___________Reluctant Adult Perspective_________: Leno should go the way of the Dodo

So Jay Leno opened last night at a new time slot (10 pm) with his revamped approach to television (jay running?). Going into the premiere I was pessimistic at best. I’ve never been appreciative of Leno’s comedic styling in the past. I didn’t start watching The Tonight Show until Conan took over.
Leno was boring. Too broad for my tastes. There is obviously a very funny man buried beneath that outer shell that ensures his mass appeal, but at this point it is buried very very very deep.
It was with this pessimistic outlook that I entered into Monday night. Here are my disjointed and discombobulated thoughts on the evening.

Jay is still shaking Hands
At first glance this is the exact same show with a different packaging. The Tonight Show band has been renamed, the format seems the same, and Jay still comes sauntering out to the crowd before delivering his monologue.
The only visible difference is the set. Having never lived through the 1980s I can now say I’ve at least scene a set from the era. This is quite possibly the lamest design I’ve ever seen. The odd lighting and random potted plants make it seem like a grow house for Jay. Even my mom thought the opening was lame, and well, she’s pretty lame.

The lack of couch and desk is particularly appalling. The two chairs are obviously meant to be hip, but watching Jay leno and Jerry Seinfeld dish in matching arm chairs is as hip and current as a sex affair with Gennifer Flowers. I feel bad bashing Seinfeld, because he’s always hilarious and I’m a huge fan, but he’s not exactly the most relevant star to have on your opening night. Even the topic of conversation revolved around the fact Jay won’t go away, and while it was in jest, I felt it was a little too close to home.
As far as the product, I was not amused by the monologue. It was, to borrow a phrase from my opening, boring. I’m sure grandparents in Florida and average Americans in the flyover states were titillated by this experience. I have to say I enjoyed his cialis joke. But most of the opening could have used its own artificial lift, because it basically fell flat.
Speaking of penis jokes, there were two references to erectile dysfunction drugs. Nothing to really elaborate on, except that I spend all day making penis jokes and still don’t have my own show.

Turn Around Bright Eyes (Todd Philips fans will get this)
So in Old School, Starsky and Hutch, and most recently in The Hangover, you might have noticed a very inappropriate band. These guys appear in a lot of Todd Philips movies and steal any scene they’re in. Leno, we’re meant to believe, saw the lead singer doing stand up this summer, while he was on the road, and decided to have him on.
I was hesitant at first to believe Jay would let Dan (something) fly free with his sense of humor. I’m telling you, his movie cameos are pretty raunchy. I know Jay likes to make sexual allusions, but Dan is crude, rude and leaves nothing to the imagination.
That’s why I was really happy with the way the segment played out. It didn’t pull any punches, was funny and genuine. Basically I endorse any idea that results in less time for Jay…

Random Thought: Probably not a good sign when you’re ecstatic by the progress line on your DVR when you’re fast forwarding during commercials. Almost done…

Funny, but Eh…
So Leno’s “interview” with Obama was amusing. He was current, somewhat edgy and actually made me chuckle at one point. It dragged on, though, and Leno became his normal crowd pleasing self. That may sound like a good thing, but trust me it is not. There’s no reason why everything should appeal to the lowest common denominator in society. Maybe GE can sell more ovens and refrigerators this way, but don’t people care about the product?
There’s a reason why Conan and Dave win Emmy awards and Leno just wins ratings.

The OFFICE is Coming!!!!
This doesn’t really have to do with Leno, except that I saw the advertisement during this wasted hour I’ll never get back. Anyway, The Office premiere is this Thursday! Set your DVRS, clear your calendar and watch!!! This is one of the two best comedies on television and you need to watch it.

Kanye step away from the limelight!!
Surprise interview with Kanye West! What was most surprising was Kanye’s reaction to Jay’s question about his mom. Who knew he would cry? I did.
This was obviously a ploy by Kanye West to fix his image in the aftermath of his mistake at the VMAs on Sunday. I wonder if Jay feels dirty for taking advantage of all this…

At least I get a kick ass performance out of this night. I really like this song. Jay-Z could collaborate with a shoe and a box of crackers and I’d love it.

Skipping Headlines
I’m going to fast forward through the final segment. My mom saw it live and said it wasn’t that funny. You can trust her, because she usually likes it.
As she puts it, “It’s Typo land!”
It turns out people send these headlines into him??? He doesn’t even scour the papers himself? Lame.

Final Thoughts
Never watching this again. Never attempting to watch it again. Hope people don’t talk to me about it again.