Payne: Leno jokes, Detroit whines

Posted by hpayne on October 10, 2012

They say Detroit’s a tough town. So why is its skin so thin?

Jay Leno cracked a Detroit funny in his Monday monologue and Detroit leaders predictably became unhinged. “Well the police chief of Detroit was suspended after a female police officer said she had sex with him in exchange for a promotion,” Leno said. “And of course people are stunned: Detroit has a police department?”

Good, satirical stuff about America’s most dysfunctional city. But not to Thin-Skin-in-Chief Dan Gilbert who erupted at a public event Tuesday. “What can we do about people destroying the reputation of our city, locally and nationally?” said Quicken CEO Gilbert.

Memo to Gilbert: Detroit destroyed its own reputation with sky high crime, looming bankruptcy, and City Council clowns.

Leno is no LeBron James. He’s not a Gilbert employee and he certainly reflects the prevailing national view of the city. As Gilbert knows, Detroit has an image problem which is precisely why he is boldly spearheading downtown efforts to make Detroit a welcoming place again.

“We need to get Jay Leno here,” Gilbert continued. “I guess it’s a good thing that his ratings suck.”

Actually, they don’t. Leno is THE top-rated late night talk show. And when Detroit moves up in the ratings among America’s cites, it will stop being the butt of Leno jokes. Just like the improving Detroit Lions. When’s the last time you heard Leno joke about them? Exactly.

 

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