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[Baraka in the White House]

I understand the criticism and frankly, it's been a long time coming. The media doesn't treat Trump like a presidential candidate but instead like a Kardashian, and it's only helped him hide and downplay his horrific credentials.

 

[Vanillalite]

Fallon is the legacy of Leno, ass kissng to keep his large audience.

Seth Meyers, who comes on right after Fallon, doesn't pull any punches when it comes to his show. He's outright banned Trump from appearing (not that he would).

For anyone claiming "he's a talk show host!" go watch videos of Trump appearing on Letterman years before going completely off the wall. Letterman would ridicule him to his face and call him out constantly.

You realize Seth Myers doesn't get to make that call right? He isn't the boss?

 

[bbdude]

I went to a monologue rehearsal for the show yesterday and Jimmy Fallon made a quick comment on it, essentially saying he treats all of his guests happy and the same. Doing some extreme paraphrasing there but that was pretty much the gist. So nothing to worry about IMO

 

[scarlet]

His fake laughs should've been the reason for backlash

 

[Knuckle Sandwich]

If you can only do vacuous, light-hearted interviews, you probably shouldn't invite a guy like Trump to be a guest. I mean, you CAN, but be prepared to eat some shit from people who have a modicum of integrity.

In his prime, Letterman would have eviscerated Trump AND been funny.

Didn't need to be in his prime to do it.

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

 

[No_Style]

Thoughts? Is this hate deserved? Is it his job to be more critical and be serious, or he did what his job actually is; to fuck around and have a laugh.

I was disappointed and the hate is deserved because he chose to approach this situation like this. I believe people have said he was approaching the interview without acknowledging politics whatsoever. But this Trump. I thought he would have been more critical of him and not joke around with a candidate that promotes so much hate during this campaign.

Is it his job to be nice or critical? No but that's why I was so disappointed because it isn't his job and he's choosing to ignore the politics at a crucial time.

 

[Crisco]

Him being treated like a clown and not a politician is why Trump is doing quite as well as he is. People are not unaware of why Fallon did what he did, but there is not a single soul who has done what Fallon has done and is not an abhorrent shithead for it.

"Person does one thing I personally disagree with, is now an abhorrent shithead". Ideological purity is the worst.

But he is running for President of the UNITED states. He is a politician now. Its not time to get all cute with the guy.

Again, not his job. Get mad at the real journalists who didn't take him seriously until he started winning primaries.

Plenty of comedians vilify Trump and the right. Fallon just doesn't do it cuz he's a vapid talkshow host.

The Worst.

 

[Jonm1010]

Yeah seriously. The problem with people treating Trump like any ol' political guest is that he isn't. He is a white supremacy leader who willfully appeals to that group.

Hate to tell you this but the Republican Party as a whole has been doing that heavily since Nixon.

Trump may be going deeper into that well then other major modern candidates but that well was dug and tapped by many a predecessor.

 

[ManDudeChild]

It's Jimmy Fallon? How he managed to do ANYTHING after SNL will forever be a mystery to me.

Can anyone seriously expect Fallon to do anything else?

 

[Kraftwerk]

haha, fucking twitter

 

[Brianimaniac]

.

 

[RustyNails]

Fallon brought a guy on his show who refused to renounce KKK and David Duke's endorsement for several days,i n an attempt to get ratings. He deserves all the shit he's getting. NBC has done a splendid job normalizing this racist to mainstream crowd: SNL, Tonight Show.

Letterman would have clowned Trump. His snark was off the charts.

 

[Kinyou]

He's a talkshow host of a comedy show. His job is to entertain, not engage in rigirous political discussions.

I think the problem is that it still was a political interview.

Just look at this clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFS5CSP5fRM

 

[Rapscallion]

You realize Seth Myers doesn't get to make that call right? He isn't the boss?

I'm sure he has some sway, but even if NBC forced him to be on the show I can't imagine Meyers would be the cordial clown Fallon was. My point is, Seth Myers at least has taken a hard stance against Trump's hate speech. Any reasonable minded individual would, so it's increasingly disappointing that Fallon did not.

Even Colbert had to play down his hatred for Trump when he appeared on his show, but there's a difference between inter viewing the opposition and normalizing a monster.

 

[ZeroX03]

Bo Burnham was just on You Made It Weird, a few days before this happened and he specifically crucified The Tonight Show calling it something like the worst of culture. Then this happened.

Fallon still has a boss like everyone else. And they call the shots.

Late night comedy shows aren't the place you go looking for gotcha interviews.

He even called out late night hosts for not being more critical of their guests too, mentioning Letterman would be willing to push and challenge them and get uncomfortable.

 

[thekonamicode]

Fallon to Hitler

"Let's talk about your BOOK!"

 

[A Link to the Past]

"Person does one thing I personally disagree with, is now an abhorrent shithead". Ideological purity is the worst.



Again, not his job. Get mad at the real journalists who didn't take him seriously until he started winning primaries.



The Worst.

Donald Trump at this point has entered literal white supremacist mode. The main difference between Donald Trump and David Duke is that we cannot confirm whether Trump has worn a white hood.

But seriously, I do apologize for criticizing a rich comedian. There's nothing worse than pointing out that Fallon is a bad person for promoting someone who is literally putting the lives of innocent people at risk.

Hate to tell you this but the Republican Party as a whole has been doing that heavily since Nixon.

Trump may be going deeper into that well then other major modern candidates but that well was dug and tapped by many a predecessor.

And the difference between Trump and them is that Trump didn't for a second lie about being a horrible racist.

 

[oti]

I wonder how people would treat Hitler nowadays oh who am I kidding I know exactly how they'd treat him.

"He's just saying it how it is."

 

[User1608]

Yup, disappointed in Fallon. Thanks a lot. Keep in mind Trump started off his racist, fascist campaign by calling immigrants rapists, murderers and drug dealers.

This is no time to be a clown around a racist who puts so many millions of lives at risk.

 

[blakep267]

He could have just not had Trump on his show.

Pretty much. Jimmy isn't just fed guests and he has to go along with it

I'm like aren't you supposedly "friends" with the roots. This guy and his followers outwardly don't like people who are like them.

 

[teruterubozu]

The Worst.

Nothing about ideologiical purity. Just a statement about his occupation.

 

[Tobor]

So to those defending Fallon, I have to ask, is he excused for literally anything?

Can he joke around with a child molester? How about a murderer? What about an Isis leader? All good because he's a comedian?

Obviously there is a limit to what is appropriate. So where we disagree is where that limit is. Trump is a bigot and a hate monger. That's the limit for me.

 

[RustyNails]

Fallon to Hitler

"Let's talk about your BOOK!"

*Cue audience laughter*

 

[FinalStageBoss]

why would you even put a racist piece of shit on your show. glad he's getting hate tbh.

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

Trump didn't just magically materialize this election cycle. He's been a NY pop culture icon for many many decades. He has friends and strong relationships throughout Hollywood, business and politics. That's not just going to fall away because of his latest shitshow.

 

[A Link to the Past]

So to those defending Fallon, I have to ask, is he excused for literally anything?

Can he joke around with a child molester? How about a murderer? What about an Isis leader? All good because he's a comedian?

Obviously there is a limit to what is appropriate. So where we disagree is where that limit is. Trump is a bigot and a hate monger. That's the limit for me.

To some extent, it makes me wonder if this whole argument in defense of Fallon is not an extension of the problem where comedians get an automatic defense from criticism just because they're comedians.

 

[Jonm1010]

Donald Trump at this point has entered literal white supremacist mode. The main difference between Donald Trump and David Duke is that we cannot confirm whether Trump has worn a white hood.

But seriously, I do apologize for criticizing a rich comedian. There's nothing worse than pointing out that Fallon is a bad person for promoting someone who is literally putting the lives of innocent people at risk.

Oh Jesus fucking Christ.

You give way too much credit to Jimmy Fallon.

No one is watching the tonight show and going "man, I was gonna vote for Hillary or third party but boy am I a Trump voter now!!"

 

[ClosingADoor]

Haha yeah going to The Tonight Show and having a good time. They should be ashamed how dare they.

"You said some pretty controversial stuff."
"Yeah, but I'm trying not to anymore."
* Audience goes wild. *

Why would you clap for that... I just don't get it.

 

[DeathyBoy]

Pretty much. Jimmy isn't just fed guests and he has to go along with it

I'm like aren't you supposedly "friends" with the roots. This guy and his followers outwardly don't like people who are like them.

Only option was not to have Trump on the show.

But I'm not sure how it works - do talk shows have to have both candidates on? Did Fallon have a say? Did they want to avoid Trump starting a campaign against them if he wasn't invited?

 

[RumblingRosco]

This is why I thumbs down'd all the Trump/Fallon videos. I watched one of them and was like "really?" I like Fallon generally but come on bruh.

 

[A Link to the Past]

Oh Jesus fucking Christ.

You give way too much credit to Jimmy Fallon.

No one is watching the tonight show and going "man, I was gonna vote for Hillary or third party but boy am I a Trump voter now!!"

People like Fallon normalize and humanize Donald Trump, which is not acceptable.

 

[Grenchel]

"You said some pretty controversial stuff."
"Yeah, but I'm trying not to anymore."
* Audience goes wild. *

Why would you clap for that... I just don't get it.

Probably because a producer or an applause sign told them to

 

[Torokil]

When I want hard hitting journalism I turn to Jimmy Fallon. He really let me down last night and he is destroying America.

 

[User1608]

People like Fallon normalize and humanize Donald Trump, which is not acceptable.

Indeed. Trump is no joke despite his own idiocy.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Only option was not to have Trump on the show.

But I'm not sure how it works - do talk shows have to have both candidates on? Did Fallon have a say? Did they want to avoid Trump starting a campaign against them if he wasn't invited?

These aren't official debates. A talk show isn't forced to have anyone on if they don't want to.

Probably because a producer or an applause sign told them to

Maybe. And I know they work up the audience before and such. I just find it strange on a personal level that people will go along with it.

 

[DeathyBoy]

*Cue audience laughter*

Fallon: I hear you're serious about your politics.
Hitler: Super serious.

*awkward silence

 

[Falchion]

It's a funny and lighthearted moment in a campaign full of bitterness, I'm all about this.

 

[A Link to the Past]

Remember when NBC fired Trump for what he said?

It's a funny and lighthearted moment in a campaign full of bitterness, I'm all about this.

You cannot use that as a base argument. What if it was David Duke, as people have asked?

 

[JP_]

He's a comedian, but his comedy can still have consequences that he should be mindful of.

 

[entremet]

I think everyone understands all that, and no one would have blinked an eye if Leno had joked around with Bob Dole, or Fallon with Romney.

Trump is an entirely different entity. He caters to hate groups and bigots and genuinely awful human beings.

Would you be ok with Fallon joshing around with David Duke?

Definitely not. But you notice the media, the Big Boys, haven't called out Trump on direct racism.

Even the NYT, very critical of Trump, hasn't outright said it. They've had OP-eds and columnists say it, but not the paper directly itself. Same with the Washington Post, WSJ (LOL), and others.

Trump has been accepted the by mainstream and Jimmy is as mainstream as they come. Unlike a David Duke, who has been rightly shunned.

The critiques of Trump's bigotry have been smaller outlets and individual people. Not ABC, NBC, CNN, etc.

 

[RustyNails]

This is how Fallon greeted Hillary last night by the way

 

[Carnby]

I doubt Jimmy Fallon will ever be able to recover from this mistake. He's done.

 

[Alucrid]

Remember when NBC fired Trump for what he said?



You cannot use that as a base argument. What if it was David Duke, as people have asked?

"It's a funny and lighthearted moment in a campaign full of bitterness, I'm all about this."

 

[The Technomancer]

Oh Jesus fucking Christ.

You give way too much credit to Jimmy Fallon.

No one is watching the tonight show and going "man, I was gonna vote for Hillary or third party but boy am I a Trump voter now!!"

Its about a cultural attitude towards Trump, and its an attitude that still treats him too much as "haha wow Trump is running that's so crazy" and not "holy shit we have someone who routinely implies freedom of the press is a bad thing, would overhaul the American military chain of command if he got into office, frequently praises Putin, and has more eager support of American white supremacy movements than any candidate in decades"

 

[trembli0s]

Trump didn't just magically materialize this election cycle. He's been a NY pop culture icon for many many decades. He has friends and strong relationships throughout Hollywood, business and politics. That's not just going to fall away because of his latest shitshow.

I agree, Taibbi has a great article about people complaining about "false equivalence" in the media by mostly leftist groups. They fail to recognize that the media consumers as a whole, and the producers who try to divine success from their eyeballs, are responsible for our political media culture.

Trump's appearance gave Fallon his best ratings since Obama was on the show in June. That said, this appearance was lower than the one Trump has in 2015.

Why wouldn't the suits want more eyeballs on TV?

 

[A Link to the Past]

Wow, it's almost as if... it's a lighthearted joke that made Hillary and the audience laugh and make light of the health controversy. Disgraceful, disrespectful Fallon at it again!!

I guess the fact that Trump literally is the candidate of white supremacy is irrelevant now

Thanks for clarifying

 

[professor_t]

Didn't need to be in his prime to do it.

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

This one is even better. First calls Trump a racist, then kind of fake rescinds it so he can simply say that maybe he's just stupid.

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

Legend.

 

[Nosgotham]

jimmy fallon acts like jimmy fallon. it woukd be fucking weird to drill him or be a dick. its the tonight show starring jimmy fallon. its substanceless fun every night.

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

Maybe Hillary shouldn't debate him. To get on stage with Trump only serves to legitimize him and his message as a viable alternative. Deplorable viewpoints are not to be debated and argued but dismissed and ridiculed.

 

[DeathyBoy]

This is how Fallon greeted Hillary last night by the way

He didn't want to catch crooked Clinton cooties.