Jimmy Fallon’s ascension to host of “The Tonight Show” in 2014 has been a blistering success so far. By the time he took over Jay Leno’s old post, he already had plenty of confidence thanks to hosting “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” for nearly five years. Even when he had to deal with a horrific finger injury or with rumors of his “boozing," Fallon has taken his late night gig in stride and tries to have as much fun as he possibly can. It’s almost like he is trying to reignite the same kind of fun he had as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live," just this time it’s for a new audience. The outrageous stunts and games that Fallon plays with his guests have consistently been some of the biggest viral sensations on YouTube for years.
Viral videos are an upward trend in late night, having become the sports highlights of comedy. Watching the biggest bright spots from a whole hour’s worth of material is just more convenient for most people nowadays. As a host overall, Jimmy Fallon is probably the best at this sort of thing. Jimmy Kimmel and James Corden may cash in on their "Mean Tweets" and "Carpool Karaoke" segments respectively, but only Fallon can forge both a “Saved By The Bell” and a “Kenan and Kel” reunion.
But recently, a once-struggling Stephen Colbert over at “The Late Show” has finally started to find his rhythm and has gained viewers in the process. This can probably be attributed to the ever-growing presence that the current political landscape has over America’s collected consciousness. It seems like whatever happens in Washington, D.C., on a daily basis becomes branded as some kind of crisis and people are feeling the fatigue. Hosts like Samantha Bee and John Oliver focus more on politics because that is the main source of their comedy. Colbert is in that same category, but he also hosts “The Late Show”, a comedy hallmark in its own right. This makes Colbert more of a threat, with his brain and reputation becoming powerful weapons.
The biggest politically-minded moment of Jimmy Fallon’s tenure on “The Tonight Show” was when he rustled Donald Trump’s hair. That moment may have gotten millions of views on YouTube, but Fallon faced harsh criticism for not asking the future president hard enough questions. If Trump was on Colbert instead, the whole night would have presumably gone in a different direction.
Fallon's lack of political material has been his biggest weakness. The stranger-than-fiction reality of what has happened with the most recent presidential election and its aftermath has been a goldmine for most comedians working today, but Fallon still feels most comfortable hamming it up with Questlove. It appears this myriad of political and social dread shows no signs of slowing down and it won’t be long before Fallon falls behind in the process. He’ll have a job for the foreseeable future, but how comedically relevant he is will be people’s lasting impression of him. It wouldn’t be fair to him or anyone else if he potentially missed a chance to come up with some outrageous bits and jokes that helped skewer those sitting at the head of the table. Come on Jimmy, watch some CSPAN and see what all the fuss is about. You'll be glad you did!