Top 10 Greatest American Talk Show Hosts Part 2: 5-1
- netrom88
- Oct 4, 2016
- 6 min read
The top five American talk show hosts ever are as follows:
5: Arsenio Hall
The Arsenio Hall Show did not have the longevity of other shows, but it made up for it in social contributions. The host, Arsenio Hall, might be best known for his acting in movies with Eddie Murphy, such as “Coming to America” and “Harlem Nights”, but it is what he did with his talk show that means the most to people today.
Beginning in the late 1980's, the Arsenio Hall Show was the place for new, black artists to get some attention. Acts like Snoop Dogg, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, and others, who might not get many opportunities to be on the Tonight Show or the Late Show, were given TV time by Arsenio Hall. It is fair to say that they would have never gotten as big as they did had they not visited the Arsenio Hall Show.
Arsenio Hall is not on this list because of his great hosting skills. He didn't have the most charisma. He didn't tell the funniest jokes. But he did have a great mind for what to put on TV. Especially when it came to highlighting elements of black, American culture. His efforts to put the spotlight on artists who, if not receiving this attention, most likely would have ended up in street gangs, enriched and enhanced our culture, and also our lives.
Arsenio Hall gave those who normally wouldn't have one a voice. We all owe him a great deal of gratitude for that, and that is also why he is where he is on this list.
4: Johnny Carson
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrreeeeeeeeee's Johnny!
Probably the guy who made it possible for us to even think about ranking talk show hosts. Johnny Carson is like the foundation of it all. By hosting the Tonight Show through decades, he made talk shows something that's a part of people's lives. Like dinner.
Carson was not the first to host the Tonight Show, but he is the most important and influential host it has ever had. He is the one who put almost every great comedian of the last 30 years on the map. Eddie Murphy, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld. The list goes on and on.
While Carson hosted the Tonight Show, the greatest thing a comedian could achieve was to get on the show. If they got the stamp of approval from Carson, their career was pretty much made from that point on. He was the one who shaped American entertainment since the days of him hosting the show, up until now. He's the blueprint of what a late night talk show host is supposed to be, and while those who've succeeded him tried their very best, none of them have been able to become a part of the average American life like Carson did.
You can still see the influence Johnny Carson had on the entertainment world today. The biggest comedians of today were inspired by the comedians Carson approved yesterday. The late night talk show hosts of today were all inspired by the ones who were inspired by Carson. Stephen Colbert, Seth Myers, and the Jimmys. They are all doing the same things Carson and his followers did.
Johnny Carson showed everyone what it means to be a talk show host. He set the standard, and people are still trying to reach it today. There is no doubt that he belongs on this list, and while some might say that he should be higher, or maybe even at the very top, there are good reasons why he is not. There are others who have surpassed him in certain areas, but Johnny Carson is, and will most likely remain as the measuring stick every other talk show host is judged by.
3: Oprah Winfrey
Once upon a time Oprah was called “most influential woman in the world.” She was like everybody's psychologist. If you were having problems in your life, chances were that Oprah would discuss them on her show. The guests cried. The viewers cried. Oprah cried. Everybody cried, and by doing so the weight on people was lifted. Oprah made you feel good.
But it wasn't all just sadness and crying. There were also happy moments. Crazy moments. Fun moments. Remember when Oprah gave every member of her studio audience a car? Or when Tom Cruise was literally crazy in love?
Oprah's showed everything. It showed the bad and it showed the good. And it did it in such a brilliant way because Oprah had gone through it all herself. She grew up in tough conditions, but she followed her dreams, and made it to the very top. That was the message the show projected onto its audience, and it felt so real because it was so real.
Oprah spent decades searching for solutions, listening to people opening up, and opening up to people herself. By doing so, she had such an impact on the lives of other people that few others can match it. She truly was “the most influential woman in the world,” and she truly deserves a top 3 spot on this list.
2: Jon Stewart
He believes that Bruce Springsteen is the love child of Bob Dylan and James Brown. He is completely obsessed with Fox News. Those claims are probably false, but they were uttered by Jon Stewart himself. But what is true, however, is that Jon Stewart one of the absolute smartest and funniest people on this list, and that is high praise in this company. But is that enough to land him a spot as the second greatest American talk show host of all time? Let's see if it's justified.
When Jon Stewart took over the Daily Show he was not content with being a simple entertainment show. In the spirit of comedians such a George Carlin, Stewart wanted his funny material to have a serious agenda. While ridiculing a certain piece of legislation is hilarious, the point is often not a laughing matter. Because it affects real lives.
That's where Stewart does his best work. When he put his focus on a topic, that topic was important again. Take the one about making sure the first responders to 9/11 were taken care of. The politicians neglected it, and refused to get it done. But when Stewart pointed out how insane that was, the bill was back in the spotlight, and the politicians made it happen. Senators have even said that Stewart had the power to force something like that through. Not only because people listen to him and agree with him, but also because his arguments are sound.
And while some might say that Stewart was an apologist for the left side of American politics, that's not completely accurate. Stewart wasn't afraid of going after those on the left as soon as he saw anything resembling hypocrisy or insincerity. That's also what made him so good. He wasn't a fan of certain politicians or a certain political party. He was either for or against the ideas. That is something that is sorely lacking in American politics today.
Jon Stewart is second on this list because of his contributions to humanity. It's as simple as that. He used his platform to call out bullshit when he smelled it. He used it to change policy. He used it to make a difference. And it wasn't for himself. It was for the ones who truly needed it. He probably should have been at the top of this list, but he is not.
Here's why:
1: David Letterman
Awkward. Goofy. Sarcastic. Sharp. All these words can be used to describe David Letterman. He was the true heir to Johnny Carson. He just had that aura. He was a normal, funny guy, but also a guy that was able to intimidate even the biggest superstar.
He was the weather man who everybody wanted to impress. Artists who had achieved everything they could dream of within their profession sought the approval of David Letterman. But it was hard to get. Letterman was not afraid to ridicule or embarrass his guests. Some times he would even bash guests that didn't show up.
This is the man who inspired pretty much every other person on this list. He is the main reason why some of them do what they do. Like Johnny Carson was the foundation on which yesterdays late night talk show hosts built their churches on, David Letterman is the foundation on which the hosts of today are building their houses of worship. Carson is Newton. Letterman is Einstein. And that is why he is number one on this list.
There might be a day when someone will surpass Letterman as the greatest American talk show host ever, but no one can know when that day will come. It probably won't for a very long time. Letterman is retired. Many were sad to see him go. But for America, as said by every living President of the Unites States, a long, national nightmare is over.
And so is this list. While there might be some names who should have been on here, it doesn't really matter. Maybe Howard Stern should be on there. Or what about Zach Galifianakis? “Between two Ferns” is a heck of a show. But I thought the names on this list deserved to be there. And that's what it all comes down to. Personal preference. If you don't like it then you should make a list yourself. I would love to see it.
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