The talk show host puts ratings over impartiality.
Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” ratings went through the roof after he famously asked Hugh Grant, “What the hell were you thinking?” on the night of July 10, 1995.
The same could be asked of Leno, whose effusive election-night introduction of a victorious Arnold Schwarzenegger seemed a little muscle-headed to some. What was he thinking?
One problem, though. Leno is anything but an introspective guy. Deep thoughts are for Jack Handy, not him. Several first-hand interviews are testament to that, as is his 1996 autobiography, “Leading With My Chin.”
If there’s a “there” there, it’s long been suppressed by Leno’s single-minded show-business mantra. “Anybody can have a life,” he’s said throughout his adult life. “But careers are hard to come by.”
His biggest fear is that his livelihood will be snatched away from him, perhaps even in the middle of the night. Leno’s “philosophy of life,” distilled on page 120 of his book, underscores the insecurities that drive him to this day.
“I chose to believe that whenever I was doing nothing, someone else was catching up and taking everything I had,” he wrote. “This is what still makes vacations agony for me. I’ve never been better at anything than anybody else. Which meant that I would always just have to work a little harder to keep up or maybe even pull ahead. Like the turtle who raced the hare, I plowed forward, slow and steady.”
Schwarzenegger’s embracing of Leno – and vice-versa – provided the latest means for the tortoise to stay in the game. The Terminator did the host and himself a favor by announcing his candidacy on “The Tonight Show” while reporters waited in a nearby makeshift press room. Leno responded in kind on election night, telling a late, late night TV audience that “Tonight is a testament to just how important one appearance on “The Tonight Show’ can be.”
The two friends met again on the following night’s “Tonight,” with the new governor of California chiding Leno for looking at his watch during the victory speech. The host played dumb while the studio audience roared in approval. It was a good bit.
Political analysts can kvetch all they want about this ultimate rubout of the line between entertainment and politics. They also can question whether a comedian should have played such a highly visible role in Schwarzenegger’s campaign.
Just don’t expect Leno himself to analyze this – or that.
It’s merely The Career, stupid. No use in thinking otherwise. Get a life.
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