Althouse: Touch his hair and lose your power.

May 17, 2017

Touch his hair and lose your power.

It happened to Jimmy Fallon.

42 comments:

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Colbert is a Hillary Clinton supporting - corruption excusing leftwing proggy asshole.; 5/17/17, 11:01 AM
eric said...: This isn't reporting on Fallon. Instead, it's a warning and an argument.

It's saying, if you're nice to the wrong people, like Trump, we will destroy you. Consider yourself warned, Fallon!; 5/17/17, 11:13 AM
rhhardin said...: Samson-like.; 5/17/17, 11:16 AM
Brando said...: They have this wrong--if Fallon's got problems in the ratings, it has nothing to do with "being too nice" to Trump. After all, with such small viewer share for late night TV, if you're popular among a large segment of the population (and Trump supporters are at least 40% of the population) you have a ratings draw.

What's likely hurting him is Colbert is beating him with viral videos, which likely draw more viewers to his show. If you're entertaining enough, people will watch regardless of politics. Fallon just has to adjust his game to appeal to more viewers.

And he may not even have to do that--Leno had similar problems with Letterman, but overall tended to beat Letterman in the ratings. Colbert may be just a temporary threat.; 5/17/17, 11:40 AM
mockturtle said...: Touch his power and you lose your hair.; 5/17/17, 11:43 AM
MadisonMan said...: So now it's also Fallon's fault that Hillary lost.

It certainly can't be Hillary's fault. Best Most Qualified Candidate EVAH!!; 5/17/17, 11:44 AM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: “I didn’t do it to humanize him. I almost did it to minimize him. I didn’t think that would be a compliment.”

Indeed, Jimmy. Tousling someone's hair can be seen as very disrespectful. The fact that Trump didn't mind means that he's very confident in his self-esteem, or that he has a sense of humor and doesn't take himself too seriously, or that he's not the Alpha Dog he wants people to think he is -- take your pick.

I agree with eric --if end up on the wrong side of Social Justice history you can expected to get Cosbied, deep and hard.; 5/17/17, 11:46 AM
Unknown said...: Eric, it is saying that if you are nice to scum people will not be nice to you.; 5/17/17, 11:47 AM
madAsHell said...: The author takes disparate facts, and weaves them into a narrative that attacks Trump, but gives us room to forgive Fallon. I'm not sure why anyone would subscribe to this shit.; 5/17/17, 11:48 AM
MadisonMan said...: Read the comments in that article for some NYTimes Reader delusions!; 5/17/17, 11:50 AM
rehajm said...: TherapyTV is hot. Fallon still tries to be funny.; 5/17/17, 11:51 AM
Seeing Red said...: The mavolent childish anger needs a public outlet. See SEE how much we despise you?; 5/17/17, 11:52 AM
Rabel said...: NY Times to Fallon:

"We hope you can see your way clear to letting this humanization of Trump go. He is not a good guy. We hope you can let it go."; 5/17/17, 12:02 PM
Levi Starks said...: And just like clockwork, Nelson does it to Eric.; 5/17/17, 12:02 PM
Unknown said...: As I said months ago:

Trump is a con-man.
Russia, Russia, Russia.
Trump is going down.

Keep watching this space Trumpski's.; 5/17/17, 12:09 PM
rehajm said...: In recent months, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” has surpassed NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon ” in viewers, although the latter is still clinging to its lead in the 18-49 demographic. -WSJ

So Fallon is still wining with who advertisers claim is important, says WSJ, not NYT.; 5/17/17, 12:23 PM
Paddy O said...: Tim Allen's show got cancelled, even though it had decent ratings.; 5/17/17, 12:24 PM
Sebastian said...: So the culture war continues: fall in line or else. Trump's campaign was temporary respite. His administration just make progs redouble their efforts.; 5/17/17, 12:29 PM
Richard Dolan said...: Surprising how small the audience is for both Fallon and Colbert. I never watch either of them (same with Kimmel). Not surprising that lefty-land wants late night tv to reflect the same monoculture -- everywhere is now supposed to be a safe space, no dissenting view allowed -- as the universities.; 5/17/17, 12:29 PM
traditionalguy said...: NB: Scott Adams says we are a direct democracy now because of social media. The Constitution creating a Republic is already gone. All that is left is the Opposition Media that can get the President they pick. Which also explains the complete cowardice of the Congress con men.; 5/17/17, 12:29 PM
Birches said...: I think people are missing the big picture. I hypothesize that it is largely middle class RedStaters who have abandoned broadcast TV, probably because they are tired of being lectured at. Netflix makes it easier to avoid it. Thus, only the true believers are left to fill out Nielsen ratings. In this landscape, it's obvious why Fallon's ratings are tanking. This hypothesis also explains why ESPN has moved into the political realm. They recognize the data and our looking to keep who is still paying for TV happy. No one will acknowledge this trend. Look at the kind of shows that are ratings winners now, you'll start to notice the trend.; 5/17/17, 12:29 PM
dreams said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/17/17, 12:30 PM
dreams said...: Elect Trump president and the liberals lose their minds.; 5/17/17, 12:31 PM
dreams said...: I like Jimmy Fallon based on the few times I've watched some of his show and I hope he doesn't cave in to his liberal critics.; 5/17/17, 12:32 PM
campy said...: Eric, it is saying that if you are nice to scum people will not be nice to you.

Okay, I'll stop being nice to democrats.; 5/17/17, 12:36 PM
Birches said...: See here for last year's top rated TV shows. There's a lot of coastal, urban appeal.; 5/17/17, 12:38 PM
Birches said...: Also a lot of appeal to older people, who will pay the cable bill every month.; 5/17/17, 12:39 PM
Bob Loblaw said...: Tim Allen's show got cancelled, even though it had decent ratings.

Their third highest rated show. Gleichschaltung!; 5/17/17, 12:46 PM
readering said...: Interesting that Fallon just now getting around to addressing this. Many regular Fallon viewers were upset with Fallon because they saw Trump as a unique threat to the country and Fallon, who excels in physical comedy, just saw him as someone to fill time on his 60 minute show, as Trump had done successfully many times before.; 5/17/17, 12:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Losing Tim Allen show, why?

How can they explain this decision to their shareholders?

Presumably it will be something like "We are in a dying business and the important thing is to chase after the most-fickle and angry customers. We don't know exactly who they are but based on our biases and fantasies here in the C Suite, we think we need to pander to the Progs. And that means not just building new programming that appeals to their (hypothesized) tastes, it also means jettisoning --in the most open and unambiguous way-- anything that does not instantly please the most crazed members of that target audience. So, goodbye Tim Allen. Goodbye advertisers. Goodbye subscribers."

I have to question this strategy, but what do I know?; 5/17/17, 1:00 PM
Trumpit said...: I don't like kissing up to anyone. The obsequiousness or pandering cheapens and soils you. That is how I feel about showing "respect" for judges. "All rise," and all that "Your honor ..." nonsense. You have to earn respect in my book, and you should humbly show it when deserved.

That said, Fallon is very talented comically, artistically, musically, etc. Trump was a good sport to let Fallon mess up his hair. But, I don't much care for the childish stuff, but that's me. I can't see why it should affect his show or career. Did you see Jimmy dance in the lip sync competition with Shaq? Even Johnny Carson couldn't do that.; 5/17/17, 1:22 PM
Paddy O said...: What I read the excuse was they're cutting comedies from Friday night and moving the Marvel shows (Agents of Shield and the new Inhumans) to that night.

No word on why they couldn't shift the show to another night...; 5/17/17, 1:23 PM
readering said...: Thing about Last Man Standing, another network can pick it up if they see the ratings promise. Production companies and broadcast companies separate.; 5/17/17, 1:25 PM
buwaya said...: Again and again -

The mass media is not in the business of business, so much as it is in the business of politics. There is far more money for them these days, or more risk, in serving the purposes of the PTB or not crossing the PTB.

The TV news was a money loser forever, so its no accident that was corrupted long ago.
Its crossed over to entertainment more recently, but here it is.

There is no "other network", other than Fox, that would pick up a TV show that is not guaranteed to serve their political interests. And its not clear where Fox stands these days.

The viewer outrage and etc. is a fig leaf for more substantial reasons.

You are not paranoid if they really are out to get you, and they are.; 5/17/17, 1:35 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: OT: More evidence that the intolerant anti-free speech left are violent fascist scumbags.; 5/17/17, 1:42 PM
Anonymous said...: Liberals may knock down people like Fallon and Tim Allen who are not decidedly leftist. Butt hurt Democrats may impeach Trump but the deplorables aren't going away. We will die off eventually, happy to not have had to pay for the progressive vision of America. Other people's money.; 5/17/17, 1:44 PM
Walter said...: "The only way out for the defendant is to submit a self-criticism." Ryszard Legutko, The Demon in Democracy, p. 129.; 5/17/17, 2:00 PM
Rosalyn C. said...: This reads like a Laslo comment but it's an actual top rated comment from the article at The New Yor Times. Very scary:

"Amanda -- Minneapolis

I read this article with hopefulness that Mr. Fallon would recognize the harm he caused to this nation by normalizing Trump to a mass audience. Yet he still doesn't understand the role he played in the election. Sadly many Americans don't read MSM newspapers or sources anymore and turn to blogs or late night shows. These late night shows impact society by reflecting our culture and questions through humor. Mr. Fallon continues to fail to recognize this role and only seeks childish humor to make people laugh without reflective thought upon our own societal norms or opinions.

And though I may applaud him for his desire to reach out to all Americans as a heartfelt and unifying sentiment, I fear he fails to realize that there are many fellow Americans who do not embrace inclusiveness nor bigheartedness, and that sadly, many such Americans elected Trump who is a danger to our democratic republic. How could he not stand up in times like these? Trump is no Bush or Clinton with policies one may disagree with but rather a real threat to the sanctity of our nation and the security of our world."; 5/17/17, 2:13 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: Son-ing Trump by tousling his hair wasn't disrespectful enough for all the Amandas in Minneapolis.; 5/17/17, 2:55 PM
furious_a said...: O'Brien: If you want a picture of the future, imagine a cable remote clicking from your network -- forever.; 5/17/17, 3:29 PM
mockturtle said...: Buwaya rightly observes: And its not clear where Fox stands these days.

I'm done with FNC. I even unsubscribed from their bulletins today. What's a deplorable to do? Maybe we need to create our own counterculture, media, etc.; 5/17/17, 4:17 PM
chickelit said...: What possible bad can come out of the demise of so many overpaid broadcast and cable TV "stars" as we have now? Did we have this paradigm 50 years ago? Do we need it tomorrow?; 5/18/17, 12:24 AM