Despite cancellation, Colbert’s deft late-night punches will continue to land

Opinion

Getting hit in the funny bone is painful, so last week’s news about the firing of Stephen Colbert really hurt. He’s a funny guy, and funniness is not just good right now. It’s necessary.

But there are other reasons this comedy cancellation feels bad.

On July 17, Colbert announced that his contract would not be renewed and that CBS would shut down the entire Late Show in May. This came three days after the 61-year-old host used his monologue to call out CBS’s decision to pay US$16 million to settle Donald Trump’s lawsuit — seen by most legal experts as meritless — against 60 Minutes.

In his comic bit, Colbert implied the payment was meant to smooth the way for the Trump administration’s approval of the US$8-billion merger of CBS parent company Paramount Global with Skydance Media. According to Colbert, “the technical name in legal circles” for this action is a “big, fat bribe.”

The timing of the cancellation announcement and CBS’s insistence that it was “purely a financial decision” have led to a lot of talk.

There’s talk about the economics of a changing entertainment landscape and the conflicts of interest that can arise as media ownership is absorbed into increasingly massive corporate conglomerates. There’s talk about Trump using the power of the American presidency as a form of financial extortion to crack down on the free expression of law firms, universities and media outlets he despises. Finally, there’s talk about the real value — beyond dollars and cents — of comedy, especially in our fraught era.

While the reasons behind CBS’s decision might not be purely financial, there are economic issues at play. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert employs about 200 people, costs about US$100 million to produce annually and reportedly lost about US$40 million last year.

There are other numbers, though: Colbert currently leads the late-night ratings, giving his network some much-needed pop-culture currency. The Late Show certainly generates more buzz than, say, Tracker, the CBS primetime show that Colbert has been gently mocking for two seasons. (I only know of the existence of Tracker, about a “lone-wolf survivalist” who uses his skills to find missing persons, because of Colbert’s jokes about it. And I suspect I’m not alone.)

Still, while Colbert might win the late-night ratings race, it’s also true late night’s overall audience is a dwindling demographic. After the mid-20th-century heyday of Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, the snarkier David Letterman captured and held a younger audience for a while, but viewership for network television has been steadily declining in recent years, as have ad revenues.

(And I don’t really have any right to complain here. I have never watched the whole show on the television box at 11:35 p.m. Like most people, I catch up on late-night monologues on YouTube the next day.)

These bottom-line financial issues are just one part of a bigger problem, however, now that CBS has gotten into a Trumpy quagmire that involves both the serious news show 60 Minutes and The Late Show, which often covers some of the same ground except with prop comedy. When networks are owned by huge parent companies, it becomes much more likely that the journalistic imperative to serve the public interest will clash with the business interests of shareholders. The proposed merger between Paramount and Skydance involves two Succession-style billionaire dynasties with all kinds of holdings, so it’s no surprise things are getting sticky.

Running an effective news program — or even a comedy show that comments on politics and current events — needs to be rooted in the belief democracy requires informed citizens. Colbert’s commitment to the American experiment is deeply, deeply earnest, which is why he can be so funny about it.

Not everyone is laughing, of course. While the Trump admin likes to complain about “cancel culture,” it seems to love actual cancellations. After Colbert’s announcement, Trump proclaimed on social media, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” while hinting that Jimmy Kimmel is “NEXT to go.” The White House also issued a statement about The View after co-host Joy Behar suggested Trump was jealous of Obama.

With all the corporate capitulation going on, Trump’s attacks on TV hosts could have a chilling effect on free speech. Colbert, having been fired already, seems to be well positioned to talk back.

He has a staff of good comedy writers. His delivery is nimble, his timing is deft. But more than that, he has a particular comic vibe that’s very effective against Trump. His style is precise, even prim, at times. He’s got that adorably dorky Lord of the Rings obsession. He has nice manners.

While the shamelessness of Donald Trump means his scandals practically come pre-satirized, there’s something about Colbert’s approach — sharp but not cheap — that punctures that self-sealing bubble. When Colbert says of Trump, “I don’t care for him,” it lands.

And this last week, as Colbert started off his monologue with his usual intro — saying, “I’m your host Stephen Colbert,“— the roar of response from the live audience was palpable, suggesting good things for his inevitable future podcast.

Trump has been dealing with a lot of unintended consequences in recent days. He might end up being less than happy about the Colbert firing. Lame-duck politicians struggle to get anything done. Outgoing comedians, on the other hand, can do a whole lot.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca