Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and South Park push again : NPR

Stephen Colbert throughout The Late Show on Monday, July 21.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

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Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

It was the week that comedy hit again. Hard.

Here’s what I imply: When federal regulators on Thursday authorised leisure conglomerate Paramount’s $8-billion merger with Skydance, media analysts like me started to surprise.

The approval got here a few week after Paramount-owned CBS introduced that it was cancelling The Late Show, at the moment hosted by Stephen Colbert — a comic book who hasn’t been shy in his criticism of President Trump and his administration. Many inquiring minds requested: Could strikes to restrict a distinguished and vocal detractor of the president have helped the deal alongside?

But if anybody thought Colbert’s cancellation — which will not come till his contract ends in May 2026 — may tamp down political commentary in different areas of Paramount’s media empire, they discovered in another way this previous week.

Jon Stewart kicked issues off final Monday whereas internet hosting The Daily Show, which airs on Paramount-owned Comedy Central. He offered a blistering monologue that questioned CBS’s statement asserting Colbert’s cancellation was “purely a financial decision,” finally becoming a member of a gospel choir to sing “go f— yourself” to media corporations, regulation corporations, universities and different establishments that may censor themselves to keep away from angering the federal government.

“The shows that you now seek to cancel, censor and control … a not insignificant portion of that $8 billion value came from those shows,” Stewart famous, passionately. “That’s what made you that money.”

“Was this purely financial?” Jon Stewart puzzled on The Daily Show this week after Paramount introduced the approaching finish of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “Or maybe the path of least resistance for your $8-billion merger was killing a show that you know rankled a fragile and vengeful president.”

The Daily Show/YouTube/Screenshot by NPR

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The Daily Show/YouTube/Screenshot by NPR

But the actual shock got here when one other Comedy Central present, South Park, launched the primary episode of its twenty seventh season on Wednesday. The present’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, had simply accomplished powerful negotiations to achieve a five-year, $1.5-billion cope with Paramount over new episodes and streaming rights — offering loads of causes to be ok with working with the corporate.

Anyone who has tracked Stone’s and Parker’s rebellious streak through the years might guess what occurred subsequent. Their season premiere “Sermon on the Mount,” was a savagely pointed, often crude satire — of President Trump, Paramount’s cancellation of Colbert, the rise of Christian nationalism within the United States, the demonization of woke ideology, Trump’s technique of utilizing lawsuits to intimidate critics, and way more.

(They even lampooned stereotypes about NPR whereas referencing Congress’ latest vote to take again beforehand authorised funding for public media. A personality — who’s a fan — known as the community “the funniest show ever, where all the lesbians and Jews complain about stuff.” Which, I gotta admit, made me chuckle a bit.)

On Thursday, throughout a panel at Comic-Con, South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker had been requested in the event that they anticipated the White House’s response to their present’s new episode. “We’re terribly sorry,” Parker deadpanned.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Paramount+

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Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Paramount+

While the pushback on South Park wasn’t shocking to me, the depth of the barbs had been eye-opening. They confirmed an animated Trump propositioning Satan in mattress, depicted Jesus Christ warning a crowd concerning the hazard of a president who might sue them and offered a number of scenes lampooning the president’s, um, anatomy – one thing Parker and Stone mentioned brought some debate with Comedy Central executives.

Viewed by way of a present enterprise lens, this was a traditional case of South Park doing what it does greatest — poke a finger within the eye of what is anticipated and accepted. Parker and Stone know the corporate has already ponied up a ton of cash to remain in enterprise with them — and the one factor their followers probably would not forgive is any sense that income from an enormous deal would blunt their satirical chops.

It additionally would not harm that the primary new episode of a present in its twenty seventh season options pungent barbs centered on one of many greatest tales in present enterprise. I’ve a hunch any harm emotions at Paramount or Comedy Central will probably be soothed by the monster scores the episode will probably generate, including to the sense that South Park stays related and definitely worth the {dollars} the corporate is spending. Well-played.

While all this was occurring final week, Colbert additionally contributed to the dialog with monologues of his personal. He promised “for the next 10 months, the gloves are off” — a vow he lived as much as moments later, whereas cracking a joke about Trump’s response to his cancellation.

Imitating the president’s voice, Colbert famous: “On Friday, Donald Trump posted ‘I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.’ How dare you sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism: Go f*** yourself.”

In that monologue this past Monday and the remainder of his monologues final week, Colbert hinted he would not utterly imagine CBS’ assertion that his cancellation was only a monetary choice and mocked reporting, which cited nameless sources, saying his present misplaced between $40 and $50 million in a 12 months.

The earlier host of The Late Show, David Letterman, additionally weighed in final week. Speaking in a video with former Late Show producer Barbara Gaines, Letterman known as CBS’ cancellation of Colbert “pure cowardice” and expressed skepticism it was purely about funds. Letterman, who famously tussled with executives at each CBS and NBC when he hosted late night time reveals, said the corporate “did not handle Stephen Colbert, the face of that network, in the way he deserves.”

What I believe we have discovered this week is that comedians and satirists have a extra direct and dramatic strategy to push again towards actual or perceived company stress — exhibiting followers immediately they won’t be intimidated.

News retailers focused with related pressures may need to attend for the subsequent high-profile information story to indicate their independence — staffers at 60 Minutes nonetheless face skepticism from the general public, after tensions over Paramount’s $16-million lawsuit settlement with President Trump led two executives at CBS News to resign.

But comics and satirists, like Stewart, Colbert, Parker and Stone, can step up whereas the world is watching to make their factors — nicely conscious that, if their reveals are canceled, they’re gonna want loyal audiences who worth their voices to observe them wherever they land subsequent.