A monologue that alchemizes headlines into punchlines. A desk, because that's friendlier than a throne. Recurring bits and sketches that lead into cheerful interviews with celebrities. Evoking the term "late-night" brings to mind these images, along with anodyne jokes meant to send us to bed with a smile. The specifics change with each network, but only slightly, along with the figure around which everything revolves: the man hosting the show.
And for nearly 70 years, it's been assumed that the audience takes that as a given. Late-night means hanging out with a funny man, as opposed to an equally capable woman.
