TV

Conservatives Are Pretty Pissed Off About David Letterman’s Replacement

"No longer is comedy going to be a covert assault on traditional American values. Now it's just wide out in the open."

by Steph Harmon  11 April 2014

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CBS announced overnight that it has picked the successor of David Letterman, who is ending his 21-year run as The Late Show host in 2015.

“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” CBS Chairman and CEO Les Moonves said. “David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night.”

Colbert, who will be leaving his satirical character behind after close to ten years hosting The Colbert Report, is understandably excited. “Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career. I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead,” he said. “I’m thrilled and grateful that CBS chose me.”

American conservatives? Not so happy. Rush Limbaugh took to his show to slam the network which has “declared war on the heartland of America”. “No longer is comedy going to be a covert assault on traditional American values, conservatives,” he ranted. “Now it’s just wide out in the open. What his hire means is a redefinition of what is ‘funny’ and a redefinition of what is comedy, and they’re blowing up the 11:30 format under the guide that the world’s changing and people don’t want the kind of comedy that Carson gave us or even Letterman.”

Breitbart’s ex-editor Ben Shapiro went even further, comparing Colbert’s character to blackface — because conservatives are oppressed, powerless and exploited, or something? “This routine, in which Colbert plays at conservatism in order to portray it as unendingly ugly, should be labeled for what it is: vile political blackface,” he wrote. “When Colbert plays “Colbert,” it’s not mere mockery or satire or spoof. It’s something far nastier.”

The news would have also come as a bummer to Craig Ferguson who, along with Colbert, was tipped to be a favourite for the replacement. Ferguson hosts The Late Late Show, which airs after Letterman on CBS, and according to The Post, his contract names him as the automatic successor of Letterman, with a US$5 million consolation prize should he be passed over.

There’s no word yet on what will fill the void that The Colbert Report leaves behind; as Vulture’s Jesse David Fox point out, this whole thing is a bit of a mixed blessing. “Stephen Colbert will do great in his new job. I’m fairly certain of this,” he says. “But is it really worth losing “Stephen Colbert,” maybe the single greatest comedic character ever built on TV?”

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