With Colbert, Was it Retribution or Ratings?
Establishing what we know
***Hey! I’m on vacation this week, but since this Colbert thing is in the nexus of 7-10 different things that I write about, I managed to get this article up. Enjoy!
You won’t believe this, but The Resistance and the extended MAGA universe have very different takes on the motives behind CBS’ decision to end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
On BlueSky and Resistance Twitter, the story is simple: CBS fired Colbert to grease the skids on government approval of Paramount’s sale to Skydance, with Colbert’s recent monologue criticizing CBS being the last straw. Here’s Chris Murphy — who has become a useful go-to source for every overly-simple, single-brain-celled left-wing argument — reciting the talking points while wearing the ratty UConn hat that his staffers have clearly decided is the linchpin of his brand.
Meanwhile, on Mental Illness: The App (Truth Social), Trump put the blame squarely on Colbert. He said that Colbert’s “talent was even less than his ratings”, and ominously added “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.” And then — in a Trumpian flourish that once again proves that MAGAism is a revival of the Dadaist art movement — Trump took a swipe at “that moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.” So, there ya go, folks: To get in Trump’s good graces, a comedian must have less satirical edge than Jimmy Fallon. If you want Trump’s favor, you simply cannot partake in the scathing political takes and in-depth issue breakdowns that are synonymous with the name “Jimmy Fallon”.
Which narrative is true?