When Jimmy Fallon hosted "The Tonight Show" in Arizona during the Super Bowl hype, comedians like Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart joined in with Fallon to compete in his show's now famous "Lip Sync Battle" segment. From Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love" to Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," laughter and cheers exploded from the audience, proving late-night shows are not exclusive to just stand-up performances.
The purpose of a late-night show is to provide a comedy setting for those sitting in their homes. Today, it has become more of an Internet presence that can be found in the background of workplace computers throughout the country. However, there is no set definition of what a late-night or comedy show should be.
But according to Andrés du Bouchet, a write for Conan O'Brien, there is indeed a right and a wrong way to run a comedy show. He expressed this view by commenting on the absurdity of a comedian like Jimmy Fallon and his segments.
"Comedy in 2015 needs a severe motherf---ing shake-up," he said. "No celebrities, no parodies, no pranks, no mash-ups or hashtag wars. I’m fat."
Although Bouchet's tweets were deleted in a fast fashion, Uproxx made sure to screenshot the rant for all to see.
Other late night hosts such as James Corden and Jimmy Kimmel were included in a less direct way, though Bouchet never mentioned them by name.
"None of the funniest stuff ever involved celebrity cameos," he said.
Conan did not show any interest in supporting this behavior.
"I wish one of my writers would focus on making my show funnier instead of tweeting stupid things about the state of late-night comedy," Conan said.
I wish one of my writers would focus on making my show funnier instead of tweeting stupid things about the state of late night comedy.
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) April 19, 2015
Is Bouchet correct in his definition of comedy? There isn't really a set frame for the comedic content of late night television in the first place.
"Once again, I’m a bonehead for tweeting as a fan of comedy instead of as a guy who earns a living doing it," Bouchet tweeted.
Being a fan should not give room for people in the field of comedy to allow negative criticism to be so freely spewed across the Internet. They should instead be held to a higher standard and support each other.
We all know the entertainment industry is in love with hashtags. News outlets also ask their audiences to tag their concerns, funny photos or advice throughout the day. The use of Twitter allows more of an interaction between the host and viewers.
This has affected the evolution of late-night comedy, as social media and fan interaction appears to only be growing over time. However, there shouldn't be this much of criticism toward a profession that makes people forget about what's wrong in their lives.
Let us all fake sing, dance, tell each other meaningless jokes or better yet, watch it on television with the adored celebrities and comedians. Instead of trying to define what comedy is, embrace the variety.
Reach the reporter at ryan.santistevan@asu.edu or follow @ryanerica18 on Twitter.
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