Woke Hack of The Day: Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert used to be the most talented performer on television. His character on Colbert Report, also called Stephen Colbert, was that good. Now, Colbert has been named OutKick's Woke Hack of the Day. His actual self, still known as Stephen Colbert, is that bad.Colbert epitomizes the state of late-night television: not funny, low-rated, uncreative and partisan. Colbert and his ilk ruined satire.Tuesday, Joe Rogan analyzed the fall of late-night with MMA fighter Jake Shields.Rogan: If I had been born in any other era, all of my jobs except being a stand-up comedian would be non-existent.Shields: You would probably be doing like a late-night talk show. Think how terrible that would be. Or you’d have to be like Stephen Colbert. It’s sad seeing Stephen Colbert, cause I used to think he was funny. But now it’s just like — he’s cringe.Rogan: He’s weird, right? The vaccine songs. That was strange. I wanna be in the meeting where they pitch that. Like here’s the thing ‘we’re gonna go da — da — da — dada — da vaccines!’ Like where’s the joke? Where’s the joke? Are people going to watch this?Shields and Rogan are correct, Colbert is sad. And the vaccine song, to which Rogan was referring, was a new low.This is what political "humor" looks like in 2022:
Colbert is also preachy and out of touch. He makes $15 million a year yet recently told working Americans to shut up about rising gas prices. Colbert said all they have to do is buy an electric vehicle for an average cost of over $56,000.“Today, the average gas price in America hit an all-time record high of over $4 a gallon,” Colbert began. “OK, that stings, but a clean conscience is worth a buck or two. It’s important. I’m willing to pay $4/gallon. Hell, I’ll pay $15 a gallon because I drive a Tesla.”Colbert has a net worth of around $100 million.Rogan says Colbert's wacky transition from brilliant to predictable stems from him wanting to fit into the "in-crowd."That's part of it, sure. Those who don't challenge the latest promoted social trend earn protection from journalists and Twitter users with large followings. They won't bother Colbert so long as he aims his "jokes" at the right groups, such as Trump voters and those with a medical exemption from the COVID vaccine.So CBS keeps him around, despite his crumbling viewership average.Can anyone save late-night TV? Yes, but not anyone whom CBS, ABC or NBC would hire. The future of late-night is probably Stephen A. Smith, who tried out last summer on ABC and says he's pushing to be the next Johnny Carson.Obviously, Smith wouldn't be any good in such a setting. Though, perhaps, he could top Colbert.
Hack.