Leno goes out in signature nice-guy style
Jay Leno bounded onto the "Tonight Show" stage last night to a massive ovation, crowds swarming to shake his hand and commemorate his last night as host. He smiled and waved, but he looked eager to start his monologue, already.
By all accounts, Leno loves to open his show; he remained a stand-up comic, traveling the country, even after becoming the "Tonight Show" host 17 years ago. He even closed the show with a nod to an itinerant life, as fellow Bay Stater James Taylor played "Sweet Baby James," a song Leno said reminded him of leaving Boston for LA.
But mostly, Leno stuck to his rat-a-tat joking style, while making nods to his exit: "I'm clearing out my office today, I find O.J.'s knife. I had it the whole time."
Leno has been presiding over a low-key farewell this week, peppering his show with clip packages, making occasional jokes about his departure. Last night's show included a compilation of his "Jaywalking" man-on-the-street interviews, in which he demonstrates the ignorance of the common man.
It was perhaps the least imaginative of all the Leno sketches over the years. And yet, it was still funny. That has long been the secret to Leno's staying power and his success; he didn't always make you think, but he often made you laugh.
It's a testament to Leno's relentless effort and his stand-up comic energy that an awkward-looking guy from Andover with the prominent chin could helm a show for so many years, and lead the ratings for nearly a decade. He has hosted for so long that it's jarring to see the old clips of him from the days of the Simpson trial, with bushy salt-and-pepper hair. "When I started this show," he joked in his monologue, "my hair was black and the president was white."
It was a safe, respectful joke - another staple of Leno's tenure. He might have skewered Michael Jackson and Bill Clinton at every opportunity, but even his sharpest barbs had a nice-guy sheen. Last night, Leno stayed sweet, paying homage to classic comedian Rodney Dangerfield, then inviting out his guest for the evening, "Tonight Show" host-to-be Conan O'Brien. He called his successor "a terrific guy, a good friend." He praised O'Brien's writing skills and let O'Brien preview one of his upcoming "Tonight Show" sketches.
It's easy to be gracious if you're happy with your fate, and Leno seems satisfied with the 11th-hour deal NBC gave him to stay with the network and host a weekly primetime show this fall. He knows his loyal viewers - and there are probably many of them - will be able to find him. He had a joke about that, too.
"I'm going to a secluded spot where no one can find me: NBC primetime," he said.
