Last night Stephen Colbert announced that his show, The Late Show, is being canceled by CBS, effective next May. You know — CBS, Paramount, the bunch that paid $16 million tribute to Donald Trump.
I watch Colbert every night. He’s my late night winding down routine. He relaxes me, entertains me, makes me laugh. And at the same time his jokes alert me to what’s happening in Washington. It’s usually a very pointed joke, but it gives me a heads up and I can find the serious details elsewhere.
A few days ago the show got two Emmy nominations (Best Variety Talk Series and Directing) in addition to numerous awards and nominations in past years.
Trump got pissed about how 60 Minutes, a CBS show, covered a Kamala Harris interview, sued CBS, and CBS, wanting to protect a business deal it had pending, paid out $16 million instead of fighting an easily winnable case. The head of 60 Minutes quit, in shame or perhaps disgust. But 60 Minutes has long been the best in tv news coverage, and Trump has apparently kneecapped them. And while there are other news sources out there, there’s only one Stephen Colbert.
I’m a J-school graduate from way back. I have strong feelings about the Fourth Estate and its importance in America. I resent like hell that Trump is messing with it and hate even worse that it is capitulating.
So you can just move along while I have my own private little breakdown. The Fourth Estate is going down, one by one. And so is my favorite comedian, the man who regularly skewers Trump in the most delightful ways. He deserves to have a braver, more appreciative network pick him up and give him a great new time slot.
Addendum: FWIW, I just canceled my Paramount+ subscription.
same paramount/cbs company involved in 60 minutes mess with trump merger approval deal that just paid out millions for the ‘edited Kamala Harris interview’. matter of time before John Stewart is cancelled too as they also own Comedy Central.
Oh no, Stewart too? Trump won’t be happy until he’s touched and tainted everything we love and respect about this country. But if the universities can and will stand up to him, surely the Fourth Estate can/should too.
Not yet, but I’m guessing probably only a matter of time
Fingers crossed!
I have often enjoyed Colbert, usually when he pummels DJT, otherwise not as much. He has a weird sense of humor, IMO. The media landscape has, and is, changing. There’s so darn much to absorb from phone. pad and TV now that it is dizzying. Long gone are the days when people would discuss what everyone had seen the night before. (Think Ed Sullivan. That dates me!) Used to be, everyone would opine what the facts meant, now they disagree on what the facts are and no source is sacrosanct. So I join you in mourning the decline of the fourth estate. All that said, Colbert is too talented not to pop up somewhere else after his show closes. So, there’s that.
Yep, no more water cooler talk. If water coolers still exist. Or even the offices in which they used to exist. There’s a staggering amount of material available on one’s tv these days and I struggle to find my way through it. I suppose that’s another reason I like Colbert. When I’m ready to wind down at the end of the day, I know exactly where to find him. I would hope another network picks him up, but they all have their late night stars already in place (personally I’d be delighted if NBC dumped Fallon and grabbed Colbert). And who knows, Colbert might even be considering retirement, given the amount of time he takes off.
Oh yes, as noted above, I just canceled my Paramount+ subscription. I was even given the opportunity to tell them why.
I had a whinge letter published in the NYT about this, Colorado.
Could scarcely believe it, the whole sorry mess.
We have to hope that the frightful orange parody sickens after a lifetime of eating junk food and becomes too ill to continue breaking laws and regulations.
By the time I finished writing this post, the NYT comments section had closed. And I SO wanted to say something. Glad you were able to post something.
Personally I think our autocrat-in-chief is already declining mentally. He can’t complete a sentence, changes subjects in mid-sentence, verbally wanders (he calls it his “weave”), changes his mind constantly, etc. Anyway, I’m not going to waste any more time thinking about him. Everyone already knows what I think.