Politics exist in a particularly touchy space today. Nowadays, it feels like there are more existential stakes in terms of who has power and how they wield it. But back in the day, it used to be the Wild West. Any and everyone was liable to be made fun of with little regard. For comedians like Jay Leno, it takes half of the fun away when you take potshots exclusively at one side.
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Recently, Jay Leno appeared on an episode of The Talk on CBS. There, he discussed what's on everyone's mind at this point with the U.S. presidential election. Ultimately, he lamented the different state of political commentary within comedy nowadays. He felt like his era would discuss the current events without a measure of clear allegiance. Rather, Leno would draw ire from both sides of the spectrum. "It was different in my day — you kind of made fun of both sides," Jay explained. "'Now you and your Republican' — 'Well, you and your Democratic buddies' — so you'd get angry letters from both sides. Now, you kind of have to take a side. It's a little bit different."
Jay Leno Hates The Shift in How Politics Are Currently Discussed in Comedy
It's hard not to agree with what Jay Leno is saying here a little bit. I remember growing up watching the Chappelle Show and seeing how you could tackle George Bush through a variety of angles. Moreover, you could watch old late-night hosts talk about anyone on the aisle without an explicit allegiance. It's vital to have a moral code and to express that accordingly, but it shouldn't forsake the ability to make fun of everyone all around.
Ultimately, Leno walks away feeling alright about the election this year. However, he still doesn't quite agree with how the results should've come out. "It was fair. It was honest. Okay, I was not a fan, but that's okay," Jay expressed. "It's the president of the United States. Let's all get together. Thank you very much, you know? You know, my fear was I'm gonna be watching, and it's, 'There are 1,100 votes out of 300 million between —' and it's going to be name-calling."
