TVSquad

I'll give Leno credit for getting creative in the ways he's starting to incorporate celebrities into bits and segments. It fills time for him and gives them their plug opportunities. Tonight, he trotted out three of The Real Housewives of Orange County for a "Battle of the Jaywalk All-Stars Challenge." And ... wow.

I don't watch The Real Houswives of anywhere, but if this is the intellectual capacity of their "stars," then I'm glad I don't. I couldn't tell if they were putting on an act or if they were being themselves. Either way, it was obnoxious and I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle each of them. The blondes were enforcing stereotypes left and right!

If it was all an act, then that's even more unfortunate, because it means they're playing characters rather than being themselves. What? A reality show that's less than real? It was funny that their first reaction to seeing a picture of Nancy Pelosi was that she needed botox. And of course, they had no idea who she was, or anyone else.

Tonight, in place of a correspondent's video, we got round one of that "Jaywalk" challenge and it was genuinely funny stuff. It's sad because the only reason these "Jaywalking" bits are funny year after year is because of how amazingly stupid people are. You can just sit back with your jaw open that these people are out there living in the world oblivious to everything that goes on around them. And then feel bad because you probably know some people like that.

Still, it was a vast improvement over another tired video segment night after night. Regardless of why, the point is that it was funny, which means I was laughing. This is a "comedy" show, right? That's what people told NBC they wanted. I'm not sure which people, though. Maybe the same ones who are featured on "Jaywalking" all the time?

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS
It was interesting that the first topic of discussion was the reported boycott of The Jay Leno Show by NBC and CBS. By that regard, it's remarkable that Louis-Dreyfus was able to appear as The New Adventures of Old Christine airs on rival network CBS. They even put in a cute plug for CBS and Dreyfus' show with stickers on her ass and foot, and ultimately, a crown. Maybe this was the show trying to offer an olive branch to the rival networks?

The earn your plug bit tonight was even funny. After Louis-Drefyus told a story of being terrorized by a giant tarantula, Leno trotted out one of his own. For every second she could stand it on her arm, he'd show a second of her clip. I know Louis-Dreyfus is a good actress, but she seemed genuinely startled by the tarantula and horrified at the task ahead.

10 @ 10 W/ BILLY CRYSTAL
I'm still just not all that entertained by these segments. There are a few funny moments here and there, but I find myself getting bored by most of the responses. It's generally just a bad joke, as opposed to a real answer, though Billy Crystal did admit to having passed up Toy Story.

When I'm not bothered by what they're saying, I catch myself paying attention to how long the satellite feed delay is. It's the worst when Leno gives them a time limit on their responses and starts the clock before they've even heard the question. He did that tonight to Billy Crystal when asking him to list all the movies he'd starred in. Did anyone explain about the delay to Leno? He doesn't seem to get it all the time.

[Watch episodes and clips of The Jay Leno Show and other shows at SlashControl.]