It’s as clear as day– late night television has a major lack of diversity when it comes to its hosts. Every major cable news network has one thing in common when it comes to their late night talk show hosts: they’re white males. And in an age when diversity is becoming more and more important, these networks need to consider how they’re going to change with the times, too.
I don’t say this to knock the accomplishments of the past and present late night hosts. I love watching late night talk shows because the hosts and their writing staffs are so talented. They make audiences laugh in so many ways in segments like “Carpool Karaoke” from James Corden, “Midnight Confessions” from Stephen Colbert, “Mean Tweets” from Jimmy Kimmel, and “Thank You Notes” from Jimmy Fallon. Current Late Night hosts are a collection of some phenomenal talents that warm living rooms across the nation every night, and continue to fill newsfeeds in the morning. I absolutely enjoy the privilege of having these hosts entertain me, but I also see room for improvement.
Seth Meyers hosts “Late Night” on NBC
Why is diversity important in late night television? Why am I griping about all these white men doing their jobs very well? It’s for the same reason that diversity is important on television at all: the media needs to represent the people who absorb it. That includes women, minorities, and yes, white men, too. Diverse voices bring diverse opinions, ideas, and experiences, and these things benefit all of us in the long-run. On a deeper level, diversity helps people feel their worth by seeing someone who looks like them in a coveted position, like a late night host.
James Corden interviews Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks on “The Late Late Show”
If you think about it, late night talk show hosts play an intimate role in our lives. They react to the news, like we do. They let us in on conversations with our favorite celebrities. Some of us may watch their clips in the morning during breakfast, or throughout the day while we take a break from work. Most importantly, they are some of the last voices we hear before we go to bed. Late night hosts have a unique job to do, and they should reflect the people in whose lives they take part.
Some recent strides have been taken to increase diversity in late night hosts. Trevor Noah signed on as the new host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” in 2015, Larry Wilmore hosted “The Nightly Show” (before the show was cancelled in 2016), and Samantha Bee started hosting “Full Frontal” in 2016 on TBS. However, these shows are different from traditional late night talk shows because they use comedy to report on the news rather than chat with celebrities. Major cable news outlets like ABC, NBC, and CBS with classic talk shows like “The Tonight Show” have yet to take such steps to increase their late night diversity.
Trevor Noah sits behind the anchor desk on “The Daily Show”
One thing’s for sure, increased diversity on late night television would benefit us all, and this kind of change is not out of reach. Who knows what untapped comedic potential is out there? Why don’t we give it a chance and find out.