Has Gutfeld saved late night television comedy?

American Thinker.com ^ | October 16, 2021 | Rajan Laad

[Kaslin]

Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.

This rule perfectly elucidates the objective of contemporary American comedy. They are far-left PACs masquerading as comedians.

Until Greg Gutfeld came along, every television comedy show including, SNL, the late-night shows an sitcoms followed Alinsky’s fifth rule most assiduously.

When they are called out for going too far they quote George Carlin regarding the duty of the comedian to find where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately. They also will claim to be speaking “truth to power.”

If nothing works they respond with ‘Stop fact-checking or analyzing comedy’ or ‘If you can’t take the heat don’t enter the kitchen’

Surprisingly some of the attacks stick, especially in the minds of casual consumers of news.

For instance, 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin did not say 'I can see Russia from my house' that line originated from SNL with Tina Fey as Palin. Yet many still attribute that remark to Palin.

This was “mission accomplished” for them, they probably see it as their Watergate.

Alinsky would have been immensely proud of his disciples who probably surpassed his expectations.

It began with the likes of Letterman who would occasionally display viciousness against his ideological opponents, and now we have the Daily Show, Colbert, and Kimmel who rarely display civility towards their ideological opponents.

Jay Leno was the last TV comedian who was an equal opportunity offender from whom entertainment was the goal.

How do they get away with this?

[ronnie raygun]

Kimmel is still standing after black face carl malone tells you something about their so called comedy and who is supporting these sorry a##es. Saving late night comedy for who? These sorry a## political hacks who parade as comedians and spew the same puke you would hear from CNN and MSNBC is repeat garbage that most Americans are just sick of

[Kaslin]

That is why I don’t watch them.

[Political Junkie Too]

My only gripe with Gutfeld is that he needs to show restraint and learn the difference between the front page and the editorial page.

I think he's hilarious and was fortunate to live on the west coast and see his first show Red Eye at a reasonable hour. That was before TIVO and DVR.

However, he has to stop bringing his antics onto The Five, because his jokes during the news hour don't fit the scene. I understand about friendly banter on a panel discussion show, but he brings his late-night self-deprecation and colleague mockery to a news program, and I find it very distracting, especially when he does it to filibuster the time given to the others to make their own points.

-PJ

[Hot Tabasco]

I don’t think he’s very funny and I can’t understand what the big guy Tyrus brings to the table........

[Jess Kitting]

I prefer Gutfeld to any of the other late night hosts (although I do miss Craig Ferguson. He was one-of-a-kind.)

Gutfeld could use more variety in his show format. Same old same old every night. But at least he is funnier than what's on the other networks (I know--the bar is really low.)

[caww]

Gufield is entertaining and fun to watch. First late night talk show I’ve ever enjoyed.

[Political Junkie Too]

Gutfeld! is basically his old show Red Eye (a 3:00AM EST show) retuned for late-night.

In Red Eye, his format was that he and a "sidekick" would chat and joke about the day's news with relevant columnists and Fox News Channel anchors and contributors. The sidekick at the time was comedian Bill Schulz (who FYI is a direct descendent of William Dawes, who rode with Paul Revere in the "Midnight Ride" during the American Revolution).

Besides being entertaining and irreverent, the show accomplished several needed things at the time:

• It featured prominent conservative (at the time) figures like Ann Coulter and Sarah Cupp, and gave them wide exposure.
• It allowed for news stories not covered by the "mainstream" shows to be discussed under the cover of comedy.
• It humanized the Fox News Channel talent by letting them take their "anchor" face off, let their hair down, and have some fun with the news.

With Gutfeld!, he's doing essentially the same thing. With Tyrus (George Murdoch) as his new sidekick, he's breaking several stereotypes:

1. A big hulk of a guy, black, former professional football player, and now entertainment wrestler, can be informed, articulate, diverse in his thinking, quick on his feet, and funny.
2. He comes from a poor Louisiana background, and became a "made man" by his own hard work, and proudly role models that behavior.
3. He's a typical comedic foil for Gutfeld, sort of his Ed McMahon. The biggest difference between Gutfeld! and broadcast late-night TV is their reliance on Hollywood celebrities, while Gutfeld still brings in the FNC talent, columnists, some lesser politicians, and former administration officials. He sticks to discussing the day's news.

   -PJ

[inchworm]

Leno made jokes even, but when it came to interview he was condescending and intense with Republicans, and fluff with democrats.

[USS Alaska]

Your post is worthy of one that I would do, but you did it first and better than I would have done.

Congrats to you {and to me, but you beat me to it, and I say that without too much conceit}:)

Gutfeld is the only FOX production that I view with regularity {via DVR, it's on too late, and I hate commercials}.

On occasion I will watch a little Tucker, but I've deleted all the rest from my DVR set.

Even judge Jeanine has been scrubbed as well as Maria on Sunday.

Life is better with less politics and I get enough info from a local talk jock, FR and a little Newsmax viewing.

[usconservative]

When I used to watch Fox News and I had trouble sleeping, I'd put "Red Eye" on and thought Gutfeld was quite funny. That show was great. It really was.

I simply as a matter of principle, cannot watch Fox News anymore, nor pretty much any television at this point. I've become so used to not having my beautiful, 55" 4k Curved Samsung TV off and listening to music, that I really don't miss TV.

Wish Gutfeld much success. He's funny, well informed and all that. Just wish he was on something other than Fox News.

[BozoTexino]

I’ve been a Gutfeld fan since he was a writer for Men’s Health, decades ago. His humor is smart, biting, and hilarious. He is the only reason I ever tune in to FNC. Having said that, this article is pretty lacking in Gutfeld content.

[runfree]

I dvr Gutfeld and watch it the next morning, I usually laugh out loud at something on the show, which is rare these days. You couldn’t pay me to watch Kimmel.

[drSteve78]

Who watches television?

[x]

Gutfeld is very funny, and he's better on his own show than on The Five, but I could do with less opening monologue. Also, maybe ease up on the colleague mockery a little, it's starting to be a crutch and to get boring.

[Bratch]

What's sad is if you watch old Johnny Carson shows you find hardly any of his monologues focused on politics.

• Johnny Carson's Monologue Has Rough Start, But Hilarious Ending 12-14-1988

He's normally throw in a couple of zingers based on the day's headlines, but the bulk of his opening lines dealt with the other aspects of the news.

• Johnny's 4th of July Monologue, 1975

With today's comics, it's completely reversed.

[Romulus]

The show seems lame and forced to me. Sorry.

[phoneman08]

I dvr Gutfeld and watch it the next morning, I usually laugh out loud at something on the show, which is rare these days. You couldn’t pay me to watch Kimmel.

I'm doing exactly this at this very moment. Along with coffee and perusing Free Republic.

[em2vn]

I am happy for him, but I don’t find much humor in the show. However, he is still far funnier than the three jerks on late night communist television at ABC, NBC and CBS.

[Steve_Seattle]

I liked the "ombudsman" bit they did for a month or two during the summer, but they dropped it.

Gutfeld can be hot or cold, and who his guests are has a lot to do with it. One thing that bugs me a bit is that he seems to have a lot of gay guests, a disproportionate number.