Jay Leno Disses NBC Executives On ‘Tonight Show’ After Robert Greenblatt Email Controversy
Jay Leno may have received some less-than-pleasant emails from NBC chairman Robert Greenblatt after repeatedly mocking the fifth-place network, but that’s not stopping him from working his employers into his “Tonight Show’ monologue.
The “Tonight Show” host poked fun at NBC’s low ratings when Greenblatt made an appearance on his show on Feb. 28, after which a chain of tense emails was sparked between the two. On Monday night, Leno began his monologue with some St. Patrick’s Day material, first ribbing Carnival cruise line for their overflowing toilets, then dissing NBC executives by comparing them to the snakes of Ireland:
“You know the whole legend of St. Patrick, right? St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland — and then they came to the United States and became NBC executives. It’s a fascinating story.”
Leno’s contract with NBC has been extended past 2014 after he was forced to take a 50% pay cut to prevent massive staff layoffs in the summer of 2012, a setback he also used as fuel to mock NBC during his monologues.
Rumors of Leno’s eventual depature from the “Tonight Show” — and his subsequent replacement with “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon — have been reported by multiple sources but vehemently denied by NBC. Following such reports, radio host Howard Stern was rumored to be considered for Fallon’s “Late Night” spot if he were to take over for Leno, but Stern quickly deflated the rumors, calling them, “An insult.”