Monday, January 07, 2013

Jay Leno Will be On Television Forever

I think it was last week or sometime during the holidays that I wrote about Jimmy Fallon quietly being told that he was being considered to take over for Jay Leno when Jay's contract with NBC ended in 2014. I said then that there was no way that Leno would ever step down. Ever. Ever. Like a Taylor Swift song ever. Turns out that Jay just wanted to crush Jimmy's spirits like Jay crushes the spirit of anyone who ever wanted to ask a celebrity a real question. Jay has now extended his contract well beyond 2014 and will presumably not leave NBC until they carry his dead body off the stage. That will be necessary because no one will probably notice the change in his personality.

84 comments:

FrenchGirl said...

in France,we have Michel Drucker,Michel Denisot,Jean-Pierre Fouchaut!
in uSA, it's Jay Leno!

Henriette said...

This is so not news. I bet NBC get rid of Jay when the ratings really tank though. He's no Matt Lauer!

a non a miss said...

I don't like Leno. He isn't funny and just kisses the asses of any celebs he can get on his show. I'm glad Jimmy Fallon won't be subjected to the kind of treatment Conan was. I like Fallon on late night and even more so, I love The Roots and their awesome picks for walk on songs for guests.

Meanie Rhysie said...

!!! Like a Taylor Swift song ever !!!

lmaooooooo!! Oh dear gahd, I needed something to make me chortle.

discoflux said...

Has anyone seen the episode of Louie where they get him to audition to take over Letterman's spot, but it was all just a ploy to get Letterman to agree to renew for less money?

No one else will ever be allowed to succeed in those time slots until these guys are being wheeled out and shitting in bags.

MISCH said...

Jimmy will be just fine, Jay is tumbling down...

Lauren said...

He doesn't have any kids and doesn't really have a life outside his show.

Amber said...

Does anyone here watch Louie? This is exactly a scenario on one of the episodes w/Jerry Seinfeld!

Amber said...

LOL @disco - gmta.

Princess ButterKwup said...

NBC is torn, because I think they want to be edgier (Coco & Jimmy) , but their audience is old people. They tried to cut him and got too nervous when ratings dipped. With the exception of some of their comedies that they're pushing out the door, they have nothing good going for them right now. Jay isn't funny, but his fans don't care, so let him stay on the air and get flogged in the press. Jimmy is smart enough to have known that he wouldn't get that job.

discoflux said...

We're awesome, Amber. The end.

DewieTheBear said...

Who has this man gotten dirt on that he stays on the air in spite of a total lack of talent?

Agent**It said...

"Jay has now extended his contract well beyond 2014 ". That is Enty's scoop and beyond 2014 has not been reported before .

discoflux said...

"If someone tells you to keep a secret, their secret is a lie."

timebob said...

I love that Jimmy Kimmel has just been ripping Jay a new asshole every chance he gets.

Jimmy Fallon doesn't give a shit about the Tonight Show slot. He does what he wants in NYC going on an hour earlier will ruin his hip mojo. Jimmy is young he can stay on 1230 forever he doesn't care.

auntliddy said...

Once again, i dont get the Jay hate. He's no better or worse than any other host. Is it wtong to want to keep working? Who is he bothering? And 2014 is next year, not 88 years from now. So he stays on. With the exception of jimmy fallon, none of these guys are laugh riots anyway. And even tho I dont watch late night tv, i hope kimmel tanks because hes a smug asswipe.

Amber said...

@auntliddy - I think people hate Leno because he's done some really underhanded things. The people that know, think he's a dirty rat. The people that don't know think he's a swell guy.

MadLyb said...

Can't stand him. Already posted a rant about him in the Cosby thread. :(

MadLyb said...

There is good reason why many people who have dealt with him or have seen the way this POS operates have nothing nice to say about him. He uses surrogates to stab others in the back and then acts like he's the innocent party, when clearly he's not.

Frufra said...

Glad to see so many of my CDaN peeps share my disdain for Leno. Homeboy isn't funny - never has been. And he's underhanded.

Letterman 4ever!!!!

Anonymous said...

He isn't funny at all. But he does do his job. Kimmel took the bait and made a complete ass out of himself. Sounds like Kimmel's just jealous. say what you want but Leno is consistent and clean. Kimmels just an ass and appeals to the frat boy mentality. I think I speak for most women when I say frat boy humor is extremely annoying.

auntliddy said...

I know the nonsense he has been accused of . My point is they all do the same things but only he gets crucified for it. You think kimmel wouldnt take lenos seat if offered? Hed jump! They all have huge egos, and at the end of the day, they are all zillionaires so whats their problem? This juvenile competion is so old already. " hes not funny!" "He stole my joke!" " he doesnt ask tough questions" Please, its high school crap!!

timebob said...

With Jimmy Kimmel coming on at 11:35 now going head to head with David and Jay. I hope Jimmy kicks Jay's ass in the ratings.

Jay could retire 100x with money he earns alone from corporate gigs. He just banks his Tonight Show salary.

Jay is a narcissistic self serving bitch and it's time to step down and let the next man shine. But he will hang on for dear life and hopefully get shoved out like Carson did.

Anonymous said...

Howard stern used to comment about how alot of comedians had no respect for Jay. They can't stand him. This was years ago , at least ten. I guess most comics are now comfortable enough to bad mouth him. Maybe the Conan situation was too much.

Who knows really......

auntliddy said...

Yes you do anna. Howard stern is another low brow.

auntliddy said...

Yes, because stern would know all about lack of respect.

Henriette said...

The only one that matters is Craig Ferguson!

Little Miss Smoke and Mirrors said...

God, I hate Jay Leno.

Little Miss Smoke and Mirrors said...

@auntliddyhesa Jay is a total sleezeball, plus, I find him extremely unfunny. He's completely unwatchable.

Anonymous said...

@liddy......I trust his opinion on the entertainment business more than yours. He is not afraid to put it out there.

prolixe said...

Agreed, @Henriette - the only one I'd stay up late for is that delectable Scottish accent and wit.

Leno & Letterman both have been outed as total jerks, but then apparently there are quite a few comedians out there who are, too - stealing jokes and gigs, backstabbing, spreading lies. I.e., high school.

BobNYC said...

OR...the other theory is that Leno is going to get fired and this gives him a golden "buyout." -

Remember Les Moonves saying "Katie Couric will be CBS NEWS anchor for a long time" - how soon after that was she gone?

Anonymous said...

I don't like Leno, but I don't want to fight about it, JEEZ......

timebob said...

Howard Stern is the King of All Media and he isn't low brow he is highly intelligent and is an icon in his industry. Hearing 3rd party comments about him doesn't mean he is disrespectful when you don't know what you're talking about.

Eeekalicious said...

Having kids was the end of my late night viewing, but wow, has Jay ever aged! He looks exhausted. They're going to have to prop him up like Kruschev pretty soon.

Cindy said...

I'm with Henriette -- Ferguson RULES period.

Unknown said...

So, it's another day to hate Jay!
He's never done anything that hasn't been done by all the rest of them on TV.

And for those of who who consistently say he isn't funny, there's two problems with that.
1. Letterman says Jay is the funniest guy around.
2. I really doubt you're watching any part of Jay's show. No matter how much you hate him, his monologue is still the best nightly jokefest there is.
Yes, he sucks at interviews, but I don't watch that part of his show.

The facts are simple, Conan failed on the Tonight Show. In fact he failed miserably!
He made three fatal mistakes:
1. He moved the show to California when he should have stayed in New York for at least a year.
2. He made his show blander so he not only pissed of the Leno fans who tuned in to watch him & found just a mess, but he also pissed off his own fans because now the show was dull to them.
3. His first Tonight Show was beyond awful. It should of been about Conan, but instead Will Farrell hijacked & made it about himself.

You will note that he's now an afterthought on TBS, an almost network that the 40% of the country that doesn't have cable will never see, when he could have gone to Fox & been on a real network.

Alicia said...

As Jimm Fallon would say " Jay Leno is ew "

Btw .. Jimmy Fallons ice cream by Ben and Jerry's ? The business. I'm currently addicted.

Steampunk Jazz said...

Not to bring up Carson like he is The One but Leno does such a crappy job when he Could have continued... (what am I saying? Of course he couldn't)Carson LIKED drawing his guests out and stood up to the Network, Leno fawns and cashes the check. Personally, Late Night talk isn't entertainment unless it's Craig Ferguson.

Steampunk Jazz said...

BTW, Good Morning everyone. I'm a next day poster, normally. Just want to say Reading all your comments smooths out a hard day. Thanks.

timebob said...

Honestly I think Chelsea Handler has the best format 30 minutes, 20 minutes cracking jokes about daily celebrity news with 3 comedians and 1 guest for 6 minutes.

Chelsea is polarizing to a lot of people but her round table guests are so funny. I even like Whitney Cummings talk show on Wed Love You Mean It. It is a similar format to Chelsea but with it's own spin on things.

Cornbread said...

@Alicia, is that the one with the chocolate covered potato chips in it? Late Night Snack? That was the last Fallon ice cream I had by B&J, and oh my LORD was it heavenly! It was out the same time as Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream (also delicious). They had it in "super packs." Ah, the good ol' days... :)

jax said...

Becca, are you for real?? Your reasons were ALL at the hands of NBC.
They tied his hands to do anything and the time slot lead in sucked.

Not to mention, they hardly gave him enough time to turn it around and find an audience among the fucking geriatrics who screamed when their precious Jay was ripped from them like the last lemon square at the bake sale.

Jay is an unfunny dick who RUINED the Tonight Show with his whiny bullshit that led to Conan going to TBS. The ONLY reason Jay got the show back is because his contract was worth more, that's it. MONEY.

Google is your friend.

Sherry said...

Welcome Elementally!

I don't watch any of them cuz I'm old and they come on too late. It does seem that not a lot of people have nice things to say about Leno yet he gets enough veiwers to remain in that seat. It's a matter of what your personal taste is.

timebob said...

I never met a pint of Chubby Hubby I didn't like (or eat)

Amartel said...

Well said, Becca Parker.
It's a cut-throat business but somehow none of the other cut-throats gets called out. Just Jay, every time.

Meanie Rhysie said...

Wow!! Who knew a Jay Leno post could arouse such passion?!?!?!

Alicia said...

@cornbread .. Yes m'am it is. They sell it in bulk at my local hipster grocery. I just discovered it two weeks ago and I'm ashamed to say how many pints I've had since said discovery!

Angela said...

Jay Leno knew quite well what would happen when he stepped out of The Tonight Show to get The Jay Leno Show. People who followed him on The Tonight Show were happy enough to see him at ten and had no reason to watch O'Brien after that, so O'Brien had fewer opportunities to install his own style, as all previous Tonight Show hosts had been able to do.

And that's why many people can't stand Leno. He's a very conniving guy when it's about his job, and projects a squeaky clean image for everything else. Say what you want about Letterman, but at least his public persona matches his personality.

Del Riser said...

Flame on if you must. I watch Jay if given the choice. He fires out lots of jokes on topical items, his Jaywalking is hilarious if not scary. Headlines is funny. He sees the movies of the guests he has on. His job is to give these other entertainers a platform to brag about their work, which he does. It's not a hard hitting interview show ala Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes for crap sake.
They are all basically shill shows for celebs who have something new in the works, or wish they had. The host's throw in a joke or two and you have a show.
I'm sure they are all flawed in some way. Jay is a workaholic car guy that doesn't cheat on his wife and flies home from where ever he is every night.
I also love Craigy Ferg! I'll take Jimmy Fallon over Jimmy Kimmel any day.
I think the deciding factor is always ratings. NBC will stay with the guy who has the best ratings in that time slot.

Del Riser said...

@Angela, I have no problem agreeing with what you said. I think Jay may be passive aggressive especially about his work. If you enter showbiz and are not a conniver, or don't have a good one working for you, you are gonna have problems.

Steampunk Jazz said...

Jay's got the money to hire good writers and no one is saying he doesn't know his timing to sell them. It doesn't make him a good host. His guests have been schilling for their film with anyone, how hard would it be to find something new for them to say while they quote their script? That's where he fails. ( and his voice,,,)

Steampunk Jazz said...

P.S. Thanks for the Welcome Sherry. I too, sleep early. I catch up on YouTube. I'm just an "after the fact" kinda person,lol.

MnGddess said...

Jay steals his jokes from other comedians without credit. That's why comedians hate him. He's a weasel. Jaywalking was Howard Stern's bit back in the day. There's more proof of his stealing bits on You Tube and Google. And his monologues are horrendous! Becca, you've got to be kidding me.

Timebob rules.

And what Jax said.

MnGddess said...

Oh, and Craig Ferguson is AWESOME. If NBC wants to waste their money, let them throw it my way.

yawnathon said...

Guess it's good that we have so many choices in late night entertainment, as senses of humor varies.

Jason Blue Eyes said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jason Blue Eyes said...

I've noticed there are a lot of A list stars that will go on Dave's show but will never lower themselves to appear on Bigjaw's show. Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, Steve Martin. I'm sure there are quite a few others. I think one actor put it like this - Going to Dave's is like going to a party - going to Jay's is like going to a wake. Christ, even Bigjaw's band members look like they don't want to be there.

Steampunk Jazz said...

The part I don't get is, Why are they pulling this same old crap? Does the Network REALLY think it drives the price down to pretend to offer the job to another? This game is so old it was chiseled on Lazurus' tomb. "I told you they would meet my price..."

Anonymous said...

@rejected fallon will always be better than the crimson chin. i used to think he was kinda funny but after what happened to conan, he will forever be scum

Jolene Jolene said...

In my opinion, Jay Leno's monologue is truly PAINFUL to watch. I catch a minute or two because I like NBC local news, and I just cringe every. single. time. It's no surprise that no one I know watches Leno. That humor is just lost on me. It's so...not smart? Too obvious? It's like the late night talk version of Two and a Half Men.

mooshki said...

I cried so much at Johnny Carson's last episode. Got over Leno a long time ago. Someone should explain to him about overstaying your welcome.

auntliddy said...

Well! I never!! Trusting Stern over me??? So he's your friend now?? Lol, totally kidding, of course.

auntliddy said...

So Mr Mayor, I'm gonna have trouble with you too? Lol. I happen to think Sterns a jerk, but het, live and let live. He's easy enough to ignore. I hate when people I like like someone I dont like, lol, but of course we cant have the hive collective either.

auntliddy said...

Also, conan had zero problem booting leno out of the way. No one remembers that. And conan also had no problem getting lopez cancelled too, when he took over his time slot. No one talks about that. All conan had to do was stfu, take the midnight time slot, and build his appeal til he moved to 11:30. But no! God forbid!!!! So there had to be drama, and nonsense, and now the idiott toils on tbs, where, if they didnt owe him zillions, he would have been long fired.

ino said...

So what. The Tonight Show isn't the industry standard anymore.

Mango said...

Jay's got the money to hire good writers, but he doesn't. His stuff is cringe-worthy. Add that to his back-stabbing and ass-kissing and his show, what's the word? Oh yeah, SUCKS.

I know someone who works for Jay as a consultant of sorts and he won't dish dirt on him. I don't know if genuinely doesn't know anything or is just being diplomatic, but I was bummed that he didn't have a bunch of tales for me to bring back here. :(

Worstcompanytoworkfor said...

What's wrong with him working?

MC said...

@jolene - agree 100%

ms snarky said...

I watch anyone but Jay. He's just unlikeable and unwatchable. I, too, hope Jimmy Kimmel kicks some butt at 11:35.

I also love Dave, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson.

Hell, I'd rather watch Tavis Smiley than Jay Leno. At least he asks intelligent questions and sounds informed.

Anonymous said...

Becca, thank goodness for posters like you! No personal attacks, smart response, and no love lost on Conan. I personally think Jay has some pretty funny monologues. He's as good as anyone out there and definitely better than the lameness that is Coco.

Anonymous said...

To be fair, every comedian steals their jokes. Interesting about Stern though! Will have to do the research. I agree with your post below about Craig!

Redd Penny said...

I like Tavis Smiley, too. Charlie Rose interrupts people too much though.

I haven't forgiven Stern since he was on in D.C. and did a bit calling Air Florida and asked for a reservation from National Airport to the 14th Street bridge.

What I wanna know is was Jay hiding in Fallon's closet??

Betsy said...

ms snarky & Jolene Jolene -exactly. I have watched Leno only when there has been a specific guest i want to see. I especially cannot stand the way he treats women. I enjoy Letterman going back to his daytime show. Fallon is great, he is so talented. And The Roots are a fantastic house band. And Craig is adorably funny. Kimmel is ok. And Graham Norton is not to be missed.

Norte said...

....shitting in bags.

Line of the day

car54 said...

I wish they'd put Jay on later --I would like to watch Jimmy but it is too late for me--move Jimmy on to the earlier slot and let Jay put people to sleep in the late one.
I think NBC has just the worst judgment on these things. Why worry about where Jay is going--where else does he have to go? He doesn't need a long term contract, lol.

Agent**It said...

Jay's wife Mavis has been a long time supporter of human rights issues.
Mavis Leno, Chair, Campaign for Afghan Women and Children
http://www.feminist.org/welcome/board.asp

(I know, he's still not funny).

tamarind said...

i watch Louie.

tamarind said...

Jay crushed Conan, he was on top of the world and will never recover. It would be sweet if they got rid o' jay and put conan back on.

McSpanky said...

In a world where so many talented older workers are being forced out of the door thanks to budget cuts, Jay Leno bucks the trend -- he's not talented and he's not budging! lol.

Why are we not discussing a woman taking the reins of a major show. Why do all the females who do this get these cute little "niche" shows, like Kathy Griffin's weird show, rather than just inherit a franchise. Boys club much?

Anyhow, Kathy Griffin would be a helluva Late Show host She has built all the creds.

Jazzy said...

I love Louie! I thought the way Jay came across in the episode is probably how he is in real life.

EGB said...

There are so many more talented, less hack-y late night hosts, I never watch Jay and I don't miss him. My best friend lives in Europe, and she loves watching Jay because it makes her feel closer to home. He has the most recognizable stars, and his monologues help her feel like she knows what is going in the US. I think of him as the people magazine version of a host, when I like my hosts to have more of a Spy Magazine vibe (and yes I know how old I sound by referencing Spy)....
Btw, Letterman didnt say Leno was the funniest host, he said funniest stand up. I think it was a way for him to sound more gracious about Jay than he really feels.

Agent**It said...

I had a subscription to Spy, E Gee Be. It was short lived but memorable.

Unknown said...

Jax & Angela: Conan had 6 months of regular NBC prime time programming as his lead-in before Leno's hour long prime time show ran. His ratings went nowhere in that time. All & I mean all of Conan's problems were self-inflicted. As I commented several weeks ago on Enty's blog, Leno wanted to go to ABC, but NBC wouldn't let him go.
Conan chose to move his show, NBC would have let it stay in 30 Rock if he demanded it, but he wanted back in LA. He was a fish out of water there because the studio audience was different, too many tourists & not enough of a younger crowd. People in LA won't go "over the hill", meaning get to a place on the other side of the Santa Monica Mountains. Universal City is in the Valley, not in the main part of LA. Manhattan was Conan's natural territory & he abandoned it!

mngoddess: Leno was doing Headlines when he was subbing for Carson way bck in the 1980s, before Howard Stern was anything. Not even Joe Rogen has accused Leno of stealing & he accuses everyone of stealing jokes.
There are nights when every single show has essentially the same joke because some things in the news are just made for a joke, the same joke!

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