"As long as they're funny" part II: an apology to Ms. Chelsea Handler

Today Ms. Chelsea Handler wrote a post on the Huffington Post Entertainment Section. It seems that in the wake of my first "As long as they're funny" there seems to be a flurry of writing about late night TV.

FULL DISCLOSURE: the plethora of late night TV related writing has nothing to do with my post. Only in my head did my post spark a late night TV writing craze. In actuality, this all steams from Mr. Fallon's first week as host of The Tonight Show. [which AV Club gave a "C" - calling it an "emperor's new clothes" show].

I quickly want to re-visit two topics I glossed over in my first "As long as they're funny"; 1) the youth viewership & 2) Ms. Chelsea Handler.

It may have seemed that Mr. O'Brien, whom I cast as suffering alone in TBS oblivion, was failing in all regards. He is not failing, simply put, his show is funny, day in and day. It is a joy to watch his relationship with Mr. Richter and the ease that these two men work together. Mr. O'Brien's bits and interactions with guest are refreshing to watch as well. And although he does not have the same viral effect that Mr. Fallon has I did touch upon Mr. O'Brien's presence on social media. Mr. O'Brien does do very well with the younger audience. Conan, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and yes...Chelsea Lately all do well among the under 35 demographic.

But mostly, I defer to Ms. Handler's own words:

"The particular paragraph I was mentioned in was about the competition Jimmy faces for younger viewers. Depending upon whose research you look at, I share the distinction of having the youngest average viewership with Colbert, The Daily Show and Conan. So from a purely statistical standpoint how, in this paragraph, could I only be mentioned as an aside? Was it because I'm a woman?"

Let me state, I failed in my first "As long as they're funny." I know of Ms. Handler's show. I have seen Ms. Handler's show. I now several friends who fave about her books. And yet, in a post about how women should be more included I left out Ms. Handler. I did not even include her in a parenthetical sense. As I typed my [4 1/2 page! wtf] blog I know I was taking a chance by not including her. I was running long with my words and felt that by bringing up Ms. Handler I would dive further into my point about women in late night, but using the one woman who is on late night as being on E! rather than any higher viewed or power network. I did not want to use Ms. Handler to make my point. She is not a prop in my argument. She is a wonderfully funny & talented woman. So I made an editorial choice and left her out.

Ms. Handler, I am sorry.

I should have made a stronger case. As I continue to form my thesis of late night TV and continue to touch up on this topic that I enjoy, I will be sure to expand my argument with an inclusion of an "As long as they're funny" Chelsea Handler edition.

And you are right Ms. Handler, no one puts baby in parenthesis. But NBCUniversal Cable sure did hide baby on E! [which is owned by NBCUniversal Cable - where I wonder did the executives even give Ms. Handler the courtesy of putting her in a parenthesis in their Tonight Show transition Memo?].