MOTUS A.D.: “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” Tonight...What will it be tomorrow?

Saturday, February 22, 2014

“The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” Tonight...What will it be tomorrow?

To paraphrase an old Oldsmobile ad campaign, the New Tonight Show is not your Father’s Old Tonight Show:

Fallon, who is eyed a bit warily by some Republicans, had first lady Michelle Obama on Thursday — they have a chemistry between them —

Something Like Oxygen and Magnesium: OMg!

after launching his new show on Monday. He said recently that his show will not be the place to go for in-depth interviews with politicians and candidates.

Oh noes! No more in-depth slow-jamming the news with the Prezzie?

“Fallon’s slimmed-down diet of politics may not be a bad thing, said Erik Smith, Obama’s senior adviser for advertising and message development during the 2008 and 2012 campaigns. As opposed to what Smith called a “sense of cynicism” toward politics that Leno and Letterman exhibit in their monologues,”

Like this:

"The president spoke today on the Obamacare website glitches. He said he's bringing in "the best and the brightest" to solve the problem. Why didn't he bring in the best and the brightest in the first place? See, this is typical Washington. They only bring in the best and the brightest as a last resort." –Jay Leno

“Fallon’s skits and stunts — like the “slow jam” — bring out a softer side of a candidate and are more likely to go viral.”

I don’t know about you, butt I’ve had enough viruses these past five years to last a lifetime.

So with that by way of deep background, Lady M’s Thursday night appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon makes more sense: her “softer side” is going viral around the world.

Because who can resist a video of the FLOTUS in a three-way hand-hug and twerking fest with 2 guys dressed in teenage drag? “Ew!”

Note to Erik Smith, Big Guy’s “senior adviser for advertising and message development,” soft or not, it’s probably not a good idea for the FLOTUS to insult the very millennials (who voted for her husband) she’s trying to persuade to sign up for Obamacare by calling them knuckleheads. Leave that to Charles Barkley.

Or at least Frank Caliendo channeling Charles Barkley

Of course I could be overreacting: maybe the mils didn’t even notice. They could be so busy following their bliss they don’t even care.

So: the torch has been passed: from the old guy who took a few potshots at the sitting president to the new guy who “has a chemistry” with the First Lady.

All I know is that so far the new Tonight show has been painfully UN-funny. I hope that’s part of a bigger plan, because – while I hate to bring this up – that whole Oldsmobile campaign about the new Olds not being “your father’s” car didn’t end well (RIP). And you know why? Because their tag line was correct: the new Olds wasn’t your father’s Olds:

Your father’s Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 was WAY better!