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[Bronx-Man]

I wanna become a comedian. It seems awesome. All I gotta do is throw out some softball "jokes" only a 60 year old in Iowa would enjoy and I get to be completely free from any responsibility or criticism ever.

Not trying to troll. Many in here are literally equating Trump to Hitler. Would anyone get on a stage with such a vile piece of shit? I'm trying to understand the difference. On principle, they seem similar.

Debates are explicitly meant to challenge vile ideas and beliefs. You don't "pal around" with white supremacists on talk shows.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

The message Fallon is sending, intentionally or not, is that Donald Trump is just ok. Now if you've paid any one bit of attention you know he's not okay and that everyone should do everything they can to stop him. This is why this kind of normalizing is making Trump more votable to the average person and Fallon played a big part in helping that. If the press, specifically NBC, isn't hard on Trump than it should be assumed they're in league with him. And considering he had a show on NBC that sounds more likely than you think. It's disgusting. And as for the whole "It's a comedy show" excuse, so what? Letterman called Donald Trump a racist several times on his show. It's not hard to belittle and be funny at the same time.

 

[TheSpoiler]

Fallon doesn't book his guests, the producers do.

Also, Ratings are a real thing and Fallon's bosses take them very seriously.

Yeah, I'm not going to fully excuse Fallon in all this, but dude is beholden to the producers. And what better way to drive up ratings than having this asshole on TV? They know they can take the hit in negativity. SNL got past it, so can Fallon's show. The media already normalizes Trump's bullshit so much that instead of using this as a teaching point, it turns into another OH TRUMP moment and people move on to the next bit.

When homeboy was announcing his presidency, the media should have taken a bigger dig into his credentials, but here we are.

Not saying it's useless to talk about it at the end of the day - I'm hopeful there's some sort of dialogue that can be found on a larger scale. But after seeing how things are handled with Trump for months now, I'll reserve a little doubt.

 

[Kurita]

I'm 50/50 on this to be honest

 

[Ekai]

Refusing to engage in the discussion and instead focusing on the people involved does not make for a good thread.

Jonm in a nutshell. At least in my brief experiences with them.
Seriously not worth the time. We should veer back to the topic.

 

[Archaix]

Fallon has his job because he gives spineless inoffensive interviews to go along with his bland inoffensive attempts at humor. Aw shucks isn't it fun he's trying.

Holding him to any sort of standards now is just unfair. This is all he does. He was never going to become a journalist or an actual interviewer for a presidential candidate, because then he'd never get another presidential candidate on his show.

 

[Zee-Row]

Is this the true reason why NBC dumped Conan? I can't imagine him ever agreeing to interview Trump.

 

[jmood88]

What? I'm not saying he's immune from criticism. If you don't like that Fallon did this, then criticize him all you want.

What I'm saying is I'm not quite sure what people expect him to do. His role as a comedian defines his intent and his content - he will deliver content to his audience to make them laugh. If he were to engage in political commentary he'd be stepping out of bounds.

For one, people have made it very clear what they expected from him. Secondly, since when is a comedian making political commentary stepping out of bounds?

 

[Exodust]

This thread tells me that no one on NeoGAF has ever really watched The Tonight Show.

To be honest, has anybody even wanted to since Fallon took over? Dude's a charisma vacuum if I ever saw one. Say what you will about Leno but I never was bothered by him as a host.

 

[Ekai]

Fallon has his job because he gives spineless inoffensive interviews to go along with his bland inoffensive attempts at humor. Aw shucks isn't it fun he's trying.

Holding him to any sort of standards now is just unfair. This is all he does. He was never going to become a journalist or an actual interviewer for a presidential candidate, because then he'd never get another presidential candidate on his show.

Another point here is that he has asked more hard-hitting questions of other politicians. Including Hillary just the other night. Trump was treated the softest Fallon has pretty much ever treated a guest. Especially of this magnitude.

 

[Dr.Acula]

No ad hominems detected.

But have fun getting all worked up over Jimmy fucking Fallon lol.

Im sure come 25 years from now it will be Jimmy Fallon all the historians point to as why Trump won the presidency.

25 years from now when there's a doc on Trump and future generations are wondering how he could have come to power, how anyone could have found him appealing, they'll show a clip of Trump on Fallon and people will go "oh wow, is that how he was viewed by the majority of the country at the time?"

 

[Archaix]

Another point here is that he has asked more hard-hitting questions of other politicians. Including Hillary just the other night.

I'm sure he did, I would imagine their handlers gave a far more open list of acceptable questions. He's probably asked harder questions to some celebrities involved in controversy than others because he was told he could do that too.

 

[DpadD]

The thing is, guys, before Trump was Trump, well he was Trump. He was a harmless man, with some outdated ideas, that people used to love / love to hate. He was like the Dad in NYC celebrity culture. Everybody loved and respected him there.

Fallon is just a goofy fuck lol.. You can't expect him to flip a switch for Trump and to just start treating him like shit.

 

[A Link to the Past]

Another point here is that he has asked more hard-hitting questions of other politicians. Including Hillary just the other night.

To be fair, Hillary pre-approved those questions.

Ultimately however, they should have a base level of punchiness to the questions of the guest approves of them - and if they don't approve of that and want to go lower, just don't let them on.

 

[Jonm1010]

Fallon is disgusting.
It's people like him that enable people like Trump.

Nah, it's the racists and factions or the whole of political parties that have fanned them for centuries that do the vast majority of enabling. News, education, culture, social relationships, experience, enviorenment and major influencers make up the rest.

 

[TheSpoiler]

Fallon has his job because he gives spineless inoffensive interviews to go along with his bland inoffensive attempts at humor. Aw shucks isn't it fun he's trying.

Holding him to any sort of standards now is just unfair. This is all he does. He was never going to become a journalist or an actual interviewer for a presidential candidate, because then he'd never get another presidential candidate on his show.

It certainly doesn't give him a right, but it gives him a reason. Dude selected his job over standards.

 

[Ekai]

To be fair, Hillary pre-approved those questions.

Ultimately however, they should have a base level of punchiness to the questions of the guest approves of them - and if they don't approve of that and want to go lower, just don't let them on.

Fair enough.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Felt the same way when SNL put Trump on a few months back, it was incredibly disappointing and irresponsible. Comedy show or not, no reasonable, decent person should give an asshole like Trump, or anyone that thinks like him or his supporters, any type of platform. His rhetoric should be ostracized at every level.

 

[Aurongel]

Uhh, what? No one watches his show for biting social analysis and political discourse.

Have none of you never seen the Tonight Show or what? Like it or not, Trump's a presidential candidate. Can't really fault shows like this for having him on.

 

[March of the Crabs]

Jimmy loves his cocaine. He was probably just strung out and excited like always.

 

[Jonm1010]

25 years from now when there's a doc on Trump and future generations are wondering how he could have come to power, how anyone could have found him appealing, they'll show a clip of Trump on Fallon and people will go "oh wow, is that how he was viewed by the majority of the country at the time?"

Then that's a shit doc.

 

[WedgeX]

The AV Club, while I feel mostly giving Fallon a pass, did manage to savage him a little.

Fallon conducted another mock “job interview” on Trump’s qualifications for office as penetrating as any undertaken by a would-be Subway sandwich artist

I do love David Simon.

Letterman would absolutely have taken Trump to task. Hell, he had in the past. I expect Colbert or Conan would do similar. Fallon's just...fluff. Now in a shameful way.

 

[A Link to the Past]

Nah, it's the racists and factions or the whole of political parties that have fanned them for centuries that do the vast majority of enabling. News, education, culture, social relationships, experience, enviorenment and major influencers make up the rest.

Maybe it's a number of things that include the media softballing the end result of all of these things.

 

[cDNA]

No ad hominems detected.

But have fun getting all worked up over Jimmy fucking Fallon lol.

Im sure come 25 years from now it will be Jimmy Fallon all the historians point to as why Trump won the presidency.

You are exaggerating a lot, but people still talk about Bill Clinton playing the saxophone in the Arsenio Hall show as one of his effective part of his presidential campaign.

 

[kame-sennin]

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.

I can't wait till he has Bill Cosby on.

 

[Future]

All media that gives his dude the time of day deserves the backlash. It's what legitimizes him in the first place.

That's media though. It's good $$$$ to do what they do and I'm not surprised. Deserves the backlash though

 

[VendettaRed07]

Don't invite him on

I think he actually has to. Or he can't invite on Hillary if he doesn't invite Trump. Pretty sure basic TV has a rule where shows like this can't just interview one party throughout an election.

But regardless Jimmy sucks as an interviewer. All he does is fake laugh and let the guest talk and go "Oh really? Cool! Man that's so awesome.. Oh no way!"

He really doesn't have a clue on how to handle an interview with an adult attitude at all.

 

[Jonm1010]

If this is the case, criticizing "the producers" is less effective than criticizing Fallon. By criticizing Fallon, there is the possibility of having the viewers and/or Fallon influence the producers' decisions with respect to how they conduct such situations in the future.



Refusing to engage in the discussion and instead focusing on the people involved does not make for a good thread.

It's a focus on your content, despite what you keep asserting.

Catastrophizing is about the best summation of this thread and it's more vocally outraged posts that I can think of. Like yours.

 

[WillyFive]

The way Fallon approached it was rather misguided, I feel. It was all very awkward.

 

[Reverend Funk]

Jimmy fallon is a spineless coward.

 

[Michael F. Assbender]

I dislike Fallon and hate Trump, but I disagree with the outrage here. Fallon is a fluffer. It's not his job, nor is it in his character, to hold someone to the fire.

Want to get mad at someone for Trump getting handled with kid gloves? Get mad at every news anchor who treats his bullshit with a shrug and a chuckle rather than a rebuke.

 

[A Link to the Past]

I think he actually has to. Or he can't invite on Hillary if he doesn't invite Trump. Pretty sure basic TV has a rule where shows like this can't just interview one party throughout an election.

But regardless Jimmy sucks as an interviewer. All he does is fake laugh and let the guest talk and go "Oh really? Cool! Man that's so awesome.. Oh no way!"

He really doesn't have a clue on how to handle an interview with an adult attitude at all.

I think that someone posted above that news media is excepted from that, and that the FCC categorizes TNS as a news program.

It's a focus on your content, despite what you keep asserting.

Catastrophizing is about the best summation of this thread and it's more vocally outraged posts that I can think of. Like yours.

You've been among the most outraged and reactionary person in this thread. Please spend a moment of self-reflection.

Calling me unhinged objectively speaking has nothing to do with my content. Arguing as such makes as much sense as thinking that someone said something stupid, calling them stupid, and then claiming that it was not a personal attack.

 

[Bronx-Man]

Jimmy loves his cocaine. He was probably just strung out and excited like always.

I thought the rumor was he's a huge alcoholic.

 

[oti]

"Our next guest in the Super Cute Doggy Show is a giant dog lover, especially when it comes to German Shepherds. Can you guess who it is?"

 

[March of the Crabs]

I thought the rumor was he's a huge alcoholic.

Maybe! I just like to take any opportunity to make fun of Jimmy Fallon because I'm petty and don't like him (although anyone expecting hard-hitting questions from Jimmy Fallon is fooling themselves)

 

[GamingOblivion]

Criticise away, but recognise that Trump gets approval over his appearance like any guest. As is his right. Fallon going off script would be career suicide.

What? I'm not saying he's immune from criticism. If you don't like that Fallon did this, then criticize him all you want.

What I'm saying is I'm not quite sure what people expect him to do. His role as a comedian defines his intent and his content - he will deliver content to his audience to make them laugh. If he were to engage in political commentary he'd be stepping out of bounds.

Imma just direct you both to the Letterman links in the last few pages. It's possible (shocker, I know) to bring a shitbag like Trump, be funny, and not support him.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I think he actually has to. Or he can't invite on Hillary if he doesn't invite Trump. Pretty sure basic TV has a rule where shows like this can't just interview one party throughout an election.

But regardless Jimmy sucks as an interviewer. All he does is fake laugh and let the guest talk and go "Oh really? Cool! Man that's so awesome.. Oh no way!"

He really doesn't have a clue on how to handle an interview with an adult attitude at all.

Then don't invite either, and release a statement explaining why. Sorry but any decent person should have any interest in having some fun talk show segment with a guy who proclaimed Mexican immigrants to be rapists and criminals, who has wondered aloud about Hillary being assassinated, who has openly asked the Russians to hack his opponent, and who has mocked the family of a dead soldier, as well as a POW. We should stop playing into this "level playing field" garbage ass narrative and it should start with the media. One side (and his supporters) is a reprehensible, unqualified cunt, and the other isn't. Start treating him that way.

 

[Valjean Lafitte]

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

And then when Donald Trump loses the election he'll go straight back to being the reality TV star and pop culture icon he was before running. Magazines and celebrity interviewers will continue to give him interviews, and then you'll have to stop giving them your money because they "normalized" someone you don't like.

None of this is acceptable to you, but somehow you'll cope.

 

[Diprosalic]

Jimmy fallon is a spineless coward.

That's my takeaway as well. I don't have a hate boner for Fallon as others here do but this was just weak of him.

 

[canoli2006]

This and the audience of the Dr. Oz show applauding Trump's high testosterone levels. I'm not surprised by trying to normalize Trump during daytime or late night talk shows. It's all for ratings, I suppose. I stopped watching the tonight show long enough. Tired of Fallon's everything is awesome schtick.

 

[Atraveller]

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

*awkward silence

"Hey I've got this iPad app that puts mustaches on people"

 

[A Link to the Past]

And then when Donald Trump loses the election he'll go straight back to being the reality TV star and pop culture icon he was before running. Magazines and celebrity interviewers will continue to give him interviews, and then you'll have to stop giving them your money because they "normalized" someone you don't like.

None of this is acceptable to you, but somehow you'll cope.

I have no idea what point you think you are making. I would not support some place that supports Trump now or in the future, partly because following this election, it is likely that many of the viewers he will bring are the white supremacists who are voting for him.

Choosing to criticize and/or boycott someone or something because they said or did something you do not consider acceptable is coping.

 

[Adam_Vania]

Fallon has always been an unfunny schill, if people expected anything more of him that is on them.

 

[TheAdmiester]

It's a guy trying to make people laugh and it seems that he made people laugh. I don't watch these talk shows much but I'm sure they're more focused on comedy than trying to be serious and political regardless of their guests.

 

[Rapscallion]

Is this the true reason why NBC dumped Conan? I can't imagine him ever agreeing to interview Trump.

As much as I love Conan, he would tone it down for Trump. If Colbert had to do it, Conan for sure would.

I don't think anyone was expecting Fallon to rip Trump to shreds and doubt any talk show host (minus maybe Jon Stewart, Mahr, or John Oliver) would do so, but there's a stark difference between playing the game and actively encouraging the other team.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Yeah I don't think we need to be playing nice with this guy. Those with a large audience platform shouldn't be normalizing him.

 

[SquashMatch]

Funny and entertaining. Fallon is not Anderson Cooper nor should he be expected to be.

People upset about this are crybabies. If Jimmy Fallon treating a presidential candidate with courtesy and respect bothers you tan maybe the issue is you.

 

[A Link to the Past]

It's a guy trying to make people laugh and it seems that he made people laugh. I don't watch these talk shows much but I'm sure they're more focused on comedy than trying to be serious and political regardless of their guests.

Serious question, what if it was David Duke?

 

[jroc74]

Gotta agree about Letterman. Wether it was him or his boss Letterman was never afraid to ruffle feathers. Politics or just celebrities, athletes, etc.

 

[Jonm1010]

I think that someone posted above that news media is excepted from that, and that the FCC categorizes TNS as a news program.



You've been among the most outraged and reactionary person in this thread. Please spend a moment of self-reflection.

Calling me unhinged objectively speaking has nothing to do with my content. Arguing as such makes as much sense as thinking that someone said something stupid, calling them stupid, and then claiming that it was not a personal attack.

You are catastrophiIng. That is the commentary on your content. Catastrophizing and opinion policing on Fallon. Unhinged was merely a comment on how your content presents yourself. Not a substitute for content critique. It was a way of saying, calm the heck down because there are better uses of outrage.