Alexis Garcia on Jay Leno and the Politics of Late Night Television

When Leno debuted as the host of
The Tonight Show in 1992, he quickly acted to
differentiate himself from the legendary Johnny Carson and
establish his own brand of late-night talk. One of the ways in
which he accomplished this was to focus on political news and
humor. Leno’s focus on politics and his everyman persona earned him
the top spot in the Nielsen ratings for almost two decades. But
despite his popular success, notes Alexis Garcia, TV critics never
warmed to Leno and criticized him for his milquetoast humor.

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