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

... not with a bang OR a whimper.

 

Instead, to be quite honest, it was a surprisingly "let's pretend it's business as usual" attitude and forced, ill-timed, jokes that failed to land tonight. 

No impromptu, impassioned, poetic homilies that Colbert is famous for, and almost no zingers aimed at Trump on the way out.

Just a lot of everyone trying desperately to force us to focus on joy and laughter, as they were trying to convince us they felt - only not very convincingly.

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

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?

The end with the Paul McCartney sing-a-long was 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 well tonight either. 

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 without feeling it, 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, what did he forget?

Maybe what WE, his audience and fans for the past 11 years needed to see tonight?

I get it, "Never let them see you sweat/steal your joy" - but maybe WE needed to see the sweat and tears

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

Maybe WE needed just a dash of sentimental. 

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 needed was just one last zinger aimed at Trump?

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 - a president can have this much power over the media - especially one that essentially ran on the right to freedom of speech - as long as it's about the right to be racist or rude, 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.

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).