Is Jimmy Fallon Actually Funny? Debate Ignites on Twitter

Allison Schonter

05/30/2023 02:27 pm EDT

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon may be a late-night talk show staple, but the comedian that helms the show may not be as funny as some think. A new debate is raging on Twitter, with social media users taking sides as they determine whether Jimmy Fallon is actually funny.

Fallon has been part of the comedy world for decades now. After dropping out of the College of Saint Rose in 1995 to move to Los Angeles and pursue comedy full-time, Fallon got his big break when in 1998 he joined Saturday Night Live as a cast member. He remained on the long-running sketch comedy show for six years, co-hosting the program's Weekend Update segment and starring as numerous original characters, including Nick Burns, an IT support nerd, Pat "Sully" Sullivan. After leaving SNL in 2004, he starred in films including Taxi and Fever Pitch before returning to TV as the host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC in 2009, later moving on to become the sixth permanent host of the long-running Tonight Show in 2014.

While Fallon has made a name for himself in the comedy world and also made his mark on late-night TV, not everyone is sold on him being funny. A new debate recently ignited on Twitter after one Twitter user asked others to "name one good jimmy fallon bit. one joke. one movie. one skit. any memorable jimmy fallon anything. there is nothing, he is paid to be a company man and laugh at actual funny people."

Twitter users weigh in

"Hot take. Jimmy Fallon's job isn't to be entertaining, it's to be just entertaining enough for his celebrity guest to bounce off of so the focus is on THEM, not on Jimmy," one person tweeted. "Yall treat him like he's supposed to be the main character but he's not."

Lip sync battles and 'iCarly'

"My first exposure to Jimmy Fallon was from an ICarly episode where they go to New York and Gibby pants accidentally falls down treating JF to remove his network show," another person tweeted.

Fallon gives exposure to rising musical artists and comedians

"The best thing to come from his show was people finding out about up and coming artists and comedians," somebody else noted. "His show is how a lot of people found out about Odd Future."

'Worst of the US late night hosts'

"Jimmy Fallon is probably the worst of the US late night hosts but let's not pretend he's never done anything funny," another person joined in.

'SNL' skit mishap

"Funnily enough, one of my biggest memories of Fallon is him almost messing up one of the best skits SNL ever aired," added another person. "During the 'we need more cowbell' skit by Ferrell, Fallon couldnt stop laughing the whole time. its so bad upon rewatch."

Some could only name a few examples

"I liked a couple of his snl skits with JT back when I was younger but I can't think of a single thing from his own show lol," wrote one person.

Indifference

"Counter point: he's so naturally funny and likeable that you spend a good time with him even if he has no iconic moments," one person suggested. "One could argue it's his greatest skill to be able to keep this up and his job without producing memorable moments."

Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.