John Oliver has no intention of taking Jay Leno’s advice on late-night TV.
The “Last Week Tonight” host mocked Leno for his recent comments about late-night comedians alienating audiences by getting too political.
“I’m going to take a hard pass on taking comedic advice from Jay Leno,” Oliver quipped in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Aug. 5.
The “Daily Show” alum, 48, elaborated that “comedy can’t be for everyone” because it is “inherently subjective,” adding, “When you do stand-up, some people try to play to a broader audience, which is completely legitimate. Others decide not to, which is equally legitimate. I guess I don’t think it’s a question of what you should do because I don’t think comedy is prescriptive in that way.”
John Oliver, left, mocked Jay Leno for his comments about the politicization of late-night TV.
Oliver also told The Hollywood Reporter that while his HBO show “clearly comes from a point of view,” it is not necessarily partisan because he focuses on “systemic issues” and hopes to “reach across people’s political persuasions.”
Oliver’s Emmy-winning “Last Week Tonight” is structured around one main segment each week that dives deep into a particular topic. Recent subjects have included juvenile justice, AI and deferred prosecution agreements. Oliver has also tackled segments focused more on politics, and he has been critical of President Donald Trump.
Jay Leno criticizes political late-night hosts amid Colbert ‘Late Show’ cancellation
Leno, former host of “The Tonight Show,” made his comments about politics on late-night television in a conversation with David Trulio for The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. While the interview was recorded before CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Leno’s remarks gained further attention amid a debate over whether Colbert being an outspoken critic of Trump and other Republicans played a role in his show ending.
“I love political humor, don’t get me wrong,” Leno said. “But what happens is, people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.”
He continued, “I don’t think anybody wants to hear a lecture. … Why shoot for just half an audience all the time? Why not try to get the whole (audience)? I like to bring people into the big picture. I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group.”
The comedian also recalled how he would frequently receive hate letters from both Republicans and Democrats over the same joke on “The Tonight Show,” with each side accusing him of supporting the other. “That’s how you get a whole audience,” he said. “Now, you have to be (content) with half the audience because you have to give your opinion.”
John Oliver criticizes Jay Leno for wanting ‘civility’ on late night, citing Lewinsky jokes
This isn’t the first time Oliver has had a bone to pick with Leno.
John Oliver attends the Emmy Awards on Jan. 15, 2024.
In 2019, Oliver slammed Leno in a “Last Week Tonight” segment about public shaming by playing a montage of Leno’s past jokes about former White House intern Monica Lewinsky’s sexual relationship with President Bill Clinton. Oliver contrasted these jokes with Leno saying in an interview that he wanted to see “a bit of civility come back.”
“Many comedians have since publicly expressed regret about things they said (about Lewinsky), although one who hasn’t, and who was among the most relentless, was Jay Leno,” Oliver said, adding that Leno’s jokes about Lewinsky “have not dated well in any sense of the word” and are “pretty rough.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Oliver slams Jay Leno after late-night politics take