Part 2/6:
In a culture where humor once served as a unifying force, late night television has devolved into what many perceive as partisan fare. The expectation for late-night hosts to critique the powerful has been replaced by scripted, safe comedy that is more focused on ideological branding than on genuine entertainment. Letterman’s reluctance to read the flat jokes written for Fallon during their skit sharply underscored this reality; it posed as a flippant acknowledgment that much of what passes for comedy today simply isn’t funny.