End of Stephen Colbert鈥檚 show illustrates risks of stirring a polarized nation to laughter
Heard about how the White House pressured CBS to yank its flagship comedy show?
Quick recap: The president took umbrage at its jokes about him and an unpopular war. Recorded in front of a studio audience and renowned for hip musical guests, the show was a hit with the under-25 demographic. Its genial presentation, packaged in formal suits and ties, belied its edginess. An alarmed Federal Communications Commission threatened the network鈥檚 license approvals. When CBS announced the show鈥檚 cancellation, there was an outcry.
No, that isn鈥檛 a summary of what happened to 鈥淭he Late Show with Stephen Colbert,鈥� which is scheduled to end its run with a final show Thursday. It鈥檚 an account of how President Richard Nixon targeted 鈥淭he Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,鈥� a Vietnam-era variety show hosted by the dapper-dressed, titular siblings. But CBS鈥� cancellation of Mr. Colbert鈥檚 show shares parallels with that 1969 incident. As does the Trump administration鈥檚 clashes with ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Why We Wrote This
鈥淭he Late Show with Stephen Colbert鈥� found success as it became more political and biting at a moment of polarization. Can humor still bring us together?
In common, these incidents highlight how political comedy can sometimes be a serious matter with high stakes. Sometimes. The relevance of political humor fluctuates depending on how well joke-tellers adapt to changing political mores. At a time of fragmented audience share, Mr. Colbert and Mr. Kimmel are registering their greatest societal impact in years. They鈥檝e pivoted from the genteel tone that talk shows were once known for and, instead, have targeted the Trump administration with sharp jabs. Just as abrasive? President Donald Trump鈥檚 rhetorical counterpunches. But viewership wins for comedians might come at the cost of perpetuating polarization rather than using humor to bring people together.
鈥淧olitical comedy in the U.S. has remembered how to be vicious and how to be vulgar in ways that haven鈥檛 been seen for maybe a century,鈥� says Nicholas Holm, editor of Comedy Studies, whose new issue is titled 鈥淭he State of Political Comedy.鈥� 鈥淎t the same time, the Trump administration has sanctioned it, has given it power by taking it so seriously and being so upset by it.鈥�
Gloves come off
When Mr. Colbert succeeded David Letterman, he ditched the character of a Fox News-like conservative that he played first on 鈥淭he Daily Show鈥� and then on the satirical spinoff series, 鈥淭he Colbert Report.鈥� He was fond of invoking the term 鈥渢ruthiness.鈥� Now, he was just himself. Though Mr. Colbert鈥檚 talk show started out apolitical, he changed tack when ratings dipped. That was in 2016, the year in which Mr. Trump first became the Republican nominee for president.
The candidate鈥檚 bluster and mannerisms were ripe for late-night jokes. But a deeper shift had taken hold. Since the early 1990s, late-night hosts began to increasingly target Republican election candidates more often than Democrats, according to an analysis by political scientists Stephen J. Farnsworth and S. Robert Lichter.
鈥淚n 2020, when we looked at the jokes that were devoted to Trump or [Joe] Biden, Trump got 96% of the jokes,鈥� says Mr. Farnsworth, co-author of 鈥淟ate-Night in Washington.鈥�
At first, television comedians made jests that characterized Mr. Trump as dumb. Consequently, comedians such as Jon Stewart and his prot茅g茅s John Oliver and Samantha Bee were accused of coming across as smug. Late-night hosts then tried a different tack: portraying the president as an authoritarian who threatens democratic norms. Mr. Colbert recently told The New York Times, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not a partisan position.鈥� In turn, President Trump has insulted Mr. Colbert, Mr. Kimmel, and NBC鈥檚 Seth Meyers.
In 2025, CBS announced it would be ending 鈥淭he Late Show,鈥� calling it a financial decision. Puck News reported that, according to a CBS insider, 鈥淭he Late Show鈥� was losing between $40 to $50 million a year. CBS had already canceled 鈥淭he Late Late Show with James Corden鈥� in 2023. But the timing was right after CBS settled a lawsuit with the president. It also coincided with CBS鈥� parent company, Paramount Global, seeking to merge with聽Skydance Media. The deal required Trump administration approval. In response, Mr. Colbert said, 鈥淭he gloves are off.鈥�
Going political
Last month, Mr. Kimmel joked on air, 鈥淵ou know how sometimes you wake up in the morning and the first lady puts out a statement demanding you be fired? We鈥檝e all been there, right?鈥� Mr. Kimmel鈥檚 edgy jokes have upset the White House, including first lady Melania Trump, on several occasions. Last year, ABC suspended the show, then brought it back following a public outcry. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, recently launched an early review of ABC鈥檚 license renewals.
鈥淭he head of the FCC is saying, 鈥極h no, this review of the affiliates ... it has nothing to do with that. You know, it鈥檚 just coincidence.鈥� But of course everybody knows that that鈥檚 not true,鈥� says Kliph Nesteroff, author of 鈥淥utrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.鈥� He adds that the Trump administration has 鈥渂rought both of these shows more attention at a time when they were receiving less attention.鈥�
When the late-night hosts became more partisan, it created a gap in the market for conservatives who felt disenfranchised. Many have never forgiven Stephen Colbert for a skit promoting COVID-19 vaccines in 2021. That same year, Fox News introduced its own late-night show, 鈥淕utfeld!,鈥� which now garners larger audiences than any of the network counterparts. Other comics, such as Tony Hinchcliffe and Dave Smith, who lean right or mock political correctness, have gained traction in comedy clubs and on social media. But political comedy tends to be siloed.
鈥淎lthough it鈥檚 not even that often, audience members will bristle or complain about the vibe of the political humor coming from the stage in a way where they used to basically just laugh at it,鈥� says Noam Dworman, owner of the Comedy Cellar in New York City. 鈥淧olitics is very divisive now in a way it never used to be.鈥�
There are still comics who are 鈥渆qual opportunity offenders.鈥� Case in point: Bill Maher, host of HBO鈥檚 鈥淩eal Time,鈥� aims for substantive discussions of important issues. Former 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� cast member Colin Quinn lambastes every political persuasion, but he also looks at issues such as the national debt that American voters can widely agree on. Mr. Dworman says very few comedians are able to transcend partisanship quite like Andrew Schulz. The edgy comic, who hosted Mr. Trump on his YouTube show in 2024 but now regrets voting for him, is hard to pin down politically.
鈥淗e does seem to draw people from a wide range of opinions,鈥� says Mr. Dworman. 鈥淲ith a twinkle in his eye and a tremendous amount of charm, I think he does actually lower the temperature with some people by very skillfully exposing each side to the other side.鈥�
Humor amid polarization
The end of Mr. Colbert鈥檚 show reflects the challenges of maintaining the talk show as a TV product, says Mr. Farnsworth, the 鈥淟ate-Night in Washington鈥� co-author. But today鈥檚 pluralistic, democratized media landscape of YouTube, podcasts, and social media offers low barriers to launch new ventures 鈥� including uncensored political comedy.
鈥淭he current media environment has a leveling effect,鈥� says Mr. Farnsworth. 鈥淎nybody can be a late-night comic on YouTube or on a podcast. ... That creates lots of opportunities for people who have something that they think is funny to say.鈥�
Mr. Colbert told The New York Times he still wants to do comedy after his show ends. In the meantime, he hasn鈥檛 let up on President Trump during the final weeks of 鈥淭he Late Show.鈥� In 1968, the hosts of 鈥淭he Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour鈥� appeared to soften. They penned a letter to retiring President Lyndon B. Johnson, apologizing if their show had been heavy-handed. He wrote back.
鈥淚t is part of the price of leadership of this great and free nation to be the target of clever satirists,鈥� said President Johnson. 鈥淢ay we never grow so somber or self-important that we fail to appreciate the humor in our lives.鈥�
