John Oliver Throws Major Shade at Jay Leno’s Comedy Advice: ‘Hard Pass’ originally appeared on Parade.
John Oliver threw some major shade at former late night host Jay Leno for his recent comments that seemed to be aimed at the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Leno said that he didn’t understand the need to “alienate half the audience” with political opinions, but Oliver didn’t agree.
“I’m going to take a hard pass on taking comedic advice from Jay Leno,” Oliver, 48, said during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Tuesday, August 5. “Who thinks that way? Executives? Comedy can’t be for everyone. It’s inherently subjective.”
Oliver, who got his start in American television on The Daily Show and now hosts Last Week Tonight, continued, “When you do stand-up, some people try to play to a broader audience, which is completely legitimate. Others decide not to, which is equally legitimate. I do not think it is a question of what you should do because comedy is not prescriptive in that way. It is just what people want.”
News of The Late Show’s cancellation came as a surprise to almost everyone, and several people speculated that Colbert’s opinions about the current administration might have gotten the show booted from CBS.
Leno, 75, weighed in during a July 22 interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, saying: “I like to think that people come to a comedy show to get away from the pressures of life. I love political humor — don’t get me wrong. But people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.”
He added, “I like to think that people come to a comedy show to get away from the pressures of life. I love political humour — don’t get me wrong. But people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other,” he explained. “Why shoot for just half an audience? Why not try to get the whole? I like to bring people into the big picture. I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group — or just don’t do it at all. I’m not saying you have to throw your support [on one side]. But just do what’s funny.”
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John Oliver Throws Major Shade at Jay Leno’s Comedy Advice: ‘Hard Pass’ first appeared on Parade on Aug 5, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
