The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show is a late night talk and variety show, airing Monday-Friday at 11:30pm on NBC. It has been on the air since 1954, with comedian Johnny Carson serving as the longest host of the program from 1962-1972. The current host of the program is Jay Leno (pictured right). Leno has been host of the program since 1992. In just a matter of months though, Leno will leave the program to comedian Conan O'Brien (pictured left). The shows typical format over the years (though segments have changed with the hosts) is a short stand-up routine, or monologue, of topical news items, most usually from the world of politics or celebrity. After the monologue, a celebrity guest or two will have a comical chat with the host and then a musical act or stand-up act will follow. In the Johnny Carson days of the show, many famous comedians, including Ellen DeGeneres and Jerry Seinfeld, got their starts from performing stand-up routines on The Tonight Show. It was considered a high honor if Carson liked your act enough to invite you over to the couch to talk after the routine. The Tonight Show has been an integral part of American culture since its inception, fusing all forms of entertainment with humor. This what has led to its popularity over the years. It covers many of the things Americans would have been talking about that day, whether it be world news, politics, or the lives of celebrities. In taking a humorous look at all the days events, plus mixing in talking to celebrities or other news makers (even recently, a president), The Tonight Show gives people a way to end their days laughing. Though each host has taken a new approach to making people laugh, it is consistent in the way of pointing out absurdities in the world around us.

Leno, Jay, prod. The Tonight Show. NBC. Burbank, CA.

30 Rock

This half-hour program, created by and starring SNL alum Tina Fey, pokes fun at the NBC, the network on which it airs Thursday nights. Debuting side-by-side with other patently NBC comedies, such as The Office and My Name is Earl, 30 Rock is aimed at the 16-30 age bracket, who are most familiar with the TV/Movie industries and the celebrities they produce. The sitcom revolves around the staff, crew and stars of "The Tracy Jordan Show," led by off-beat manager Liz Lemon (Fey). But this comedy is not about the making of a television show, it merely uses the fictitious program as a means to tie each character's personal story together. Lemon regularly has to contend with the attitudes and egos of TGS stars Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Moroney (Jane Krakowski). The show is a critique of the modern celebrity in many ways, as recent episodes have been driven by the the problems these two actos cause, ranging from contract disputes to disastrous TV appearances to on-set rivalries. Jenna especially reminds us of the female startlet/bimbo types who dominate tabloid covers and celebrity gossip. 30 Rock is a counter to this culture, pointing out flaws in the cult of celebrity and self-obsession. Time and time again, Lemon is depicted as a heroine, the only character in the show who bothers to share with and care for others, two virtues that Hollywood has lost in the past.

Extras

Ricky Gervais' follow-up to his original version of "The Office" was "Extras," the story of Andy Millman's (Gervais) pursuit of fame. Millman works as an extra on various movies being shot in England. As his career progresses he is offered bigger parts, such as theater roles and even the lead role in a low-brow sitcom. A recurring theme throughout the course of the series 12-episode run is Andy's desire to be famous while producing work he is actually proud of. Every episode of the show has various famous guest stars and they play parodies of themselves, further skewering what it means to be famous and successful. One example of this is Kate Winslet, who in the episode is playing the role of a nun during the Holocaust. She explains that the only reason she took the role was to win an Oscar. Ironically, in real life (nearly four years after Winslet's appearance on Extras), Kate Winslet won her first Academy Award for playing the role of a concentration camp guard during the Holocaust. At the end of the series, Millman learns what is truly important in life and re-examines his views on fame and celebrity.


Gervais, Ricky, and Stephen Merchant. "Kate Winslet." Extras. BBC-2. London, England. 4 Aug. 2005.

Weekend Update: Celebrity

These are two Saturday Night Live Weekend Update skits, both featuring Seth Meyers as the host. The first also stars Kenan Thompson as Charles Barkley. SNL, a sketch comedy show started in the mid-seventies which now airs every Saturday night at 11:30 pm, is well-known as a parody show, taking current events and trends and turning them on their heads. This first sketch, originally aired on 1/10/09, starts off with the political news of the week, followed by an in-depth interview with Sir Barkley on his recent traffic violation. The second clip, aired 2/7/09, is Seth's analysis of Michael Phelps marijuana scandal.

Barkley and Phelps are the latest in a line of celebrities to be skewered by the SNL crew for immature behavior. These sketches bring up the debate on how celebrities and potential role models ought to be punished for behavior that would probably go unnoticed if they were not famous. Any other young adult male, for example, could have used a bong profusely and not suffered the consequences, but Phels only did so once (to our knowledge) and is loosing millions of dollars because of it. While the Barkley sketch doesn't have much of a complete argument, Seth and the writers clearly see Phelps' treatment as too harsh. Meyers points out how ridiculous the standards are for Phelps, and how the 12-time-gold-medal-winner ought to be given a few breaks every now and then. As the show is aimed at Phelps' age group, the audience will probably tend to agree with them.

Daniel Tosh (1975 -)

Best Known For: Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious (comedy album), True Stories I Made Up (comedy album), and Comedy Central Presents: Daniel Tosh (DVD).
Major Themes: Class Differences, TV, Pop Culture, Religion, and Politics.

George Carlin - Class Clown: Seven Words

This is a video clip from George Carlin: Again!, a stand-up television special, filmed at The Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona in 1978. The specific bit, Seven Words, is taken from his audio CD Class Clown, recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. Prior to Class Clown, Carlin released Take-Offs and Put-Ons in 1967 and FM & AM in 1972, receiving a Grammy nomination, and a Grammy Award respectively. Themes introduced throughout the album are anti-Vietnam War sentiment, religious suppression, and profanity. In this video Carlin introduces us to a list of words that are banned from over the air television and AM/FM radio stations and proceeds to casually associate us with the words. The use of his list of "Seven Words" introduce us to the debate of profanity and prompts us to determine for ourselves what is socially acceptable given its context. The purpose of this piece is to have us question in our own minds what language can be used in mass media, pointing out that some of the words are already referred to in mainstream media through indirect reference. This bit was the catalyst in the Supreme Court Ruling which gave power to the Federal Communications Commission in determining what was "indecent" material. His audience is meant for young adults who are more lenient towards the controversial issues he brings up.

George Carlin. George Carlin: Again! Dir. Marty Callner. The Celebrity Theater. HBO. 1978. TV Special. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Nrp7cj_tM