Sincerest Political Commentary

SETH MEYERS APPEALED TO THE PEOPLE

In the true spirit of election season, comedic political commentary was at its height after President Trump was elected into office, giving comedians and talk show hosts an inch which was quickly stretched into a proverbial mile.

Late-night hosts like Jimmy Fallon and James Corden have taken their digs at President Trump, but Seth Meyers—who Americans came to love as a former correspondent and head writer of SNL’s Weekend Update segment—may have reacted the most sincerely to Trump’s win.

Meyers’ humor had admittedly become mundane since his stint on SNL, but during his “Closer Look” monologue on the day after the election, he surmised popular emotions of viewers. While many comics continued to poke fun at Trump, Meyers tapped into the emotional process tied to the complexity of both the campaign and presidency.

During his monologue, Meyers talked about his reaction to the win, with resonating words like “blindsighted” and “unexpected.” He referenced his former hope for a female president, along with future sentiments. “That does mean that someone’s daughter is out there, right now,” Meyers said, “who will one day have that title.”

Meyers’ emotion furthered him from other post-election commentaries. His voice cracked at one point, which expressed the weight of the election and the toll of the loss for both men and women. At one point, Meyers asked his audience to have empathy for Trump supporters and voters, making an inclusive platform for all watching.

Meyers also joked about Trump’s stance on immigration and talked about how it would impact his family. He was uncertain whether or not his beloved dog, Frisbee, would be able to legally stay in the US since she’s an Italian Greyhound.

From a collection of moments on television, Meyers stood out. He used his platform to appeal to an audience by being himself—a displaced voter and a disheartened American—while showing an authentic reaction. This is what Americans were looking for, and possibly what they needed most.

With a handful of funny monologues, Meyers stood out from the rest, proving that being emotional and authentic resonates more with audience members than some silly jabs at the leader of the free world.