Jay Leno Acceptance Speech | 2014 Mark Twain Prize

The Mark Twain Prize recognizes people who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th century novelist and essayist best known as Mark Twain. As a social commentator, satirist and creator of memorable characters, Samuel Clemens was a fearless observer of society, who startled and outraged many while delighting and informing many more with his uncompromising perspective of social injustice and personal folly. He revealed the great truth of humor when he said "against the assault of laughter nothing can stand."
For more information on the Mark Twain Prize, please visit: www.kennedy-center.org/pages/...
The inaugural Mark Twain Prize was presented to Richard Pryor during the first annual Kennedy Center Celebration of American Humor, October 20, 1998. The event was created by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and John Schreiber and is televised annually. The Kennedy Center is grateful to Cappy McGarr for his steadfast support of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor since its inception. Previous recipients of the Mark Twain include Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009, rescinded in 2018) Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013) Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David Letterman (2017), and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018).
#TwainPrize #PBSTwain
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[@jl9752]

You have to know when it’s time to move on....he said that with a straight face

[@geomodelrailroader]

Well deserved enjoy your retirement Leno see you at your garage.

[@patjschmidt]

Looking at the list of all the other recipients one really seems out of place, not hard to guess which...

[@burnacco]

ABSOLUTELY

[@wotan10950]

“Last Thursday…….I’m sitting on my couch….” 3:10 Leno always had a great sense of timing, and extraordinary storytelling skills.

[@jackcack69]

Lol Jay's really talking about knowing when it's time to move on? If you actually know what happened... this gets me mad.

[@burnacco]

FR mf really knows no shame it's really f*cking astounding 😭

[@carrieheffernan1685]

7:56 is that Wendy Rieger?

[@Redmoz06]

I know a lot of people are gonna hate over Leno, but I really do think Conan should have got this award by now. It been ten years since leno got this.

[@burnacco]

EXACTLY WTF

[@WilloPR]

Dave Chappelle's video (3 days old) 3,000,000+ views Jay Leno's video (3 months old) 3,000+ views

[@MrHtowntrucker]

Good observation.

[@burnacco]

4 years later 60k ANY video of Conan's podcast +100k

[@bonnieforman9700]

I love how Jay talked about his wife. Love that, Jay.

[@bobabooey4537]

Jay bought a huge mansion on the east coast because his wife made a comment about how much she loved the place when they drove by it once. It wasnt for sale but Jay made the owner an offer and they sold it to him... for his wife. Its a cool story.

[@cedriccalla7783]

Seth and Jimmy got a shout out while Conan none.

[@whbrblsplibby8342]

After what he did to Conan, to give him a shout out would have been disingenuous.

[@chriskay1449]

@@whbrblsplibby8342 LOL what he did to Conan. Conan got him fired. Screw Conan. Conan did not deserve a shout out. Conan is scum.

[@bridgecross]

@John Dinh Nguyen Eight months. They took him out after eight months. All the hilarious stuff that that was on Conan from 2010-21 could have been on the Tonight Show if they'd given him time to get his legs, and given the audience time warm up to him. He's twice the interviewer that Leno is.

[@robertmartinez9084]

We should have citcoms .with everyone. Maybe one show. With divided series. I

[@mfadir31]

I’ve found great respect for Leno over the years. Especially for how he’s handled his time after “The Tonight Show”. I was too in the Letterman and Conan camp- but Jay has been consistent with his car show, his comedy, and his professionalism.

[@raisingbarssince1978]

so the guy has your respect because of a car show....nice one.

[@burnacco]

LMFAO YOU'VE LITERALLY GOTTA BE F*CKING KIDDING

[@driftwood8613]

I never found Leno to be that funny, it was always the other people on The Tonight Show that were funny ( Jaywalking, Guests and such)

[@no_handle_found]

Martin Shorts is still waiting for his prize while Jay Leno gets one..wtf!

[@burnacco]

absolutely f*cking ridiculous

[@YouTubeKnight]

Mark Twain is turning in his grave!

[@burnacco]

PREACH

[@tbam73]

Wow. He got one of these?

[@nubenegra809]

Where is Conan's Mark Twain Prize...? if this guy has one...

[@elhinm07]

Conan who?

[@fardimnazir666]

​@@elhinm07 Now they hand over awards to some car guys instead of comedians? wow.

[@samjackcollection7413]

Bleck

[@rlevitta]

Mohammed Gandhi? That must be the Mahatma (Mohandas) Gandhi's brother.

[@marvinmendoza5704]

So many haters here.. :)

[@burnacco]

s*fu

[@bobabooey4537]

A deserved honour. Jay loves his wife, truly.

[@Bomono65]

Come on! He's funny, old school but funny. Don't knock what you can't top

[@compositricecile]

이런 것도 받앗노…

[@brianparsons5026]

leno had 5o writers on his show to try and make him funny

[@burnacco]

and he still failed tremendously at it 😭

[@mdmjeremiah]

Good to see all the support Jay's been getting in all the comments here. Wow. You would think they gave an award to Hitler.

[@daveg4236]

M. Douglas Miller right??

[@jackohearts66]

I never liked him as a host but he's a great stand-up in the old-fashioned mold and deserving of this prize in my humble blah blah blah.

[@jebediahkrimsoncraftleding3012]

What'd you expect? People love Conan and it's no secret Jay kinda fucked him.

[@vikkorheel9966]

👏👏👏😭😭😂😂

[@EXthesweetlamb]

God awful

[@seanwebb605]

Leno stinks.

[@Lawrence_619]

I mean, if he wins this 'award'?...then that means my next door neighbor and my 3rd great-Uncle removed, and my bus driver from my grade school days..plus my 1st dog, thats been dead for 50 yrs..and my Mom's Aunt, who I hated...deserve this award. Jay Leno, is not funny, nor has he "stretched" the boundaries of this art form. He is what he is..a late night tv host...so, pardon my confusion.

[@thevolsteadvolstead5942]

I thought you had to be funny to receive this award.

[@TylerActs86]

Completely undeserved. Jay Leno has never been funny and will never be funny. He's a hack and a wannabe. Complete disgrace to Mark Twain.

[@urinemlich]

What is funny about this man? I never understood…

[@kellyfoster7054]

If mark was alive he wouldn't have givin him shit and snatched it out of his hands

[@80teg]

Jay Leno will forever be known as the least deserving Twain prize winner -- no chance they vote in someone less funny.

[@daveg4236]

80teg I am sure he's crying because you matter to him

[@dennisplatte7506]

Guessing you're joking. He was certainly the funniest guy on TV the past 30 years. No one close.

[@bexnlevi]

The Mark Twain Prize instantly loses its esteem as soon as you learn Jay Leno won it 👎👎👎 thats the biggest joke of them all!

[@Max-ip1gw]

Hate Jay. Team Coco!!!

[@DaSauceful]

I am team coco all the way. But its a decade ago so meh

[@TonyVega123]

@@DaSauceful I'm team both, but I still always felt Conan dealt with that situation a little immaturely.

[@bigbrycm6]

Joe Nguyen what kool aid are you drinking?? Conan is way better than Fallon. And yes Leno is to blame for screwing over Conan. Leno didn’t stay retired and agreed to do that variety show before conans screwing his ratings

[@bigbrycm6]

Joe Nguyen so you’re only going to give Conan a few months to do good in the ratings? Then pull the plug instead of riding it out? Of course there’s going to be a bumpy transition when you go from Leno who brought in different age viewers and demographics compared to a younger guy with Conan. They gave Leno way more time to get adjusted when he first got the show from Carson

[@equisde8026]

@@TonyVega123 right? the “team Coco” mob is a bit annoying. his ratings sucked so NBC wanted Jay back, it’s not hard to understand

[@Hottiedonkey]

not funny

[@richardelewis]

Leno is not funny. Period.

[@vforvendetta9838]

YAWN........this award is a joke........

[@shahbazkhan2428]

Unfortunately, he is NOT funny!