The podcast dives into the surprising cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show, questioning its implications for late-night television. It explores the genre's evolution from Johnny Carson to today's hosts, highlighting how humor adapts to societal changes. Hosts discuss the balance between comedy and politics, especially in a world where traditional satire faces challenges. They also reflect on the emotional connections viewers have with their late-night favorites, pondering the future of comedy in an increasingly serious landscape.
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Colbert's Early Comedy Roots
Stephen Colbert first appeared notably in "Strangers with Candy" and later on "The Daily Show."
These early roles established his unique satirical comedic style.
insights INSIGHT
Johnny Carson’s Monoculture Era
Johnny Carson epitomized a monocultural era with 12 million viewers, unlike today's fragmented media.
His blend of congeniality and showmanship is foundational yet contrasts with modern late night styles.
insights INSIGHT
Jon Stewart's Political Shift
Jon Stewart transformed late night with urgent political satire post-9/11 with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as backdrop.
His comedy made visible the underlying fear and confusion of that era, changing the genre's tone.
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Two weeks ago, when Paramount cancelled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” insiders in Hollywood and Washington alike deemed the move suspicious: Colbert had just called his parent company’s payout to Trump a “big fat bribe” on air. Paramount, for its part, claims that the decision was purely financial—Colbert’s show is losing forty million dollars a year. But both the political and economic explanations reveal how the landscape of late night has changed since Johnny Carson’s day. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz consider Colbert’s body of work and the state of the genre more generally, from the so-called late-night wars of the nineties through to the modern challenge of making comedy in a country where nothing feels funny anymore. “Late-night hosting is an art, but it’s also business. So, if your job is to get as many eyeballs on you as is humanly possible, what do you do?” Schwartz says. “It’s not easy to have fun with the news, as it is. And if you are having fun with it, something may very well be wrong.”
Critics at Large | The New Yorker