Jay Leno Isn't a Fan of Late Night's Political Turn

Jay Leno doesn't like how much politics has crept into his old domain—late-night talk shows. As Mediaite notes, his interview with David Trulio of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute was first published on July 15, before news broke that CBS was canceling Stephen Colbert's show. Leno, then, wasn't commenting on that controversy, but he made clear his preference for going easy on political jokes:

• "I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, the pressures of life, wherever it might be," Leno said, per USA Today. "And I love political humor, don't get me wrong, but what happens (is) people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other."

• "Now you have to be content with half the audience because you have to give your opinion," Leno said. "Why shoot for just half an audience?"
• CBS insists that politics didn't play a role in its Colbert decision, but critics disagree. David Letterman, for instance, accused his former network of "cowardice."