Leno's right: Colbert got canned because Americans are tired of left's lectures | Opinion
Former 'Tonight Show' host Jay Leno nailed why progressive comedians like Stephen Colbert are failing: They're out of touch with much of America.
It turns out Trump Derangement Syndrome and late-night comedy don’t mix.
The announcement in July that CBS was canceling Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” seemed to surprise a lot of people. And Colbert’s progressive allies jumped to his defense – including politicians like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who raised the specter of foul play revolving around President Donald Trump and ignored the financial realities the entertainment company highlighted.
For a wide swath of the country, however, the decision to oust Colbert makes perfect sense.
Colbert, like many of his late-night compatriots, has moved from making his audience laugh to preaching at them. And Trump was often a focus.
In a recent interview with David Trulio for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno talked about the partisan pitfalls among the current crop of late-night hosts. Leno wasn’t commenting specifically about Colbert, but his point relates.
“I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, the pressures of life, wherever it might be,” Leno said. “And I love political humor, don’t get me wrong, but what happens (is) people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other. ... Why shoot for just half an audience? ... Why not try to get the whole (audience)?”
As Leno also noted, “I don’t think anybody wants to hear a lecture.”
Some late-night shows may be struggling – but 'Gutfeld!' isn't
Paramount, the parent company of CBS, has cited a “challenging backdrop in late night” to defend its decision to cancel the “Late Show.”
But not everyone is losing out to those challenges.
Fox News’ late-night offering “Gutfeld!” continues to dominate the ratings, with an average 3.29 million viewers. The “Late Show,” which once led late-night ratings, posted an average 2.42 million during the same time frame. Other late-night shows fall off from there.
“Gutfeld!” also grew its audience in the second quarter of this year, while others in the genre fell.
This is an indication that it’s not the genre that’s the problem.
“Most of America’s biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats – a party that’s rarely been more unpopular,” British television host Piers Morgan said on social media in response to a report that liberal guests dominated Colbert’s show.
Media watchdog group NewsBusters has found that since 2022, Colbert hosted 176 left-leaning guests and just one Republican.
No wonder more Americans are tuning out.
Democrats' popularity remains at historic lows
Perhaps network executives and the talent they hire have failed to read the room. The Democratic Party is at a 35-year low, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll that found 63% of voters have an unfavorable view of Democrats. Only 33% hold a favorable view.
And voters continue to believe that Republicans deserve more trust on key issues such as the economy, inflation and foreign policy.
That must come as a shock to progressives like Colbert, who boast their hatred of Trump and their condescension to anyone who would dare support him.
The millions of people who voted for Trump don’t find that funny at all.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at Paste BN. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques