30 most shocking moments in late night history
By Jeremy Dick
23. President Obama “slow jams” the news with Jimmy Fallon
When active President Barack Obama appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2012, it wasn’t anything new. Obama had already done talk show appearances by that point, including spots on The Daily Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. But Fallon had plans for the President which would be completely unlike any other public appearance he had ever done.
Known for incorporating comedy music into his show, Fallon introduced a segment where he and the President would “slow jam” the news. Discussing the issue of preventing student loans from going up even further that summer, Obama was brought out with a microphone in hand to serenade the crowd with his thoughts on the matter. The Roots and Fallon backed him up in the hilarious segment.
The spot proved to be a big success for the program. Around 2 million people at home were watching when Obama was singing on national television, and NBC claimed the episode drew in the highest numbers for the show in two years. Based on the choices we have for our next election, it’s unlikely we’ll see another active President singing on late night TV anytime soon.
Next: 22. Letterman pranks Richard Simmons