Why Donald Trump is Great News for Late-Night Comedy

If you are a fan of late-night comedy like me, then you probably were delighted to learn of John Oliver�s triumphant return to HBO last Sunday. His return was largely anticipated and after watching I would say that it lived up to the hype. This episode of Last Week Tonight was the first to air since before Donald Trump became president. Needless to say, the majority of the show was based upon Mr. Trump and rightfully so.

            The Trump phenomenon has been a home-run for the late-night comedy industry and has given hosts ample amounts of subject material. With his eccentric, controversial, and bizarre personality and actions, many of these shows were quick to cash in and ride the tsunami of sheer ridiculousness that Trump possesses. Trump was an unexpected blessing that the industry needed to stay relevant.

            During the Obama years, late-night comedy faced an identity crisis. Since almost all of these shows are left-leaning there wasn�t much to make fun of Obama for without alienating their viewers. These viewers really had no need for comic relief when it came to the political scene because their candidate had won and all was well. The shows that had thrived during the Bush era, because they provided comic relief like a lantern in the night, saw a decline in ratings. And while these shows were still hilarious and covered important topics, the stakes were not as high and so viewers didn�t depend on their content to keep them going. Shows like The Colbert Report, which were produced to take advantage of the Bush situation and used sarcasm to refute conservative arguments, went extinct during Obama�s presidency.

            However, with the rise of Trump, a phenomenon exponentially more controversial and ever-developing than Bush, late-night comedy has bounced back. The hours of content that Trump has provided to these shows is an Easter egg of jokes and material that couldn�t have come at a better time for the industry. Shows like Full Frontal with Samantha Bee came into existence because of Trump. So in a way, President Trump was really good for jobs. He single-handedly saved the late-night comedy industry without having to spend a single cent of tax payer money.

            Ironically, I am slightly thankful that we have Mr. Trump as our President. Not because of his policies or his actions, but because I will be laughing a lot in these next four years. One thing is certain in this world of uncertainty, there is going to be some great comedy while Donald Trump is our president.