Young viewers love Jimmy Fallon's clever viral videos. How could you not crack up at the quirky clips that he's integrated so smoothly into his talk show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon? These videos are part of the reason that he's seen as hipper than Jay Leno -- and that perception has fueled lots of recent talk about NBC's negotiations to drop Leno and give Fallon his Tonight Show hosting job.
Now, one of Fallon's videos is helping to repair the fallout from all that speculation. In the clip below, Leno and Fallon comfort one another about all the negative press and rumors. Bursting into a cheesy Broadway rendition of West Side Story's "Tonight," they trade consoling lyrics about the transition. And the effect isn't just funny; it's touching. Whatever the media is reporting, Fallon and Leno have held onto their mutual admiration. It's just the sort of positive spin that the two hosts -- and their respective shows -- needed right now.
During his monologues last week, Leno came across as bitter about his reported ousting, cracking angry jokes at NBC's expense. But in this video, which ran at the start of Monday's Late Night, Leno is clearly melancholy as he looks over the headlines reporting on his imminent demise -- due to his declining popularity among younger viewers. (He's held fast to his aging demographic.) It is, of course, a sad truth about life in general: Nothing lasts forever. For his part, Fallon seems to get that, and he, too, shows both sadness and deep respect for Leno.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the video was Fallon's handiwork, and his producers filmed the segment. It was a savvy and kind way to address the rumors, and further proof that Fallon is going to be a great host of The Tonight Show -- whenever that time comes.
