Late Night Under Fire: Stewart and Colbert Respond to Kimmel โขSuspension โข& “Theโค Late Show” Hiatus
recent events in late-nightโค television – โthe suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show on ABC and the announced hiatus of Stephen Colbert’s “The Lateโข Show” – have sparked a debateโค over political pressure and free speech, drawing commentary from veteran comediansโ Jon Stewart and David Letterman.
The suspension of Kimmel followed comments made duringโค his Monday night monologue regarding the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC took Kimmel โฃoff the air Wednesday, a โdecision โคquickly criticized as capitulation to political pressure.The Federalโฃ Communications Commission (FCC) is now facing potential action from Commissioner Nathan Carr, who suggested Disney, ABC’s parent company, either address Kimmel’s comments or face further scrutiny.โค Former President Donald Trump โคcelebrated the suspension on his Truth Social platform, incorrectly stating the show was “cancelled.”
Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show”โ is currently on hiatus, โwithโข a scheduled return following theโ November 2024 presidential election. โคKelly, a previous guest, last appeared onโ the โขshow last year discussing border security and gun reform.
David Letterman,who previously hosted โ”The Late Show” on CBS,described โฃthe situation as “misery” during a panel conversation moderated by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. He directly linked the events to political pressure, โstating, “Youโ can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian – a criminal -โฃ management in the โOval office.” Letterman noted that during his three decades in late night, he never experiencedโ government interference โคin his comedic critiques of presidents.
While Kimmel has not publicly commented on his show’s suspension,actress Jean Smart,who plays a fictional late-nightโฃ host on the HBO Max series “Hacks,” voiced strong support for Kimmel onโ Instagram,stating his comments were “FREE speech,not hate speech.”โ She alsoโ expressed dismay over Kirk’s death, irrespective of political affiliation, โand questioned the direction of the contry.