JAY LENO HAS CLASS, ARSENIO HALL IS CRASS.(Living)

Byline: Steve Bornfeld

Jay is talking Arsenio's language.

"Boy, am I gonna get my (ahem - butt) kicked in those newspaper columns," Jay Leno cracked during a "Tonight Show" commercial break after ribbing scores of TV critics in the audience of NBC's Burbank Studios. The critics roared with laughter.

No sweat, Jay - us critical types have a sense of humor, too. Ths one thoroughly enjoyed the trip to the taping and the reception afterwards in the NBC commissary, courtesy of the network during the current TV press tour.

When opening guest Kim Basinger remarked how she was reluctant to talk to journalists, Leno jumped on the opportunity that became a running gag, telling her, "Yeah, print journalists are so mean. They're cruel."

When we responded with a chorus of mock boos, Leno good-naturedly shot back: "God, you guys are so sensitive. Stop that!"

About 30 minutes before the 5:30 p.m. (Pacific time) taping, a casually dressed and gregarious Leno appeared to warm up the crowd, and took questions.

Why that deep purple curtain? "I don't know - I guess red was booked." Why doesn't he book politicians on the show, the way other talk shows do? "You can't have them on one night and be nice to them and then the next night attack them," he said. "I think you should humiliate and degrade them all equally."

Leno said he has spoken to Johnny …