By Brandon Sapienza
Since 2015, the once unique and fun landscape of late-night comedy has become nothing short of another medium for leftist celebrities to express their political views.
Out of the many late-night talk shows, two hosts come to mind, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel. The comedians, who I once found amusing and relatable, no longer fit the bill. In a world full of division and violence, these hosts can take a bit of advice from Madeleine L’Engle who once said, “A good laugh heals a lot of hurts.”
Many people across the country tune into their favorite network or favorite comedian in hopes of escaping the realities of their own lives or the events around them. However, with most monologues beginning with news and opinions about President Trump and the “evil Republicans,” viewers are better off turning to their local or national news network to hear what the real experts have to say.
Most recently, Jimmy Kimmel made his tearful and heartfelt rally cry for a health care bill and gun control. While his opinions are valid, and he has a right to believe them, he should not have the right to be bringing it up on his comedy show, designed to make people laugh.
Politics and comedy have, for most of American history, gone hand in hand. Trump and all of his quirks are undoubtedly easy targets for humor. That’s all well and fine.
The problem comes when these jokes happen every night and involve more integral and challenging subjects. The jokes about Trump become about the Republicans, and subsequently the voters.
Ultimately, these “comedians” demonize members of the Republican Party, which sows unwanted division in the country. Sadly, this political humor is desired by a great amount of people.
Because he tends to remain neutral and unpolitical, Jimmy Fallon experienced this first hand when his ratings plummeted from 3.5 million to 2.9 million, according to Business Insider. Fallon, however, still holds the highest rating of any late-night talk show, but his sharp drop in scores in less than a year is a concern for him and the NBC executives.
For the sake of laughter, these comedians need to get off their high horses, get out of the political discussion and finally make Americans laugh again.
sapienbm17@bonaventure.edu
