On Monday, during his opening monologue, Stephen Colbert, the host of "The Late Show," delivered a spirited response to President Trump's post celebrating the cancellation of his program. Here's why it's significant: Colbert wasn't merely a vocal Trump critic; he also lambasted CBS' parent company, Paramount, for settling with Trump.
As Colbert took to the stage for the first time since CBS announced the program's end next year, he addressed Trump's Friday post, which boasted, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. He has even less talent than Colbert!"
Zooming in, Colbert countered that he was the martyr in this saga, and assured everyone that Jimmy Kimmel of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was safe. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be capable of crafting such a satirical gem as, 'Go f**k yourself?'" he retaliated.
For the uninitiated, earlier this month, Paramount agreed to fork out $16 million to settle a voter interference lawsuit filed by Trump last year. This settlement drew flak from press freedom advocates who felt that Paramount could have easily triumphed over what they deemed a frivolous lawsuit. Days before CBS announced the cancellation, Colbert had quipped on his show, "I believe this sort of convoluted financial settlement with a sitting government official has a specific name in legal jargon: it's a 'big, fat bribe.'"
The intrigue deepens: CBS cited "financial" reasons for pulling the plug on the show last week, but the timing of the announcement has sparked suspicion among media observers and Democrats. Colbert revealed on Thursday that he learned about the cancellation just a day prior.
Adding to the intrigue, David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media, the company set to acquire Paramount, met with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr last Tuesday. During the meeting, he urged the FCC's Media Bureau to "promptly grant" Paramount's applications to transfer control of its broadcast licenses to its new owners, emphasizing the "public interest benefits" of the deal.
The situation has only fueled Democrats' fury over Paramount's settlement with Trump. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden announced an investigation on Monday into Skydance's role in a "potential secret Trump payoff tied to the Paramount deal." This "potential secret Trump payoff" refers to reports that Trump brokered a side deal worth millions of dollars with Paramount's future owners for public service announcements supporting conservative causes. Trump has hinted that these reports are true.
The broader picture: Late-night shows used to be the pride of big broadcast networks. However, in today's hyper-partisan streaming era, they pose more risks. "The Late Show" was reportedly bleeding tens of millions of dollars annually. In such a polarized world, political comedy risks alienating vast audiences or earning the wrath of those in power.
Previously, Trump has taken swipes at numerous late-night comedians, labeling ABC's Jimmy Kimmel "one of the dumbest human beings ever," NBC's Jimmy Fallon "not very funny," and "Late Night" host Seth Meyers "dumb and untalented."
