Former comedian Jon Stewart recently took to his podcast to poke fun at Jay Reno, who claimed that late-night hosts should entertain their audience rather than alienate them. He also suggested that Greg Gutfeld knows well why he consistently outperforms competitors like Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and others in the ratings.
This really showcases the, um, let’s say, limitations of Stewart’s perspective on late-night comedy.
“It’s all nonsense – they’re trying to create rules they never followed themselves. They think whatever leans left or is progressive is what makes Fox popular. But look at Gutfeld—he’s celebrated for being unyielding. There’s no fairness in how he operates, after soaking up all of Fox’s intentionally skewed messaging. It’s a rather entertaining way to cap off the day.”
Stewart then hilariously imitated Leno:
“I don’t get it, why would you want to upset your audience? Why discuss your beliefs? Why joke about what you truly think? Am I supposed to dive headfirst into this mess?”
Honestly, at times, it feels like Stewart is, well, not fully grasping the broader picture here.
Gutfeld draws in more viewers than Stewart’s Daily Show—in fact, more than three times as many—because he’s on Fox News. Gutfeld pulls in an audience that’s significantly larger than Seth Meyers, almost triple Fallon’s, twice Kimmel’s, and even Colbert’s. It’s not just about him being relentless; there’s something about his unpredictability that resonates, you know? It’s not a matter of political bias for me; Maher has a similar appeal.
To be honest, Stewart, Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, and others seem a bit stuck in their predictable patterns, often centered around their disdain for former President Trump. If Gutfeld were as predictable, he wouldn’t pull the audience he does.
Gutfeld has worked on his craft for two decades, connecting with a broad audience. He doesn’t come across as an elitist, unlike many in the current late-night scene. His followers are regular folks.
If Stewart wants to criticize Leno, he’s really missing some important points. Colbert’s own career took a nosedive in a pretty humiliating fashion, largely due to a series of left-leaning missteps that cost CBS dearly. Nobody seems to remember that except, perhaps, those who benefited off the back of it.
Reno is spot on. If making fun of him for that is your goal, just realize that there are plenty of everyday people who aren’t shy about expressing their frustration over all this.
