Videos like this are why I love Black people.

On Thursday, Jay Leno ran his hilarious Pumpcast News prank segment on the “Tonight Show,” and the couple Jack Rafferty ran up on at the pump definitely gave producers a show for their money. The way Punpcast News works is Jack surprises unsuspecting drivers at the gas pump and offers them free gas in exchange for singing a karaoke number. This opportunity was right up Burbank, CA, couple Will and Monif Sims’ alley because when Jack asked Will if he’d sing for gas, all he wanted to know was “What you wanna hear?”

What follows that question is quite possibly the funniest rendition of Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” that you’ve ever heard. But it only gets better when Will’s wife Monif gets out the car and tears up “Sweet Dreams” — with Will on Falsetto background, of course.

Check out these two tearing up the segment in the video below — dance breaks and all! Aren’t they the cutest?

(AP Photo/NBC, Lloyd Bishop, File)

We’ve been following the late-night saga on NBC, with the final decision coming down last week: Jimmy Fallon will be replacing Jay Leno next year. This is great for people who find Leno unwatchable. But, nonetheless, it’s just another game of musical chairs. A white male who once hosted a show at 12:30 a.m. is now hosting one an hour earlier. SNL‘s Seth Meyer is rumored to be in the running to take that 12:30 slot. And late night will be as lacking in diversity as ever.

Among the suggestions that have been made as an alternative to all of this is Chelsea Handler (who already has a couple of shows on the E! Network), and, our personal suggestion, Aisha Tyler. However, according to the AP, which takes TV to task for this state of affairs, neither woman is in serious contention for a job.

“Women have exhibited an interest in talking for centuries. I’m not sure how it is that no one has seemed to notice,” the article quotes Merrill Markoe, an Emmy award-winning writer who has worked with David Letterman.

Aisha Tyler. (Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

The article goes on to blame a reluctance to change in the television industry. But what’s getting neglected by these late-night execs is the fact that late-night viewing habits are already changing. The major networks are now sharing the landscape with cable, where shows like The Daily Show, HGTV programming (a mellow, pre-slumber alternative to the yuk yuks on other stations), and reruns of some of your favorite movies and bygone TV shows are running. It’s always interesting to see your favorite celeb sit down to talk about their new movie. But no one has to tune in to a TV show at 11:30 at night to do so. The Internet has made sure of that.

But on that note, the AP says that the networks have research that shows women prefer to watch a man on late night, “while Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Katie Couric are welcome in daytime.” And the majority of people watching these late-night shows are women. It’s the guys who are choosing the alternatives we mentioned.

And in terms of racial diversity, the fact that shows hosted by comedians like George Lopez and Wanda Sykes were cancelled gives the networks the excuse, “Well we tried, but people aren’t interested.”

Just like anything else, you have to keep trying until you find someone who captivates. So TV is going back to the tried-and-true: Arsenio Hall is getting a show in September. But it’s going to be syndicated rather than broadcast on one of the major stations.

So we’re going to — ONCE AGAIN — push for Aisha Tyler. Funny, smart, edgy, she’s just what any station needs.

Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NBC has finally announced what we already knew: Jay Leno is out as host of The Tonight Show come Spring 2014 and Jimmy Fallon is in. Fallon just closed a new deal with NBC this morning, and Leno followed soon after with his statement on the matter. “Congratulations Jimmy,” CNN quotes him. “I hope you’re as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you’re the old guy. If you need me, I’ll be at the garage.” Leno had been the host for 22 years and topped the ratings. Fears about the 62-year-old host losing a young audience to Jimmy Kimmel on ABC played a role in the change.

Just as exciting, we’ll get to see The Roots an hour earlier! We support that. Moreover, for the New Yorkers, the show is coming back East. So we can just mosey on over to 30 Rock and check it out.

Even though there had been speculation about all of this, it seems like things moved kind of quickly in the end. It was only the other day that we were watching the two do their best West Side Story in a skit that got a lot of pick up.

AP Photo/NBC Universal, Lloyd Bishop

It’s looking more and more likely that Jay Leno will be giving up his place as host of The Tonight Show, turning it over to Late Night host (and viral video hit maker) Jimmy Fallon. The details haven’t been worked out, but The New York Times is saying this could happen by fall 2014. And the show would leave Los Angeles and head back to New York, where it started in 1954.

“One senior executive who has been involved in the discussions said on Wednesday that ‘there is no way on earth that this is not going to happen,’” one source told the Times.

One of the reasons the paper says Fallon wants to stay in NYC is to hang on to his stellar house band, The Roots. Many of Fallon’s most popular jokes, skits, and videos involve Questlove and the crew, so this is an important part of the show. Moreover, Fallon is from New York and has deep roots of his own in the city.

Jay Leno remains strangely popular, topping the ratings for the past few years. The question Buzzfeed asks is why everyone — except those viewers who keep Leno on top — dislike him so much. Some of the general perceptions of the host that are used in the story include “moral cowardice,” “sniveling backstabber,” and “modern milquetoast.”

“The combined effect of all these sins was to set in stone an animus towards Leno that nothing can touch. To be a thinking or cool person in America is to hate Jay, and like Dave, or Conan, or Kimmel, or Jon Stewart: anyone in the long line of talk show hosts breaking off a niche of the stratifying media world by being edgier and cooler than Leno,” the article says. Eeek.

Do you still watch late night network TV? Would Jimmy Fallon bring you back?

Howard Stern and his wife Beth Ostrosky Stern. ©Patrick McMullan== Photo – PAUL BRUINOOGE/PatrickMcMullan.com== == (PatrickMcMullan.com via AP Images)

We’re totally OK with the possibility of Jay Leno’s departure from late-night television, but this is a step in the wrong direction.

The New York Post says NBC is preparing to put Howard Stern in Jimmy Fallon’s place once Fallon makes the move to 11:35. Mind you, when last we looked, NBC hadn’t confirmed that Leno was leaving. But if he is, so be it. He’s just so blah! Howard Stern on the other hand? Not a fan. I stopped paying attention years ago when I couldn’t take the crudeness anymore. Then he went to America’s Got Talent and apparently became America’s Sweetheart.

The tabloid paper quotes his wife Beth Ostrosky Stern, “We were in a hotel and all these little kids recognize him now as the judge from ‘America’s Got Talent.’ Usually it’s their dads. But now it is screaming little kids. People are now seeing him for who he really is.”

Once again, we’re going to suggest Aisha Tyler. A new voice, funny, a fan of The Walking Dead… who’s with us?

Aisha Tyler. (Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NBC could be preparing to announce Jay Leno’s departure from the 11:35 p.m. late night spot he’s occupied for years. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, Jay Leno has a contract through 2014 and would be “reluctant” to leave (remember that whole Conan O’Brien thing), but there are fears that ABC’s decision to move Jimmy Kimmel to the competing position has NBC on edge. Kimmel is taking some of the 18-to-49 demographic that is so important for advertisers. (Leno still leads in the ratings, unbelievably.)

Moreover, if David Letterman does step down after his contract is up in 2014, it could be an opening for even more competition, with CBS likely picking a replacement that will attract those coveted younger viewers.

Execs at NBC deny that any change is planned.

Aisha Tyler. (Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

Personally, I’m all about The Daily Show and Colbert around this time, but if we have to choose, Jimmy Fallon is the more exciting of the late-night hosts (with Letterman running a close second). From dancing with the First Lady, to his great musical guests, to his Downton Abbey spoof “Downton Sixby,” he’s so much funnier now than he had even been on SNL.

But, why can’t a woman or a minority take one of these late-night spots? Is Chelsea Handler really the only game in town? Has anyone checked in with Aisha Tyler lately?

I think everyone (aside from right-wingers and folks who just can’t stand President Obama) was equally disgusted by Donald Trump’s extra thirsty proposition to the President. If you live under a rock, the man with the worst comb over in history, too much money and a lot of time on his hands put out a message saying he would give $5 million to a charity of the President’s choice, if he turned over his college applications, records and his passport. The fact that he would only feel like giving such a great amount to a charity in need for the sake of trying to prove something negative about President Obama says a lot about this man’s character. And while he could have totally ignored Donald Trump’s dumb arse all together, during an appearance on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” last night, the funniest commander-in-chief since…maybe President Clinton, decided to poke fun at all the speculation about where he was born and the fact that “The Donald” is just a little jealous, but not for the obvious reasons:

“This all dates back to when we were growing up in Kenya. We had constant run-ins on the soccer field, he wasn’t very good and resented it. When we finally moved to America, I thought it would be over.”

After his comical claim, Leno asked the President if he had ever even met Donald Trump before for this man to have so much animosity towards him, and such an obsession with his life. The President said that no, he hadn’t ever met the man, and I’m sure at this point, he doesn’t want to meet him. EVER.

Check out the clip from last night and tell us what you think of the President’s comments about everything. And big LOL at Jay Leno for comparing the POTUS and Donald Trump’s beef with his against David Letterman. And on a sidenote, am I the only one who thinks that any black person who gets approached to sign up for “The Apprentice” should say HELL NO!? Clearly that man is just trying to exploit the black celebs who come on his show because he thinks their behavior will garner big ratings, but the disrespect towards our black president is unacceptable at this point, and those in the community that he’s trying to profit off of should take a stand. But that’s just my opinion. Carry on!

Image: TheClassist.com

-Another day, another crazy political gaffe. Rep. Todd Akin (MO), who is currently running for a seat in the Senate, went on a St. Louis news program and said these words when asked whether he would support abortion in cases of rape: “It seems to me first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” Akin said of a rape victim’s chances of becoming pregnant.” This man votes on things that become law!

After being flayed on Twitter and in the media, Rep. Akin, of course, issued a statement in which he says he “misspoke” and his statements didn’t reflect the “empathy” he really has rape victims. The GOP Presidential ticket isn’t taking any chances, however. The Romney/Paul campaign has already issued a statement of their own saying they don’t agree with Rep. Akin and “would not oppose abortion in instances of rape.” The Democrats weren’t wasting any time either. An email signed by the Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz hit inboxes early this morning, asserting that the “misstatement” is more evidence of the Republican assault on women’s health issues. His opponent, Sen. Claire McCaskill, said in a statement, “It is beyond comprehension that someone can be so ignorant about the emotional and physical trauma brought on by rape.”

-NBC announced about two dozen layoffs at The Tonight Show over the weekend. In addition, Jay Leno took a pay cut as NBC tries to bring down costs. He was making between $25 million and $30 million per year. Now he’s only making $20 million. Jay’s foremost concern is for the wonderful people who work with him at The Tonight Show. He did what was necessary to ensure their well-being.” said Leno’s spokesperson Bruce Bobbins. Gag.

-Wal-Mart’s layaway program was so successful last year, they’re bringing it back starting September 16. Small home appliances and sporting goods will be added to the list of toys and electronics that were available to the program last year. A down payment of $10 or 10 percent plus a $15 fee to open an account is required.

-With Facebook’s stock sinking like a stone, some are wondering aloud whether Mark Zuckerberg’s time as CEO of the now public company is running out. Many call the thought of that happening “absurd.” We agree.

-Sad Hollywood news this morning: Tony Scott, the director of films like Top Gun and a number of Denzel Washington movies like Man On Fire and Unstoppable jumped from a Los Angeles bridge to his death yesterday afternoon. The details from a suicide note found later that day have not been revealed. He just finished working on a Christian Bale movie called Out of the Furnace due out in March. His brother is also a famous filmmaker, Ridley Scott. He was 68 years old. *Update: Reports now say Scott had inoperable brain cancer. **Update: ABC News may have been wrong. Tony Scott’s family denies he had inoperable brain cancer. And the Los Angeles County coroner’s office says they won’t know anything until they complete their autopsy and other tests.

Source: nymag.com

Everybody is in love with 16-year-old gymnast Gabby Douglas, including the First Lady. Last night, Gabby and Michelle Obama shared the spotlight on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, showing off the personalities that made us fall in love with both of them in the first place.

When Leno asked Gabby how she celebrated her gold-medal winning performance during the Olympics, her answer was a bit surprising.

“I splurged on an Egg McMuffin at McDonald’s!”

Shocked that that was it, Jay Leno asked, “An Egg McMuffin?” And that’s when Michelle Obama, known for her healthy eating campaign, stepped in.

“Yeah, Gabby, don’t encourage him,” the FLOTUS joked. “I’m sure it was on a whole wheat McMuffin.”

Eating habits aside, Leno also asked Gabby what it really feels like to be an Olympic champion and if the reality of that position is different than what she imagined. The always poised medalist replied:

“I think it’s very different, and when I mean `different’ it’s in a better way,” she said. “I mean, I never thought I would be doing the show with the first lady, or even you, Jay.”

I’m sure there will be a lot more opportunities like that down the line. Check out the clip of Mrs. O and Gabby below. Did you catch this last night?

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Source: TMZ.com

We know companies have a right to cast whomever they please in their commercials, but the casting call document that Acura drafted for it’s commercial with Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld during the Super Bowl is definitely kicking up that “light is right” flavor.

A man who tried out for the part and was not too happy he didn’t fit the profile sent the document in to TMZ which specified this description for the African American car dealer they wanted in the ad spot as: “Nice looking, friendly. Not too dark.”

TMZ called over to Acura to get an explanation for why “too dark” would be a problem and didn’t hear back, but someone associated with casting the commercial told them one of the reasons for the “not too dark” restriction was because lighting and special effects would get tricky.

Riiiiiight. Hmmm, I wonder what those other reasons could be.

Here’s a closer look at who they chose.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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