Sure, there's a lot about the coronavirus that absolutely sucks but the silver lining I want to focus on is LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS.
Last week all the late-night hosts had to do at least one show without an audience. They're in their studio with nothing but their crew, a ton of empty chairs, and the jokes they really hope will still be funny even in the silence.
It was fascinating to watch how everyone handled it.
Stephen Colbert went BIG. Over the top. I love the man so much but it did not translate well. It was probably supposed to come across carefree and fun but it reads as desperate. To be fair, Colbert does have a massive theatre (the biggest in late-night) that he's all alone in. I bet it would be really hard to play it small.
Seth Meyers didn't even have to do a full episode. He put out a Closer Look (one of his most popular segments). A lot of the jokes don't land but it feels like Meyers is genuinely having a good time making fun of himself bombing.
Jimmy Fallon handles it the best, but that's because he doesn't have to do it alone. He has a sidekick and a band to play off of. He doesn't go big. He stays small and goofs around. It's loose. It feels natural.
One of my favorite periods in late night was the writers strike in 2007. All the shows had to go on the air without their writers. What on earth would they do? Well, for the most part, they just WASTED TIME.
Conan O'Brien was the best at it. During the writers strike he had an ongoing bit where he tried to see how long he could spin his wedding ring on his desk. Yup. That's it. That was the whole bit. And it's genuinely fun.
Recently I've started thinking more and more about the importance of restrictions and limitations in art. If you place rules or boundaries for what you allow yourself to do as an artist, you're likely to find new and creative ways to thrive within the boundaries. That's what Conan did. And if the coronavirus rages on, I hope that's what entertainers and artists will do with social distancing.
If you’re an artist living in America during the time of social distancing, maybe this weird new unexpected restriction is exactly what you need to fan the flame of your creativity. Look on the bright side. And wash your hands.