Stephen Colbert is out at CBS, and his late-night peers may be next.
If “The Late Show,” a perennial ratings winner against all shows not named “Gutfeld!,” can’t afford to keep the lights on, what chance do his competitors have?
That’s assuming the official CBS reason for his dismissal – a “financial decision” holds true. Conspiracists will blame President Donald Trump for Colbert’s ouster, but that doesn’t explain how the rest of Hollywood, Inc. torches him 24/7 without fear of penalty or reprisal.
(Nor should there be, of course).
Looking back, Colbert used a powerful broadcast platform to spread hate, divisiveness and, worst of all, Fake News. He helped coin the term, “clapter” and ignored Democrats behaving badly.
He failed Satire 101.
These moments, though, capture Colbert at his very worst.
The Vax-Scene
Colbert’s embrace of the COVID-19 vaccines could have been seen as a health-minded initiative. Except he refused to question the medicine behind the jab. He ignored those who suggested it wasn’t an appropriate measure for those 18 and under and ignored liberty-minded fears around vaccine mandates.
Instead, he teed up this bewildering dance sequence that has lived on in social media infamy. It may be his most cringe-worthy moment.
Peak Russian Collusion Hoax
Colbert nearly went too far even for his media enablers with this monologue. He torched President Trump as a Russian toady, suggesting a gay romance with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.
Colbert’s coarse language proved a remnant of his “Daily Show” roots. Former and future host Jon Stewart brought incessant swearing to the late-night landscape. Colbert merely picked up Stewart’s baton.
The problem? The Russian collusion narrative was one of the biggest hoaxes in modern history. The CBS host fell for it, pushed it month after month and has yet to apologize.
Fake News, anyone?
Defending Dementia Biden
Colbert mocked President Joe Biden from his late-night perch, but most of the jokes involved the leader’s age. He’s old, cantankerous and uses old-timey words.
The fact that the country saw a leader in serious mental decline escaped Colbert’s grasp. Even when an expert described Biden’s mental woes, as special prosecutor Robert Hur did, Colbert rode to the Democrat’s defense.
“What do you know, it’s not as ‘old-man-forgets-a-lot’ as his summary made it out to be,” Colbert said, pointing to one part which details “…you… appear to have a photographic understanding…and recall…So, it’s the exact opposite of his report summary,” Colbert said. “At this point, I’m worried about Hur’s cognitive ability.”
That segment has aged as badly as anything Colbert has done during his CBS reign.
Mocking Out-of-Work Americans
Colbert and co-regime comic Jimmy Kimmel mocked business owners who decried 2020’s pandemic lockdowns. Why? They were watching their livelihoods evaporate in real time.
That didn’t matter to Colbert, who kept receiving his fat paycheck during the COVID-19 pandemic. What did he care that ordinary Americans couldn’t keep their businesses open or feed their families?
The Colberts had all the resources they needed to ride out the lockdowns. Let them eat cake.
“Now we’ve all been isolating for over a month now, and some of us are starting to go a little kooky in the old squirrel cage, like a handful of idiots who were out this weekend protesting against social distancing. For instance, this man in Washington State, carrying the sign ‘Give me liberty, or give me Covid-19.’ Buddy, you’re in a large crowd, you’re not wearing a mask, you’re not six feet away from people — you might not need to choose.”
We later learned the lockdowns didn’t stop the virus’s spread and caused more damage than good. Some of us knew that instinctively, and Colbert had nothing but contempt for that wisdom.
Covering for Omar’s Vile 9/11 Comments
Colbert’s “The Late Show” films in New York City, ground zero for the 9/11 attacks. Years later, he invited Rep. Ilhan Omar onto his show days after she made detestable comments about that day’s suicidal hijackers.
The quote? “Some people did something.”
The host could have pressed Omar on those comments. “Do you apologize for them? Do you understand how vile many sane people viewed those sentiments?”
Instead, he ignored the subject and cozied up to a politician many deem antisemitic.
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