That music is a shortcut to coolness is one of Michaels’s core beliefs, and Fallon’s own musical chops made his show unique.

One of Michaels’s rules is “Do it in sunshine,” which means, don’t forget that comedy is an entertainment.

Chappelle, sitting beside Michaels, advised the group to use the moment for comedy. He read a quote from Toni Morrison: “This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

Michaels often says, of the talent he fosters, “They have to believe they did it themselves.”

It’s related to one of Michaels’s core teachings, which is telling people to spread credit around. Credit, he likes to say, is the easiest thing to give away.

A Michaels cri de coeur is: “You can’t hide behind art.”

He was embarrassed when people offered condolences, or if someone asked, “What does your father do?” The experience introduced a shade into his emotional palette—a watchful remoteness—that has never left. “You go, ‘Well, he died.’ And you’re more worried about their discomfort than you are about the way you feel.”

Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” That line, about transparency, is a quote from Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, and Michaels uses it to promote the idea that it’s good to show your work to others and get their input.