Over 87,000 people sign petition to keep Colbert on the air

We've heard from late-night comedians and the president of the United States, but what of the people who depend on The Late Show for laughs?

Over 87,000 people sign petition to keep Colbert on the air
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CBS’s decision to cancel The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has sparked outrage or celebration depending on where one falls on the political spectrum. Fellow late-night comedians mourned the demise of another fallen television institution. Bravo’s Andy Cohen said, “CBS is just cooked.” The Writers Guild Of America accused CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, which is depending on the Trump administration to greenlight a multi-billion dollar merger with Skydance Media, of taking a “bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration.” Meanwhile, the President of the United States, who could use one less person talking about New York financier Jeff Epstein, said, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired[…]I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.” A class act to the end. However, one group we haven’t heard much from is Colbert’s audience. To that end, more than 87,000 people have signed a MoveOn.org petition demanding The Late Show stay on the air.

It’s not surprising. Colbert averaged about 2.4 million viewers a night, higher than either Jimmy. But more importantly, the timing of Colbert’s ousting is curious. The cancellation happened days after Colbert called Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with Trump a “big, fat bribe.” Paramount Global has insisted that the cancellation was purely a financial decision, stating that the show loses $40 million a year. Additionally, the company had to pay President Trump $16 million for reasons.

Now, in this era of extreme wealth inequality and a complete breakdown of social decency and shame, it is unlikely that Paramount will reverse course simply because its viewers, i.e., its customers, want it to. It has shareholders to worry about and a remarkably non-partisan FCC to impress. This small collection of people is more important, which is why they’re VIPs, and we’re simply the hoi polloi who depend on a couple of laughs to ease our descent into fascism. In the words of Immortan Joe, do not become addicted to late-night comedy. It will take hold of you and you will resent its absence.

 
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