Andrew Stiles of the Washington Free Beacon analyzes CBS’ decision to drop Stephen Colbert.
CBS announced last week it was canceling the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the former comedian whose self-righteous rants and anti-Trump therapy sessions endeared him to annoying online libs who think comedy shouldn’t be funny and rich celebs have a moral duty to “speak truth to power” (but only when a Republican has power). …
… Notwithstanding the denials from CBS, liberal commentators are convinced that Trump is solely responsible for silencing Colbert, which means America is teetering on the brink of total fascism. This is exactly how an authoritarian leader would act under these circumstances, they argue. These people are all very intelligent, so they must have a point.
Imagine a celebrity TV host in fascist Russia who spent the better part of a decade spouting lame monologues about why Vladimir Putin—more like Vladimir Poopin’— was an existential threat to civilization. At some point, he would probably be told that, starting next year, he can no longer earn $20 million to make a show that loses $40 million. Russian journalists would rally to the fearless jokester’s defense, freely and repeatedly denouncing the strongman for silencing his critics and destroying the country.
Maybe, or maybe not. Some might contend that Colbert getting canceled is actually not a sign of impending fascism. Losing $40 million a year is almost as bad as the WNBA. Most of Colbert’s viewers—the average age is 68—will be dead soon anyway. Nobody born after 1970 watches cable television, and most people still think comedians should at least try to be funny sometimes. The democracy doomsayers lamenting Colbert’s demise are the same people who spent the last four years propping up a paranoid, vindictive madman whose lackeys threatened to ruin anyone who crossed them, which is far more reflective of how things actually work in authoritarian regimes.
The post Assessing the impact of Colbert’s TV exit first appeared on John Locke Foundation.
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Author: Mitch Kokai
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