Are Late-Night Comics Becoming more Balanced?

Townhall ^ | 08/06/2013 | Daniel J. Mitchell

[SeekAndFind]

Over the years, I’ve shared lots of political humor from the late-night talk shows. Much of this humor is left leaning, but I can appreciate good jokes even if they’re at my expense.

In recent months, though, I’ve speculated that there’s been a shift away from Obama, especially on the part of Jay Leno (see here, here, and here).

Well, it seems that I was right in sensing a change. Here’s a report from Fox News about a new study.

A study of gags by late-night comics during the first half of the year found an abrupt change from 2012. Now Obama and Democrats are providing the lion’s share of punchlines. Obama was the target of 288 monologue jokes made by Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel, according to an analysis released Monday by the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University. The next most joked-about individual was New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, at 120.

To put it mildly, this is a big change.

In 2012, Mitt Romney was the butt of more than twice as many jokes as Obama, and Republicans were similarly the target of more than double the jokes that were made on Democrats.

But it appears that I shouldn’t have singled out Leno for being a closet libertarian. Jimmy Fallon may deserve that honor.

Fallon was the toughest comic on Democrats, targeting them 240 times compared to 76 for Republicans. Letterman had 139 jokes about Republicans and 102 about Democrats, the CMPA found.

And since we’re on the topic, here’s the latest batch of jokes from the late-night comics, courtesy of NewsMax.com.

Jay Leno

• Detroit has become the largest city in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy. What happened was Detroit’s population dropped something like 70 percent, but the government got bigger. The tax base got smaller, but the government got bigger. Thank God that kind of thing could never happen in Washington.
• According to a new study, lying gets easier over time. People get better at lying the more they do it. See, that’s why you have to have term limits.
• Anthony Weiner has been caught in yet another sexting scandal. At the beginning of this campaign he said that other texts and photos were likely to come out. Well, they have. Finally, a politician who keeps his promises!
• The Obama administration has admitted that under Obamacare, you might not be able to keep your doctor. At first the president guaranteed you’d be able to keep your doctor, and now they’re saying you “might” be able to. Today Obama changed his slogan from “Yes we can” to “Perhaps we could try. Can’t promise anything.”
• I have been learning more about this NSA spying scandal. What are the odds that the only person they weren’t monitoring was Anthony Weiner?
• The Vatican announced that the late Pope John Paul II will become a saint after they approve a miracle where he cured a woman of severe brain injury, which is pretty impressive. Not as impressive, though, as the miracle of Anthony Weiner still being married, but that’s impressive.
• Seven women have come forward to say they’ve been sexually harassed by San Diego Mayor Bob Filner. The mayor has agreed to intensive rehab therapy. They say it’s a 12-step program. Here’s a simple 12-step program: Just stay 12 steps away from all women.
• More problems for America’s creepiest mayor, San Diego’s Bob Filner. An eighth woman has now come forward to say that she was sexually harassed by him. She said she would’ve come forward sooner but the line was too long.
• Mayor Filner now wants the city of San Diego to pay for his sexual harassment lawsuit. He says it’s only fair because he harassed women only on government time, never his own time.

David Letterman

• The show tonight may run a little longer than usual, and I’ll tell you why. We have about 300 Anthony Weiner jokes to get through.
• The new blockbuster movie, “The Wolverine,” stars Hugh Jackman, and he’s pumped up. To get all buffed out, he had to consume 6,000 calories a day. Hearing this, the governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, said “Oh, yeah? Then what did you have for dinner?”

Conan

• Experts are predicting that the royal baby could pump $380 million into the British economy. So the question is: How do we get this kid to move to Detroit?
• President Obama has issued a statement about the royal baby. He told him to hang on to the birth certificate. Those things come in handy.
• It’s been reported that LeBron James will no longer play Olympic basketball for the United States. LeBron said he won’t play for any country that has less money than he does.

Jimmy Fallon

• We have former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer on the show tonight. He’ll be here only for about five minutes, but we’re charging him for the full hour.
• Everybody is still talking about the other baby, the royal baby. In fact, I saw that President Obama released a statement congratulating Prince William and Kate Middleton on the birth of their son. Then he said, “And whatever you do — hang on to that birth certificate.”
• President Obama gave a big speech yesterday on the economy. It was actually longer than his last State of the Union address — though it should be noted that he opened with 20 minutes of Anthony Weiner jokes.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin was on vacation last week, and apparently he caught a giant 46-pound fish. Putin called it a crowning achievement, while the manager of the aquarium said, “What am I supposed to do? He’s president.”

Jimmy Kimmel

• Anthony Weiner has vowed to continue to fight. He said he is staying in the race because he cares deeply about the people of New York — except for the one he is married to.

Craig Ferguson

• In a new interview, Republican Senator John McCain implied that he might vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016. McCain’s getting old. He also said he’d consider voting for oatmeal.

I’m not surprised to see lots of Weiner jokes (here are some from when he first got in trouble).

But I would have expected more jokes about the one-party kleptocracy of Detroit. Maybe that’s expecting too much.

What I really like to see, by the way, is more jokes targeting government. I don’t particularly care whether the humor is going after Republicans or Democrats.

[Doogle]

...they waited until AFTER the election to goof on him...nothing new, move along folks...did Leno mention the word scandal?

[miss marmelstein]

Jay Leno always had conservative tendencies. I’ve followed his career since the 1980s. But Hollywoodland always trumps conservatism. Letterman? I don’t know. For about a thousand years he was completely a-political. Then his head writer got to him...

[GreyFriar]

They have realized there are no republicans left who are worthy of their jabs. And that with bh0 as a 2nd termer who is collapsing as a follower (aka leading from behind), they are getting a bit bolder. Besides, Biden utters such nonsense on a regular basis, their writers have not ability to come up with better Biden jokes, that Biden himself produces by speaking.

[Obadiah]

I simply cannot believe how absolutely, stupidly naive people are. Becoming more balanced? Are you insane?

Look, it's 2013, there is absolutely no harm in becoming politically pointed toward Democrats or Obama. Wait until the 2014 and the 2016 campaign seasons begin. These same guys will mercilessly pound all Republicans over and over. And then, they will claim political cover telling everyone how “hard” they were on Democrats (during the season it didn't matter.

So they get a twofer. They make fun of Obama and Democrats and pick up Conservative viewers. Because of the timing, it really does no political harm and they now get to proclaim that they are being fair by hitting both sides only to completely forget about Democrats and mercilessly pound Republicans when it counts during campaign seasons when they have a hand in setting the national tone.

Pffft... so easily fooled.

[saganite]

At this point, what difference does it make.

[commonguymd]

Good post.

[duckworth]

I used to be a Conan fan, even went to two live shows. Then it began to seem like he was on the DNC payroll. I quit watching him. If he’s starting to tell Obama jokes, I might revisit.

I also have a theory about the late-night piling-on, and why the DNC has probably been funding it. The late-night comics catch people when they’re lying in bed, half-conscious in twilight sleep. A mantra of “Michele Bachman has crazy eyes” easily worms its way into the subconscious, using the same pathways as hypnosis.

I noticed Conan mocking Sarah Palin this spring, 4.5 years after she ran for VP. (That’s why I quit watching him...) And months after Romney lost, Conan was still going on about the binders and the dog on the car and crap like that. It was absurd!

[Right Wing Assault]

Well, if they keep going after obama for another 5 years, then they might be approaching even.

Oops! They only have 3 left, so they will have to double up the pace. Let’s make that triple!

[kearnyirish2]

“...they waited until AFTER the election to goof on him...nothing new, move along folks...did Leno mention the word scandal?”

That’s right; as I’ve posted elsewhere, they are simply trying to claw back a little credibility and dignity they’ve thrown away over the years. At this point EVERYBODY knows the emperor has no clothes; their silence would be too embarassing when their shrinking audience thinks about little else.

To Hell with these propagandists.

[Vince Ferrer]

It is safe now, but they will get back on the team when its time for Hillary.

[Spktyr]

Leno’s a shorttimer now - NBC wants him to go away so they’re crapping on him despite his contract. His response is to ignore his corporate masters’ dictates and tell the jokes he feels like telling. They can’t fire him.