This “nip-sync” duet of “Ebony and Ivory” with Terry Crews proves why Jimmy Fallon is the most refreshing thing to hit late night in years: He's not afraid to be irreverent or bawdy, yet he's also not afraid to act like best buddies with celebrities. Where David Letterman has always looked past his guests' fame with a certain amount of charming cynicism, Fallon directly asks his guests to jump down from the stratosphere and behave like the best guests at a Hollywood game night. If David Letterman's attitude is to address celebrities' egos with a withering “Come on,” then Jimmy Fallon addresses the same haughtiness with a jovial, “Come on! This will be fun.”
You could argue that Ellen DeGeneres does the same thing, but her camaraderie with celebrities is merely lighthearted, not rambunctious. You would never see a “nip-sync” on Ellen's show, and you certainly would never see a nip-sync performed with such rehearsed gusto. That's why Jimmy Fallon is the best talk show host of the moment: There's a gonzo, playful attitude just barely concealing a lot of impressive forethought.