Stephen Colbert's Late Show Failed Because He Wasn't Funny or Politically Influential
Source: Eddie Scarry. "Stephen Colbert Wasn't Funny. Even Worse, He Wasn't Interesting." May 21, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that Stephen Colbert's late-night show got canceled not because of political pressure, but because he simply wasn't entertaining or influential enough to justify losing $40 million a year. Other media companies keep unprofitable shows when they serve a political purpose, but Colbert didn't even achieve that.
Conclusion
Stephen Colbert's Late Show was canceled because he was neither funny nor politically influential, making him not worth the financial cost to CBS
Premises
- Colbert's show was losing CBS $40 million per year
- Media companies will tolerate financial losses if a show has political influence (citing examples like NY Post, CNN's Brian Stelter, and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow)
- Colbert had no memorable political impact despite trying to influence politics
- His most memorable segment was an embarrassing vaccine dance in 2021
- Other left-wing comedians like Bill Maher remain on air despite Trump's attacks because they are 'worth it'
- The narrative that Trump pressured CBS to cancel Colbert is false - it was purely a business decision
Assumptions
- Entertainment value and political influence are the primary metrics for keeping late-night hosts
- Financial losses alone don't determine show cancellation if other value exists
- Colbert's character on The Colbert Report was superior to his real personality on The Late Show
- Media companies regularly make calculated decisions to keep unprofitable but influential content