The Queens of Prop Comedy Won Late Night This Week

by

Viewers really reacted strongly this week during late-night shows, particularly to John Oliver’s segment on AI chatbots on Last Week Tonight. The audience was incredibly engaged, making excited noises and showing their approval—it was reminiscent of a classic Moesha episode, like when Myles brings something unexpected home and his parents mistakenly blame Moesha. Oliver’s clear outrage about the topic seemed to fuel the reaction. He was visibly furious about the tech companies’ dismissive attitude toward users experiencing suicidal thoughts.

This week brought a couple of particularly strange audience reactions. Someone randomly shouted during Gaten Matarazzo’s appearance on The Daily Show after he stated food should be edible, and incredibly, someone cheered for the Axis powers during WWII while Francesco De Carlo performed stand-up on The Tonight Show, which clearly surprised him. The main takeaway? Please think carefully before shouting out – you could end up supporting a very harmful ideology.

5.
Jimmy Kimmel’s Pillow Palace

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jYJRgh5xVTw?si=G5CC4dhv7iAAg8tG

Jimmy Kimmel is once again in the spotlight, this time as the target of the Trump administration’s attempts to silence criticism. It’s a position he doesn’t seem to enjoy – he’d rather just tell jokes than be a political figure. Luckily, his wife, Molly McNearney, a talented producer, realized the importance of documenting his reaction when he learned the president was calling for his job. She filmed him waking up to the news, and the resulting video was funny because Kimmel seemed so unfazed by Trump’s complaints – and because he sleeps with a ridiculously large pile of pillows! It’s almost a surprise he can breathe.

4.
Jimmy Fallon Blows the Budget on Puppies

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=NqoGxhTV-VU

The producers of The Tonight Show clearly aren’t afraid to spend big. Recent episodes have featured elaborate musical performances by artists like Diljit Dosanjh, a skilled contortionist archer, and an endless stream of adorable puppies. In a fun segment to help viewers pick a Kentucky Derby winner, Jimmy Fallon had puppies – each representing a horse – race for dog food. It’s a much more appealing, heartwarming, and responsible way to engage with the event than CNN’s partnership with Kalshi. The smart money? Put it on The Puma.

3.
WWHL Gets Involved With the Mauryssaince

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=g656mrG50NE

After recently appearing on the Adam Friedland Show, veteran broadcaster Maury Povich made a surprise visit to the Bravo Clubhouse. He stopped by to see his former employee, Pinky Cole from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and naturally, read from cue cards. Cole and Rulla Nehme Pontarelli from The Real Housewives of Rhode Island joined him for a game where they shared details about their lives. Povich seemed to be really enjoying himself, and his energy was contagious.

2.
Hero Dog Triumph Becomes the News

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=SNyWd4h9WYM

Triumph, the insult comic dog created by Robert Smigel, was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner when things got chaotic. Like the other journalists there, Triumph reported on the events as they unfolded, though mostly through silly jokes. While his red-carpet interviews were fun, the funniest moment was a playful struggle with Jon Stewart over who got to control a segment on Monday. Triumph’s comically oversized paw is always hilarious, especially when he uses it to playfully silence Stewart.

1.
Let the Girls Do Bits

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vowR2lJtlGI?si=7y8xYuuPCtTlShPb
https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=ikpl_QCIsKQ

Okay, so Seth Meyers had two amazing guests this week – Ayo Edebiri and Lena Dunham. Both appearances were just so fun and breezy! But what struck me was how both Ayo and Lena totally leaned into prop comedy, and Seth was smart enough to let them have their moment. Ayo needed a Shirley Temple to match her outfit – Seth even joked about showcasing exciting looks! – and Lena did this long, drawn-out book signing at the end. It was brilliant! These two women were hilarious, and Seth gave them the space to really shine. Honestly, it was some of the best Late Night I’ve seen in ages.

Read More

2026-05-01 18:54