(UPDATED) This Is The Way Colbert Will End ...

... not with a bang OR a whimper.

 

(Edited/Updated)

Though the press is calling it a "Cancelebration" - I guess it didn't feel like that to me, with the exception of the very end?

Instead, it was surprisingly "let's pretend it's business as usual," only many jokes seemed forced and ill-timed, although there were a few funny moments. 

There was much of everyone trying desperately to force us to focus on joy and laughter, as they were desperately trying to convince us they were.

It felt more like "We're all going to laugh and be happy anyway, dammit!" 😂

Also, no impromptu, impassioned, poetic homilies that Colbert is famous for - that ability to connect with his audiences almost empathically (except the very beginning speech).

Unlike other late-night hosts, he could assess and adjust to his audience's mood almost instantaneously, whereas other talk-show hosts didn't care, they just keep on with their spiel, whether jokes landed well or not, that night.

But not tonight, which I sort of get, go out on his terms.

But almost no zingers aimed at Trump on the way out, or at least directly by name, which surprised me, by the fearless man who stood up to abuse of power and hypocrisy from Day One in his career.

Don't get me wrong, I ADORE Stephen Colbert, I've written several glowing posts about him - I guess I just expected something else, tonight?

Now - the end with the Paul McCartney sing-a-long with "Hello, Goodbye"  was GREAT.

IMO, it was appropriate to have Paul McCartney as his last guest, because I'm not sure people realize this, but the show has been filmed in the Ed Sullivan theater for the last 33 years - and it is the same theater where the Beatles made their debut in America!

I'm also not sure people realize that there will be no show in the theater at all, anymore - at least at present.

The acoustic jam with Elvis Costello singing along "Jump Up" - with former bandleader Jon Baptiste joining in was also GREAT.

I also loved that Strike Force 5 (all the other late-night talk show hosts, who came on for a skit for support) - but their jokes didn't land that well. 

I guess it just felt like the real Stephen Colbert was already gone and somebody replaced him with some emotionless robot?!? 😂

In fact, people who'd never watched it before, watching his show for the first time tonight to see what the big deal was, were probably like "Big loss, Trump's right, this show isn't funny."

To those folks I say, "What you saw last night was NOT 'business as usual' for Stephen Colbert, despite him trying his damnedest to convince us it was. That was Stephen Colbert going through the motions, trying not make it sappy and sentimental or let Trump see his sadness."

It surprised me, actually, that the man normally so capable of being funny, intellectual, and spiritual - almost like a priest or minister at times - so articulate about describing what so many of us are feeling, then ending it with a punch line - somehow missed the mark tonight on giving his viewers and fans what they have loved and appreciated about him from the start.

What mark did he miss?

That almost empathic connection with us he's famous for - and maybe what we, his audience and fans needed to see tonight.

I get it -  "Never let them see you sweat/steal your joy" - but maybe we wanted to see the sentimental? 

Maybe WE needed the corny look-back montage at great shows past.

Maybe WE needed just one more impassioned, poetic homily from the Catholic-Sunday-school teacher side of him about freedom of speech and fighting for the soul of America

Maybe we needed to tear up with him for a split second, then laugh again.

(Because as Dolly Parton said in Steel Magnolias "laughter through tears is my favorite emotion." Both emotions are spontaneous and raw and authentic, reminding us of what it is to be human - the best parts.)

Or maybe all we really needed was one last fearless zinger aimed at Trump?

But there was little to none of any of the above at all.

I feel like his jokes would've landed better, tonight, had he allowed that authentic emotion to flow, the bittersweetness of it all, lrather than trying so hard not to seem sad or let Trump get to him.

It's like someone telling you at a funeral to be happy they're at peace now, you just want to punch them in the face because you're not ready for that yet! 😂

However, it's true it's NOT a funeral - Stephen is very much still alive and has projects in the works - it's just a sad situation.

It's especially sad - and scary - that a president can have this much power over the media - especially one that cradled "freedom of speech" as central to his campaign.

Guess he only meant the right to be a racist, homophobic "Christian" bully - and ESPECIALLY if it's not about HIM.

It's just not the way I expected Colbert to go out, or at least the way I hoped he go out.

I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't whatever or whoever that was tonight. 

Guess he went out the way he wanted to and dammit all?

Nevertheless, I think the world of Stephen Colbert, I truly do - I respect him completely for standing up to power, especially the way that he has.

And I wish he and Evie and the kids nothing but smooth sailing from now on.

I hope Trump will just go away now - not just from whining about late-night talk show hosts and trying to get them fired because they make jokes about him, but in general, please.

Amen?

__________________________

PS - I'm canceling Paramount this weekend, right after I watch the Season Finale of Ghosts.

Oddly enough, I just read where the #1 show on CBS/Paramount and one of my favorites - Ghosts - is being moved to midseason January 2027, with the exception of the Halloween and Christmas specials.

CBS claims it is doing so to make room for more "family-friendly "Thursday night comedies.

Oh, piss off, CBS - there's nothing NOT family friendly about Ghosts, it's just that one of the ghosts came out as gay.

You know what I think the Ghosts casts and crew should do?

Move Ghosts to another network!!!

Because Ghosts and Colbert were literally 2 of the only 3 reasons I watched CBS anyway (the 3rd being CBS Sunday Morning).