I have a deep, dark secret. I have a secret that would make me such a social leper I can’t tell anyone about it. The truth is: I don’t like Jimmy Fallon.
I know, I know, I know I’m supposed to. I know that Fallon’s too-genial, toothless brand of comedy is supposed to instantly endear him to me as he dances funny, does songs, plays games with celebrities, and practically begs me to like him, but maybe that’s why I don’t. I gravitate much more towards the Bill Maher “take it or leave it” school of talk shows, and would much rather watch Stephen Colbert make a guest feel really uncomfortable than Fallon suck the skin off their ass for ten flatline-boring minutes.
“But where else can we go for Kardashian and Bieber jokes?”–I don’t know, how about any other talk show on the planet? Out of traditional talk shows, I think Conan is up to far more interesting (and occasionally even cynical) things over on TBS. In fact, it’s an interesting contrast watching Conan’s stint as Tonight Show host (where he had an actor play his dad and mock him for trying to appeal to rural America by wheeling him out like they had a good relationship) vs. Fallon’s where he unironically brought out his mom and dad to tell them he loved them. Awwwww! [Barf…if I wanted a show this lame and patronizingly “feel good,” I’d watch Ellen Degeneres.]
Fallon’s Tonight Show won’t look radically different than his Late Night, and even the sets look pretty much the same. Will Smith and U2 came out to talk, but I had a hard time keeping my eyes open for much of the show. It’s just one more “safe zone” for celebrities to show up, pimp their movies, maybe play a stupid game or gimmick that’s supposed to humanize them, zzzzzzz. Jimmy Fallon might be likable, but he’ll probably never be all that funny.