40 Sincere Bits of Trivia That Say What They Mean and Mean What They Say

40 Random Bits of Pop-Culture Trivia We Plucked Out of Our Sponge Daddy

Kaitlin Olson Says She Practiced ‘Balls-to-the-Wall’ Physical Comedy in Front of Her Parents When She Was a Kid

40 Random Bits of Trivia Mom Says You Have to Finish Before You Can Go Outside and Play

40 Stats and Figures to Put on Your Trophy Shelf Next to Your Mathlete Participation Trophies

40 Random Bits of Late-Night Talk Show Trivia That Were All, At One Point in Time, Vying for ‘The Tonight Show’

Please give a round of applause for our next guest, This List of Facts!

40 Random Bits of Late-Night Talk Show Trivia That Were All, At One Point in Time, Vying for ‘The Tonight Show’

November 26, 2024

As kids, we had no idea that late-night shows were so competitive with each other. We were just thrilled to be up that late. While slamming popcorn and chuckling along to a masturbating bear, terms like “ratings” and “time slots” meant absolutely nothing to us — that is, until certain “Late Night Wars” forced us to grow up a little too quickly.

We started getting more into the drama than the masturbating bear! It wasn’t right. We were just thrilled that after the dust settled, the bear was still there.

40

Peter Lassally

Peter Lassally produced Johnny Carson, David Letterman and Craig Ferguson. In his youth, he survived a concentration camp and went to grade school with Anne Frank. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — NPR

39

Craig Ferguson: Punk Rocker

What do a late-night host and Dr. Who have in common? BO) 2e SUCE BO) PETER CAPALDI AND CRAIG FERGUSON They were in a punk band together. During the '

38

Johnny Carson

Recurring at Late Night Johnny Carson's Carnac the Magnificent On August 5, 1981, Tonight Show host Johnny Carson debuted his iconic segment, Carnac the Magnificent. The hat and cape sell the mystical powers, and the jokes are legendary. CRACKED — NBC
96.5 KPEL

37

Madonna

CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up MADONNA alienated her audience. Jimmy Fallon had Madonna on The Tonight Show doing stand-up, and although the crowd was initially excited, they soon quieted after multiple bits about her collection of Picassos and Warhols. CRACKED — Source

36

Letterman’s Retirement

GRACKED M David Letterman Letterman said that after hosting 6,028 episodes of the Late Show, he wished he had retired 10 years earlier so he could have used that time and energy to do something positive for people. — Cinemablend

35

Stephen Colbert Is a Tolkien Expert

Stephen Colbert is a huge Tolkien fan If you follow Colbert at all, you probably already know he's a Lord of The Rings expert, with Peter Jackson even saying that Colbert is the biggest Tolkien geek he's ever met. CRACKED.COM — More: 6 Famous Stars You Didn't Realize Were Bigger Geeks Than You

34

Andy Samberg

CRACKED.COM Andy Samberg Seth Meyers was one of his groomsmen. The two met on SNL, and became close enough that Meyers was a groomsman at Samberg's wedding. Samberg still makes regular appearances in Late Night With Seth Meyers. — Source: Scoop Byte

33

John Krasinski and Jimmy Kimmel

John Krasinski loves to prank Jimmy Kimmel at Christmastime. So Kimmel took his revenge with a yard sale. After four years of naked Santas, fake snow,

32

Harmony Korine

Harmony Korine LETTERMAN CRACKED.COM Director of Lisa Frank ketamine dream Spring Breakers and famous weirdo Harmony Korine was banned from Late Night with David Letterman after stealing from Meryl Streep's purse backstage. I assume Meryl Streep's purse is filled with Oscars. — Source: 19 Celebs Who Got Themselves Banned From TV Shows

31

Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy injured her neck by wearing a very heavy candy cane costume while filling in for Jimmy Kimmel.

30

Airplane!

DAVID LeTTeRmAn auditioned and screen-tested for the role of Ted Striker in: CRACKED COM — Source: 46 Next-Level Movie Facts To Know

29

Seth Meyers

Children's books written by celebrities Seth Meyers TEL I'm Not Scared, YOU'RE Scared! pictures by Rob SayeghJr. I'm Not Scared, YOU'RE Scared! by Seth Meyers The talk show host wrote a story about an anxiety-ridden bear who has to overcome his fears so they don't rule over his life. (No word of a sequel book with the Charmin Bears to discuss toilet training dread.) CRACKED.COM — Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock,
Flamingo Books
Storyline Online/YouTube

28

Stephen Colbert

STEPHEN COLBERT Colbert logged eight years as Jon Stewart's Daily Show cohort before ascending to top dog at the Colbert Report. His adventures with Truthiness led to Letterman's late night spot on CBS. Colbert is the American Dream - and SO can you! — Britannica

27

The Late Shift

DAVID LETTERMAN THE LATE SHIFT CRACKED.COM The 1996 made-for-TV movie portrays Letterman and Leno's battle for next host of The Tonight Show. Letterman felt HBO pieced together the surface-level story from news clips, and compared John Michael Higgins' portrayal of him to a psychotic chimp. — Source: Starsinsider

26

Paul Rudd

Recurring at Late Night Paul Rudd shows clips from Mac and Me. Rudd's appearances on Conan's shows involve showing the same clip from the 1988 E.T. rip- off. A spoof on actors promoting their work, it first aired on February 6, 2004, where he said he brought a clip of the Friends finale. CRACKED — TBS, Orion Pictures
Clip on YouTube

25

Jay vs. Dave

jay dave LENO LETTERMAN CRACKED.COM It's the comedy feud that got its own TV movie, The Late Shift. it's no secret that Johnny Carson preferred Letterman to take over his Tonight Show, but Leno ended up with the gig. Carson never guested with Jay, but showed up on Letterman to ask How pissed off are you? — People

24

John Oliver

Recurring at Late Night John Oliver's How is this still a thing? On Last Week Tonight, Oliver perfectly satirizes outdated traditions like daylight savings time or halloween costumes of other races by showing us just how ridiculous they are. HOW IS THIS STILL A THING CRACKED — HBO
Bustle

23

David Letterman Extortion Attempt

David CRACKED.com In 2009 Letterman revealed to his studio audience that he was being blackmailed.. The Late Show host was being extorted by a CBS exe

22

Conan Theft (Non-Jay Leno Division)

There was a robbery on the set of Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2020. 2CON CON But the thief didn't make off with too much -just some laptops, plus the slate that indicates that shooting has started. CRACKED.COM — Source

21

Joan Rivers

Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers. With appearances on The Tonight Show in the '60s, Carson made Rivers a household name. When she got her own late night show in 1986, he never spoke to her again. Even Leno upheld her Tonight Show ban during his tenure, but Fallon had her on in 2014. CRACKED — Source

20

Ron Shock

Comedy Late Bloomers Ron Shock booked The Tonight Show at 49. Не began his stand-up career at 40, and booked The Tonight Show in 1991 at 49 years old. Не became the last unknown comic to break under Johnny Carson's tenure. CRACKED — Lions Gate
Salt Lake City Weekly

19

Ted with Johnny Carson

CRACKED.COM Cartoon Bears THE FOOTAGE OF TED ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WAS FROM A REAL EPISODE. Ted was animated on top of child actor Emmanuel Lewis, who appeared on the talk show in 1983. — Sources: ScreenCrush/YouTube, Johnny Carson/YouTube

18

Conan O’Brien

Conan O'Brien met his wife on a shoot for a commercial for his show. He asked the head writer to make sure you get everyone's address and phone number, and the head writer asked It's the blonde, isn't it? It was, and he got a date. CRACKED.COM — Source: Observer

17

Conan Got Crunk

Conan writers put the junk in the CRUNK LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN CRACKED.CO A full decade before L'il Jon got low, Conan 'Brien and crew introduced the world to 'crunk.' The invention combined the sounds of all the nastiest profanities, creating a swear word SO heinous that censor brains would explode on impact. — Cracked

16

Graham Norton

Recurring at Late Night graham norton show Graham Norton's Red Chair On The Graham Norton Show, a segment called That's All We've Got Time For has an audience member sit in a red chair and tell an interesting story. If they bore Graham for even a moment, he pulls the lever and the chair flops them away. CRACKED — BBC
Clip on YouTube

15

Jaywalking

Recurring at Late Night Jaywalking During Jay Leno's tenure on The Tonight Show, Jay hit the streets, asked people simple questions, and got some ridiculously dumb answers. Fan-favorite interviewees Kip & Kim got their own recurring segment, What Would Kip & Kim Do? CRACKED — NBC
Us Weekly

14

Bobcat Goldthwait

Bobcat Goldthwait THE TONIGHT SHOW GRACKEDOON With a name like Bobcat Goldthwait, you either become a comedian or a bounty hunter. Goldthwait was bann — Source: Collider

13

David Letterman’s Top Ten Lists

Recurring at Late Night David Letterman's Top Ten Lists First airing on September 18, 1985, former head writer Steve O'Donnell credits Jim Downey for writing beautifully stylized lists. Letterman's last show on May 20, 2015 had show regulars reveal Top Ten Things I've Always Wanted To Say To Dave. CRACKED — CBS
The New Republic

12

Scarlett Johansson

Celebrity Items Sold in Auctions Scarlett Johansson's Used Tissue A tissue Johansson blew into on an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno sold for $5,300 in a charity eBay auction in 2008. CRACKED.COM — Source

11

Jay Leno’s ‘Headlines’

Recurring at Late Night Jay Leno's Headlines In Leno's recurring segment Headlines, viewers submitted real, unintentionally funny headlines like Safety meeting ends in accident. They aired almost every Monday for over a decade. Star Wars Fan Says: This Movie Would Be The Highlight of My Life Ifl Had One! 1 MATT Deliving - NEWSWATCH I - - - - Spenka Date I .. - - - - . - - - - - - CRACKED - - - - I - - - - - - - - ! - - - I Station - - - - - ! — NBC
Clip on YouTube

10

Conan O’Brien’s Clueless Gamer

Recurring at Late Night Conan O'Brien's Clueles Gamer Since the dawn of YouTube, competent gamers make millions by sharing their tips and secrets. A clueless Conan bumbles through games, making us laugh and reminding us that THEY'RE JUST VIDEO GAMES! CRACKED — TBS
WatchMojo/Facebook

9

Jack Nicholson

CRACKED HERE'S JOHNNY! WAS AD-LIBBED BY JACK NICHOLSON. It was a reference to the catchphrase of Johnny Carson, who hosted The Tonight Show at the time. — Warner Bros.
IMDb

8

Mean Tweets.

Recurring at Late Night Jimmy Kimmel's Mean Tweets A staple of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Mean Tweets first aired in March 2012 and featured Will Ferrell on the toilet. It has featured the biggest celebrities, sports figures, and even President Obama. @BelmarCPA Will Ferrell is overrated. Sorry, but he jus CRACKED — ABC
The Wrap

7

Monica Lewinsky Jokes

COMEDY NERD David Letterman publicly said he felt bad about making fun of Monica Lewinsky. It happened in 2014, after he'd read an essay in Vanity Fair in which she wrote about how humiliated she'd been by the whole scandal. CRACKED.COM

6

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

Recurring at Late Night Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Created, puppeteered, and voiced by Robert Smigel, Triumph first appeared in 1997on Late Night, and followed Conan to The Tonight Show and his TBS show. Не was nominated for a Best Comedy Album Grammy in 2005. CRACKED — TBS
Clip on YouTube

5

Artie Lange

Artie Lange THE TONIGHT SHOW CRACKED.COM The rare good-guy ban: comedian Artie Lange has struggled with substance abuse throughout his life. After an appearance on Conan's Tonight Show where he seemed to be under the influence, Conan banned him until he promised to get clean and sober. — Source: 19 Celebs Who Got Themselves Banned From TV Shows

4

Wally the Cue Card Guy

Recurring at Late Night Seth Meyers vs. Wally the Cue Card Guy After 30 years of SNL cue cards, Wally Feresten joined Late Night with Seth Myers. Ribbing from Seth snowballed into recurring bits where Wally read creepy poetry or went field reporting. Myers says that fans stop to tell him, We want more Wally! SETH, TO ME YOU ARE PERFECT! CRACKED — NBC
The Herald News

3

Kermit the Frog

GRACKED KERMIT THE FROG ON LATE NIGHT TV. On The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, he said, I just wet your leather here, after being shown a provocative photo of Kylie Minogue. — Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn / Youtube

2

The Masturbating Bear

Recurring at Late Night Conan's Masturbating Bear One of the longest running gags on Conan's Late Night, the Masturbating Bear was created by Brian Reich and performed by Michael Gordon. Check out Who Wants to Marry the Masturbating Bear? CRACKED — NBC
I Was the Masturbating Bear on ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien’

1

Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase once tried his hand at late-night talk. He flopped spectacularly. Chase's early work hosting Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live seemed

Tags:

Visual

Scroll down for the next article

Must Read

Movies & TV

5 One-Joke Premises That ‘SNL’ Ran Into the Ground

Movies & TV

The TV Star Who Had a Sword Fight With Chris Farley While Peeing

Trivia & Jokes

12 Farm-Fresh Trivia Tidbits for Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Movies & TV

Styx’s Lawrence Gowan Says the Band’s Enduring Popularity Is All Thanks to ‘South Park'

Trivia & Jokes

36 of the Funniest Tweets from Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Movies & TV

Science Verifies George Constanza’s Kink

VIRAL ON CRACKED

1

Seven Failed Sitcom Pilots Too Weird to Be Believed

2

31 Times the Class Clown Made the Teacher Laugh

3

40 Stats and Figures to Put on Your Trophy Shelf Next to Your Mathlete Participation Trophies

4

5 of the Funniest Reasons Actors Were Fired from a Movie

5

Random Stuff That Can Mess With Your Head