Viruses abound during these winter months. Though Measles has been a hot topic (no seriously, check your Newsfeed), another phenomenon has spread even more rapidly and insidiously: nostalgic Jimmy Fallon sketches.
Remember “Fresh Prince”? Fallon has a skit for that.
Were you ever “Saved by the Bell”? Fallon has a skit for that, too.
Love old-school rap? Love the gravitas of the now-shamed Brian Williams? Let this be your delight.
Now, not to pooh-pooh all the 90s nostalgia love with my Gen-Xers and millennials (I’m a 90s kid through and through, from grunge to Britney), but I could not stand Fallon on Saturday Night Live when he was an up-and-coming comedian. Fallon’s penchant for looking into the camera during a skit infuriated myself and others. Philadelphia Magazine and Daily Banter give hosts of reasons for us to resist the temptation to give into Fallon’s lip-synch battles and flip-cup challenges, most notably his inability to do anything that is serious on his show. He’s like the class clown who is afraid to raise his hand and answer a question correctly in class for fear of failure… even though we know he can and should.
But that doesn’t mean he’s still not funny. Millions tune in to his show to be entertained and the proof is in the shares and likes that his show garners on social media. He may very well be a subpar host with shallow questions and silly challenges who couldn’t hold a candle to Johnny Carson. But upon further review, these clips are pretty goshdarn funny and Fallon does entertain a huge demographic. You know deep down you want to watch Brian Williams rap. You know you want the next 90s nostalgia skit to be a “Step By Step” skit with Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Summers. So maybe he still looks into the camera while acting in skits and his celebrity interviews feature more shtick and games than actual news about upcoming films and albums. If you’re looking for more in-depth interviews from late night, go to The Daily Show (at least until July or December). If you want a laugh, just YouTube “Jimmy Fallon.”
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Cover Image: Jimmy Fallon by Flickr User matiastideida via Flickr Creative Commons and available at https://flic.kr/p/bEYnmD
