Roy Wood, Jr. once worked as a radio journalist. Now, he twists the news to fit a progressive agenda.
Wood, 44, has served as a “Daily Show” correspondent for eight years, a far-Left platform made famous by Jon Stewart. Wood recently announced he’s leaving “The Daily Show” to pursue other projects, in part because Comedy Central wouldn’t commit to him becoming the program’s new host.
Wood seems at peace with the decision, in part because late-night TV as we know it may not be around much longer.
Comedians Bill Maher and Jim Gaffigan suggested just that earlier this year. Now, it’s Wood’s turn to state the obvious, this time to Variety.
“I do not believe late-night as we know it will be the way we continue .. budgets are changing, and we are going into the age of some people, demographically, who did not necessarily always grow up with late night. So how do you engage those people and bring those people to the art form?”
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He doubled down on his thinking to Rolling Stone, suggesting podcasters and comedians alike are already competing with late-night institutions such as Stephen Colbert.
The thing that’s dangerous for late night is that the cheaper they’re going to make late night, the more affordable you’re making it for regular people to compete in the space.
That’s already happening.
Comedians like Ryan Long, Tyler Fischer and Michael Loftus already crank out slick, funny videos that intersect with the latest news headlines.
Comedy Central continues to audition possible replacements for the low-rated Trevor Noah, who took over Stewart’s seat in 2015 but left the gig last year. It won’t be Wood nor Hasan Minhaj, the comedian reportedly at the top of the channel’s list until a New Yorker investigation found out Minhaj has a habit of making up harrowing stories out of whole cloth to promote a victimhood agenda.
The progressive Wood doesn’t think the expose should have crushed his colleague’s chances at the gig. Nor is he done attempting to change hearts and minds with his comedy. He’s just not sure the late-night format is the best way going forward.
More consumers watch late-night YouTube clips rather than experience the show live. Others turn to rebel comics like Ryan Long and Tim Dillon for the satirical comedy fix.
Wood still has warm feelings for late-night’s hard-left racket, adding the satirical heavy lifting is significant. In fact, he compared being a late-night contributor on “The Daily Show” to serving one’s country in the Variety piece.
“No one wants to be the show that has to talk about the tough times,” Wood says, “Everybody wants to be the show that counterprograms tough times.” At “Daily, “he adds, “we are more like the Marines. We are running in head first into some of this s***.”
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