Seth Herzog, the longtime warm-up comic for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, is facing backlash after a joke he made this afternoon during a special taping with BTS drew criticism from fans—reportedly prompting an apology and a conversation with NBC.
The incident occurred during an atypical, on-location Tonight Show taping at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, where BTS performed for a select audience as part of their scheduled appearances this Wednesday and Thursday night.
According to TMZ, Herzog drew complaints after making a joke referencing North Korea, which some attendees interpreted as insensitive in the context of the group. (In October at the APEC CEO Summit in South Korea, group member RM said that when BTS first started out, people didn’t ask about their music, but instead asked whether the group was from North or South Korea.)
The Tonight Show later taped its regular Wednesday night in-studio episode at Rockefeller Center, where BTS sat for an interview with Jimmy Fallon.
A source familiar with the situation tells LateNighter that Herzog—who typically handles warm-up for the show’s in-studio tapings—did not return for that second taping.
Herzog was replaced by comedian Ryan Reiss, who serves as the regular warm-up comic for Late Night with Seth Meyers.
It is not clear whether Herzog’s absence from the later taping was related to the earlier incident.
According to TMZ, Herzog has since apologized to BTS, and NBC is said to have spoken with him about the situation. Representatives for Herzog have not publicly commented.
BTS’s Tonight Show appearances—their first U.S. late-night hit as a full group since completing their mandatory military service for South Korea—are set to air across two nights, featuring a pair of Guggenheim performances and their in-studio interview with Fallon.
Get over it. People’s “feelings” are ridiculous. Bring on the laughs.
Until someone hurts your feelings then say that.