America Needs Stephen Colbert

THE ROLE OF a late-night talk show host has always occupied a uniquely liminal space in American life, traversing the uncertain territory between comedian, social commentator, political pundit, and moral compass.

- JASON BAILEY Bloomberg

Among these roles, the first quality is always the most important—audiences tune in to be entertained. But the lines between satire and political commentary have always blurred on the late-night format, and America has benefitted greatly from the overlap. So when Paramount Global's CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, it was clear that the move would be a disservice to the public.

To CBS's credit, some have pointed out that in a rapidly evolving media landscape, late-night television is no longer as profitable or culturally relevant as it once was. The network reinforced that stance by not just removing Colbert but cancelling The Late Show altogether—a flagship franchise since David Letterman's high-profile debut in 1993. If Colbert's sharp-edged critiques of Trump were really the only problem, the argument goes, then CBS would have simply replaced him with a more innocuous host.