The Boys Club
My impression and review of the 4 late night douches
Stephen Colbert
After 7 years on Comedy Central Stephen Colbert accepted the impossible task of replacing a living late night legend in Dave Letterman on The Late Show on CBS. Colbert changed the time Letterman used for stupid pet tricks and a top 10 list for 7 min segments making fun of the absurdity of the media landscape. A carry over from The Colbert Report but now delivered with more sincerity without the ridiculousness with the release of the emulation of noted crazy person Bill O’Reilly.
Colbert has been known to now let his guests off the hook so easy. Colbert seems to almost dig for the uncomfortableness of the moment a person releases, on national tv, that what is expected to be a walk in the park just for real. But sometimes those topics he raises actually matter at the same time and Stephen seems to be the only one of the 4 that talks about it at all.
Colbert does not put his own faith above the fold either doing a segment in which he go to confession w/ the audience on the side where the priest would sit.
Colbert Also seems to be more musical than stand-up friendly like David Letterman was for comics trying to break through. Colbert has an improv background starting out studying under fellow daily show alum Steve Carell at Second City in Chicago.
Jimmy Fallon
The SNL alumni and host of Late Night, the slot right after The Tonight Show on NBC was the chosen son by Jay Leno, and new boss of late night tv Lorne Michaels, Fallon was the logical choice to move on from the mess of Conan and Jay 2.0.
Jimmy seems to play the lovable harmless jokester. He often plays adult versions of games with celebrities that involved drinking or puppies. It’s almost though just harmless silliness that you giggle at while it plays in the background.
Politicians and people with giant elephants in the room are safe from ridicule from Jimmy. He literally doesn't say a single bad thing about anybody. This point has even been pointed out by his best friend, Justin Timberlake.
To up the “please watch me I’m not threatening” anti Fallon has started a quiz segment involving himself or the guest to receive an ungodly amount of cuteness from yellow lab puppies.
Jimmy has joined the other shows in going on the road. Recently Jimmy recorded The Tonight Show from its old studios in Burbank, California. The set was a replica of the set Johnny Carson had when he first moved the show there permanently in in 1972.
Conan O’Brien
A former writer on SNL and Late Night host on NBC Conan is the funny irish guy with a torture past. After his multi million dollar buyout from NBC and The Tonight Show stripped from him Conan accepted an offer from TBS to do his own late night show. Following the similar format of Late Night Conan is joined by his sidekick Andy Richter.
Conan has a love/hate following. People tend to really think he’s awkwardly funny or can’t fucking stand him. Lately his remote b-roll behind the scene bits the post on their youtube channel has taken off. Particularly the series around one of the shows producers, Jordan Schlansky.
Conan has been one of the more adventurous hosts taking his show to Armenia, Cuba, Dallas, San Diego (Comic Con).
Other popular segments are Conan attempting to perform an everyday person’s job to serious discussions with author Michael Lewis and Comedy Legend Mel Brooks. Conan seems to be the only host to extend beyond the confines of his stage in Los Angeles (where he stayed since he moved out there for The Tonight Show) to embrace and leverage the power of Youtube.
Jimmy Kimmel
With roots in radio and a place besides Adam Carolla on The Man Show Jimmy Kimmel was ABC’s choice to dip their feet in the late night water. Forever running the news segment nightline at 11:35pm (when the other shows air) Jimmy Kimmel Live was banished to the 12:35 slot. Only after gaining an audience did ABC pull the trigger to air the show right after the local news like the rest of the late night shows.
Jimmy certainly has the dirty prankster in him. In fact you could call his show the most bleeped. So much so he airs a segment once a week in which they salute the FCC and bleep clips to make it sound dirtier than it originally was. A clear middle finger to the FCC that their rules are bullshit.
Kimmel has taken the show on the road going twice to broadcast from Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. He often spends time comparing the stark differences between Brooklyn and Los Angeles often poking fun at the stupidity of both.
Kimmel is not above making fun of his own fans. He has a segment in which he asks street goers their reaction to a “new” iPhone. Often the device show is the old model but people always assume it’s new and are easily fooled. In addition, after installing a massive digital wall display has been trying to find uses for it. Lately he’s dont segments explaining the hidden meaning behind text messages.
Jimmy seems to be the one to have genuine ability to laugh at the absurdity of life but in a way that makes us all laugh. He isn't afraid to tread in the water of controversy by not being a walk in the park interview. That said he certainly is an ABC kid often having live shows after the ABC aired Oscars or Bachelor/Bachelor/Dancing with the Stars.
