As The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon remains on pause along with other late-night programs due to the WGA writers strike, the titular host has been making headlines. It was nearly a week ago that Fallon was accused of contributing to a toxic work environment on the set of his show. He’s reportedly apologized to his staff since the allegations surfaced and, amid the backlash, some have stepped forward to defend him. Ahead of the controversy, Fallon, Stephen Colbert and other hosts teamed up for a strike-era podcast. And ironically, it was on the same day the exposé dropped that Colbert discussed how the episodes are meant to help staffers.
The two media personalities – along with Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver – are currently participating in Strike Force Five. It’s a podcast series in which the quintet of TV presenters discuss their experiences during the ongoing Hollywood strikes. As explained by Stephen Colbert last week, the series was actually Kimmel’s brainchild. The notion of hearing these TV vets discuss their experiences is intriguing, but what’s particularly awesome about this endeavor is that it’s done to support writers who are currently on strike. While discussing that very fact on the very same day his co-host was hit with accusations, Colbert said the following:
All of us have a staff who are out of work during the WGA strike, a strike that we all support. We hope it ends by the time I finish this sentence. But until it ends, we've got a lot of people we work with, we've worked with them for many years, and we know that they needed help.
It’s admittedly very admirable that the five media pundits assembled for a worthy cause such as this. At this time, a number of writers (and actors) find themselves in tough positions due to the current professional climate. The Late Show host’s comments seem to suggest that he and his cohorts want to lend a hand to their colleagues and others during this time. And simultaneously, they’re hoping agreements are made between both the WGA (Writers Guild of America) and the studios so that work can begin again as usual.
You can’t help but wonder what the energy at The Tonight Show will look like when work finally picks up again. Staffers accused Jimmy Fallon of lashing out at co-workers when under pressure and alleged that those remarks combined with other work stresses caused their mental health to deteriorate. Kimmel reportedly addressed the claims while talking to his staff during a Zoom meeting, and he apologized for putting so much attention on his staff and their loved ones.
But as mentioned, some have countered those assertions, saying that they do not accurately portray the host or the workplace. The SNL alum received praise from an unnamed producer, who’s worked with him “on a daily basis.” The Tonight Show staffer also talked about delivering bad news to the host. On that matter, they said that while the comic can apparently “stick to his guns” at times, he’s an “empathetic” person who “hears other people’s opinions.” Additionally, Jerry Seinfeld defended him by refuting a story about the host allegedly deriding a staffer.
Though he’s since lent his support to the writers, Jimmy Fallon was called out, with an employee claiming he wasn’t providing active assistance to staffers who were out of work. The claims should be taken seriously, though much of the buzz surrounding Fallon, is up for speculation. What appears to be evident right now, though, is that like Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and co., Fallon is looking to assist his writers and more through their podcast.
Strike Force Five is available to check out using Spotify, the NPR App and other podcast providers.
