As someone who grew up in the 1990s, watching "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" was kind of a staple in my house. My mom was a big fan of his as a person and a comedian, and I always found his interviews with some of my favorite childhood stars entertaining. Leno wasn't afraid to poke fun at his guests or himself, and he came across as a humble, down-to-earth guy who didn't take himself too seriously.
As I came of age, I gained even more appreciation for him for political reasons. Not because I felt he aligned with my politics, but because I could watch his show and have no idea what his politics were. He made jokes at the expense of both sides of the political aisle equally without adding snide little remarks about his own beliefs. He welcomed guests ranging from Rush Limbaugh to Barack Obama. Best of all, he didn't seem to fear any backlash. He was unapologetically himself, and it made him a huge success. He appealed to viewers in both red and blue states.
And more importantly, he seemed to love his country for better or for worse. I remember him wearing a United States flag pin on his lapel, and he's always been a big supporter of our military. He went on USO tours and on many occasions, he would host military-only audiences when filming "The Tonight Show." In November 2024, when Donald Trump won the presidential election, Leno said that it was a "great day for democracy," even though he's admitted in the past that he's not Trump's biggest fan for personal reasons.
But politics and patriotism aside, at the end of the day, Leno was an entertainer. He made us laugh, no matter who we voted for. He conducted great interviews. He had one job and he understood the assignment.
With the exception of Greg Gutfeld, you can take every late-night talk show host on the air today and mold them together, and they couldn't fill even one of Leno's shoes.
I rarely actually watch any of these shows anymore, but I don't have a huge problem with Jimmy Fallon. I have fond memories of his days on "SNL" — his era was really one of the last times that show was somewhat consistently funny — but I do think he kisses up to his guests too much. When Stephen Colbert was a correspondent on "The Daily Show," I was actually a fan of his, but when he moved to his own show, he became overly partisan and kind of bitter and mean, the worst kind of liberal.
And then there's Jimmy Kimmel who has thrown any hint of being an entertainer out the window in favor of becoming a political hack. I mean, this adult man burst into tears on national television over an election and then told over half the country they were stupid. At what point does ABC admit that his show is just propaganda?
In tears. “It was a terrible night for women, for children, for immigrants, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech…and guess what—it was a bad night for everyone who voted for him too, you just don’t realize it yet.” Jimmy Kimmel
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) November 7, 2024
pic.twitter.com/z09Rx78wPV
Anyway, I've been thinking about that a lot lately — how I used to wind down from my day every night with Leno. It was kind of like comfort food TV. And I'm reminded of that when I see him in the news occasionally, like this week, when he stepped up to help the fire efforts in Southern California.
Leno, who is almost as popular for his historic car collection as he is for his comedic chops, has been driving his 1941 American LaFrance fire truck around the Los Angeles area, cooking up barbecue and serving hot meals to brave firefighters and other first responders who are working around the clock to control the fires in the area. During a CNN interview, he joked, "It’s good to have your own fire truck when you live in L.A."
But Leno isn't just supplying the food. He's on the ground. He's getting his hands dirty. He's cooking. He's serving. He's spending hours chatting with the men and women who are saving lives and homes and businesses. While he has given a few impromptu interviews with news outlets, he focuses on the firefighters. He's not making public statements about himself or asking camera crews to follow him around. And it's incredibly admirable, especially when so many other celebrities are doing quite the opposite as Los Angeles burns.
Jay Leno is stepping up for his community https://t.co/1XTOR1TpjG pic.twitter.com/9GMagt0rja
— New York Post (@nypost) January 14, 2025
"Jay Leno is one of the truly compassionate among us. He very quietly goes about the business of helping others daily. He’s just a remarkable human being," actor James Woods posted on Twitter on Tuesday.
Jay Leno is one of the truly compassionate among us. He very quietly goes about the business of helping others daily. He’s just a remarkable human being. https://t.co/zpdql6B2Ed
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 14, 2025
The Houston Fire Department, who sent firefighters to L.A., and others have also thanked Leno for his act of service.
Last night, our crew in California was able to meet a living legend! Former late night host & car collector Jay Leno drove a 1941 fire truck to say hello to the first responders and thank them. He's providing four days of hot meals to those protecting lives and property. pic.twitter.com/3LL9qzWCmV
— Houston Fire Dept (@HoustonFire) January 14, 2025
Jay Leno has been meeting and greeting firefighters ALL DAY long. These boys from Seaside fought 48 hours straight and held the line on Mandeville Canyon yesterday pic.twitter.com/BUZ4oBaPsN
— Find the Truth (@BiggestRay) January 14, 2025
As Leno told Fox News, these people aren't talking about politics; they're actually doing the work. He added, "Everybody else in L.A. is pointing fingers and blaming people. These are the people actually doing something and fixing it."
"Everybody else in LA is pointing fingers and blaming people. These are the people actually doing something and fixing it."@jayleno shares his experience serving food to first responders and those in need across LA County during the devastating California wildfires. pic.twitter.com/RCtrFX78PK
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 16, 2025
It's good to see that Leno is still the same guy he appeared to be on TV a couple of decades ago, at least the way he appeared to me. This current crop of late-night hosts could learn a thing or two.
