A recent study by the Media Research Center has unveiled a staggering bias in top late-night television shows against conservatives. In 2023, a whopping 81% of political jokes were aimed at right-leaning figures and ideologies. The analysis covered an extensive 9,518 jokes from popular shows like ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, and The Late Late Show with James Corden.
81% of late night "jokes" in 2023 targeted conservatives
This isn't late night comedy, it's after hours propagandapic.twitter.com/tmN4sacH8f
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) January 5, 2024
Diving deeper, the study found Jimmy Kimmel Live to be the most biased, with 88% of its 2,215 political jokes targeting conservatives. Kimmel notably roasted former President Donald Trump 762 times, while current President Joe Biden was the butt of just 164 jokes. The disparity continued with Vice President Harris being mocked only once, starkly contrasted with the 101 jokes aimed at Trump’s three oldest children. Hunter Biden was only targeted nine times.
Stephen Colbert’s show followed closely, targeting conservatives in 86% of its jokes. Meanwhile, Jimmy Fallon’s NBC show presented a slightly more balanced approach, with 66% of jokes directed at conservatives. Fallon’s show was noted for its more even distribution of targets across the political spectrum.
James Corden’s show, before its cancellation, was the least partisan, yet still saw a majority of jokes (54%) aimed at conservative figures.
This analysis highlights a significant imbalance in late-night comedy, raising questions about the role of these shows in shaping public perception and discourse.
