Free Republic

Stephen Colbert won his first outing as CBS’s new late-night host, as 6.6 million viewers tuned in late Tuesday night to watch “The Late Show.” Mr. Colbert’s debut had about 3.6 million more viewers than Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” and about 4.8 million more viewers than ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Mr. Colbert also led in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic key to advertisers, drawing 1.4 million viewers compared with Mr. Fallon’s 900,000 and Mr. Kimmel’s 400,000. CBS hopes that he can retain many of the younger viewers who watched his Comedy Central political satire show, “The Colbert Report.” Still, Mr. Colbert’s...

"The Values Voter Summit, a four-day orgy of people fundamentally opposed to orgies" (VIDEO-AT-LINK) Stephen Colbert ripped into the ninth annual Values Voter Summit, last night on “The Colbert Report.” Very few were spared. ”There were so many great speakers,” Colbert said. “Also Sarah Palin.” But the speeches were just part of the Values Voter Summit. It also holds the first large straw poll for presidential candidates....

David LettermanÂ’s departure isnÂ’t the end of an era. The era of late night talk shows ended a while back. In Johnny CarsonÂ’s final week in the nineties, he played to an audience of twenty million. Lately, Letterman has been lucky to get 2 million. His final shows have played to around 5 million viewers.Late night talk shows still exist, but their intended audience mainly watches viral clips from them the next day. The average age of LettermanÂ’s audience is 54. CBS hopes that the equally smarmy Stephen Colbert will be able to bring his younger audience demo with him,...

TV and movie producers rarely focus on Catholic priests in their plots, let alone use them as central characters, as in "The Father Dowling Mysteries" or "Father Murphy" in the 1980s. Maybe that's a good thing, because when Catholic priests are part of the plot these days, there is an unmistakable odor of aggression -- mocking, vilifying, and disparaging not just Catholic priests, but the priesthood itself. On March 4, on the nation's most religion-mocking channel, Comedy Central, the late-night game show "@Midnight" featured the comedian Neal Brennan. Host Chris Hardwick asked a question about confession, to which Brennan responded,...

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is lamenting the end of “The Colbert Report,” saying it’s a “loss for ‘truthiness’ advocates across America.” The Comedy Central series ends its run Thursday night. Host Stephen Colbert is poised to take the reins at CBS’s “The Late Show,” when David Letterman retires next year. The House minority leader appeared in a sketch earlier this month with Colbert, who plays a faux cable news host on the show. Pelosi stretched her acting muscles as a wheelie-popping bike cop who preached safety to Colbert and Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.).

Mark the date, David Letterman fans: May 20 will be his final edition of "The Late Show." CBS announced the finale date on Wednesday, a full five months before it will take place. Letterman announced his retirement plans back in April, but did not specify a date. "It's going to be tough to say goodbye, but I know we will all cherish the shows leading up to Dave's final broadcast in May," CBS CEO Les Moonves said in a statement. The network is planning a triumphant departure for the acclaimed late-night host, who will be succeeded by Stephen Colbert of...

"We need somebody who's got experience. You're here for the 'Colbert bump.' Is this a trial balloon to be secretary of defense?" Colbert asked. "Actually, I was thinking about running for president again. What do you think?" McCain deadpanned. "You would have the full resources of the 'Colbert Report' at your back in 2016 — if it were still on the air," Colbert shot back.

Oh, the irony. The liberal feminist media are proving to be trailblazers. At least, that is, for male comedians. Abortion is “a funny word” – just like “guacamole” – according to comedian Stephen Colbert’s latest segment. For his Sept. 15 “The Colbert Report” show, Colbert invited actress Mindy Kaling on as a guest to discuss her comments against abortion sitcoms. Following Colbert’s lead, Kaling admitted her show “might” find a “hilarious take on abortion” in the future. Kaling, who garnered fame with “The Office,” now writes, produces and stars as an obg-yn in Fox comedy “The Mindy Project.” During a...

Take a bow Stephen Colbert, your fake news show term “truthiness” has just been adopted by your government. It’s been shortened to “truthy” and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the old “Attack Watch” organization which was later acquired by the newly incorporated “Truth Team.” (I explained how this worked back when the merger was originally announced in 2012.)  In case you’ve forgotten, the role of those totally impartial organizations was to turn Right Wingers in to the authorities for telling lies about Big Guy - so the IRS could audit them.  “The Truth Team is a network of supporters...

Because when President Barack Obama was blaming every problem under the sun on his predecessor President George W. Bush, he just wasn’t go back far enough. Via RCP: WARREN: I grew up in an America that was investing in kids. It was investing in public universities. It had a higher minimum wage. It was an America that said every kid would get a fighting chance. And that’s how we built America’s great middle class. Then starting in about the 1980s, we turned in a different direction. COLBERT: You mean when Reagan came in and it was morning in America. The...

(Screenshot: Comedy Central)As we mentioned, Stephen Colbert, heir to David Letterman's chair on "The Late Show," openly talks about his Catholic faith. It's a surprise to those who know the comedian only as the satirical conservative host of "The Colbert Report."In this April 2009 episode on Maundy Thursday, Colbert hosted Bart Ehrman, a prominent New Testament scholar and biblical critic.As Ehrman points out contradictions he's found in the Bible, notably in the crucifixion of Jesus, Colbert takes him to task in his usual acerbic tone. But under the caricature, Colbert presents the divinity of Christ in ways that leave...

(Snip) At long last, it appears that Rush Limbaugh has run out of steam. I have to acknowledge that I have sensed Rush getting by on fumes for some time now (yes, I tune into his show from time to time to enjoy his broadcasting skills if not his message). However, it was only recently that the world of Limbaugh crossed that thin red line from partially serious to total self-parody and audience deception—a line crossed from which there is often no return. It happened on the occasion of Stephen Colbert’s appointment to fill David Letterman’s soon to be vacated...

Rush Limbaugh and other conservatives have expressed bewilderment over CBS’s abandonment of the “American Heartland” by choosing Colbert to replace Letterman. Ed Driscoll has contrasted the pick with the Letterman and Leno succession battle. But the real lesson of that battle is that while Leno won on performance, beating Letterman in the ratings, Letterman won on image, retiring as an honored figure, despite his abusive behavior, while Leno was booed out the door Leno is no conservative, but he left with the baffled bewilderment familiar to many on the right of being the better man who is despised for his...

CBS’s decision to replace David Letterman with comic Stephen Colbert is an open act of contempt toward ordinary Americans, Rush Limbaugh says.

CBS has named Stephen Colbert as new host of the “Late Show,” effective when David Letterman retires. Here is the press release: The CBS Television Network today announced that Stephen Colbert, the host, writer and executive producer of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “The Colbert Report,” will succeed David Letterman as the host of THE LATE SHOW, effective when Mr. Letterman retires from the broadcast. The five-year agreement between CBS and Colbert was announced by Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation, and Nina Tassler, Chairman of CBS Entertainment.

Stephen Colbert is the rumored top pick to replace David Letterman as host of Late Show on CBS. Letterman announced he plans to retire in the next year or so. Colbert 'first engaged with network executives' while Letterman was still thinking about the best time to retire, Mashable reports. Sources tell the website that CBS has spoken to other candidates - including Colbert's Comedy Central colleague Jon Stewart - but that Colbert is the 'front-and-center' pick for the job. They also say Colbert has not yet had any formal contract discussions nor is there an agreement in place.

Question: Who are the most prominent public purveyors of Asian stereotypes and ethnic language-mocking in America? The right answer is liberal Hollywood and Democrats. The wrong and slanderous answer is conservatives, which is what liberal performance artist/illegal-alien-amnesty lobbyist Stephen Colbert wants Americans to believe. Last week on his Comedy Central show, Colbert resurrected his “satirical” 2005 “Ching-Chong Ding-Dong” skit, in which he speaks in pidgin English with a grossly exaggerated accent. He used it in a boneheaded attempt to ridicule Republican football team owner Dan Snyder and others who defend the Washington Redskins’ name. “Oh, I ruv tea. It’s so...

The problem isn’t that we can’t take a joke. The problem is that white comedians and their fans believe they are above reproach.... It seems “freedom of speech” has the assumed caveat “freedom of speech — for white men.”

Apparently channeling an “ignorant” character that he sometimes plays on his TV show, comedian Stephen Colbert tweeted on Thursday, “I am willing to show #Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever.” Since then, racial outrage has ensued and the hashtag #CancelColbert has been trending nationally on Twitter. However, in this instance, some context is important. Mediaite’s Josh Feldman explains: Stephen Colbert, in case you didn’t know this, plays a character on his TV show. A character that is purposefully ignorant. As he’s said in the past, “I do the show in...

Washington (AFP) - Social media erupted in outrage and counter-attacks Friday after US comedian Stephen Colbert used language that mocked Asian Americans in what was intended as an anti-racist jibe. Colbert, who is liberal but parodies a blustery conservative on his late night talk show, took aim at the Washington Redskins football team whose name is considered offensive by many Native Americans. Colbert mocked team owner Dan Snyder who has announced a fund to support Native Americans while rejecting calls to change the name.