“Live from New York, it’s another lecture!”
Op-Ed | By Easton Martin | July 22, 2025
For decades, late-night talk shows were a source of humor, fueled by well-written jokes and clever skits. Now, the scene has become a partisan echo chamber of slop, where the smug go to be reassured they are right and everyone else is evil. More than ever, late-night show hosts are convinced that it is their duty to comment on and analyze all the political happenings of the day, rather than satirize them.
In the wake of the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, apologists for the self-congratulatory comedians have come out of the woodwork. Unsurprisingly, many of these have been Colbert’s contemporaries—Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, and others.
One might think that comedians (who are, I admit, successful) would come out in support of Colbert with clever humor—perhaps a well-written diss on CBS or President Trump, who has applauded the cancellation. Well, you would be wrong.
Stephen Colbert, in responding to Trump’s taunt about his canceled show, said:
“How dare you, sir. Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go F**k yourself.”
It’s not that anyone cares, per se, that Colbert used a little harsh language. Colbert’s response encapsulates much of what is wrong with late-night humor as a whole: it is vitriol masked with cringe humor.
Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show on Monday nights, tried to top Colbert’s “clever” comedy. Stewart, with a red-robed gospel choir behind him, yelled “go f**k yourself” in awkward cadence while dancing along.
Looking past Stewart’s disrespect of Black gospel music, we are left with one clear conclusion: this is embarrassing.
Comedians, mostly those of the older generation, all too often seem to think that telling someone to “Go F**k themselves” is some kind of epic burn. Unfortunately for them, it just isn’t. We aren’t 14 anymore. Middle school humor is what causes a show like Colbert’s to bleed $40 million a year.
Ever since the 2016 election cycle, the formula has been the same: hate on Donald Trump and hope it sticks. I will admit, they’ve been funny once or twice. I do not think anyone is above satire. There comes a point, however, when humor and satire become so singularly focused that they simply become a pedestal for airing personal grievances. If late-night hosts can’t get over their Trump obsession, can they really expect a better fate than Colbert?
