Jimmy Fallon's Valued Online Audience Returns Little Value

As online video becomes more mainstream and ubiquitous, rebroadcasts of television programs are likewise increasing in popularity. Rather than identify online video as a rival - a source for original Web series drawing advertisers away from more traditional TV partiality - television executives and producers have instead jumped on board to go after the online audience they would have otherwise missed.

But this cross-venture offers more than just a channel to re-air what ran the night before. Some TV personalities have even begun to imagine, write, direct and market specifically for the Web audience. Adam Sternbergh correctly points out in his New York Magazine article that "Saturday Night Live" stumbled into the viral video business that can garner popularity on the Internet that the show cannot match on television alone. Sternbergh argues that this is one area where late-night host Jimmy Fallon has already surpassed his competition and superseded his predecessors as he stays tuned into the virtual world and what works there.

Today more than ever, for any late-night joke, sketch or unusual interview, the goal is longevity. Staying power is a determination of the masses, who, if their palates are satisfied, will recommend a link, image, or video to their network of friends or followers. If television is where Fallon's ideas are hatched, it's online where they grow.

In the past few months since Fallon debuted, he's led regular and occasional features targeting, among others, an online audience that doesn't stay up for Fallon. Producers know that if one of Fallon's darts hits the comedy bull's eye, it could take off the next day. These viewers can sleep securely knowing that they miss something that night it'll be waiting for them the next day, just a click away.

And that's the growing power of the Internet. What may have once been perceived as useless opinions of others on their blogs has blossomed into standard practice in the wisdom of crowds. When Jimmy Kimmel's "Matt Damon" video first aired, I slept through it. The following day, though, a dozen blogs I follow had the video on their sites. Not only does this save time, it brings with it a level of collective scrutiny that weeds out the weakest material on late-night television.

And there's a lot of failed attempts through which to screen. Fallon, however, seems untroubled by the fact that, despite some videos showing moderate success online, his accuracy remains shaky. For every video he makes that goes viral, there are several misses. Yet once that winning ticket shows itself, it can propel Fallon to the top of late-night clicks and conversation.

What worries me about this model is that it seems to tie success in late-night television with online chatter and clicks. For Fallon, the goal is to stay prominent in the late-night battle. For a still unproven host like Fallon, these videos grant him the chance to show off some skills. To some degree, even in his fourth month on the air, he's still auditioning in front of the American viewers. But like everyone who has a video circulate through e-mails and on YouTube, you have to wonder what that's actually worth.

NBC hopes that those who see Fallon light up the stage in one of these clips will eventually find their ways over to the network at midnight. Whether these video clips make people more inclined to watch the show - and for NBC to see the accompanying advertisements - is left to be seen. In my experience, liking a segment here and there does not translate into getting behind the whole, larger product. Whatever praise is thrown Fallon's way for embracing the online market must come along with skepticism about whether it's a recipe for long-term success or just a series of profitless gimmicks.

David Letterman, on the other hand, doesn't operate this way. He relies on his charisma and talent to carry him through interviews and other segments. It's what draws in his audience of millions of regular viewers. When you set aside viral vitality in favor of the funny, charming and unpredictable television that Letterman consistently provides, there's no comparison or worthy online substitute.

Comments

[TheGripester]

I would say that Fallon has a "vibe," but that doesn't equal charisma or staying power. Unless he improves things and evolves quickly, I predict that he will lose his show by the end of the year.

[ThreeCrows]

Of what I have seen of Jimmy Fallon, the first question was why was he give a talk show? And after that, it was how long will he be on the air? Although his "monologues" are sometimes rebroadcast on Sunday's ABC This Week with George Poppa Smurf-a-lous in the Sunday funnies, I find that Jimmy's "schtick" feels more like a SNL script where he is trying to channel Johnny Carson. I've written and studied comedy over the years and you get to sense who's doing someone else's material. That's how Rosie O'Donnell got started when she lifted whole parts of Jerry Seinfeld's act. I've seen warm up acts stealing from George Carlson, Pryor, etc. Jimmy is just doing a bad imitation of Carson in his style and delivery. It feels like he has not gotten comfortable in his role as host and this uncomfortable feeling he has translates back to the audience watching. His attempts to do the online viral stuff only works when people have an interest in watching it. Unlike 'Field of Dreams' "If you build it, they will come" rationalization, slapping up virals don't mean that you have something worthy to watch.

[LiberalBuzz]

After the first few shows and once or twice since then I have come to the conclusion that Fallow just isn't funny. He has no on screen charisma and his interviews are lame and look uncomfortable.

I might have missed it but since he took over I have yet to see a single online report as to how badly he is doing in the ratings. Seems to me he is being creamed by EVERYONE on late night.

He just ain't funny.

[EdCoughlin]

I thought everyone who ever saw him on SNL or in a movie had already figured that out. The only one who really laughs at Jimmy Fallon is Jimmy Fallon (and often during sketches where he isn't supposed to be cracking up).

Yet somehow Lorne Michaels, SNL producer, thought he would be the natural late night choice. Boggles the mind. I can think of 10,000 people who would do a better job and very few who would do a worse one.

[Danny Groner - Huffpost Blogger]

EdCoughlin, I challenge you to list those 10,000 people. I'll even start it for you:

1. Robert Wagner
2. Larry The Cable Guy
3. Alfonso Ribeiro

[EdCoughlin]

Letterman, ironically, has by far the most viral successes of all the late nighters despite his "not trying" reported in this piece. Who in the tuned in internet community didn't see his take down interview of Paris Hilton after she got out of prison, or his amazing interview with the stoned out of his mind Joaquin Phoenix? Or the great moments in presidential speeches gag during the Bush years, or the Sarah Palin feud, or the John McCain takedowns before the elections (or a hundred other things).

From what I've seen the last few years Jimmy Kimmel had one or two gags that caught on (the Matt Damon thing and the unnecessary censorship gag), Leno, not surprisingly, has had virtually 0 for his throughly unoriginal show. Conan had one or two here and there, but none that I can think of as really memorable and Jimmy Fallon...if I didn't read about him occasionally in articles like this I wouldn't even know he was on TV.

Basically, though ratings may let poor performers with unsophisticated older audiences stay on the air for years (see Jay Leno) the viral video set is a meritocracy. That is precisely why the only one who really has had any success in "going viral" is David Letterman, the only host of any real merit in the late night game in the post Carson era.

[Danny Groner - Huffpost Blogger]

I agree with your point. A good example of this are Internet marketers who strive to produce the next great viral video. There's no way to know what will be the next hit, so why waste your time dreaming up a storyboard and shooting the idea? Instead, Letterman's found success through just being himself and doing what he does best. If something else happens, that's a bonus.

[oldschoololdsoul]

Something tells me Fallon would be a better judge on American Idol than a talk show host.

[sangresabia]

Jimmy Fallon has an audience???