Stephen Colbert slams CBS for canceling James Talarico interview
After CBS lawyers advised “The Late Show” not to air an interview with Rep. James Talarico, host Stephen Colbert called out the network.
Stephen Colbert has been in the news a lot lately for scheduling political guests on “The Late Show,” his late-night CBS show (even if they don’t always appear on the broadcast), a trend that continued Monday, Feb. 23.
Sort of.
Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona showed up, however briefly, to pick up a U.S. Senate rug Colbert had stolen from his office in 2018 in a “Late Night” bit, and which Flake had bid on as part of an auction Colbert is holding as his show nears its end.
There’s a lot to unpack there, none of it political. At least not much. Flake did make a Donald Trump joke, but that was about the extent of the politics.
Flake didn’t trigger the equal-time rule on Colbert’s show
And since Flake isn’t running for office (as far as we know), nothing triggered the equal-time rule, which FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has been crowing about lately. All that was in the news again after Colbert had Texas state Representative James Talarico on the show on Feb. 16. Or scheduled him, anyway. Colbert says CBS lawyers told him “in no uncertain terms” that he couldn’t put Talarico on the air. Colbert moved the interview to the show’s YouTube channel, where it has racked up 8.8 million views.
CBS said that the lawyers simply warned Colbert, which Colbert then denied, and it turned into a mess. Well, it was already a mess, as CBS canceled Colbert’s show a couple of days after he ridiculed Paramount for paying $16 million to settle a frivolous lawsuit Donald Trump had filed against “60 Minutes,” a cancellation Trump openly applauded. “The Late Show” is scheduled to end on May 21.
Thus, the auction. Colbert is auctioning off memorabilia, with proceeds (more than $300,000 so far, he said) going to chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen. Monday night’s item? The stolen rug, for which the winning bidder was a “Jeff F. from Arizona,” who paid $10,100.99.
Flake did make one Trump joke on ‘The Late Show’
That’s when Flake emerged from the wings, making awkward jokes, as well as a “Big Lebowski” reference. “I had no choice, Stephen,” Flake said. “That rug really tied the room together.”
How’s retirement, Colbert asked?
“You’re about to find out,” Flake said.
It went about like that, though Flake did make one political crack. “I get to spend a lot less time thinking about or talking about Donald Trump,” he said.
“That sounds like paradise,” Colbert said.
Nothing much there, but the way things are going we can be sure that somewhere, someone is firing off a complaint to the FCC. And Brendan Carr waits eagerly by his laptop, ready to spring into action.
Reach Goodykoontz at [email protected]. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Media commentary with a side of snark? Sign up for The Watchlist newsletter with Bill Goodykoontz.
