last night on late night

Why It’s So Difficult for Black Comedians to Be Political in Late-Night Sets and a Comedian Who Broke Through

Amanda Seales.

Tuesday afternoon, stand-up comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. did a quick Twitter thread about what it’s like being a black comedian performing on a late-night show, inspired by the unflinchingly political set by Amanda Seales on Late Night With Seth Meyers Monday night. Wood — who has performed on The Tonight Show and Conan multiple times — explains how a late-night set comes together as a sort of negotiation between the comedian and the show that books them. For shows with dedicated stand-up bookers — like Conan and The Late Show — the booker also works with the comic to land on a set that makes sense for their show. It’s a pretty classic way of running a late-night show, especially those where the host likes to have a good amount of control over the tone of the show. Wood says a lot is lost in the process. “Half of my first hour special is just a compilation of race jokes I couldn’t do on late night shows,†he writes. Currently Late Night doesn’t work this way, largely because they don’t book as many stand-ups as other shows, so they wouldn’t have a person in this job. Also, considering Meyers has always showcased others’ perspectives as opposed to having them fit into his (like with his regular segment “Jokes Seth Can’t Tellâ€) this sort of filtering just wouldn’t jibe. Seales’s material feels perfectly at home on a show that also gives Amber Ruffin a platform. Ultimately, Wood’s thread, which you can read below, gives a fascinating look into one of the many gatekeepers in comedy.

Black Comedians’ Struggle to Be Political in Late-Night Sets