Why are there no female late night hosts?

[Lily Adler]

I never really noticed it, but there seems to be no female late night hosts. The closest I can think of is Samantha Bee.

 

[NotNickFury]

Who would do it? Sarah Silverman? Tina Fey? Does Janeane Garofalo come back into the spotlight for another shot?

I mean, Chelsea Handler's talk show was fine, but she's not doing that anymore on either network or Netflix. Only recent one I know who had something like it was Iliza Shlesinger, and only reason I even know who she is was because of Last Comic Standing.

 

[Teelie]

Sarah Silverman kind of has a late night show on Netflix, I Love You, America, but yeah a true proper late show with a woman isn't happening outside of Samantha Bee. And unfortunately Bee is too acerbic and contentious.

 

[AResistor]

God, in some things I really am not “with it” lol. That never caught my attention before. Best answer - sexism. From working in it, Hollywood is a male dominated world. I can see that being one of the things that will change in the future though.

 

[Aximili86]

It's been a running gag for a while now, way before all the recent identity politicking.

But I don't know, there have been a few, Joan Rivers got a shot back in the day but wasn't rating well. Chelsea Handler on cable. Bee now.

All I can think of is until pretty recently (Conan aside I guess, he's always been screwing with the formula and deconstructing things since starting in '93) all the late-night shows have sort of been very intentionally in that Carson/Letterman mould, not straying from that much. And that's not to say a female comedian couldn't do it, of course they could, I'm just struggling to think of many "name" female comedians out there in that Johnny/Dave/Leno type of mould. Silverman's too much of a bomb thrower, Bee's schtick wouldn't fly on network TV, people like Nikki Glaser overall work pretty blue too.

Doesn't mean there's no reason to try it (again, Rivers worked dirty for the most part and they tried her, and Kimmel's obviously tamer than he was before he got his show), you've just gotta find the right person for it. Seems there are more dude comedians out there just in general, and the big-name women like Silverman probably wouldn't want to compromise their tone to the extent they'd have to for a Fallon/Kimmel/Conan type of gig.

 

[PhasedPlasma101]

Women host a bunch of shows during the day though

 

[Lily Adler]

Yeah they seem to give women day time shows more.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Just assumed sexism. There's absolutely no good reason why a woman can't be a play by play caller for any of the major U.S. sports leagues, but it's 2018 and that glass ceiling still hasn't been broken, but nobody really discusses it.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Just assumed sexism. There's absolutely no good reason why a woman can't be a play by play caller for any of the major U.S. sports leagues, but it's 2018 and that glass ceiling still hasn't been broken, but nobody really discusses it.

Beth Mowins calls NFL games on television.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Beth Mowins calls NFL games on television.

Cool, didn't know that. But it's high time a woman had a job like that on a regular basis.

 

[psylockolussus]

Women host a bunch of shows during the day though

I was gonna say that. Wendy, The View, The Real, The Talk, Rachael Ray... There might not be a female late night host but women dominate daytime TV.

 

[RockSP]

People always forget Cynthia Garrett when they name women who have previously hosted late night shows. She hosted Later before they turned that into Last Call with Carson Daly.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Yeah they seem to give women day time shows more.

Because it hits their core markets: housewives and gay men calling in sick to work because they have a hangover.

 

[Lily Adler]

I remember Chelsea Lately. My family and I would watch it, but only for the round table segments when she had other comedians talk about current events. Basically they were funnier than her.

 

[Dave McFly]

back before Craig left the Late Late show I thought Carrie Keagan who had a daytime show would have been a worthy successor to him but it went to James.

 

[Lily Adler]

I only watch James for his singing skits or Carpool Karaoke segments.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Because they aren't trusted with late night. Joan Rivers was the one and only if I remember correctly. So yeah sexism.

 

[Aximili86]

back before Craig left the Late Late show I thought Carrie Keagan who had a daytime show would have been a worthy successor to him but it went to James.

Keagan's not exactly all that funny though, she's pretty much "giggling bimbo appearing on various B-grade cable shows #392" - plenty of way funnier women out there they could look at for a late-night gig. Her appearances on CraigyFerg's show were hilarious and all, but that was mostly down to Craig being all self-mockingly creepy and making her laugh with his dumb drooly-face stuff.

I dunno, always thought Kristen Schaal might be awesome on one of these, like a more off-beat oldschool Conan type of vibe. Opposite of the Fallon/Corden stuff, just go really niche & dorky.

 

[jmc]

The thing with a female host is you have to let her be herself not a female version of a male host. Kristen Bell filled in for Kimmel a while back and was amazing as guest host. Her personality, humour and banter with the guests really shined through. She's a 100% natural in the roll of host and interviewer.

 

[RockSP]

Because they aren't trusted with late night. Joan Rivers was the one and only if I remember correctly. So yeah sexism.

See post #12

 

[Teelie]

The thing with a female host is you have to let her be herself not a female version of a male host. Kristen Bell filled in for Kimmel a while back and was amazing as guest host. Her personality, humour and banter with the guests really shined through. She's a 100% natural in the roll of host and interviewer.

She would be a great host but I think her commitments to The Good Place, Veronica Mars and the occasional movie would get in the way.

 

[Aximili86]

Yeah, no reasonably-high-profile actor like Bell's going to sacrifice their acting career for a 4-5 nights a week hosting gig.

They'll draw from comedy circles if it happens, someone like Handler but less of a bomb-thrower and suitable for network.

 

[Primal Slayer]

See post #12

Looking it up it says she only did 1 episode.

Yeah, no reasonably-high-profile actor like Bell's going to sacrifice their acting career for a 4-5 nights a week hosting gig.

They'll draw from comedy circles if it happens, someone like Handler but less of a bomb-thrower and suitable for network.

It depends on where they are at in their lives but hosting Late Night isnt exactly a step down, it can bring in more money then her acting gigs.

 

[Teelie]

Money isn't everything though. Some people in the industry are there for the creativity and enjoyment. Money is always nice but it isn't always everything for a person to desire.

 

[RockSP]

Looking it up it says she only did 1 episode.

Nah. Whatever site you got that from is incorrect. I watched multiple episodes hosted by her back when I used to actually watch late night talk shows. The Wikipedia page says she hosted from January 2000 to January 2001.