Earlier on Thursday, Rolling Stone published allegations from two current and 14 former employees, including production crew and writers, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Rolling Stone claimed they had approached an additional 80 current and former employees, but “not a single one agreed to speak on the record or had positive things to say about working on the Tonight Show”.

According to Rolling Stone’s report, multiple sources alleged Fallon had a history of “outbursts” and lashing out at staff when under pressure; that previous senior staff on the show had bullied and belittled them; and that guests’ dressing rooms were commonly known as “cry rooms”, where employees could go let out their stress.

Nine showrunners have worked on the Tonight Show since Fallon took over from Jay Leno in 2014; a much faster turnover than comparable late night shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

  • @Fisk400@feddit.nu
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    12910 months ago

    They should have given it to Conan when they had the chance but they keep insisting on giving it to soulless narcissists like Leno and Fallon.

    • @cmbabul@lemmy.world
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      11010 months ago

      This, Conan has always been infinitely funnier, and he still has employees that followed him from the Late Night show that seem to love working with him

    • @PapaStevesy@midwest.social
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      5810 months ago

      They did give it to Conan, then they gave it back to Jay. Like everything else wrong in my life, I blame the boomers.

    • @Dkarma@lemmy.world
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      810 months ago

      Unpopular opinion: Conan SUCKS and is not funny. His personal antics are downright cringey middle school level drek.

      • @Fisk400@feddit.nu
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        3510 months ago

        Yeah, not everyone like all types of humor. By actually having a personality and a distinct sense of humor he opens himself up to not being liked.

        Unlike the charismatic black holes of Falcon and Leno that are just there and fills time until the inevitable heat death of the universe.

        • @theragu40@lemmy.world
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          1210 months ago

          At least Leno was an ok interviewer and (at least based on his post tonight shown life) seems not to be a dick.

          Fallon is SUCH a bad interviewer, it is incredibly grating.

    • @glimse@lemmy.world
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      6410 months ago

      I never understood how this unfunny douchebag got famous. Are people really fans of him or was having him TWO shows purely a studio decision? He was never funny on SNL.

      • Flying Squid
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        3710 months ago

        I thought maybe it was just me, maybe I wasn’t seeing something in ‘slow jam the news’ that was hilariously funny. But then he sucked up to Trump during the campaign in 2016 and I didn’t give a fuck any more. Fuck him.

        • @glimse@lemmy.world
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          2010 months ago

          Jimmy Fallon is all that awkwardness of Nathan Fielder minus the intent or semblence of humor. He is the most boring, lame host I have ever seen on a show like this and I find him painful to watch.

          • @TheFriar@lemm.ee
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            1610 months ago

            Hence his prime spot. That’s why he’s famous. He’s milquetoast, he’s lowest common denominator, he’s white bread, he’s Big Bang Theory, hes Two and a Half Men, he’s a laugh track, he’s Jay Leno.

            • @glimse@lemmy.world
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              1210 months ago

              I haven’t asked everyone I know or anything but I’ve yet to meet someone who I know likes Jimmy Fallon.

              I think he’s way, way, WAYYY worse than Leno, though. At least he leads a somewhat interesting life (albeit not interesting to me). Like I would be surprised to hear that Jimmy Fallon has any hobbies.

              • @TheFriar@lemm.ee
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                10 months ago

                I don’t know anyone who likes big bang theory. But it’s the most popular show (or at least it was at some point). But there are sort of…layers/circles in which different types of people remain. The “Big Bang Theory” types hang out together, talk on Facebook, still use Reddit and mainly just subscribe to r/aww and r/funny, they go out to eat at the olive garden after church…that type of thing. Then there are the non-BBT types, that find a suitable instance on Lemmy and discuss how it’s possible people like jimmy fallon lol

                • VinceUnderReview
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                  310 months ago

                  I know somebody who loves the big bang theory. Legitimately. Small town conservative guy. I don’t have much good to say about him.

          • VinceUnderReview
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            610 months ago

            I don’t disagree with anything you said, at all, but do feel the need to point out during all 3 you mentioned (Farley, Hartman and Hader) all had absolutely crazy good writers on SNL at the time as well, who were exceptional at using the talent offered. I think back to Hader doing Stefon and it was Mulany writing those, and always changing the script to make Hader break. Things like that.

        • Will Farrell funny either, though from what I’ve heard his success is largely in his ability to get people motivated, so you see a lot of good films with unfunny Farrells, where Farrell is the reason why it’s funny, but it’s not obvious because Farrell himself isn’t.

          I came to this conclusion too! always considered Will Farrell to be unfunny.

          But I think he has like a “funny aura boost”. Because when he’s in a movie, it feels like the whole staff is having a lot more fun and are looser. And that makes the whole film more enjoyable.

      • @chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        110 months ago

        Not sure, I’ve never watched him. I don’t really watch late shows that much lately, but I’ve enjoyed content from Last Week Tonight, Seth, Colbert, Jon Stewart when he was host of Daiky Show, and yes, Trevor Noah’s show roo (I’ve heard people lambasting him as being Neoliberal, which probably is true, but I liked how they had some angles based on black people. Same with Seth’s jokes Seth can’t tell for black and lesbian stuff). Of those I probably liked Last Week Tonight the most.

        The others can be charming sometimes even in ways that’s not inherently funny, but more like hamming it up (Colbert and Seth).

        I’ve never found a clip of Fallon that made me want to watch.

    • Flying Squid
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      1910 months ago

      Totally. I said the same thing when someone posted a thread about his behavior yesterday. I got a real asshole sense from him.

    • tider06
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      1710 months ago

      I’d start watching non-streaming TV again if Ferguson came back.

      • @spirinolas@lemmy.world
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        310 months ago

        Conan was awesome and I thought it couldn’t get any better. But then came Craig and he was in a league of his own. He reinvented the genre and nobody was able to copy him since.

        It was a privilege to have lived through and watch both of them in their prime.

      • Flying Squid
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        210 months ago

        I haven’t even seen him since he left his show. What is he even doing now? Just enjoying retirement? I mean he deserves it, but I miss him too.

    • @SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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      1110 months ago

      I think he’s said he never wanted the earlier time slot because the network would be too involved with the show.

      “Tonight Show with Craig Ferguson” would just be like what Tonight Show has been for many decades with just the few flourishes here and there that the network would allow Ferguson to do.

      With the 12:30 slot he could do whatever he wanted, the network didn’t care. Which is what made his show the best talk show of all time.

  • verysoft
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    6010 months ago

    Guy is fake af, never understood the appeal of him or his show.

    • GONADS125
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      2310 months ago

      Absolutely… And his obnoxious fake laughs are straight up nauseating…

  • @BedInspector@lemmy.world
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    5110 months ago

    I feel vindicated for strongly disliking him since SNL. Deuche bag ruined every single skit he was in. Absolute amateur laughing in every skit. Every time.

  • @the_q@lemmy.world
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    4210 months ago

    I’m to the point where I just assume if you’re a celebrity you’re probably a piece of shit.

      • @dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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        210 months ago

        It’s almost like living a life where you are mostly isolated from reality, have to be isolated from the public for logistics reasons, and only have contact with people whose entire existence is to make you happy turns you into an asshole. And most celebrities are people who actively sought out that lifestyle, which means they started out with an inclination towards being an asshole.

  • @rustyfish@lemmy.world
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    2910 months ago

    Fallon is one of the least funny people on the planet. I am not joking. His shit keeps getting brought up on my YouTube feed and it is just utter crap.

    The only time I had to laugh at something he was involved in, was when he made a crossover with John Oliver. Fallon obviously tried to advertise for Amazons Alexa, when Oliver suddenly asked Alexa about the working conditions in Amazon Warehouses. Fallon immediately shit himself.

  • @Cjwii@lemm.ee
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    2510 months ago

    Not trying to defend Jimmy Fallon, but is there a way to do a nightly television show for years on end that’s healthy?

    The constant demand to be fresh, funny, topical, appeal to advertisers, network execs and audience members. It’s fucking insane how anyone can do it at all.

    I’d imagine it takes it’s toll on even the most level headed good people.

    • @MiltownClowns@lemmy.world
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      5110 months ago

      Most of the story might be construed as nothing but the show runner turn over raised red flags for me. Conan had the same show runner, Jeff Ross, for decades. Fallon can’t keep a show runner for a year! On the Tonight Show! One of the most coveted show runner positions still left in Television. The fact that the most powerful people aside from fallon keep quietly leaving the show means to me that there is something rotten that they are all fleeing and keeping quite to protect their careers.

  • @lapbar@lemmy.world
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    2410 months ago

    This is hilarious if you’ve ever worked in Hollywood: An NBC spokesperson told the magazine: “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 behaviour inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.”

    • @dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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      2310 months ago

      report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly

      Which means they will fire that person and make sure they never work in the industry again. That sounds like a cliche you hear in movies, but if you know people who work in Hollywood you know that it’s a real thing.

    • @Saneless@lemmy.world
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      1010 months ago

      And we always tell them, you can be honest. Don’t worry, we won’t “retaliate”

      But why the quotes?

      Oh, just for emphasis that we absolutely will “not retaliate or fire you immediately and spread rumors about you”

  • @reddig33@lemmy.world
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    1810 months ago

    It’s suspicious that this has gone on for years, but the story is only being published now. Seems to have been common knowledge in Hollywood. Is it contract negotiation time? Did Fallon finally piss of the wrong person? Does NBC have someone already in mind to replace him?