Jay Leno stage refit for Reese Witherspoon

PASADENA, CA –With only 3 days notice, the stage crew of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno pulled off a remarkable feat.

Bringing in ergonomic experts from local universities, the team was charged with the lofty responsibility of ensuring that Leno and Witherspoon would avoid colliding chins during the show’s taping.

Dr. Fritz Umenbacher, Chair of Ergonomics at Cal State Fullerton, described the task as “daunting” during initial research. “The fact that we’re dealing with not one, but two pervasive physical features in such an unforgiving environment gave us great cause for concern”.

The trick was to make it appear as though Leno and Witherspoon were engaging in a natural, free flow conversation without revealing the fact that they were dodging each other’s chin.

Chin height, level and protrusion were measured before the show, and external factors, such as chair height, came into play.

Stagehand Buddy Clausson feared for the health and safety of both of the celebrities. “Our job is usually quite simple when it comes to normal people. But, believe it or not, huge chins cause us more grief than humongous honkers. Thank God we brought in the professionals to give us a hand.”

If all goes well, there should be no irreparable damage to either chin. If, however, there were to be a traumatic collision, swelling could become a life-threatening issue.