At TV Hall of Fame Induction, Bill Maher says Jay Leno is like Israel

Like Israel, Leno is ‘held to standard no one in the world is expected to live up to.’

 

Jay Leno’s induction to the TV Hall of Fame on Tuesday was preceded by a spirited and vaguely controversial introduction from Bill Maher, who compared the former “Tonight Show” host to a a small Middle Eastern country some of you may have heard of.

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Jay Leno and Bill Maher at Hall of Fame Induction – Photo: Frank Micelotta/Invision

“Jay reminds me a little of Israel,” Maher said of Leno. “He isn’t perfect, but he’s held to standard I don’t think anybody in the world is expected to live up to, but him.”

Maher also addressed the accusations that Leno had “stolen” Conan O’Brien’s dream by taking back the reins of the “Tonight Show” from O’Brien after a ratings drop. Despite the obvious Middle East conflict/Late Night War parallel, the host of HBO’s “Real Time” opted for a different analogy on this topic, pointing out that this was like saying Tom Cruise had robbed Maher of the lead role in “Top Gun.”