particularly- I don&#8217;t like that they&#8217;ve become that because where&#8217;s the comedians and the stand-up and the bits, you know, like Letterman. It was comedy.&#8221;

Jon Lovitz

Jon Lovitz Trashes Late Night Hosts For Rampant Political Agendas: ‘They Hammer It To Death’

Jon Lovitz Trashes Late Night Hosts For Rampant Political Agendas: 'They Hammer It To Death'

Celebrities

U.S.

Not everyone is excited about late night television shows returning following the end of the writers strike.
The WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) ended the 148-day-long work stoppage last week when governing boards for the union voted to accept a new contract on September 26. This meant that some productions could get back to work, though the SAG-AFTRA actors strike is still ongoing.
Late night shows returned to television on Monday with mixed reviews. 
“Now that the ‘strike’ is over, the talentless, low rated CREEPS of Late Night Television are back. I knew there was a reason I didn’t want to see it settled &#8211; True LOSERS!!!” former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111169342996963444">shared</a> on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“Remember when I told you that the poorly rated and not at all funny Late Night Talk Shows are nothing less than a major Campaign Contribution to the Radical Left Democrat Party. Watch what is going on &#8211; so interesting,” he said in another <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111169519714662047">post</a>. 
“Didn’t realize you had been gone. Just stay gone!,” one X user <a href="https://twitter.com/kelleylaw/status/1709064898041500031">wrote</a> of Jimmy Kimmel’s return on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;Jimmy Kimmel Live!&#8221;
“Not even 2 mins in and the TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) continues,” another person observed of Kimmel’s monologue, which almost immediately mentioned Trump.
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“In case you’ve forgotten my name is Jimmy,” the host said during his monologue. “I have been off the air for five months. We’ve been gone so long, ‘The Bachelor’ is now a grandfather.
“We missed so much good stuff. Donald Trump got arrested four times while we were on strike: Once for the classified documents, once for interfering with the election, once for Jan. 6, and once for shooting Tupac. Allegedly. You know what the weirdest thing about being off the air is? When I walk into a room, nobody claps. I walk into Costco. I get nothing.” He went on to thank the union crews for “supporting” the writers who were on strike.
Jimmy Fallon also took aim at Trump during his monologue on NBC&#8217;s “The Tonight Show” plus thanked the unions for going on strike on behalf of the writers. He said the former president has “resting mug shot face” and alluded that Trump lied about his weight following his indictment. 
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” also returned to television this week.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – Season 10

Trump Rips ‘Low-Rated Creeps Of Late Night TV’ As Shows Return After Strike

Trump Rips 'Low-Rated Creeps Of Late Night TV' As Shows Return After Strike

Donald Trump

strike

Writer's Guild of America

&#8220;The Tonight Show&#8221; host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jimmy-fallon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jimmy Fallon</a> apologized to staffers on Thursday after current and former employees told Rolling Stone that the NBC talk show has had a toxic environment for years.
Sixteen staffers for the program — two of whom still work for the show — who served in positions ranging from writers to production crew, said they informed human resources about the problem.
They cited the “pretty glum atmosphere” while contending they were subject to belittling and intimidation by their superiors, including Fallon, whom they said had periodic “outbursts” amid erratic behavior, according to Rolling Stone.
But following the outlet’s investigative report, Fallon joined showrunner Chris Miller to address the employees in a Zoom call on Thursday evening.
Fallon allegedly <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/jimmy-fallon-apology-tonight-show-staff-rolling-stone-report-nbc-1234820399/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he did not intend to “create that type of atmosphere for the show,” according to two employees in the meeting.
“It’s embarrassing, and I feel so bad,” the employees say Fallon said. “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends. … I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.”
Fallon, who has hosted &#8220;The Tonight Show,&#8221; the world’s longest-running talk show, since 2014, reportedly added that he wants “the show to be fun” and “inclusive to everybody.”
“It should be the best show,” he said, according to employees.
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Rolling Stone interviewed over 80 past and present employees of the show, many of whom applauded Fallon’s talent and comedy. But those who declined to go on record only spoke negatively about working on the show.
The show has had a revolving door of showrunners, with nine different people in nine years.
“Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No,’” a former staffer claimed. “Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners. You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit. Look how many showrunners went so quickly. We know they didn’t last long.”
“It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f***ed,” another former employee added. “People wouldn’t joke around in the office, and they wouldn’t stand around and talk to each other. It was very much like, focus on whatever it is that you have to do because Jimmy’s in a bad mood, and if he sees that, he might fly off.”
Seven former staffers said it was typical of the atmosphere on the show for people to joke about “wanting to kill themselves.”
After the story broke, Rolling Stone reported that Miller shared the article with the employees on Thursday morning.
“While I know the reporter reached out to many of you before the piece ran, I don’t believe what’s written is reflective of the overall culture of our extraordinary team that I’m so lucky and proud to work with every day,” the email reportedly said. “The place described in the article is not the place I know. Still, it’s disappointing to see something published that does not capture the positive and inclusive environment I believe we have created together.”
NBC officials defended the show in a statement to the outlet, saying the network is “incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” a spokesperson said.
“As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate,” the spokesperson added. “As is always the case, we encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behavior inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.”
Hank Berrien contributed to this report.

New York City Continues To Idle During Coronavirus Shutdown

‘It’s Embarrassing And I Feel So Bad’: Jimmy Fallon Apologizes To ‘Tonight Show’ Staff After Rolling Stone Report

'It’s Embarrassing And I Feel So Bad': Jimmy Fallon Apologizes To ‘Tonight Show’ Staff After Rolling Stone Report

The Tonight Show

Sixteen staffers for NBC’s The Tonight Show — two of whom still work for the show plus 14 former employees —  claim the Jimmy Fallon-hosted show has had a toxic environment for years, according to a new <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/jimmy-fallon-tonight-show-toxic-work-environment-crying-rooms-nbc-1234819421/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>.
The employees — who served in positions ranging from writers to production crew members and said they fruitlessly informed human resources about the problem —  cited the “pretty glum atmosphere” while contending they were subject to belittling and intimidation by their superiors, including Fallon, whom they said had periodic “outbursts” amid erratic behavior, according to Rolling Stone.
“It’s a bummer because it was my dream job,” a former staffer told Rolling Stone.  “Writing for late night is a lot of people’s dream jobs, and they’re coming into this and it becomes a nightmare very quickly. It’s sad that it’s like that, especially knowing that it doesn’t have to be that way.&#8221;
The outlet interviewed over 80 past and present employees for the show. &#8220;While many of them praised Fallon’s immense talent and comedic gifts, not a single one agreed to speak on the record or had  positive things to say about working on &#8216;The Tonight Show,'&#8221; Rolling Stone reported.
The show has had a revolving door for showrunners, with nine different people in nine years. “Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No,’” a former staffer claimed. “Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners. You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit. Look how many showrunners went so quickly. We know they didn’t last long.”
“It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is f***ed,” another former employee added. “People wouldn’t joke around in the office, and they wouldn’t stand around and talk to each other. It was very much like, focus on whatever it is that you have to do because Jimmy’s in a bad mood, and if he sees that, he might fly off.”
Seven former staffers said it was typical of the atmosphere on the show for people to joke about “wanting to kill themselves.”
“The producers felt this pressure, and that translated down to all of their employees. People that worked under them then felt this pressure that if you made one mistake, you were gone and would be easily replaced,” a former staffer recalled.
“I love &#8216;The Tonight Show,&#8217; and I love comedy,” a former staffer concluded. “I gave my heart and soul to that place. I want to see them succeed and do well, but for that to happen, there are major changes that need to take place, starting with Jimmy. They all need to dig their heads out of the sand and do something about the very obvious problems that we all know are happening.”
Fallon has hosted &#8216;The Tonight Show,&#8217; the world’s longest running talk show, since 2014. Prior to his tenure as host, the show was hosted by Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 2010–2014), and Conan O’Brien (2009–2010).

‘Everyone’s Day Is F***ed’: Former And Current Staffers Rip Jimmy Fallon, Tonight Show

Work environment

Five late-night comedy hosts announced plans for a joint podcast, and got a live roast in return.
Comedians Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers – whose shows are on a forced sabbatical due to the ongoing writers and actors strike in Hollywood – announced plans for &#8220;Strike Force Five.&#8221; The joint effort is expected to last at least through the remainder of the strike and proceeds will go to support their staffers while they are out of work.
&#8220;MAJOR LIFE UPDATE &#8211; for the remainder of the strike @StephenAtHome, @JimmyFallon, @SethMeyers, @IamJohnOliver &amp; I are joining forces for a new podcast called @StrikeForceFive. Hear the first episode tomorrow 8/30. ALL proceeds (thanks to @Casamigos and @MintMobile) go to support our out of work staffs. Listen now — <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1cvl2hr r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" role="link" href="https://t.co/qsyo28mYSV" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://bit.ly/44tflxq</a> @SpotifyPodcasts,&#8221; Kimmel shared via X. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MAJOR LIFE UPDATE &#8211; for the remainder of the strike <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenAtHome?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephenAtHome</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmyfallon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimmyFallon</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/sethmeyers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SethMeyers</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/iamjohnoliver?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IamJohnOliver</a> &amp; I are joining forces for a new podcast called <a href="https://twitter.com/StrikeForceFive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StrikeForceFive</a>. Hear the first episode tomorrow 8/30. ALL proceeds (thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/Casamigos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Casamigos</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Mintmobile?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MintMobile</a>) go to support… <a href="https://t.co/Czyvlpmba2">pic.twitter.com/Czyvlpmba2</a>
&mdash; Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmykimmel/status/1696612559661736081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Meyers <a href="https://twitter.com/sethmeyers/status/1696635013687558435" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> with a joke, saying, &#8220;I had NO idea this was being recorded &#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;Late night unite! Your new favorite podcast Strike Force Five premieres tomorrow with all of our proceeds going to staff and crew affected by the ongoing writers strike. Check it out on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts,&#8221; Fallon added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Late night unite! Your new favorite podcast Strike Force Five premieres tomorrow with all of our proceeds going to staff and crew affected by the ongoing writers strike. Check it out on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. <a href="https://t.co/PQVgLEiftN">pic.twitter.com/PQVgLEiftN</a>
&mdash; Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmyfallon/status/1696637418454053235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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But critics weren&#8217;t so sure that anyone really needed them to come back.
&#8220;Five insufferable one-trick ponies doing a podcast to echo each other on Trump and DeSantis and anyone who doesn&#8217;t have a D next to their name. And if you forgot these guys haven&#8217;t been on the air for months, you&#8217;re not alone,&#8221; Joe Concha said in a post on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Five insufferable one-trick ponies doing a podcast to echo each other on Trump and DeSantis and anyone who doesn&#39;t have a D next to their name. And if you forgot these guys haven&#39;t been on the air for months, you&#39;re not alone. <a href="https://t.co/RKsHu7RVEX">https://t.co/RKsHu7RVEX</a>
&mdash; Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeConchaTV/status/1696942807829627195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Not a lawyer but pretty sure this podcast will violate the Geneva Conventions,&#8221; Grabien media founder Tom Elliott <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1696878030235328809" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1693504018745000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1RMMjCvCBOBYdpkw5O_njE">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;Can&#8217;t wait for the first episode about Trump&#8217;s mugshot and how bad the new strain of covid is,&#8221; @thefirstontv <a href="https://twitter.com/TheFirstonTV/status/1696903174177604080" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
&#8220;It is super cringe that they coordinated to all sit in very &#8216;regular person&#8217; rooms, as though they don’t all have home offices that clearly illustrate their wealth and success. Just be you, you d*** phonies,&#8221; Noam Blum <a href="https://twitter.com/neontaster/status/1696867728512995349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;They have banished all the late night hosts to a podcast,&#8221; Ashley St. Clair posted. &#8220;Nature is healing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
they have banished all the late night hosts to a podcast
nature is healing <a href="https://t.co/t0uw4RUMqS">https://t.co/t0uw4RUMqS</a>
&mdash; Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) <a href="https://twitter.com/stclairashley/status/1696710363406872946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Late night group therapy for libs actually becomes group therapy for libs,&#8221; Stephen L. Miller <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1696636706961924120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>.
&#8220;Breaking Points&#8221; cohost Saagar Enjeti took a slightly different approach, <a href="https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1696629378992460262" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, &#8220;I am begging studio execs to cave so we can end this abomination.&#8221;

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – Season 4

Late-Night Hosts Team Up To Pitch A Podcast, And All They Get Is A Live Roast

John Oliver

The late-night silence is deafening.
On May 2nd, the Writers Guild of America went on strike seeking better wages, higher residual rates, and protections against the looming threat of Artificial Intelligence, among related demands.
That meant screenwriters closed their laptops, taking the jokes out of the corporate comedians’ mouths. No more wisecracks Colbert, Kimmel, Oliver, or Maher. The late-night landscape went dark, and the lights won’t be back on anytime soon.
Will audiences greet their return like a favorite show’s new seasons? Or, will we see a faltering landscape crumble, plagued by incessant partisanship, relentless clapter, and a business model in obvious decline?
The latter may be more likely, even if the format continues in some capacity when the strike finally ends.
<div id="attachment_595329" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-595329" class="size-large wp-image-595329" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1238883487-866x576.jpg" alt="DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 22: Fox News host Greg Gutfeld speaks during Fox News Channel's &quot;Gutfeld!&quot; Live In Dallas at Gilley's Dallas on February 22, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1238883487-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1238883487-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1238883487-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1238883487-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1238883487-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1238883487-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1238883487-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images</div>
We’re certainly not seeing any desperate op-eds demanding the swift return of these late-night propagandists. Even the Left-leaning <a href="https://movieweb.com/when-will-late-night-tv-shows-come-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MovieWeb</a> perused the late-night-free environment and wondered if the public even missed it.
Had the work stoppage lasted a few weeks or even months we’d expect the show to go on, more or less as usual. The hosts might forgo any summer vacation plans to resume their high-paying gigs and reconnect with their dwindling fan base.
Except the WGA and the studio representatives remain far apart and you’d be hard-pressed to find an industry observer who sees a resolution lurking around the corner.
The news cycle moves on without their pre-packaged monologues, leaving folks like John Oliver wishing he could weigh in on the latest Trump indictment news and, conversely, ignore stories with the name “Hunter” attached. 
No one expected a swift resolution to the writers’ strike, and that was before the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) joined them on the picket lines earlier this month. That means even if the late-night shows were open for business, they’d have no one to grace their colorful couches.
The loss of late-night comedy struck a body blow against the mainstream media. Journalists loved regurgitating whatever Stephen Colbert said on a given night, assuming it tarred and/or feathered GOP favorites like Donald Trump or former Fox News superstar Tucker Carlson.
Reporters even assembled round-up stories on the latest late-night antics, purposely leaving out the one show that’s still cranking out new episodes — that’s “Gutfeld!,” the Fox News hit that recently abandoned the late shift for an earlier, 10 p.m. EST time slot.
<div id="attachment_595327" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-595327" class="size-large wp-image-595327" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1372231822-1-864x576.jpg" alt="DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 22: Fox News host Greg Gutfeld speaks during Fox News Channel's &quot;Gutfeld!&quot; Live In Dallas at Gilley's Dallas on February 22, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1372231822-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1372231822-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1372231822-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1372231822-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1372231822-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1372231822-1-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1372231822-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Omar Vega/Getty Images</div>
Another sign of the format’s eventual doom?
Late-night TV was in trouble before the dueling strikes. The Left-leaning Axios said the format was “<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/28/late-night-tv-corden-ratings-decline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rapidly declining</a>” back in April, noting the recent loss of several key players.
Low ratings likely sunk TBS mainstay “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.” Trevor Noah up and left the basement-rated “Daily Show” over at Comedy Central, leaving the cable channel to uncork a rotating host schedule without finding the South African comic’s successor.
That search, like the show itself, is presumably on hold.
“Late Late Show” star James Corden also called it quits, abandoning a format that was setting <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/01/cbs-was-reportedly-losing-millions-on-james-cordens-late-night-show/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS back millions</a>. The network didn’t bother to find his replacement, opting to air a game show reboot in his place.
Late-night revenues were similarly down in recent months.
Axios reported ad revenue for the top six shows shrank more than 50% since 2014, and more than 60% from its highest point in 2016 (a heated presidential campaign year).
Does that sound like a healthy TV landscape?
Audiences are fickle. They may have watched their favorite late-night comedian for years, but now they’re left to find new bedtime rituals. That could mean social media surfing or sampling the various YouTube creators cranking out provocative, timely satire.
Comedians like liberal-leaning Jimmy Dore happily tear into President Joe Biden as well as Trump. Right-leaning comics, meanwhile, eviscerate the woke mind virus, among other progressive targets.
Any random sketch by Ryan Long is as funny, if not funnier, than whatever Jimmy Fallon uncorked from his “Tonight Show” perch.
There’s no lack of creative minds filling the gaps left behind by late-night taking an extended knee. And audiences can watch them at any time of the day if they crave late-night-style yuks.
The host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” is still talking, but he’s doing it via his weekly “Club Random” podcast. The show eschews partisan banter for conversations across the ideological divide. Here’s betting he’s having more fun talking to the likes of Jordan Peterson than pretending “Real Time” guests like Rob Reiner make sense.
Some Jimmy Kimmel scribes have hit the road, packaging themselves together as a late-night stand-up tour to make ends meet during the strike. 
Kimmel himself is keeping a low profile this summer, except when he’s the target <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmykimmel/status/1673832917825626112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">of Twitter’s Community Notes fact-checking squad.</a> Colbert is mostly quiet on Twitter, too. It’s almost like his comic shtick is a job and he doesn’t feel compelled to weigh in on the latest headlines if there’s no paycheck attached.
Seth Meyers’ Twitter feed is similarly subdued.
Even late-night stalwarts seemed resigned to the new reality facing them when the strike finally ends.
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News&#8217; Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

New York City scenes

As Late-Night TV Goes Dark, Fans Wonder If The Format Will Ever Come Back

Greg Gutfeld

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