‘We need him': Actors, comics and critics react to cancellation of ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert'
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CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Trump vs. TV: A play-by-play of a wild week taking on the U.S. president's naysayers
Social Sharing First he came for late-night TV, then a daytime talk show and a crude cartoon. U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration are fighting battles on all fronts when it comes to mockery and criticism of the 47th commander-in-chief. As speculation swirls that CBS might have turfed The Late Show with Stephen Colbert because of his recent criticism of parent company Paramount Global agreeing to a $16-million US settlement with the president over a 60 Minutes interview, the White House has also come out swinging this week against the animated series South Park and ABC's The View. South Park 's 27th season premiere episode, which aired on Wednesday, lampooned the president and the CBS-Colbert drama and depicted a naked Trump climbing into bed with Satan. That same day, a co-host of The View accused Trump of being "jealous" of former president Barack Obama's looks and marriage. Even though he's known for mocking a range of people he doesn't like, Trump's image, persona and brand are what made him a household name, and he doesn't take it well when he senses attacks on any of them. While he would largely take out his anger in a Twitter tirade during his first administration (what X was known as back then), there are concerns that Trump is using his power in his second term to influence corporate decision-making and settle grievances — especially when it comes to the news and entertainment industry. But freedom of expression groups say the political satire and parody that are now under fire are art forms that are not only constitutionally protected but vital to public discourse. "We have mocked presidents and leaders in this country since before this was a country," Will Creeley, legal director of the Philadelphia-based advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights in Expression (FIRE), told CBC News. "If you can't make fun of who's running the country, then the First Amendment doesn't mean a damn thing." WATCH | Questions swirl around cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Why CBS axed The Late Show: Ratings or politics? 7 days ago A 'chill' setting in Earlier this week, Trump seemed to take credit for the cancellation of The Late Show and putting Colbert, a vocal critic of the president, out of work. Although CBS, when it made the announcement last week, said the decision to end the show in 2026 was "purely financial," Colbert and others have suggested it may have something to do with the settlement and Paramount's merger with Skydance Media that the Trump administration approved this week. As a storm of backlash brewed, including from Colbert's late-night compatriots, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel, Trump appeared emboldened and even claimed in a post on his Truth Social platform that ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! could suffer a similar fate. Creeley said no matter the reason for The Late Show 's cancellation, both the timing of it and Trump's "glee" contribute to what he sees as a "deeply depressing chill" setting in when it comes to satirizing and criticizing the president and his administration. "This is ugly, strongman authoritarian territory we're entering, and it should chill all Americans, regardless of your partisan commitments," he said, comparing Trump to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been accused by such groups as Human Rights Watch of limiting press freedom and freedom of expression. Creeley pointed to another White House clapback this week as further indication of how the political climate has changed. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers lambasted Wednesday's episode of South Park, which coincidentally airs on Paramount-owned Comedy Central, saying the show "hasn't been relevant for over 20 years" and that no "fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak." Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone brushed off the rebuke while speaking at Comic-Con in San Diego on Thursday, but Creeley said the mere fact that this episode has gotten so much attention speaks to the current state of affairs. "It used to be that South Park making fun of people wasn't front-page news, but it shows you how far we've slipped, that all of a sudden it feels like this extremely important, extremely righteous act," he said. WATCH | Trump in bed with the devil in South Park premiere (contains profanity, cartoon nudity): The View in Trump's sights But it's not just comedy shows that are in the Trump administration's sights — it's criticism in any form. Joy Behar, a longtime co-host of ABC's top-rated daytime talk show The View, appeared to hit enough of a nerve that both the White House press office and the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reacted. Responding to Trump calling for an investigation into former president Barack Obama over unsubstantiated allegations that he tried to "lead a coup," Behar, a former standup comedian, called out Trump for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2020, riots at the U.S. Capitol and said that the sitting president was jealous of his predecessor. "The thing about him is he's so jealous of Obama, because Obama is everything that he is not: trim, smart, handsome, happily married ... and Trump cannot stand it. It's driving him crazy," she said. White House spokesperson Rogers called her "an irrelevant loser suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome" and warned in a statement to media outlets that The View could be "next to be off the air." FCC chair Brendan Carr, in a later interview with Fox News, also said The View may face "consequences" but didn't elaborate. Tough to snuff out satire Attempting to silence political satire, parody and criticism isn't a winning strategy, said Sophia McClennen, a professor of international affairs at Pennsylvania State University and author of the book Trump Was a Joke: How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn't. Speaking with CBC Vancouver's On The Coast on Thursday, she said satire helps people develop their resilience to consume news and information that is interspersed with "lies, misinformation and B.S." "Having that sort of more playful source of information is really the heart of what makes satire such a really powerful remedy," she told guest host Amy Bell. But McClennen said that's also why "satirists are some of the most attacked entertainers in the world." Still, she said, it's important to remember that satire "doesn't die" when people in power try to muzzle them. Instead, it continues to evolve and show up in other forms. Another example of limiting free expression Trump butted heads with network television stars and comedians during his first administration, but Creeley, of the group FIRE, said the president now appears to have more of a "willingness to use extra legal means or abuse the power of the federal government to intimidate critics." He said what has happened in recent days is part and parcel of Trump cracking down on freedom of expression in other venues, which includes cutting funding for public media, threatening companies over diversity, equity and inclusion policies and putting legal and financial pressure on Ivy League universities. Creeley said the "hypocrisy" of Trump and his Republican Party is "staggering," having once sold themselves as champions of free speech, in the face of Democrats and left-wing groups and institutions, but are now the ones trying to put limits on political discourse.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
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. Stephen Colbert (Scott Kowalchyk / CBS) 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. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. 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 GillmorWriter Studying at the University of Winnipeg and later Toronto's York University, Alison Gillmor planned to become an art historian. She ended up catching the journalism bug when she started as visual arts reviewer at the Winnipeg Free Press in 1992. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
South Park co-creator 'terribly sorry' after depicting naked Trump in bed with the devil
South Park co-creator Trey Parker had the briefest of responses Thursday to anger from the White House over the season premiere of the animated institution, which showed a naked U.S. President Donald Trump in bed with Satan. "We're terribly sorry," Parker said, followed by a long, deadpan-comic stare. Parker was asked for his reaction to the fracas as he sat on the stage at San Diego's Comic-Con International at the beginning of a Comedy Central animation panel that also included his South Park partner Matt Stone, Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge, and actor Andy Samberg, who co-created the animated Digman! Earlier in the day, the White House issued a statement on the 27th season premiere, which aired Wednesday night. "This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in the statement. "President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history — and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak." WATCH | A clip from South Park's premiere (warning: contains graphic language and images): Later in the panel, Parker said they did get a note from their producers about the episode. "They said, 'OK, but we're gonna blur the penis,' and I said, 'No you're not gonna blur the penis,'" Parker said. The premiere also took aim at Paramount and its $16 million US recent settlement with Trump just hours after Parker and Stone signed a five-year deal with the company for 50 new episodes and streaming rights to previous seasons. The Los Angeles Times and other outlets report the deal was worth $1.5 billion US. 'Do you really want to end up like Colbert?' In the episode, Trump sues the town of South Park when its residents challenge the presence of Jesus Christ — the actual person — in its elementary school. Jesus tells them they ought to settle. "You guys saw what happened to CBS? Yeah, well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount," Jesus says. "Do you really want to end up like Colbert?" CBS and parent Paramount Global cancelled Stephen Colbert's Late Show last week, days after Colbert sharply criticized Paramount's settlement of Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview. CBS and Paramount executives said it was a financial decision to axe The Late Show. The efficiency of South Park production, and the brinksmanship of its creators, allow it to stay incredibly current for an animated series. "I don't know what next week's episode is going to be," Parker said at Comic-Con. "Even just three days ago, we were like, 'I don't know if people are going to like this.'" WATCH | Why was Colbert cancelled? Why CBS axed The Late Show: Ratings or politics? 6 days ago Questions are swirling over whether the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's Late Show was politically motivated or purely financial. Colbert alluded to a 'bribe' tied to a Trump lawsuit and a corporate deal.
