The New York Times: ArtsBeat: Indians Offended by Jay Leno Joke About Sikh Shrine
I’m no lover of Jay Leno. I have never voted Leno in any election, and you will always find me registered officially as a Team Coco member (unofficially as a Team Dave volunteer). I’ve been a staunch boycotter of The Show Formerly Known as The Tonight Show ever since Mr. Leno swooped in and snatched it away from the rightful hands of Mr. O’Brien. Conan’s Tonight Show may not yet have been a blockbuster in the ratings, but Conan did in his seven months what Leno had failed to do in his previous 16 years: he made the Tonight Show his own.
Sure, Leno did have some particular bits that he brought with him: the Headlines, Jay Walking, and such. But his main appeal seemed to be that he was universally watchable and nothing more. So naturally, having no real identity, he appealed blandly to the masses and usually eked out better ratings than Letterman. But he will never have cemented a time in TV history as “Leno’s Tonight Show” in the same way that there was “Carson’s Tonight Show” or “Jack Paar’s Tonight Show.” Even with at least 18 years under his belt, he will merely be remembered as the guy who hosted between Carson and whoever comes next.
That is not to say that I’ve never laughed at one of Leno’s jokes. Before the Conan scandal I’d occasionally tune in. I even watched his 10pm show, which, despite the awful buzz, was no worse than his 11:30 show. What makes Leno so annoying is not that he isn’t funny; it’s that he’s a little bit funny sometimes. Leno is a talented comedian, but his show is so dumbed down in order to appeal to everyone that he loses all identity. He’s the Nickelback of comedians (or, to be more accurate, Nickelback is the Jay Leno of bands).
Leno’s main goal is to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, rather than to a somewhat smaller, more committed audience that identifies with him. Conan may not have scored the same numbers, but he had people tuning in specifically to watch him. Is there anyone who turns on their TV at 11:30, excited to watch Jay Leno? His Tonight Show is exactly what NBC wants it to be: something unobtrusive that people can turn on while they’re getting ready for bed. He’s not meant to have an identity. He’s bland. Affable. Inoffensive.
But it had to happen sometime. Somebody in Leno’s photo department slipped up, and oops! Someone got offended. For the first time in his non-contiguous 18 years as host, Leno told a joke that made someone mad!
