Remember the Late-Night Wars?
Jay Leno and David Letterman locked horns over who drew the biggest audience in late-night TV. Leno's "Tonight Show" emerged triumphant, but Letterman's subversive mien made him plenty of fans courtesy of "The Late Show."
And, of course, that competition brought out the best in both parties.
Jimmy Fallon took the baton from Leno in 2015. And, over the years, he's presided over the NBC showcase's steep ratings decline. Before Stephen Colbert's well deserved cancellation, he led the meager late-night ratings pack. "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" came in second, while Fallon's "Tonight Show" settled for a third-place ranking.
"The Tonight Show" ruled late-night television for more than 50 years thanks to Leno and, of course, the legendary Johnny Carson. Now? Fallon's talk show generated 1.3 million viewers for its Monday, June 3 telecast.
Yikes. What happened?
Late-night TV is no longer the cultural draw it once was. The media landscape is more splintered than ever, making a Carson-like ratings coup all but impossible.
And, of course, late-night hosts became activists, cheering on the Democrats while pummeling Republicans on a nightly basis.
That wasn't Fallon's shtick, at least not initially. It all changed when he invited a certain presidential candidate on his NBC couch. Donald Trump's 2016 "Tonight Show" appearance caused a kerfuffle in the media and liberal enclaves.
Fallon didn't skewer his guest. He yukked it up with him, going so far as to tousle Trump's hair to prove it was real.
The Left and the Media, but we repeat ourselves, blew a gasket. Fallon, rather than defend himself or his show, offered up mewling apology. And, ever since, his "Tonight Show" has been just as liberal as the competition.
Except Fallon isn't an ideologue by nature, so his progressive bias is less angry and more bland. And, if you're a modern-day progressive, you want the real deal.
Anger. Fury. Rage.
Kimmel. Colbert. Meyers. Oliver. Stewart.
Fallon's milquetoast liberalism just won't cut it. That's partially why his ratings slump endures.
Consider how Fallon piled on both CBS and Bari Weiss this week after she axed "60 Minutes" star Scott Pelley for publicly slammed his bosses. Fallon swiftly joined the progressive narrative on the story.
Weiss isn't cleaning house at "60 Minutes" for its cartoonishly liberal bias. The left-leaning lesbian is yanking the show to the MAGA Right.
CBS is getting more and more conservative to appease President Trump, but don't be totally shocked when they replace 60 Minutes with the Kid Rock/My Pillow Guy News Hour. Yeah, in the last few months, 60 Minutes has lost multiple producers and correspondents. You can tell they got rid of a lot of people because the show is now called 60 Seconds. It's a TikTok. It's a TikTok.
It's the kind of warmed-over, MS NOW claptrap that chases away Red State viewers but isn't cold enough to attract Bernie Bros.
Fallon could have blazed a Carson-esque trail with "The Tonight Show." Hit both sides, but not so hard that it leaves a mark. And if you're gonna tease Trump for his latest X post, why not mention a certain Senate hopeful with a Nazi tattoo? How hard is it to mock a candidate with Graham Platner's baggage?
Had Fallon played it down the middle, he might have carved out a unique space in late-night TV. Now, he'll have to settle for a distant second behind "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
