Jay Leno and The Tonight Show - A Study of Comedy and Evisceration

Removing "The Tonight Show" Sign From Building

I watched the last Tonight Show and I saw a man in pain.  It reminded me of how cruel the comedy business can be no matter what level of success your talent has reached.  To put it quite plainly, Jay Leno had his guts ripped out.  The Tonight Show was his baby and his life and I watched NBC grab it right out of his arms with no apparent remorse.  His mission was to smile and accept it. Considering the magnitude of the moment, he did the very best he could.

Being a comedian myself, I've seen this occur repeatedly to many comedy careers but not quite at the same level.  Many comedians experience the disappointment of not getting a gig, a show or a week's booking.  It all hurts.  Some comics make it to a prominent level in show business at a young age and never regain that status.  Careers can take a roller coaster path of perpetually heading down.  Comedians reaching retirement age wince as they realize how "old" they have grown in comedy clubs.  A cut in pay usually triggers this realization.  Again, it all hurts.

When I listened to Jay reflecting on how many awesome and famous people he had met and engaged with, I realized how short my list of accomplishments was in comparison.  I was aghast that he was retiring and I am not even making a dent in such a huge arsenal of success.

And then I remembered.  Life is a matter of choices.  What Jay Leno doesn't have is my three beautiful children who are my own reason for living.  When it came time to make a choice as a young woman between career ambitions and family, I chose the latter.  I've never had any regrets.  I am the richest person I know and not even NBC can take that away from me.


http://humorousspeakersbureau.com Sally Edwards is the president of The Humorous Speakers Bureau marketing corporate comedians and funny keynote motivational speakers.
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