Probably because that’s how The Tonight Show Starting Johnny Carson was set up, and subsequent late night talk shows have generally emulated its style and setup.
Why do all night show hosts sit and have their desk to the left of the interviewee?
Submitted 2 months ago by Patnou@lemmy.world to [deleted]
Comments
cattywampas@lemmy.world 2 months ago
JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 2 months ago
Hmm… did the Tonight Show desk-format change from what Steve Allen originally set up, or the Jack Paar period, before Carson came along?
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 2 months ago
mech@feddit.org 2 months ago
The honored guest always sits to the right of the host.
It’s been like this in European culture since the middle ages, and possibly much longer.100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 2 months ago
The good thief was crucified to Jesus’s right and the other thief was crucified to his left, so there was probably some symbolism in Semitic cultures too.
JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 2 months ago
Could be influenced by the way in English (and various Western languages), script flows from left to right, which has some influence in our scanning things left to right in general, such as imagery, comics, etc. In such a scenario, the host is like the familiar anchor at the end of the sentence.
Not saying this is the only or prime reason, but I imagine it plays a part.
frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 2 months ago
Supposedly this is also the reason that most 2D platforming videogames scroll left-to-right.
TachyonTele@piefed.social 2 months ago
Studies have shown that turning left during conversation puts you at a subconscious disadvantage. While turning or facing someone to your right adds dominance to what you are- im making this all up.
Carnelian@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Hey can we actually start spreading this around? I have this amazing mental image of some self proclaimed alpha male type trying to get on my right side to talk down to me but I just keep rotating in place so he ends up circling me like a little puppy
TachyonTele@piefed.social 2 months ago
Spread the word my brothers. Preach!
vogi@piefed.social 2 months ago
Coworker of mine told me about "The Invariant Right" –the concept of shoppers going always right, so you might be onto something. It could however all be made up as well.
TachyonTele@piefed.social 2 months ago
I wonder if that’s true in counties that drive on the left side of the road
starlinguk@lemmy.world 2 months ago
And yet, the best show is Graham Norton’s and he sits on people’s right-hand side.
hesh@quokk.au 2 months ago
Tradition basically
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Maybe for the same reason they have (or had) microphones on their desk: The shows started out just filming a radio program
DagwoodIII@piefed.social 2 months ago
Remember her from years ago. She tried to break up the monotony.
OhmsLawn@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That was very disorienting
anon6789@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I always thought it stood out when flipping through the channels that Larry King was on the left of the screen. Can’t say I ever thought of him being on the other side until reading your question here, but that was the first thing that popped in my head.
OhmsLawn@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I imagine it’s more natural for right-handed people to greet their guests without their back on the audience. That, and because that’s how Carson did it.
HubertManne@piefed.social 2 months ago
colbert and I think I have seen it with stewart to have had like a little intimate round table talk area.
ripcord@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Jack parr, Tom Snyder, even Craig Ferguson for one experiment, lots of others tried different formats. They’re talking about by far the most common though.
Archer@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It was so noticeable on The Colbert Report when he was the one getting all the attention and hamming it up as he went over to his already seated guest because his character was an egomaniac. I had never thought about how strong the convention to have guests seated to the host’s right was before
LadyButterfly@reddthat.com 2 months ago
This is a really interesting question I’ve never thought of thanks for sharing it
slazer2au@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s an American thing right?
Have a look at Graham Norton, Parkinsons, The Last Leg, or The Jonathan Ross Show. People all over the studio.