Jon Stewart Blasts 'Late Show' Cancellation in Fiery Monologue
Colbert announced last week that the next season of The Late Show would be the last as Paramount had decided to axe the show as part of a 'financial decision.' The announcement came just days after Colbert slammed the network for awarding the American president a $16 million settlement over an interview with Kamala Harris that the politician claimed was deceptively edited. 'I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles: it's 'big, fat bribe,'' Colbert said on air days before the cancellation announcement.
On the July 21 episode of The Daily Show, Stewart didn't mince words as he took CBS and Paramount to task for the decision. 'I understand the corporate fear," Stewart said. "I understand the fear that you and your advertisers have with $8 billion at stake, but understand this, truly, the shows that you now seek to cancel, censor and control, a not insignificant portion of that $8 billion value came from those f---ing shows. That's what made you that money."
Stewart continued: 'Shows that say something, shows that take a stand, shows that are unafraid. Believe me, this is not a 'We speak truth to power'. We don't; we speak opinions to television cameras, but we try. We f---ing try every night. If you believe as corporations or as networks, you can make yourselves so innocuous that you can serve a gruel so flavorless that you will never again be on the boy king's radar, why will anyone watch you, and you are f---ing wrong.'Stewart then referenced the president's impending lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over an article the outlet published regarding the politician's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. 'You want to know how impossible it is to stay on Lord Farquaad's good side? Donald Trump is suing Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News, the man other than Biden, maybe most responsible for getting Trump elected. Fox spends 24 hours a day blowing Trump, and it's not enough. Imagine suing someone mid-blow,' Stewart said.
The comedian concluded: 'If you're trying to figure out why Stephen's show is ending, I don't think the answer can be found in some smoking gun email or phone call from Trump to CBS executives or in CBS' QuickBooks spreadsheets on the financial health of late-night. I think the answer is in the fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America's institutions at this very moment, institutions that have chosen not to fight the vengeful and vindictive actions of our pubic-hair-doodling Commander in Chief. This is not the moment to give in. I'm not giving in, I'm not going anywhere…I've got but one thing to say: 'Go f--- yourself.''Jon Stewart Blasts 'Late Show' Cancellation in Fiery Monologue first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 22, 2025
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