Jay Leno addresses serious issues with humor

Peter Ustinov once said, “Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.”

Over the years, as Steven Colbert and Saturday Night Live have slowly influenced our political views, and as sitcoms have shown us what family life and happiness look like, it’s easy to see how much of our views are shaped by humor and media.

Luckily for those who hold to traditional world-views (like, say, not sleeping around with their staff), Jay Leno is back in primetime, and unafraid to call ‘em like he sees ‘em.

He created a hilarious commercial following the ACORN scandals, using the tag-line “We’ll help you get away with stuff” getting laughter and chagrined smiles from his audience.

Rather than assuming that Americans are oblivious to the corruption and scandal running rampant in our political system, he allows us in, giving us credit for our intelligence and our perception of the world.

He brought up the increasing corporate interests in D.C. this way: “A lot of Americans are saying that the healthcare and financial debates show that when push comes to shove, Republicans and Democrats always take the side of the corporations that give them the most money. We should make politicians dress like race car drivers — when they get money, make them wear the company logos on their suit.”

I could not agree more. I like Jay Leno, and I think that no matter what reviewers say, he has continued success waiting for him in primetime. More and more Americans want to return to the clear thinking and family values of years past, and Leno’s insightful humor and congenial honesty will help us get there. As the saying goes: “Many a true word is spoken in jest.”

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