Taylor Swift Defends Jimmy Fallon For Being Apolitical

During her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Taylor Swift articulated perfectly why recent criticisms against the host are generally unwarranted. Swift primarily appeared to plug her new album after The Official Release Party of a Showgirl received critical acclaim in theaters. But her personal remarks about the host hit on a topic that’s been gaining traction.

Fallon’s been under increasing scrutiny as of late, particularly in the wake of backlash against Jimmy Kimmel’s cancelation. Fallon and Swift didn’t address politics directly during the interview, but there’s no doubt that her comments apply to his current public perception. And she made them on a night when Jimmy Fallon’s ratings were almost certainly boosted by her extended appearance.

Taylor Swift Praised Jimmy Fallon On The Tonight Show For Giving Guests A Fun Time

She Noted That His Silly Games Are Half His Appeal

A major point of discussion during Swift’s The Tonight Show appearance was the meaning behind The Life of a Showgirl and the album’s various songs, during which Fallon praised her for always putting extra effort into her work. Swift returned this admiration by commenting on Fallon’s sheer ability to make things fun, specifically for his celebrity guests and their fans:

“That’s why everybody loves to come see you. You do extra. You give us a buzzer. You play a game with us that has no rules. And you make this so fun for us to come and talk about the work we made that we worked so hard on and love. And you listen to it, and you, like, actually care about what we make. Everybody who comes on this show loves you. You got a lot of heart, kid. Keep going.”

She couldn’t have picked a better night to make this appraisal. Since taking over The Tonight Show, Fallon has always given his guests extra attention outside of their interviews by playing various games. But Swifties got to see their icon engage in a bit more levity than usual, with the interview changing format multiple times throughout Swift’s approximately 40-minute appearance.

Moreover, the selection of games helped to back up Swift’s assessment of Fallon as a host. While he may often play charades or lip-reading games (in which the first clue has recently often been “Labubu”), Fallon also uses his games as vehicles for trivia about his guests, allowing them to share details about their lives that fans would find intriguing.

For instance, the games Fallon played with Swift included a curiously lawless version of “Two Truths and a Lie,” followed by a game that revealed insights into how Swift celebrates new albums. If this all seems like good, wholesome fun to you, that’s simply because you’ve understood the assignment Fallon’s given his audience. Unfortunately, many other happy-go-lucky internet users disagree.

Jimmy Fallon’s Been Getting Backlash For Not Making The Tonight Show More Political

The Kimmel And Colbert Situations Didn’t Help

It’s a bit strange to see a late-night host criticized for being apolitical. This was never a complaint that Johnny Carson had to deal with, and many hosts with celebrity guests steer away from politics after the monologue. However, Fallon’s critics have become increasingly vocal as outcry against the Trump administration has reached a fever pitch (Fallon movie pun intended).

There have always been those who didn’t particularly love Fallon, finding his ability to laugh at anything more grating than contagious. But Fallon’s critics began to take a more hostile tone after Greg Gutfield appeared on The Tonight Show. Many assumed Fallon, rather than NBC, had invited the right-wing host and called Fallon gutless for not asking “the hard questions.”

Naturally, the man who became famous for breaking character on Saturday Night Live was not suddenly going to become Wolf Blitzer for an evening. However, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel’s cancelations intensified anti-Fallon sentiments even more. Fans accused Fallon of failing to stand up for his fellow late-night hosts, even after he called the FCC’s actions illegal in a monologue.

It’s true that Fallon didn’t say as much about those situations as other hosts. Jon Stewart’s reaction to Kimmel’s suspension was virtually unmatched. Nonetheless, Fallon did address the most important element of the issue, even if he did so briefly before moving on. And, given the nature of his show, it’s not actually reasonable to expect much more of him.

He’s Never Claimed His Show To Be That Deep

Swift was the perfect person to take Fallon’s side. The star is no stranger to criticism, from her relationships to Taylor Swift’s recent AI scandal over The Life of a Showgirl’s marketing. But, much like Swift, Fallon’s only goal has been to make content that all of his fans can enjoy. And that means making way for differing political views.

Fallon has stated this outright on multiple occasions, even after jokes in his monologues about subjects such as Trump voters garnered enough applause to suggest that the bulk of his audience leans toward the left side. This may explain why they care so much about him holding Trump to task, but that’s also not a dedicated requirement of his job.

When broken down to his core elements, Jimmy Fallon is essentially a daytime host in late-night clothing. Remove the suit in favor of more casual attire, dumb down the set, and replace the monologue with a spotlight on some charity or viral video, and The Tonight Show is essentially The Kelly Clarkson Show for people who work during the day.

Fallon uses his show to have fun with celebrities and spread his love of music, from pop stars like Taylor Swift to orchestral pianists like Lang Lang. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is a show for people who want to find the joy in anything. Given the current atmosphere, that hardly seems worthy of criticism.

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