Jay Leno sold more tickets after he left politics out of his shows: 'Nobody wants to be lectured'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jay Leno is leaving the political punchlines behind. The legendary comedian and former 'Tonight Show' host revealed that he has stripped politics out of his stand-up sets and audiences are rewarding him with bigger crowds and better ticket sales.

Speaking on NBC’s 'Today', Leno explained that his shift away from political humor has boosted ticket revenue by 20 to 30 percent, a change he attributes to audiences wanting relief, not lectures.

Jay Leno says political jokes alienate audiences across red and blue states

Leno told anchor Hoda Kotb he deliberately removed political material because it risked losing large chunks of the audience, especially when touring through more conservative regions.

“I’m on the road a lot. I just took politics out of it, completely. I know ticket sales are up 20, 30 percent, just because nobody wants to be lectured,” Leno said.

He added that comics who perform on TV can lean more into political humor because they broadcast to a built-in audience. But when touring the country, that dynamic changes.

“When you’re on TV and you can play directly to your audience and there’s a laugh track, [it’s easier]. When you go to Indiana or Kentucky or any other place in the country, you’re always going to have a third of the people who don’t agree with you politically. So why even go there?” he asked.

Kotb suggested comedy may be harder in today’s political climate, but Leno pushed back.

“I don’t think it’s any trickier than any other [time]… No. You know, we’ve always had tough times,” he said. “It’s not that it’s better now … But stuff that used to be the law is now against the law. And that’s great.”

Jay Leno says humor should give people a break from real-world tensions

Despite the polarization surrounding modern politics, Leno insisted he’s optimistic about the future of comedy.

“Yes, I’m very hopeful. I am optimistic,” he said. “’Cause ultimately, it’s a bit like a donkey, sometimes you gotta hit it in the head with a two-by-four to get its attention, but eventually it will listen.”

Leno echoed similar thoughts last July when he appeared in an interview with Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation CEO David Trulio. During that conversation, he said audiences come to comedy shows to escape daily pressures, not hear partisan rants.

“And to me, I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from things… the pressures of life, whatever it might be,” he explained.

He emphasized that he still enjoys political humor, but it becomes a problem when comedians lean too heavily toward one political side. “I love political humor, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just what happens when people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.”

Jay Leno says he enjoyed keeping viewers guessing about his own politics

During his 'Tonight Show' era, Leno said he took pride in delivering jokes that left viewers uncertain about his political leanings.

“It was fun to me when I got hate letters [like] ‘Dear Mr Leno, you and your Republican friends’ and ‘Well, Mr Leno, I hope you and your Democratic buddies are happy’, over the same joke,” he recalled.