JAY LENO IS BACK IN THE BIG CHAIR AT THE TONIGHT SHOW:GOOD THING OR BAD THING?
I like Jay Leno because he’s a car guy’s car guy and we get to live large vicarious dreams through his car adventures and purchases.
He is a real life middle-aged car-obssessed Richie Rich who buys and modifies anything with wheels and a power plant fuelled by gasoline, steam, and everything in between. So he is a flesh and blood personal fantasy-builder for every guy that ever had an unnatural love for cars.
He has to pay for his expensive habit, so he has built a highly successful comedy career into the best late night talk show host job in the world.
Rumor has it that he fuels his car addiction with his comedy appearance fees, while his NBC gig pays for his real world.
So he has taken back his old job at the expense of Conan O’Brien. Conan had poor numbers as Leno’s replacement, so it was hello highway for the gangly redhead.
I am not a dedicated late night guy, but I am well aware of the players in the game. Leno and Letterman are still the alpha males in this game, while a younger crew of hosts-in-waiting serve apprenticeships in the really late time slots.
Letterman has Indiana roots and his inner car guy is obvious in a racing sense. He has a history of fast commutes punctuated with a fistful of speeding tickets along the way.
These days the real race for Leno and Letterman will be in the ratings game. Leno had a rough run in prime time, and now he will once again take on Letterman for the trophy dash. Time will tell who wins the race, but I would bet on Leno.
The audience will ultimately decide Leno’s fate, but the Tonight Show is a very mainstream program, and Leno is a better fit than an off-beat guy like Conan in the host’s chair. Conan is a truly funny guy who should return as a writer to The Simpsons and resurrect a pathetic show that has completely lost the funny.
I wish Jay the best of luck in his old job but, if it doesn’t work out, Jay can concentrate on his huge car crop-it needs a little attention.
COMMENTS
BRAD:""You're a Jay Leno fan?!
Please tell me it's because of the car collection and not because you find him funny.
I've tried to watch some Jay Leno but I just can't find him funny. Maybe there is an age/demographic gap for the enjoyment of late night shows and the rating changes showed that the transfer isn't quite realistic, AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. As soon as the Jay Leno fans can't stay up late to watch, Conan O'Brien will be able to jump into his place. At least, that would have happened if NBC didn't let this blow up in their face. Now it's just the waiting game for Conan to go to another network (Fox if they can pony up the money) and make a killing at the same time slot as Leno."
JOEL:"I'd be okay with Jay Leno hosting a car show on Spike TV, but his interviewing skills are atrocious; he steals bits from everyone from Howard Stern to even his biggest rival Letterman; he appeals to the lowest common denominator; of the jokes that he doesn't steal he just recycles over and over and over....
The list goes on.
Jay may be a car guy's guy, but as a comedian, he's the worst of the worst. Ever since he sold his comedy soul to hock for Doritos up to and including when he pushed Johnny Carson off the air early, I can't stand the man.
He has taken a storied franchise and absolutely wasted it. And not only that, but he crushed the dreams of comedy auteurs in both Letterman and Conan.
Conan is a comedy genius, and will be back very soon to absolutely destroy both Leno and Letterman at that coveted 11:30 timeslot.
Vive La Coco! "
BILL:"Jay Leno also loves motorcycles and has an amazing collection.
He's living the dream. "
MARK:"On today's Blowin Smoke about Jay Leno. Last Summer my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting Jay Leno and spending time at his garage along with a special chance for me to drive his Chrysler turbine car and we got an awesome ride in his 1907 White Steamer. Jay is a regular guy and during the twelve or so hours we spent around him, he never came off as a rich anything. He could not get the White steamer going and along with two of his garage crew, they worked their tails off - Jay did a lot of the work himself - just so he could take my wife and I downtown Burbank in the Brass era car and visit his favorite book store. I always loved Johnny Carson, I think Leno is a class act and you may not always like his jokes but he picks on everyone except car guys and gals because that is really where his heart is. After he took us to his show in Vegas - he wound down from his show by reading Automobile Week magazine on the jet. His big leather bag is full of car stuff - probably twenty pounds of magazines etc. He spends his quiet time reading about the cars he loves. He has a collection like no other but he is willing to share it with anyone who is a real car enthusiast. I like Conan's style but was amazed how bad he did in ratings. If all the people that are slamming Jay for going back to work at his job (where he was told to leave in five years no matter how good or bad his ratings were) should meet him, I think if they are real car people they would come away with a much different attitude. If all the whiners about Conan had watched him, he might still be there - it was their fault - I watc hed Conan almost every night myself and I liked him too but money talks BS walks!
LEO:"Leno WAS funny at one time, when he was writing his own material. Years ago, I saw him do an hour and a half of stand-up at the University of Florida, and he was hilarious. Now he's just a worn-out caricature of his former, talented self."
RICK:""Leno just adds to the dumbing down of America. He's the crown jewel in the Godawful Zucker regime. NBC has gone from a once great network to a mix of unfunny stooges like Leno and Fallon mixed with inane reality crap. I'll stick with funny, innovative late nighters. Letterman and Kimmel are so far superior to lameo Leno. It boggles the mind why Leno even gets airtime. Oh yeah, Zucker."
