While Conan O’Brien is off someplace where people aren’t allowed to talk, America’s denim sweetheart is still allowed to say terribly unfunny things and conduct a daily variety show. Life isn’t fair. But here’s the thing; every time Jay Leno opens his mouth, he makes it more clear that he’s the villain in the entire late night fiasco. Here he is talking to Joy Behar:
You know what, Jay Leno, if telling everyone that you got screwed makes you feel better, that’s great, but it doesn’t mask the fact that you in fact did not get screwed. To rehash, Jay Leno was moved to primetime — as a lead-in for the late local news — where he bombed so catastrophically that the news (the bread and butter of the affiliates) threatened to stop showing his program. With that ratings drop already a foregone conclusion, it was no surprise when Conan’s ratings also tanked. So what was the result again? Oh that’s right, Jay Leno got everything that he wanted: no more Conan, “The Tonight Show” was his again, and he got to buy more cars. Yes, Jay Leno certainly got screwed.
The kicker to this interview, though, is this line from Leno: “[In comedy], you don’t impede the other guy’s opportunity.”
Yeah, that’s weird, because, once again, that’s exactly what Jay Leno did. He made it impossible for O’Brien’s show to succeed, and when push came to shove, didn’t ride off into the sunset like he should have.
Shut up, Jay Leno. You’ve always been a hack, and every time you open your mouth, you make it clear you’re a terrible person, too.
I miss Conan. Last summer was the only time in years that I’d consistently watched the Tonight Show.
Rob Hanson at Chrislip Journal