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https://youtu.be/9RGl8UQdq9I https://youtu.be/I176MJEibj4 https://youtu.be/hfqVm3_O2wA https://youtu.be/5yVrybJVdMI https://youtu.be/zmvaZA9abRA Conan had Harrison Ford on his podcast and it's just a reminder of how good Conan's banter gets when both him and the guest are having a good time.
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Jul 10, 2023 15:11
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The words "rear end mode" just popped into my head and after the mental wrangling it took for me to figure out where those words came from I was pleased to revisit Craig's tweet jingle's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SJJkgc_rNc
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Jul 18, 2023 10:19
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pwn posted:
Right back atcha, buddy. Our company is doing a little shutdown to give everyone time to sorta breathe before we head into the busiest time of the year for the whole video game industry, so I got to just imbibe literal hours of history this morning and it feels like some of the best-spent time I think I'll spend all day. Thanks a ton for putting all that together for us to enjoy. It's definitely the end of an era - one I didn't even feel the gravity of until now. It's truly amazing what that 12:35 slot has birthed regardless of network; it seems to have been the last vestige of truly hands-off, suits-don't-care programming that American network TV had, and it's a little sad to see the light dim a bit more. I actually find it sort of ironic (or not, perhaps, given the history you just laid out for us) that that time slot was always the one that I found most comfort in, first with Conan, then Craig and now with Seth. It seems to be the realm of misfits and weirdos and political commentary in the best possible way because it's like the kids are still up, but the parents went to bed, and they all know it.
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Aug 2, 2023 20:06
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I was really moved by this. Sorry it took so long to say but this post has sat in my Notes folder for weeks and is finally getting posted. Thanks for your kind words
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pwn posted:
Right back atcha, buddy. Our company is doing a little shutdown to give everyone time to sorta breathe before we head into the busiest time of the year for the whole video game industry, so I got to just imbibe literal hours of history this morning and it feels like some of the best-spent time I think I'll spend all day. Thanks a ton for putting all that together for us to enjoy. It's definitely the end of an era - one I didn't even feel the gravity of until now. It's truly amazing what that 12:35 slot has birthed regardless of network; it seems to have been the last vestige of truly hands-off, suits-don't-care programming that American network TV had, and it's a little sad to see the light dim a bit more. I actually find it sort of ironic (or not, perhaps, given the history you just laid out for us) that that time slot was always the one that I found most comfort in, first with Conan, then Craig and now with Seth. It seems to be the realm of misfits and weirdos and political commentary in the best possible way because it's like the kids are still up, but the parents went to bed, and they all know it. [edit] Macdeo Lurjtux posted:https://youtu.be/9RGl8UQdq9I Holy poo poo, this was so good. I've literally never seen Conan's podcast before, but I'm gonna throw it into the rotation now. Thanks! Fartington Butts posted:The words "rear end mode" just popped into my head and after the mental wrangling it took for me to figure out where those words came from I was pleased to revisit Craig's tweet jingle's. I still randomly blurt out "rear end Mode" and "Check Ze Tweets" in a robotic voice and absolutely nobody knows what I'm referencing, but it makes doing the dishes more fun, so it's their loss.
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Aug 2, 2023 21:12
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYc0QpQHA6oquote:Launching August 30th: Late night talk show hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver are teaming up for a new podcast to support their striking writers and out of work staffs. Strike Force Five! welcomes you to a conversation between five rival colleagues for an inside look at late night television. 👀 blunt fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Aug 30, 2023 |
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Aug 30, 2023 00:47
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This is a big one. The Tonight Show is a toxic workplace. “Rolling Stone contacted more than 50 Tonight Show employees, past and present, during the reporting for this story. After reaching out to representatives for Fallon and NBC, Rolling Stone reached out to an additional 30 current and former staffers. While many of them praised Fallon’s immense talent and comedic gifts, not a single one agreed to speak on the record or had positive things to say about working on The Tonight Show. Nor would any of the program’s nine showrunners since 2014 comment about the program’s namesake on the record – they wouldn’t even give statements of support, as is common in the entertainment industry.” https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/jimmy-fallon-tonight-show-toxic-work-environment-crying-rooms-nbc-1234819421/
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Sep 7, 2023 19:53
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Ever since that report came out about people loving underage girls at SNL after parties and nobody saying poo poo about it where Fallon was named specifically, I haven't had a good feeling about the guy and his gee shucks act, but god drat, nobody? Really?
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Sep 7, 2023 21:14
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuYP1pYNM1s&t=18s
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Sep 7, 2023 21:22
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Yikes. I keep hoping against hope that Seth is one of the good ones but it’s really not looking great. (Podcast is fun! I don’t regularly watch kimmel so I forgot how affable and welcoming of a host he is. There’s a drat good reason he’s lasted as long as he has)
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Sep 7, 2023 22:34
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5,000 words in a Rolling Stone article to say that work sucks at the Tonight Show That was seriously a poo poo read, it reads like they kept digging for months and eventually the editor needed the story and they just gave them what they had. Vague allegations, complaints that mostly sound like zoomers who are getting a dose of the real world. Jimmy needs to get his poo poo together and he is the weakest of the current late night hosts, but this is a dumb hit piece. I feel this sums it up best quote:Two employees remember witnessing Fallon scold the crew member who was in charge of his cue cards in the middle of a taping with comedian Jerry Seinfeld. They say it was an uncomfortable moment. Seinfeld told Fallon to apologize to the cue-card production member, which he then allegedly did. The employees say this incident, which felt awkward to watch, did not make it to the version of the show that appeared on television.
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Sep 7, 2023 22:36
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Are you seriously taking Seinfeld’s word that this was all not a very big deal? The same Seinfeld who went out to bat for Michael Richards? Also, the story contain multiple specific details, such as a showrunner constantly commenting on staffers’ diets and a black staffer’s hair, as well as HR outright forwarding workplace complaints to the showrunner, who immediately took steps to terminate the complainant. You can say Fallon wasn’t directly involved in many of these horror stories, but the stink is all over him. 9 showrunners in 9 years. 50 former and current employees having nothing nice to say about the workplace environment. Also, “zoomers getting a dose of the real world”? What the gently caress’s the matter with you?
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Sep 7, 2023 22:51
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Instead of making things worse by continuing to talk, I'll formally rescind that comment. If I've learned nothing else on these forums, it's that. Also lol if I'm gonna die on the Jimmy Fallon hill. He's on his own
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Sep 7, 2023 23:55
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Vegetable posted:Are you seriously taking Seinfeld’s word that this was all not a very big deal? The same Seinfeld who went out to bat for Michael Richards? Yeah, the biggest thing, assuming it wasn't bullshit somehow, is no employee wanting to say the PR-approved "I don't know, we have the occasional argument but hey what family doesn't  " That's weird and feels like people are trying to steer clear of something big. Either that or Fallon is such a jackass on a personal that not a single person feels like sticking up for him.
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Sep 8, 2023 00:04
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I’m sort of surprised that alcohol doesn’t play an even bigger role in that article, I feel like it was not long ago that everyone was speculating that Fallon was gonna lose his job and that he busted his hand while drunk instead of whatever excuse he gave publicly
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Sep 8, 2023 00:36
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DC Murderverse posted:I’m sort of surprised that alcohol doesn’t play an even bigger role in that article, I feel like it was not long ago that everyone was speculating that Fallon was gonna lose his job and that he busted his hand while drunk instead of whatever excuse he gave publicly Tis the power of Lorne. There is a significant amount of people at NBC/U that feel that Lorne has too much power at the network and/or his programing is underperforming. It isn't a secret that NBC isn't happy with Fallon or the state of the Tonight Show. What was one of the Crown Jewels of the network is now a forth place afterthought with late night. SNL still does well for the network so while that continues Lorne is still going to be able to hold sway. NBC was talking to a bunch of people to replace Jimmy awhile ago and did some in person stuff shortly before he was given a new contract. They were also wanting to move the show back to LA as Conan is gone and Kimmel is the only game in town there. My guess is this is the start of the campaign to toss Fallon. They can do it during the strike which will minimize the bad press from doing it. After the strike is resolved they can announce a new host for the Tonight Show, which is back to being controlled by NBC and not Lorne. They can broadcast from Universal Studios and give it a real Hollywood feel. Honestly it is the right call for them. Getting beat by Gutfeld is unacceptable for a network show, especially the Tonight Show. The question is who do you get to replace him?
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Sep 8, 2023 01:10
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Vegetable posted:Are you seriously taking Seinfeld’s word that this was all not a very big deal? The same Seinfeld who went out to bat for Michael Richards? Djarum posted:Honestly it is the right call for them. Getting beat by Gutfeld is unacceptable for a network show, especially the Tonight Show. The question is who do you get to replace him? If it were me, though, I'd go with Craig Ferguson and Geoffrey Petersen.
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Sep 8, 2023 01:46
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LividLiquid posted:Somebody none of us have ever heard of. An up-and-comer who will work cheap who they can micromanage. Well there is two roads to go with it really. You go with getting someone with a name like what CBS and ABC did who has some built in audience and expectations. Or the Conan route where you get someone no one has ever heard of really. I think the later is probably the better option. In my opinion they need to do a couple of things; first the show needs to be live, not live to tape or live in front of a studio audience. You need to have that sense of danger and that anything can happen. All they need is a moment or two that something happens which can make it much see television. The second is they need to have it edgy. The days of Jay Leno super safe Late Night bullshit is dead. You need someone who is not necessarily controversial but is going to push boundaries and not be boring. Your potential audience today was at oldest raised on Letterman so being safer than what we was doing in the 1980s isn’t going to cut it. The fear is that advertisers will flee and I think honestly that would be unfounded. There is such little television today that draws viewers, let alone live viewers, at the 14-39 demographic that you could potentially draw with something like this that even if an advertiser had reservations about some of the content they would suck it up because there is little options of gaining exposure to those demographics anymore elsewhere.
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Sep 8, 2023 02:12
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I agree with you, but they'll never do it. They have this tiny little audience of old people who still consume content over the air or through cable and those people will leave the moment something smells like it's not made specifically for them.
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Sep 8, 2023 02:33
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LividLiquid posted:I agree with you, but they'll never do it. They have this tiny little audience of old people who still consume content over the air or through cable and those people will leave the moment something smells like it's not made specifically for them. The issue with television is that all they do is cater to old people. Especially if you are under 25 there is nothing for you to watch. This isn’t as much of a problem in other countries also who has the same sorts of streaming options as the US as well. A big problem with television in the US is that the entire industry has become overly reliant on analytics and data. It is basically what happens when you focus test a product to much and it ends up being a flop because no one wants it. That is the current television and frankly all media landscape. You have a large percentage of things all based off the same IP; Chicago, Marvel, Law and Order, NCIS, etc. There is little new being created. Hell television in particular is so creatively bankrupt that they are reviving television shows from 15-20 years ago. Streaming didn’t kill television, the lack of worthwhile programing killed television. There is little must see television anymore. What shows that would have been that in another era are on streaming and they are starting to struggle with hits there as well. If someone put me in charge of a network right now I’d take a bunch of pitches from complete unknowns, take the most weird and unique stuff, give them small budgets and see what happens. Worse comes to worse you get nothing great out of it but you didn’t spend much. Best case scenario you get some fresh hits and interest. It is better than catering to the 65+ crowd who are dying by the day.
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Sep 8, 2023 04:23
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Without being able to read the whole article due to the paywall, going off summaries I've read, it almost sounds like the HR department is most at fault here. Conflicts will arise in any workplace, but if they're always dismissed in favor of "the talent", that can only end in toxicity. It doesn't sound like Fallon exhibits the traits of a truly narcissistic, controlling boss, but one way or another he's become somebody who you can't say No to. Maybe he really was a bad boss who wouldn't have listened to HR anyway, but they needed to at least try.
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Sep 8, 2023 11:37
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Chaos, Comedy, and ‘Crying Rooms’: Inside Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’ Sixteen current and former staffers say Fallon’s erratic behavior spoiled their “dream” of working on The Tonight Show BY KRYSTIE LEE YANDOLI SEP 7, 2023 9:30 AM IT WAS A particularly tense day on the set of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The host, known for his warm and congenial presence onscreen, was acting especially dismissive and irritable during production meetings, a former longtime employee tells Rolling Stone. Then he stumbled through rehearsal in front of a studio audience, who typically sit in on rehearsals for the late-night show. Employees who spoke to Rolling Stone about their experiences working on The Tonight Show say it’s common knowledge behind the scenes that there are “good Jimmy days” — where Fallon’s wit and charm and creativity are on full display — and “bad Jimmy days.” This was a “bad Jimmy day,” according to the employee. They say Fallon seemed to be confused during rehearsal that day in 2017 when he crossed out jokes on the piece of paper he was holding, riffed with the audience for a bit, then quizzically looked back down at the same sheet of paper. “He couldn’t remember he had just crossed it out himself,” the employee says. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, he [seems] drunk. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. This could be awful — this could be the end of the show right here.’” Another staffer says they too witnessed the incident from a live studio feed inside their office. According to two current and 14 former employees, The Tonight Show has been a toxic workplace for years — far outside the boundaries of what’s considered normal in the high-pressure world of late-night TV. They say the ugly environment behind the scenes starts at the top with Fallon’s erratic behavior, and has trickled down to its ever-changing leadership teams — nine showrunners in the past nine years — who seemingly don’t know how to say no to Jimmy. Former employees describe The Tonight Show as a tense and “pretty glum atmosphere,” with some alleging they were belittled and intimidated by their bosses, including Fallon himself. Employees describe being afraid of Fallon’s “outbursts” and unexpected, inconsistent behavior. Many of these staffers voiced their concerns through HR complaints, but problems at The Tonight Show persisted. Seven former employees say their mental health was impacted by their alleged experiences working at The Tonight Show. These staffers say it was commonplace to hear people joking about “wanting to kill themselves,” and that they would refer to guests’ dressing rooms in the office as “crying rooms” because that’s where they would go to let out their emotions when they were upset with their alleged mistreatment. The former staffers who spoke to Rolling Stone requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. They worked in a range of positions on the show, from production crew members to office staffers and in the show’s writers’ room. Many of the former staffers say they left the show because of their mental health; some say they were fired from The Tonight Show. “It’s a bummer because it was my dream job,” one former employee says. “Writing for late night is a lot of people’s dream jobs, and they’re coming into this and it becomes a nightmare very quickly. It’s sad that it’s like that, especially knowing that it doesn’t have to be that way.” Rolling Stone contacted more than 50 Tonight Show employees, past and present, during the reporting for this story. After reaching out to representatives for Fallon and NBC, Rolling Stone reached out to an additional 30 current and former staffers. While many of them praised Fallon’s immense talent and comedic gifts, not a single one agreed to speak on the record or had positive things to say about working on The Tonight Show. Nor would any of the program’s nine showrunners since 2014 comment about the program’s namesake on the record – they wouldn’t even give statements of support, as is common in the entertainment industry. Representatives for Fallon would not comment on the record for this story. After this report published, however, Fallon apologized to staffers in an all-hands Zoom call. “It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad,” Fallon said, according to two people who were on the call. “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.” In a statement, a spokesperson for NBC defended the program — but, notably, did not mention Fallon himself. “We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” the spokesperson said. “As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate. As is always the case, we encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behavior inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.” AFTER WINNING OVER viewers on Saturday Night Live, Fallon cemented his reputation as one of television’s most beloved entertainers when he started hosting NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in 2009. Fallon’s goofy, affable, musically gifted, and middle-of-the-road approach to audiences and comedy made him easily likable and appealing to the masses. For those watching at home, Fallon didn’t seem to take himself too seriously; his charisma and talent onscreen brought people joy and made them laugh. It led to an abundance of excitement when it was announced he would take over as host of The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2014. The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon debuted to a staggering 11.3 million viewers. For the duration of its premiere season, the show competed against other late-night shows, averaging between 3 million and 4 million episodic viewers. The show has had no shortage of successes and viral moments. “Slow Jam the News” is a popular segment in which political and media figures like President Obama and Brian Williams join Fallon in breaking down current events while the Roots improvise slow jams, R&B music, and ad-libs. Then there’s “Wheel of Musical Impressions” where Fallon provides singers with prompts and asks them to do their best imitation of other musical artists, including Ariana Grande impersonating Celine Dion singing the Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.” The video of Grande and Fallon’s impressions has been viewed 169 million times on YouTube. But behind the scenes, there was a surprising, dramatic, and ugly shift in the working environment, according to three employees who originally worked for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and then followed the team to The Tonight Show. Of course, there was added pressure when the program transitioned — The Tonight Show is one of television’s most storied franchises. These employees also say they felt a change because Michael Shoemaker, who was at the helm of Late Night during Fallon’s run, didn’t move over to The Tonight Show and stuck around to produce Late Night With Seth Meyers. “The producers felt this pressure, and that translated down to all of their employees. People that worked under them then felt this pressure that if you made one mistake, you were gone and would be easily replaced,” one former employee says. “You have all these NBC pages in the building who are ready, willing, and waiting to take your job.” Of course, every major television show has its share of pressure and chaos and turnover; daily programs, even more so. But what happened at The Tonight Show was highly unusual in late-night television, employees say. The program has had six different groups of leadership teams in its nine years on TV. In 2014, Josh Lieb started off as showrunner. Mike DiCenzo, Katie Hockmeyer, and Gerard Bradford took over as a trio in 2016. Then Jim Bell had a short stint from 2018 until 2019, followed by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and Tonight Show veteran Gavin Purcell from 2019 to 2020. Jamie Granet-Bederman and Nedaa Sweiss replaced Purcell in 2020 as co-showrunners until Chris Miller landed the job in March 2022. “I just don’t think they’ve landed on a leader who can keep it together,” one former staffer says. And that’s created a chaotic atmosphere among staffers, many of whom have lost faith in senior leadership. “Nobody told Jimmy, ‘No.’ Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners,” another former employee says. “You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit. Look how many showrunners went so quickly. We know they didn’t last long.” With an ever-changing cast at the top, employees say they had nightmares related to work and were in a constant state of fear. One former employee says they had their first anxiety attack while working at the show and were put on anti-anxiety medication for the first time. Another employee says they felt physical ramifications of their declining mental health, like their hair thinning and weakened nail beds. Four other employees say they are in therapy because of their experiences. Three people say they experienced suicidal ideation as a result of the working environment. “Mentally, I was in the lowest place of my life. I didn’t want to live anymore. I thought about taking my own life all the time,” one former employee says. “I knew deep down I would never actually do it, but in my head, I’m like, ‘Why do I think about this all the time?’” One employee says they lost nearly 20 pounds during their time working under showrunner Granet-Bederman, felt like they were on edge all of the time, and cried themselves to sleep every night. “I know other people who were in [my] department who also were unhappy with [mis]treatment but it was never a thing where any of us were empowered enough to say anything,” this employee says. “It just always felt like, ‘You should be grateful that you have a job, and you should be grateful that you have this position at this show, at this network. Everyone wants to be in this spot. You have worked hard to get here — it shouldn’t be a thing where you’re being ungrateful.’” ACCORDING TO MOST employees who spoke to Rolling Stone, it’s common knowledge behind the scenes that Fallon’s temperament, mood, and treatment of staffers is erratic. These employees say they’ve witnessed Fallon snap at crew members, express irritation over the smallest of things, and berate and belittle staffers out of frustration. Three former employees say that he berated them in front of other colleagues and crew members. “It was like, if Jimmy is in a bad mood, everyone’s day is hosed,” one former employee says. “People wouldn’t joke around in the office, and they wouldn’t stand around and talk to each other. It was very much like, focus on whatever it is that you have to do because Jimmy’s in a bad mood, and if he sees that, he might fly off.” “We’re up against it” was a commonly-used phrase around the office among employees, they say, to warn each other if Fallon was “not having a good day” and therefore, everyone else was in for a rough one as well. Over the years, there have been rumors and gossip items about Fallon’s relationship with alcohol. In 2016, the New York Post ran a story alleging that NBC executives were concerned about Fallon’s drinking. Fallon denied this in a New York Times profile published in 2017, saying, “I could never do a day-to-day job if I was drinking every night. That’s just kicking you when you’re down.” But two employees say they saw Fallon seemingly inebriated at work in 2017. Another two employees say on separate occasions in 2019 and 2020 they thought they smelled alcohol on Fallon’s breath when they entered an elevator with him during the workday. According to eight former employees, Fallon’s behavior seemed to be dependent on if he appeared to be hungover from the night before. “When something was wrong, we all knew how to behave afterward, which was just sort of avoid eye contact and don’t make another mistake,” one former staffer says. “It would happen over the smallest thing… We would have to shut the whole thing down, the sketch isn’t happening, and when things like that would happen, you would just beat yourself up.” The erratic nature of the talk-show host’s behavior led to widespread fear around those who interacted with him, employees say. “Sometimes we would get nice Jimmy, but that sometimes was not a lot,” one former employee says. “It was just really, really sad to me that this really talented man created such a horrible environment for the people there.” One employee says depending on Fallon’s mood, they felt like his notes and feedback could be passive-aggressive — personal insults as opposed to constructive criticism. They say he would write comments like, “Are you OK? Seriously, do you need help?” Rolling Stone reviewed photos of the employees’ alleged notes from Fallon that read, “Ugh, lame. What is going on with you? You’ve outdone yourself.” The same employee says Fallon would also send combative emails, one of which was reviewed by Rolling Stone, to certain staffers if he was dissatisfied with their work. Two employees remember witnessing Fallon scold the crew member who was in charge of his cue cards in the middle of a taping with comedian Jerry Seinfeld. They say it was an uncomfortable moment. Seinfeld told Fallon to apologize to the cue-card production member, which he then allegedly did. The employees say this incident, which felt awkward to watch, did not make it to the version of the show that appeared on television. “It was very awkward, and Jerry [Seinfeld] was like, ‘You should apologize to him,’ almost trying to make it a joke,” a former employee says. “It was one of the strangest moments ever and so many people were there, so it’s kind of hard to forget.” Representatives for Seinfeld did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Following the publication of the story, however, Seinfeld sent a statement to Rolling Stone: “This is so stupid. I remember this moment quite well… I teased Jimmy about a flub, and we all had a fun laugh about how rarely Jimmy is thrown off. It was not uncomfortable at all. Jimmy and I still occasionally recall it and laugh. Idiotic twisting of events.” IN THE SUMMER of 2020, a video of Fallon in blackface during an SNL skit resurfaced online. This came at a heightened time of racial and social awareness because of the George Floyd murder and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests across the country. The talk-show host tweeted an apology for the video, saying, “In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.” He also spoke to The New York Times about the incident. While Fallon publicly addressed the video, employees say there was an internal uproar because staff members weren’t happy the talk-show host didn’t directly acknowledge the incident with them. “It was the first time I had seen the video even though I was told, ‘Oh, this resurfaced again,’” one former employee says. “So I’m sure for many other people on staff, especially younger folks, it was probably the first time they were seeing it, too.” The same former employee says when the clip started going viral online, senior leadership initially wanted to “sweep it under the rug.” “I asked, ‘Are we going to use this as an educational moment? Are we going to be a pillar of change and be the role model as an example for the future?’” Purcell, the showrunner at the time, did implement regular internal diversity and culture meetings afterward, and to this day, The Tonight Show has a diversity and inclusion council. Some employees say they were hopeful that he wanted to make lasting changes at the show. But they were let down a few months later when Granet-Bederman took over. She began bullying and mistreating staff, five employees say. One Black employee says Granet-Bederman kept asking them, “What is going on with your hair?” The employee also says they witnessed Granet-Bederman make comments about how much food people would eat, saying to staffers, “We’re just eating a lot today and not caring about what we look like?” Two employees say they were also mistreated by Sweiss who bullied, intimidated, and yelled at them. Granet-Bederman and Sweiss did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Sweiss left The Tonight Show in 2021 when she signed an overall deal with Universal Television, and Granet-Bederman left the show in March 2022 when Miller took over the program. “They are the worst bosses I’ve ever had in my life. They use that position of power to bully and treat the staff that way, and the network is aware of how they treat people,” one former employee says. “They not only continue to enable it, but they reward it.” Five employees say they spoke to HR about their experiences behind the scenes of The Tonight Show in their exit interviews when they voluntarily left the show as well as during their time of employment. One longtime employee says they never reported their issues to HR because early on in their tenure at the show, they saw colleagues of theirs attempt to speak to human resources representatives and subsequently get fired from the show. “They don’t protect us,” the former staffer says. “They don’t do anything for us.” Another former staffer says they reached out to HR to express concerns they had about working under Granet-Bederman. After requesting a formal meeting with HR over email, they say Granet-Bederman put them on a performance-improvement plan — a step before disciplinary action, including termination. They say they were surprised to learn Granet-Bederman wasn’t happy with their performance up until that point. The employee says they heard from HR afterward, and then in a subsequent meeting with HR reps for NBC, they shared their issues and concerns, including that they were experiencing suicidal ideation. They say they later saw an email exchange between HR and Granet-Bederman, which was reviewed by Rolling Stone, in which the HR rep denigrated the employee to Granet-Bederman. “That was super frustrating to me and kind of devastating because it felt as if I finally had someone on my side, and I quickly learned that that was not the case,” they say. “Everything that I relayed to HR was then relayed to my manager, so it was not a safe space. It felt as if they were acting in the interest of one person instead of the interests of the greater whole.” The employee found another job, and when they had their exit interview, they said they didn’t feel comfortable being honest about their experience; Granet-Bederman showed up to the final meeting with HR, which doesn’t usually happen during an employee’s exit interview with human resources. “It felt as if it was an intimidation tactic,” they said. “And I did not feel as if I could voice my experience about my time on the show because everything would just go back to Jamie [Granet-Bederman].” For a third former employee, it was upsetting and confusing to get fired without receiving any reason, especially since they were a longtime employee who had come over to The Tonight Show after spending years working for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. The employee says they were never given any warnings or negative feedback about their work, and were blindsided by the firing. “I ended up talking to the HR person later on the phone, and she was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like this.’ She was like, ‘I don’t know why you’re being let go. You didn’t do anything wrong.… I’ve never seen somebody get fired for no reason,’” the former staffer says. THE TONIGHT SHOW went dark in early May when the writers’ strike began. (The show, which employs members of the Writers Guild of America, would have otherwise gone on summer hiatus later that month.) After NBC and Fallon himself reportedly paid staffers’ salaries for three weeks in the midst of the strike, employees were then put on an unpaid leave of absence. Last week, Fallon and other late night television hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver launched a collaborative limited podcast series called Strike Force Five while the writers’ strike continues. Proceeds from the podcast will go toward the hosts’ staff members while they’re out of work due to the strike. While the Hollywood studios have recently met with the WGA negotiating committee and opened up talks again, it’s unclear how much longer the strike will continue. This leaves The Tonight Show and other late-night programs in limbo while they wait for both sides to reach a deal. In 2021, The Tonight Show, which is produced by Universal Television, Broadway Video, and Fallon’s production company Electric Hot Dog, was renewed by NBC until 2026. Even though there’s been a shift in leadership in the past year with Miller taking over in 2022, staffers say the show’s track record of a revolving door of showrunners as well as Fallon’s alleged behavior leave them pessimistic about what the future of The Tonight Show will look like. Employees say they want to see long-term changes in the work environment at The Tonight Show. They also say they want Fallon and NBC, who are well aware of The Tonight Show’s past issues, to be held accountable and take employees’ concerns seriously to change the environment for the better. “I love The Tonight Show, and I love comedy. I gave my heart and soul to that place. I want to see them succeed and do well, but for that to happen, there are major changes that need to take place, starting with Jimmy,” a former employee says. “They all need to dig their heads out of the sand and do something about the very obvious problems that we all know are happening.” UPDATE 12:33PM: This story has been updated to include Jerry Seinfeld’s comments. UPDATE 6:19PM: This story has been updated to include Fallon’s apology. pwn fucked around with this message at 12:02 on Sep 8, 2023 |
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Sep 8, 2023 12:00
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And the followup that won't get shared nearly as much. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/jimmy-fallon-apology-tonight-show-staff-rolling-stone-report-nbc-1234820399/ Jimmy Fallon Apologizes to ‘Tonight Show’ Staff After Rolling Stone Report “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends…I feel so bad I can't even tell you,” Fallon reportedly told his employees on an all-hands Zoom BY KRYSTIE LEE YANDOLI SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 Following an investigation by Rolling Stone into the workplace environment at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the talk show host and showrunner Chris Miller addressed employees in a Zoom call on Thursday evening. For a report published Thursday morning, Rolling Stone spoke with two current and 14 former staffers who said that Fallon’s erratic behavior — and the show’s ever-changing leadership teams — had fostered an unhealthy work environment. Some employees say their mental health was impacted by their alleged experiences and many employees say they made complaints to HR. Two employees who were in the meeting say Fallon apologized and he said he did not intend to “create that type of atmosphere for the show.” “It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad,” the employees say Fallon said. “Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends… I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.” According to the employees, who say the message from the talk show host “felt pretty earnest,” Fallon also acknowledged the amount of turnover The Tonight Show has had in regard to its showrunners. They say Fallon emphasized that current showrunner Chris Miller is “a great leader” and isn’t going anywhere. “I want the show to be fun, [it] should be inclusive to everybody,” Fallon said, according to the employees. “It should be the best show.” Representatives for Fallon and NBC did not immediately return requests for comment. A spokesperson for NBC defended the program in a statement, saying, “We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority,” the spokesperson said. “As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate. As is always the case, we encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behavior inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.” (Representatives for Fallon did not comment on the record.) Over the course of reporting this story, Rolling Stone contacted more than 80 Tonight Show employees, both past and present — including the program’s nine showrunners since 2014. While many of them praised Fallon’s immense talent and comedic gifts, not a single one agreed to speak on the record or had positive things to say about working on The Tonight Show. One NBC employee who does not work for The Tonight Show responded to Rolling Stone’s request for an interview. They declined to speak on the phone, saying they’re unavailable until next week, but in their email they said, “I love what I do and have been so honored to work with Jimmy since Day 1 of SNL followed by The Tonight Show! The Tonight Show! What a joyful adventure!!” After the publication of Rolling Stone’s story, an anonymous “current employee of the show” told People magazine that Fallon was “super communicative” and “a really, really positive guy.” Miller, who did not respond to Rolling Stone’s requests for comment on the original story about the environment behind the scenes of The Tonight Show, also emailed employees on Thursday morning. “I wanted to make you all aware of an online story that just hit on rollingstone.com that includes past allegations of inappropriate behavior at the show,” Miller wrote in the email. “While I know the reporter reached out to many of you before the piece ran, I don’t believe what’s written is reflective of the overall culture of our extraordinary team that I’m so lucky and proud to work with every day. The place described in the article is not the place I know. Still, it’s disappointing to see something published that does not capture the positive and inclusive environment I believe we have created together.” In the email, Miller also encouraged employees to raise any concerns they might have with him, their managers, or HR.
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Sep 8, 2023 12:14
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pwn posted:And the followup that won't get shared nearly as much. Given how well-sourced the Rolling Stone story was, you really don't need to be this passive-aggressive. Fallon being a dick has been an open secret all the way back to his SNL days; he's just protected from on high because Lorne adores him.
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Sep 8, 2023 12:58
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Yeah so like... I don't want to reflexively absolve Fallon of any responsibility here. But I also feel there's a difference between a truly toxic, broken human being who needs to be removed from leadership at all costs, and someone who is just not ready for it and collapses under the pressure. Unfortunately a lot of lives can be ruined either way. I just think it would be a mistake to put it all on him just because we know who he is, when there are a lot of other people in the leadership structure who are villains here as well.
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Sep 8, 2023 13:23
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Sir Lemming posted:Yeah so like... I don't want to reflexively absolve Fallon of any responsibility here. But I also feel there's a difference between a truly toxic, broken human being who needs to be removed from leadership at all costs, and someone who is just not ready for it and collapses under the pressure. Unfortunately a lot of lives can be ruined either way. I just think it would be a mistake to put it all on him just because we know who he is, when there are a lot of other people in the leadership structure who are villains here as well. I mean, NBC knew for years that Matt Lauer was a rapist (to the point that they installed a secret button under his desk so he could lock the office door without having to get up) and they still let him be the god king of NBC News until everything finally started to boil over. Looking the other way is, unfortunately, nothing new for NBC, even going back to the days of Jack Welch, who was an unholy monster.
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Sep 8, 2023 13:33
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I should also mention that that apology, unless we're missing some crucial part of it, sounds like weaksauce and is possibly more damning than the report itself. I hope for everyone's sake that he does better than that.
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Sep 8, 2023 14:55
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I feel like Jimmy Fallon is the definition of sunk cost fallacy.
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Sep 8, 2023 15:06
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pwn posted:And the followup that won't get shared nearly as much. Like, come on dude I know you’re the guy who’s whimsically nostalgic about late night talk shows. But this poo poo should not be afforded the same rose-tinted lenses.
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Sep 8, 2023 17:09
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Churning out daily episodes of content must make for a stressful workplace in any scenario. There's enough stories out there that I don't think Jon Stewart was exactly a gem to work for. but Fallon has had 9 loving years to create a non-toxic non-lovely workplace. nine! I'm sorry but "it wasn't him, it was HR or the showrunners or other senior leadership" is a steaming pile of bullshit. Part of your responsibility as the host is to hire decent management and protect your employees from abuse. Period. I've worked on political campaigns, hotbeds of abuse, and people use similar tired "well it's not the candidate's fault that organizers were abused/assaulted/harassed" rhetoric. Its bullshit there, its bullshit here, and we need to demand that people do better.
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Sep 8, 2023 22:58
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I get the feeling that Fallon isn’t much of a leader or manager because he’s never really needed to be in the same way most hosts of late night shows have been. Seth, Steven, Conan, even Kimmel all had experience running/producing shows prior to being hosts. Jimmy was never head writer of a room in the way those guys were (Fey was the head writer while he was at SNL and none of his attempts at film stardom were his babies) and it feels like Lorne has a heavier hand on Tonight than in the past, so he’s sort of just a figurehead.
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Sep 9, 2023 00:06
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DC Murderverse posted:I get the feeling that Fallon isn’t much of a leader or manager because he’s never really needed to be in the same way most hosts of late night shows have been. Seth, Steven, Conan, even Kimmel all had experience running/producing shows prior to being hosts. Jimmy was never head writer of a room in the way those guys were (Fey was the head writer while he was at SNL and none of his attempts at film stardom were his babies) and it feels like Lorne has a heavier hand on Tonight than in the past, so he’s sort of just a figurehead. Lorne never had any control over the Tonight Show before Fallon. It was Carson Productions during the Carson years, Big Dog which was Leno and the Conaco which is obviously Conan. When Fallon took over it became another Broadway Video production which NBC is not happy about.
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Sep 9, 2023 00:25
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Djarum posted:Lorne never had any control over the Tonight Show before Fallon. It was Carson Productions during the Carson years, Big Dog which was Leno and the Conaco which is obviously Conan. When Fallon took over it became another Broadway Video production which NBC is not happy about. Yeah, that’s what I meant but I worded it poorly. Carson, Leno, Conan, all had their own production companies but Fallon doesn’t (I mean now he does but it took a long rear end time) because it’s a Lorne thing. Late Night is also but Meyers was a head writer at SNL for forever and just generally seems like a very good boss by the standards of Hollywood
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Sep 9, 2023 01:20
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DC Murderverse posted:Yeah, that’s what I meant but I worded it poorly. Carson, Leno, Conan, all had their own production companies but Fallon doesn’t (I mean now he does but it took a long rear end time) because it’s a Lorne thing. Late Night is also but Meyers was a head writer at SNL for forever and just generally seems like a very good boss by the standards of Hollywood Late Night was originally a Carson Production when Letterman had it, towards the end I think Worldwide Pants were uncredited producers. With Conan Late Night was a Broadway Video production and continues to this day. Seth I hear is a pretty good boss. He is active with the writers and staff directly and is pretty hands on. Conan and Letterman both were as well and generally considered pretty good bosses though they all have their moments. Kimmel I don’t hear a ton about one way or another but most of his staff has been there since day one so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
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Sep 9, 2023 01:36
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On a more positive note, I'm happy to see everyone remembering how fun Conan's shows have been. Nothing cheers me up more than rewatching those few weeks where he was forced out but still had the show - and just lit NBC's money on fire again and again.
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Sep 9, 2023 03:16
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Narcissus1916 posted:On a more positive note, I'm happy to see everyone remembering how fun Conan's shows have been. Nothing cheers me up more than rewatching those few weeks where he was forced out but still had the show - and just lit NBC's money on fire again and again. I have Conan’s entire Tonight Show run and it starts off a little shaky. It is pretty obvious that he was trying to be what NBC wanted him to be instead of who he and the show was. About the time where they were starting to find the balance is when things went off the rails. Those last 3 weeks are incredible. Also if you can find Letterman during that time period he is on fire as well. He is brutal and ruthless on Jay and NBC, also strangely Carson Daly. What is funny about the entire situation is if NBC would have just had Jay gently caress off to do his car show on CNBC or whatever he would have been happy and fine. They likely still would have had Conan today and Fallon likely would have left for Seth.
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Sep 9, 2023 05:37
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DC Murderverse posted:Yeah, that’s what I meant but I worded it poorly. Carson, Leno, Conan, all had their own production companies but Fallon doesn’t (I mean now he does but it took a long rear end time) because it’s a Lorne thing. Late Night is also but Meyers was a head writer at SNL for forever and just generally seems like a very good boss by the standards of Hollywood As much as I don't like Leno, he was also a fairly successful stand up for years. Jimmy Fallon was the most bizarre pick because I don't find him particularly good at anything. He's not a good interviewer, not a good writer, as a comedy actor he is fine I guess. The only thing that only kinda works for Jimmy is his games but that can only take you so far.
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Sep 9, 2023 12:53
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Mooseontheloose posted:As much as I don't like Leno, he was also a fairly successful stand up for years. Jimmy Fallon was the most bizarre pick because I don't find him particularly good at anything. He's not a good interviewer, not a good writer, as a comedy actor he is fine I guess. The only thing that only kinda works for Jimmy is his games but that can only take you so far. I dunno either, but I mean there's successful stand up's who arn't that fun but are safe and good at talking themselves in to jobs. I assume that was Leno? I think that's what the networks saw in Fallon and Cordan. Very, safe light entertainment that old people well except to put on in the background or something. Complete garbage sitcoms that repeat like three jokes are often really successful as their safe and you know exactly what you're going to get. That's Cordan and Fallon I think. Not the biggest fan of Kimmel, but he does seem like he takes more chances at least.
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Sep 9, 2023 13:10
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Leno was a lot more aggressive as a stand up, made his bones kind of being an "attack dog" style comic with a "bitter bitchy rear end in a top hat" vibe.
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Sep 9, 2023 19:25
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the only thing fallon did good on the tonight show was have joan rivers on and hiring the roots as his house band such a goddamn waste to have musicians of that caliber on the show but im glad they got exposure and recognition
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Sep 9, 2023 20:53
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Nostalgia4Butts posted:the only thing fallon did good on the tonight show was have joan rivers on and hiring the roots as his house band Well he had the Roots when he was still on Late Night. He effectively changed nothing about the show when he moved to the Tonight Show which was the problem with both. At 12:30 he had no edge or grit despite having all of this hip stuff around him. At 11:30 it is too hip for the crowd that they are desperate to get for viewers with him being so safe and bland. It pleases no one.
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Sep 9, 2023 21:29
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