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Writers Bloc presents Jon Macks & Bob Shrum: Late-Night Comedy and Its Clout

Late-Night Telvision: Monologue- What Makes America Laugh Before Bed

Jon Macks is as funny as a Jay Leno monologue. That's because he wrote them. But what Mack makes us consider is the staggering influence of late-night tv. Late-night comedians can turn a news nugget into an avatar. Something in the news that clearly might have slid past public consumption a few decades ago will be pounced on by any or all late-night comedians, hosts included. Late-night television not only comments on the news, but it can give something or someone enormous importance in terms of public opinion and imagination. Late-night hosts make sure that what they think is good material stays good material. From figures in pop culture to presidential candidates and presidents themselves, late-night television arguably wields more clout in the sphere of public opinion than just about any other medium. Remember Candidate Clinton playing the sax on Arsenio? If you missed the show, you saw the clips a thousand times. Jon Macks' new book, Monologue: What Makes America Laugh...Before Bed, speaks truth to humor in the funniest way. The book is full of jokes from Leno's monologues-- even the rejects are hilarious. As important, it is full of great insight that you might miss if you're laughing too hard from a previous paragraph in his book.

In conversation with legendary Democratic political consultant Bob Shrum. Shrum is an expert on all things related to Democratic presidential politics-- even though none of his eight presidential clients won-- including Al Gore, John Kerry, Michael Dukakis, and more.