---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For those who don't like Dave Letterman…"
description: "\"For those who don't like Dave Letterman, there's Jay Leno; and for those who like neither, there's Craig Ferguson; and if you're still feeling undertai..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shales-12468_craig_for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman_616742.jpg"
---

#  For those who don't like Dave Letterman, there's Jay Leno…

![“For those who don't like Dave Letterman, there's Jay Leno; and for those who like neither, there's Craig Ferguson; and if you're still feeling undertained, there's George Lopez and Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel and - let's see, did we leave out a Jimmy?” quote by Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shales-12468_craig_for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman_616742.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shales-12468_craig_for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman_616742.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shales-12468_craig_for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman_616742.jpg)

> “For those who don't like Dave Letterman, there's Jay Leno; and for those who like neither, there's Craig Ferguson; and if you're still feeling undertained, there's George Lopez and Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel and - let's see, did we leave out a Jimmy?”

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote humorously lists multiple late‑night hosts to illustrate the abundance of options for viewers with varying preferences.

**In simple terms:** There are many late‑night hosts to choose from.

Key Takeaway

Pick a host that matches your humor style.

Themes

humor media choice entertainment culture

Mood

playful lighthearted observational

Type

humorous satirical commentary

When to use this quote

- selecting a TV show
- discussing media trends
- planning a comedy night
- comparing host styles
- understanding audience preferences

Key Concepts

pop culture media saturation audience segmentation

Questions to Reflect On

- Which host best reflects your sense of humor?
- How does host variety affect viewer loyalty?

A Different Perspective

The list may be outdated as new hosts emerge and some mentioned have left the scene.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craig/) [Saturday night live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saturday-night-live/)

## Related quotes

> [I love Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/i-love-jimmy-fallon-and-jimmy-kimmel/)

[Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/)

> [When I was a kid, I was a fan of comedy. I always loved Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Dave Letterman -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-arnett/when-i-was-a-kid-i-was-a-fan-of-comedy-i-always-loved-steve-martin/)

[Will Arnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-arnett/)

> [Welcome to the program. My name is Dave Letterman, and tonight I'm giving my two-week notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/welcome-to-the-program-my-name-is-dave-letterman-and-tonight-i-m/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [Jimmy Kimmel still comes across like a guy who crashed a party and got caught at it, yet adamantly refuses to leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/jimmy-kimmel-still-comes-across-like-a-guy-who-crashed-a-party-and/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [Kidney disease is a low-profile, unglamorous problem, a disease that disproportionately strikes minorities and the poor. Its celebrity spokesman is blue-collar comedian George Lopez,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/kidney-disease-is-a-low-profile-unglamorous-problem-a-disease-that/)

[Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/)

> [Race doesn't mean what it used to in America anymore. It just doesn't. Obama's black, but he's not black the way people used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-c-k/race-doesn-t-mean-what-it-used-to-in-america-anymore-it-just-doesn-t/)

[Louis C. K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-c-k/)

> [When Nick At Nite is showing George Lopez, it's not doing what I'm thinking. But yes, I even write in the book about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bianculli/when-nick-at-nite-is-showing-george-lopez-it-s-not-doing-what-i-m/)

[David Bianculli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bianculli/)

> [In 'George Lopez', I played Veronica who's a bratty 18-year-old, and so I feel like it's much easier for me to play that because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-garcia/in-george-lopez-i-played-veronica-who-s-a-bratty-18-year-old-and-so-i/)

[Aimee Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-garcia/)

> [George Lopez has to get a physical comedy checkup every year to make sure his bulging eyes don't get out of control... Good news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-kindler/george-lopez-has-to-get-a-physical-comedy-checkup-every-year-to-make/)

[Andy Kindler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-kindler/)

> [The routines of any ethnic comic - Eddie Murphy or George Lopez, for example - would not work if they were performed by anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fogel/the-routines-of-any-ethnic-comic-eddie-murphy-or-george-lopez-for/)

[Bryan Fogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fogel/)

> [George Lopez does so much mugging, I'm surprised he's not up on charges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-kindler/george-lopez-does-so-much-mugging-i-m-surprised-he-s-not-up-on-charges/)

[Andy Kindler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-kindler/)

> [“Charlie still likes to listen to music, mostly vintage rock ’n’ roll as well as Sinatra. His favorite actor is John Wayne, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-guinn/charlie-still-likes-to-listen-to-music-mostly-vintage-rock-n-roll-as/)

[Jeff Guinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-guinn/)

> [I did 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' a while ago, and Lady Gaga was in the dressing room next to mine. The outfit she wore walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-stanchfield/i-did-jimmy-kimmel-live-a-while-ago-and-lady-gaga-was-in-the-dressing/)

[Darby Stanchfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-stanchfield/)

> [I used to have the biggest crush on Jimmy Kimmel. I liked him when he was chubbier, though. I've never really been attracted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikaela-hoover/i-used-to-have-the-biggest-crush-on-jimmy-kimmel-i-liked-him-when-he/)

[Mikaela Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikaela-hoover/)

> [People know I'm smart. And people know that, whether it's SNL or Jimmy Kimmel, it's a trend to take the piss out of celebrity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/people-know-i-m-smart-and-people-know-that-whether-it-s-snl-or-jimmy/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

## More by Tom Shales

> [Maybe it's the hair. Maybe it's the teeth. Maybe it's the intellect. No, it's the hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/maybe-it-s-the-hair-maybe-it-s-the-teeth-maybe-it-s-the-intellect-no/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [Jimmy Kimmel still comes across like a guy who crashed a party and got caught at it, yet adamantly refuses to leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/jimmy-kimmel-still-comes-across-like-a-guy-who-crashed-a-party-and/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [In city after city, newspaper after newspaper has diminished its staff of critics, sometimes to zero. Film and T.V. critics have been dropped and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/in-city-after-city-newspaper-after-newspaper-has-diminished-its-staff/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> ['Kukla, Fran and Ollie' occurred in real time and was a benign and bewitching example of pure television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/kukla-fran-and-ollie-occurred-in-real-time-and-was-a-benign-and/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [Maybe Larry Kings cannot thrive or even survive in a world where the norms for discourse are rage, vehemence and character assassination. King wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/maybe-larry-kings-cannot-thrive-or-even-survive-in-a-world-where-the/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [Obviously neither 'American Idol' nor 'Dancing With the Stars' is a variety show in the classic sense, but the way they incorporate elements of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/obviously-neither-american-idol-nor-dancing-with-the-stars-is-a/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [Robert Osborne either has the best job in the world, or comes very close. As millions of viewers know, Osborne is the resident host…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/robert-osborne-either-has-the-best-job-in-the-world-or-comes-very/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [Making music on TV used to be as common as commercials. In the '60s and '70s, prime time was stuffed with variety shows headlined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/making-music-on-tv-used-to-be-as-common-as-commercials-in-the-60s-and/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [The once inviolate frame within which programs or commercials were displayed on television - always separately - has been violated to a pulp. Program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/the-once-inviolate-frame-within-which-programs-or-commercials-were/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> ['Leave It to Beaver,' which ran from 1957 until 1963, was one of the strangest, sweetest, most distinctive domestic sitcoms of television's celebrated Golden Age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/leave-it-to-beaver-which-ran-from-1957-until-1963-was-one-of-the/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [The original and very basic 'Law &amp; Order' series has always seemed to me to be 100-percent exposition, with no filler, no pesky nuances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/the-original-and-very-basic-law-order-series-has-always-seemed-to-me/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [Gimmicks come and go; the cop show seems one genre that will never leave - not as long as people like to sit at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/gimmicks-come-and-go-the-cop-show-seems-one-genre-that-will-never/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [If the networks can get audiences to tolerate pop-up promos by the dozens, maybe they'll start selling pop-up commercials, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/if-the-networks-can-get-audiences-to-tolerate-pop-up-promos-by-the/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [Jerry Seinfeld is amazing in many ways, not the least of them his ability to find humor, and convincing us to find it, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/jerry-seinfeld-is-amazing-in-many-ways-not-the-least-of-them-his/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

> [“Keith Richards I remember. There was a horse backstage that week, and I was in my dressing area and I saw Keith Richards go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/keith-richards-i-remember-there-was-a-horse-backstage-that-week-and-i/)

[Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

[Explore all 54 Tom Shales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/)

## More Craig quotes

> [Despite the best efforts of apologists like William Lane Craig, the 'evidence' for Christianity's truth is, in truth, not the kind that science will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/despite-the-best-efforts-of-apologists-like-william-lane-craig-the/)

[Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/)

> [I'm a film buff and I was keen to find out about the response to Daniel Craig's 007. 'Empire' and 'Hot Dog' had great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burn-gorman/i-m-a-film-buff-and-i-was-keen-to-find-out-about-the-response-to/)

[Burn Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burn-gorman/)

> [Don't feel embarrassed if you've never heard of William Lane Craig. He parades himself as a philosopher, but none of the professors of philosophy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/don-t-feel-embarrassed-if-you-ve-never-heard-of-william-lane-craig-he/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [First of all, Craig Lucas' work, any of it, for any actor, is such good material. It's so alive in such a poetic, yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marin-hinkle/first-of-all-craig-lucas-work-any-of-it-for-any-actor-is-such-good/)

Marin Hinkle

> [I lost a lot of weight, when I was 18, on Jenny Craig.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/i-lost-a-lot-of-weight-when-i-was-18-on-jenny-craig/)

[Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/)

> [Craig McDean was probably one of the first people I shot with. I shot with him for years with Tommy Hilfiger and a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacquelyn-jablonski/craig-mcdean-was-probably-one-of-the-first-people-i-shot-with-i-shot/)

[Jacquelyn Jablonski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacquelyn-jablonski/)

> [“Hey, it's not a problem," she says, still smiling at me. "If you feel bad about it, pay me in cocoa and I'll do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-simonenko/hey-it-s-not-a-problem-she-says-still-smiling-at-me-if-you-feel-bad/)

Nadia Simonenko

> [On 'Sanjay and Craig,' I've had a number of chances to work with Chris Hardwick, and that is so much fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maulik-pancholy/on-sanjay-and-craig-i-ve-had-a-number-of-chances-to-work-with-chris/)

[Maulik Pancholy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maulik-pancholy/)

> [I used to cold call labels and pretend I was one of their artist's attorneys. I'd say, 'This is Jay-Z's attorney, we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-blanco/i-used-to-cold-call-labels-and-pretend-i-was-one-of-their-artist-s/)

[Benny Blanco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-blanco/)

> [It's a well-known fact that the TV camera adds 10 pounds. I don't want to say that I've been calling my Jenny Craig consultant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-mathews/it-s-a-well-known-fact-that-the-tv-camera-adds-10-pounds-i-don-t-want/)

[Ross Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-mathews/)

> [When I found out I was going to be on CBS every morning, my first phone call was to Jenny Craig. Ten days later,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-king/when-i-found-out-i-was-going-to-be-on-cbs-every-morning-my-first/)

[Gayle King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-king/)

> [I wasn't one-hundred percent sure that Jenny Craig was going to be the right program for me, but I wanted to do something. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-rue/i-wasn-t-one-hundred-percent-sure-that-jenny-craig-was-going-to-be/)

[Sara Rue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-rue/)

> [One of the hallmarks that a British actor brings to his public persona is an adept sense of self-deprecation - see Daniel Craig and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-rodrick/one-of-the-hallmarks-that-a-british-actor-brings-to-his-public/)

[Stephen Rodrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-rodrick/)

> [I have such an eclectic taste in music. Come to a backyard BBQ at my house, and I will run the gamut from Skynyrd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-vogel/i-have-such-an-eclectic-taste-in-music-come-to-a-backyard-bbq-at-my/)

[Mike Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-vogel/)

> [I just did this movie with Kristin Wiig called 'The Skeleton Twins.' That's a straight drama. We play estranged twins, and I end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/i-just-did-this-movie-with-kristin-wiig-called-the-skeleton-twins/)

[Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/)

[Browse all 24 Craig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craig/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "For those who don't like Dave Letterman, there's Jay Leno; and for those who like neither, there's Craig Ferguson; and if you're still feeling undertained, there's George Lopez and Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel and - let's see, did we leave out a Jimmy?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tom Shales"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman-there-s-jay-leno-and-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Craig"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman-there-s-jay-leno-and-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shales-12468_craig_for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman_616742.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shales-12468_craig_for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman_616742.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-shales-12468_craig_for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman_616742.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“For those who don't like Dave Letterman, there's Jay Leno; and for those who like neither, there's Craig…” — Tom Shales",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Tom Shales",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "For those who don't like Dave...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman-there-s-jay-leno-and-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/for-those-who-don-t-like-dave-letterman-there-s-jay-leno-and-for/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
