Paul Anka’s Well-Worn Material Won Late Night This Week

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Last week, most late-night hosts were off, except for Seth Meyers. Late Night typically produces a lot of content upfront and then takes a break, meaning we rarely get coverage of the Meyers family’s Thanksgiving tradition. This year, Seth had his whole family – his parents, brother, and kids – on the show. (Okay, only one of them is technically a “lobby baby,” but I’m not going to bother learning everyone’s names!) It was adorable watching them react to being on TV. And whenever Hilary Meyers appears, it’s always a highlight – her “Day Drinking” segments are still fantastic.

Jimmy Kimmel had some interesting news on his show this week! He revealed he’s the third most-Googled person of the year, though he joked it’s not a great achievement considering the top two are singer D4vd, who is also a murder suspect, and Kendrick Lamar, who Kimmel said “dominated Drake” during the Super Bowl halftime show. Kimmel was also surprised to have ranked higher in searches than Diddy, but the explanation is simple: Diddy has used so many different stage names that it’s hard for people to find him online, making him appear less prominent in search results. Kimmel then thanked Donald Trump, his biggest fan, for keeping him in the headlines, anticipating a response on Trump’s social media platform. Here’s a look at the best late-night moments from the past week.

5.
Michael Kosta’s Andrew Dice Clay Impression

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=bcNsXjsHPKQ

The Daily Show’s regular segment, “Ko$ta Doing Business,” is usually pretty funny, but this recent version was especially good. Michael Kosta’s over-the-top, energetic performance – reminiscent of Andrew Dice Clay, with lots of shouting and exaggerated movements – really captured the slightly unhinged feeling many people have around the holidays, when financial and emotional stress is high. If you’re skipping your office Christmas party, this segment offers a quick, relatable glimpse of coworkers letting their guard down in ways you might not forget.

4.
Busy and Henry Have a Nice-Off

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=oarvSAQRglM

On the podcast Busy This Week, Busy Philipps and Henry Winkler, known as the “Nicest Guy in Hollywood,” playfully competed to see who could say the most positive things about Bryce Dallas Howard. Howard has appeared on the show before and is also Winkler’s goddaughter. They praised everything from her wonderful children and parenting to her delightful husband, who was a memorable character on the show Fringe. The lighthearted praise took a funny turn when Philipps revealed that Howard had never watched an episode of her father and godfather’s famous show, Happy Days. Winkler jokingly responded with mock outrage, declaring, “She’s dead to me. I don’t even know her name!” It’s all part of the fun of show business, apparently.

3.
“3 Labubus Doing the 6-7 at a McDonald’s Drive-thru”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=swL5xgUTpX0?si=cOtcK08dVXNayLiC

A recent clip from Jimmy Fallon’s “What’s Behind Me?” segment on The Tonight Show went viral, and people had strong reactions. Some joked that seeing three Labubu characters at a McDonald’s drive-through meant the world must have ended years ago, or that it was a sign of a bizarre cultural moment, or even a strange place to reveal a new haircut. But the truth was much simpler: the show was just making good use of its props budget. This segment isn’t even the most outlandish thing The Tonight Show has staged. It’s always fun because it feels like the writers are pushing the limits of creativity, and then the props team has to figure out how to make it happen. The cost of the rotating platform and multiple Labubu costumes means money is definitely being spent. The celebrity guessing game is secondary to the wild scenes the extras perform. Ultimately, what we’re seeing is a display of production spending.

2.
Rachel Maddow Makes Stephen Colbert a Manhattan

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=WhCO6Aqs0RA

It’s amazing to watch this professional bartender make a Manhattan while carrying on a conversation with Stephen Colbert! She effortlessly explains a pointless rebrand while perfectly mixing the drink. And it’s great that The Late Show understands a Manhattan is best made with rye whiskey, not bourbon – that’s sophisticated television. When Colbert is gone, we’ll be losing a genuinely classy presence in late night. We need that kind of dignity to offset the more chaotic and absurd stuff happening elsewhere – it’s all about balance, like a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, such as The Garden of Earthly Delights.

1.
Paul Anka’s Still Got It

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=pUeRNhMCq3M

Paul Anka didn’t just appear as a guest on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show – he actually wrote the iconic theme song! Interestingly, Carson was a guest on Anka’s show before he became the host of The Tonight Show. When Carson needed a new theme song, he chose Anka, the man who had given him an early job and a writing credit on the song itself, guaranteeing Anka ongoing royalties for years to come. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel brought all of this up when Anka was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday night. Anka had plenty of stories and jokes to share – many of them classic bits he likely performed in Las Vegas in the 1960s, written by comedians who are no longer with us. And surprisingly, the jokes still landed! Hearing Anka tell jokes about topics like breasts and PMS – which were considered daring in a 1973 Vegas lounge but are much more accepted now – was genuinely delightful.

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2025-12-05 19:56