Leno: I'm More Of A Comedian Than Letterman

In an interview with the New York Post, Jay Leno has declared himself more of a comedian than David Letterman.

Leno told the Post's Mary Murphy that he considers Letterman "a broadcaster who's an excellent comedian" and says that Dave "wasn't quite as good in nightclubs." Meanwhile, Leno said of himself, "I consider myself a comedian first and a broadcaster second...I was always a nightclub concert guy and TV came second."

Leno's remarks came in the same interview in which he reminded Murphy that he "did 'The Tonight Show' for 17 years, kept it No. 1, handed it off No. 1" and will pretend his new primetime show never happened if it flops.

"The Jay Leno Show" premieres on Monday with first guest Jerry Seinfeld and first musical act Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Rihanna. There's a lot riding on the show's success, even if Leno jokes about it: NBC's experiment putting Leno on every weeknight in primetime was hailed on the cover of Time magazine last week as the potential future of TV.

Comments

[sonnen]

Jay Leno put thousands of writers, directors, actors and crew people out of work by taking the hour at 10 pm. How many more steam powered cars does one man need? Then on the weekend he works at a comedy club in Redondo Beach for cash and does a birthday party on Sunday for Dubai billionaires. Greed on Wall Street. Greed in Burbank.

[wft21]

I don't know what he means by broadcaster. I would hope he means a better interview, which Dave clearly is and a better showman. Jay is a clock watch that is not even able to fake interest any guest. I don't find any of them that interesting either but I am not getting paid 22.5M or have about 300M total while begging America to watch me be bored by the latest 17 year old pop star.

Dave's funnier too. He has edge and that makes him the better comedian.

[solarian]

jay it would help if you were funny

[Hufforama]

Ok you wisenhimer­s...I'll settle the argument. NBC opted for Jay back in '92 ish because he got great ratings and they could still keep Letterman for the 12:30 slot. If they gave Letterman Carson's job, then they would lose Jay. Get it?

NBC figured that because Letterman had his own unique show, then they could slot Jay in to carry the Tonight Show torch, following Jack Parr, Steve Allen and Carson. What they didn't count on was Letterman having a hissy fit, taking his marbles and moving to the CBS sandbox.

Even Arsenio was against Jay and look how long he lasted. These are the facts, like'm or not. I've got all the clippings from way back then.

I've seen Jay's stand up routine and he's way better, mostly because his edgy stuff isn't fit for TV. He puts on a great show. I saw him at the Comedy and Magic show in Hermosa Beach and he was great.

TV isn't the total story on which to base an opinion. I've never seen Letterman because he never leaves New York, Jay travels all over North America.

One is not better than the other, just different. My favorite was George Carlin.

[MIKEinNYC]

Leno is right. He is more of a comedian than Dave.

On the other hand, Dave puts on a better show. Maybe Dave can book Jay to come on his show to tell jokes. You know, in the last 5 minutes of the show.

[KIVPossum]

Neither one of them are comics. They recite what they see on the promptor; what their staff wrote for them that day.

[dcrinaz]

When having dialogue with guests, or when something goes wrong, or when a joke falls flat, and a comedian comes up with something spontaneous, not on the cards, that is the measure of his or her skill. That is where Letterman shines.

[lolajoker]

KIVPossum wrote:
"Neither one of them are comics. They recite what they see on the promptor; what their staff wrote for them that day."

WRONG! They are both comics. They both write and wrote their own stand-up routines. Letterman was a television comedy writer. True, they both have writing staffs that write jokes for them. So have every other comedian that has ever done a sustained weekly or nightly television show. They do both contribute jokes to their shows. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY could write their own jokes, night after night on a nightly show. They have all had comedy writers from Carson to Groucho to Gleason to Benny to Hope to Seinfeld etc. etc.

[BambooHarvester]

Leno is more funny . . .
~ ya, looking !

[dcrinaz]

I see you included a picture of him so we could see for ourselves! Thanks!

[LittleSanityLeft]

Ask any comedian and they'll tell you the purest form of comedy is stand up. Jay still does it to this day, when was the last time Dave went to the club to do his stand up routine?

Given the context it's quite clear that Jay simply meant he's more of a stand up comedian then Dave - more doesn't mean better folks. He says Dave is and excellent comedian. Show me where he said he was a better late night host, or funnier then Dave. He doesn't say that. Though by the responses here you think that he had.

[dcrinaz]

Part 2:

Lastly, Mr. Leno, while you are a competent line reader, have an agreeable personality, and can deliver practiced gags, you lack certain skills that Mr. Letterman and other real comedians have: Mr. Letterman is spontaneous, quick at delivering great ad-libs, and socially relevant. His interviewing skills are excellent. He takes risks for comedy that you never have and perhaps never will. He puts himself on the line. He is more like Chaplin, Bruce and really is the true heir of Carson. Your type of comedy is safe, thoughtless and doesn't challenge anyone. That is undoubtedly the key to your ratings. Most Americans who view you undoubtedly are the type who don't want to think about anything late at night. And you did not disappoint them.

Please don't take this as an insult to you personally. It's not. It's a commentary on your role as a comic. And that is the difference: Mr. Letterman is a comedian, you are a comic. There is a big difference between the two. Just look at Charlie Chaplin and the Three Stooges. You are no Chaplin. Frankly, both types of actors have their place. But I know what a comedian is and you're no comedian. You're a funny man, a comic, a joke teller and a line reader. Mr. Letterman is original, spontaneous, socially relevant and thought-provoking, as is his late night partner, Craig Ferguson. These are qualities of a great comedian, something you don't quite have.

[dcrinaz]

Mr. Leno: the role of the comedian in society is to bring up delicate or problematic issues in society by using humor to defuse the potentially rancorous or conflictive elements of said issues. That was the role of the court jester, for instance, who could tell the king via comedy things no one else would dare to say. Vaudeville served this purpose and we can see Charlie Chaplin as not only funny but as a great social commentator, which he was. Comedy, thus served as means of promoting the public discussion about important but contentious issues. Mr. Letterman is like these real comedians.

Then there is a lower form of comedy that consists of slapstick, silliness and stupidity. This is comic, it can be funny, but it is no more socially relevant than a bowl of soup. It makes some people laugh, but there is no greater message in what is being said. A great example of this kind of low comedy is the Three Stooges. I love them, they are funny, but they are not deep and really do not address anything but the most visceral basic needs. You are more like them. You can read a script and deliver gags, but nothing more.

[HairFarmer]

I guess you've never seen him do stand up , Huh.... he is a better comedian than Letterman and does close to 200 stand up shows a year.... when if ever did dave do stand up ??? never, I like em both Dave is a great host and Leno is a hillarious comedian, his hosting is adequete and once the monologue was over (when they were both on @ the same time) I would switch to Dave cause Daves' monologue was usually pretty lame, (the rest of teh show was only good from the top 10 on, so for you to disparge Leno as a comedian i think you mean Host there is a huge difference­...

[dcrinaz]

I suggest you read a bio on Letterman. He did stand up comedy for years, like everyone else. I mean as a comedian, I see it every night. Letterman is better. By the way, I gave my definition of a comedian and by that Letterman is the better comedian.

[brahdog]

oh no he di'int

[LetsGetToWork]

Saying it, doesn't make it so.

Pretty sad and classless comment, Jay.

[Megley]

Yeah, Jay--you're more of a comedian than Letterman.
Then why are you so unfunny???

[SaddieMcCall]

I really enjoyed how Letterman went after McCain for lying about the reason he dumped the scheduled interview on the Letterman show to talk to Katie Couric. Too many "serious" news commentators wouldn't have addressed it, but Letterman did. I also thought how he handled it when McCain came on his show to take his licking, and how McCain accepted it was good too. (One of the few times that McCain did the right thing, another was when he stood up to the woman in a rally who was saying she was afraid of Obama because he was a Muslim). I liked how Letterman apologized to Palin when he realized that the joke he told about the daughter got knocked up by A-Rod wasn't funny, and then when she was still upset, he made his apology more concise. And then he used himself for the butt of some jokes, and still went after Palin (wasn't scared to upset her again, because his apology was really sincere that he was sorry if people misunderstood his joke about the daughter and realized that it was a bad joke---but he wasn't afraid to continue to do his job and point out the funny things about political matters which often included Palin.

I see Letterman as being genuine. I see Leno as trying to be more pleasing for ratings.

[PanchoC]

thats when I stopped watching Letterman, the dude acts like he just stepped off the bus from Indiana, he's acted stupider than his "pet tricks" as far back as I can remember, thats why I watched him all those years.

I think McCain lost the campaign the day he showed up to apologize, then nailed it shut after picking Sarah Palin. the day any one takes Letterman seriously, is the day they had 1 too many beers.

as a comedian he's OK, I liked his dead-pan delivery & TOP 10 and the fact that he was an average joe (or acted that way)

[sja11]

ohh thats sad, jay leno actually thinks he has talent.

he is seriously delusional. His jokes would work 50 years ago but today its like watching a bad vegas lounge act

[EthicalGabby]

Where is your evidence to support that claim?
You give no reason to back it up.
That is just your opinion, and it's a very ad hominem abusive one.

[Sarijj]

EthicalGabby,

Hate to break it to you, but everything posted here as a comment is a personal opinion! Duhh!!
If you want hard facts go read the news section of HP.
Oh and thanks for using a big word, too bad you used it incorrectly.