Movies and TV Where's Baby Lee? I need his opinion of how Colbert is doing on Late Night

Chromatic · 09-08-2015, 11:32 PM

I ****ing hate Jimmy Fallon and his dumb show. It's nothing but a soft, safe vehicle to push shitty corporate comedy. No wonder TV is dying.

My problem with him as a comedian is that he relies almost completely on other people's talent and creations. He basically just mimics others, which he's somewhat talented at but he doesn't add much of a joke to anything. Half of his "brilliant" bits are just him literally recreating something, and we're all supposed to go "hahaha I totally REMEMBER THAT NOSTALGIC THING and wow Fallon has a good voice!" But it often completely lacks a joke, or a twist, or anything. He almost seems like he is just a geeking out fan moreso than a real comedian. Half of his thing is literally impersonating other comedians. A comedy routine can't just be "accurate recreation + Fallon = laughs". There's gotta be something else added. Chris Hardwick fits that description as well.

Anyway, thought Colbert was decent and I'm totally ok with him bringing a lot of Colbert Report influence to his new show since that was great and better than any late night TV for the past 15 years.

**RealSNR** · 09-08-2015, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chromatic

I ****ing hate Jimmy Fallon and his dumb show. It's nothing but a soft, safe vehicle to push shitty corporate comedy. No wonder TV is dying.

My problem with him as a comedian is that he relies almost completely on other people's talent and creations. He basically just mimics others, which he's somewhat talented at but he doesn't add much of a joke to anything. Half of his "brilliant" bits are just him literally recreating something, and we're all supposed to go "hahaha I totally REMEMBER THAT NOSTALGIC THING and wow Fallon has a good voice!" But it often completely lacks a joke, or a twist, or anything. He almost seems like he is just a geeking out fan moreso than a real comedian. Half of his thing is literally impersonating other comedians. A comedy routine can't just be "accurate recreation + Fallon = laughs". There's gotta be something else added. Chris Hardwick fits that description as well.

Anyway, thought Colbert was decent and I'm totally ok with him bringing a lot of Colbert Report influence to his new show since that was great and better than any late night TV for the past 15 years.

Jimmy Fallon = Buzzfeed TV. The people on social media who LAWL over Jimmy Fallon clips also post shitty Buzzfeed crap.

Taste and preference isn't supposed to be about intelligence, but in this case, it totally is.

**DaneMcCloud** · 09-09-2015, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Jimmy Fallon = Buzzfeed TV. The people on social media who LAWL over Jimmy Fallon clips also post shitty Buzzfeed crap.

Taste and preference isn't supposed to be about intelligence, but in this case, it totally is.

"Late Night" TV used to be about adults.

Innuendo, drinks, smoking, telling stories, hanging out and partying, while occasionally revealing something unexpected.

Whether it was Steve Allen or Johnny Carson or Mike Douglas or Dick Cavett, it was REAL. Politics, drugs, society or behind the scene of making movies and TV, it was all right there. The Creme de le Creme exposed.

Letterman, believe or not, is the guy that lowered the bar. Animal tricks, human stunts and oddball guests connected with the teenage and college crowd. And while he blew up Howard Stern and Jay Leno (amongst others), once he moved to CBS his act became a shtick.

It's a shame.

cosmo20002 · 09-09-2015, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

"Late Night" TV used to be about adults.

Innuendo, drinks, smoking, telling stories, hanging out and partying, while occasionally revealing something unexpected.

Whether it was Steve Allen or Johnny Carson or Mike Douglas or Dick Cavett, it was REAL. Politics, drugs, society or behind the scene of making movies and TV, it was all right there. The Creme de le Creme exposed.

Letterman, believe or not, is the guy that lowered the bar. Animal tricks, human stunts and oddball guests connected with the teenage and college crowd. And while he blew up Howard Stern and Jay Leno (amongst others), once he moved to CBS his act became a shtick.

It's a shame.

Yeah...Steve Allen and Carson never had those things.

**DaneMcCloud** · 09-09-2015, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

Yeah...Steve Allen and Carson never had those things.

So you're telling us that Carson and Allen appealed to college students?

Chromatic · 09-09-2015, 01:41 AM

Much of the TV landscape shifted to appeal to younger audiences in the 80's. SNL, MTV, etc.

It was a time where a lot of demographics had disposable income, and the whiskey clinking adults were already watching. There was money in appealing to a more youthful audience. The influence of TV had spread and kids had TVs in their room by this time, not just one in the living room for each family.

cosmo20002 · 09-09-2015, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

So you're telling us that Carson and Allen appealed to college students?

They probably did to some degree. No, not when Johnny was in his 60s, but he wasn't always that old. There were only few channels, so they had to watch something.

Anyway, you said Letterman "lowered the bar" by having animal tricks, human stunts and oddball guests, which attracted a younger crowd. Allen and Carson clearly also had those things, so whatever point you were trying to make kind of fails.

aturnis · 09-10-2015, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

So you're telling us that Carson and Allen appealed to college students?

You're telling me Letterman did?

Chromatic · 09-09-2015, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Letterman, believe or not, is the guy that lowered the bar. Animal tricks,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRYuUNGjYHk

Quote:

human stunts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3k3D53SjkA

Quote:

and oddball guests

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSw_yg52dUg

It's still The Tonight Show but I guess Johnny had the night off you get the idea.

Quote:

It's a shame.

It is indeed.

**DaneMcCloud** · 09-09-2015, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chromatic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRYuUNGjYHk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3k3D53SjkA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSw_yg52dUg

It's still The Tonight Show but I guess Johnny had the night off you get the idea.

It is indeed.

The difference is that Carson was a much better host, had much better rapport with guests and didn't base his entire act off of dopey stunts, which is what Dave did in the 80's. He was the "whacky" late night guy.

Once he moved to CBS, he toned everything down a bit but a Top Ten List every single night was just not funny and the past 5-7 years were just unwatchable.

Not as bad as Leno, but still unwatchable.

09-08-2015, 11:32 PM	#1
Chromatic Veteran Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Earth Casino cash: $10018551	I ****ing hate Jimmy Fallon and his dumb show. It's nothing but a soft, safe vehicle to push shitty corporate comedy. No wonder TV is dying. My problem with him as a comedian is that he relies almost completely on other people's talent and creations. He basically just mimics others, which he's somewhat talented at but he doesn't add much of a joke to anything. Half of his "brilliant" bits are just him literally recreating something, and we're all supposed to go "hahaha I totally REMEMBER THAT NOSTALGIC THING and wow Fallon has a good voice!" But it often completely lacks a joke, or a twist, or anything. He almost seems like he is just a geeking out fan moreso than a real comedian. Half of his thing is literally impersonating other comedians. A comedy routine can't just be "accurate recreation + Fallon = laughs". There's gotta be something else added. Chris Hardwick fits that description as well. Anyway, thought Colbert was decent and I'm totally ok with him bringing a lot of Colbert Report influence to his new show since that was great and better than any late night TV for the past 15 years.
Posts: 1,305

09-09-2015, 01:41 AM	#6
Chromatic Veteran Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Earth Casino cash: $10018551	Much of the TV landscape shifted to appeal to younger audiences in the 80's. SNL, MTV, etc. It was a time where a lot of demographics had disposable income, and the whiskey clinking adults were already watching. There was money in appealing to a more youthful audience. The influence of TV had spread and kids had TVs in their room by this time, not just one in the living room for each family.
Posts: 1,305