March 26, 2019

How did the late-night TV comedy guys deal with Mueller's vindication of Trump?

I'll try to figure out the answer by just reading the WaPo article "'I’m sorry that you’re a terrible president': Late-night hosts 'apologize' to Trump in aftermath of Mueller findings." Even though I can't trust WaPo, I don't have the patience to actually watch these shows. The headline makes me think the answer is they just came out and said I've always hated Trump and that's really what all this "Russia" bullshit was about anyway.

Okay, let me read...
... Trump and his supporters [have mounted] vigorous attacks against his critics, demanding they apologize.

During his CBS show, Colbert appeared to bend to the pressure...  “I have said one or two things about Donald Trump, like how he’s a terrible president, so I’m just going to bite the bullet and say it,” Colbert told his audience. A camera zoomed in dramatically on the host’s face, ready to capture the monumental moment.

“Mr. President, if you’re watching, and I know you are,” he said, pausing to take a deep breath, “I’m sorry that you’re a terrible president.”

Over on Comedy Central, [Trevor] Noah begrudgingly admitted that “The Daily Show” also needed to apologize to Trump. “Mr. President, we’re sorry we called you a Russian-pee-loving-pumpkin-headed-colludasaurus,” Noah said. “Portions of that name were not accurate.... It’s a little bit like coming down the stairs on Christmas morning... You were hoping for a brand-new BMX, but instead you find Santa’s dead body, burnt because your parents forgot to turn off the fire.”
To be fair, Noah is not an American citizen (I don't think). But Americans are listening to him, and he's on American TV purporting to deliver comic commentary on American government and politics, and he is communing with viewers who, he assumes, cherished a hope — a downright unpatriotic hope — that American President is in league with its Russian enemies.

Colbert echoed or mocked this despicable hope: "This weekend we received some troubling news... Our president is not a Russian asset."

From Jimmy Kimmel: "Now, the process of tearing our country even further apart can finally begin." That's badly written, because you don't "begin" to do something that you're already doing. The words "even further apart" don't save it. The sentiment is good, but it's pathetic that writers on a big network show can't polish their gags any better than that.

What about Jimmy Fallon? Does he not exist anymore? He's not in the WaPo article. I had to trudge over to the Chicago Tribune:
And Jimmy Fallon of the “Tonight Show” did have a new episode Monday, but not really: It had no fresh comedy or monologue and its point seemed to be to serve as an extended infomercial for the new Samsung phone used to shoot it outside of the usual studio.
Oh. Boring.

Anyway, these shows are awful. But I guess they're a comfy enough cocoon for some American pupae.

AND: Speaking of Christmas hopes, remember this?

65 comments:

Yancey Ward said...

I intend to consume much schadenfreude whenever Samantha Bee comes out of her hidey hole.

MayBee said...

After the election, when the press and comedians got everything so wrong, I thought they would have a moment of clarity where they realized they should do things differently.
But no. They dug in. Went harder. Spent 2 years calling Trump a traitor and denigrating anyone who might not hate Trump. And then the Mueller report. Does it make them self-reflect for even a second? NOPE.

It's never going to be fixed, is it?

MayBee said...

I guess Beto will run on bringing the country together again and the people who hate Trump will think that sounds just beautiful.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

"We hate Trump so much, any lie will do." "On to the next one!"

"Our never ending butt-hurt for Hillary will force us to Hate Trump and call him a traitor. We here at leftwing central do not care at all about the damage we do to our nation."

sinz52 said...

At least it tells us a lot about the demographics of these audiences.

Comedy Central is targeting young liberal audiences looking for political satire, no one else.

Infinite Monkeys said...

“Mr. President, if you’re watching, and I know you are"

I'd rather watch the Gorilla Channel.

Tank said...

This is why calls for civility or unity are always bulls***.

hawkeyedjb said...

As you note, these shows are safe-spaces where viewers come to have their prejudices vindicated. I dumped my subscription to the local newspaper when I noticed that it had become much the same thing. I'm not sure if their message is "If you disagree, you don't belong here" or if they actually believe that their view of the world is so self-evidently correct that pretty much everyone agrees with them. It does require a pretty low level of self-awareness to operate at that level of obtuseness.

Professional lady said...

If Colbert had any class he would apologize to Trump for his vulgar "joke" about Trump and Putin. But it won't happen because Colbert has no class.

Oso Negro said...

Damn! We got some bitter Althouse this morning. You should at least consider including Breitbart in your routine. Sure, maybe it's bullshit. But at least it's on the other side of the teeter-totter.

traditionalguy said...

Does this mean that we are allowed to wear our red MAGA hats out in public again.

I'm Full of Soup said...

pupae (plural noun)...an insect in its inactive immature form between larva and adult, e.g. a chrysalis.

I don't think I have ever heard that word before. It's a good description of Trump's opponents cause he is squashing them like Godzilla would squash a bug.

gilbar said...

MayBee said...
After the election... I thought they would have a moment of clarity where they realized they should do things differently.
But no. They dug in. Went harder... Does it make them self-reflect for even a second? NOPE.
It's never going to be fixed, is it?


Imagine how hard they'll have to dig in come January 2021!

tim in vermont said...

“There’s always
Tomorrow
For dreams
To come true...”

That’s how fairy tales work.

wendybar said...

Imagine if they were actually funny to both sides what their ratings could be? But, I guess they really don't care as long as they have their talking points and the audience clap like seals.

Nonapod said...

Serious question: Who watches these shows anymore? Since they're still on the air I assume there must be at least a few million people who still watch them somewhat regularly, but I can't imagine who they are. I can't imagine there's many younger people (under the age of 25) who watch them. My guess it must primarily be some odd group of older Millenials and younger Gen Xers who still derive some sort of mild entertainment from them. But I can't imagine why. If you have broadband internet and a tablet or a laptop in your bedroom, what are you doing watching staid late night monologues?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The real Russian agents?
Brennan, Comey, Clapper, Strozk, Kimmel, Maddow, and Colbert. to name a scant few.

All Putin's puppets.

Amadeus 48 said...

These people better watch it. They have 24 competition in political news satire from CNN and MSNBC, where the "anchors" are clowns and the "guests" are charlatans.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

THIS is probably some of the best journalism going. The right and the left - pointing out the absolute FRAUD that is Rachel Maddow and the rest of the on-air hacks at MSNBC.

**Don't watch, Inga. you need to stay deluded.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Democracy Dies at WaPo.

Ralph L said...

I guess Beto will run on bringing the country together again and the people who hate Trump will think that sounds just beautiful.
It worked for Obama, but Beto ain't black.

Mr. D said...

What does it matter to ya
When you got a job to do you got to do it well
You got to give the other fella hell

Not that any of them do it well, mind you.

Wince said...

From Jimmy Kimmel: "Now, the process of tearing our country even further apart can finally begin." That's badly written, because you don't "begin" to do something that you're already doing. The words "even further apart" don't save it.

I supposed they could have added the words “begin in earnest”.

But even that’d be a lie too.

in earnest: occurring to a greater extent or more intensely than before (of a person) sincere and serious in behavior or convictions.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Rachel Maddow is paid 10 million a year to lie to her hivemind.

Pretty incredible.

gahrie said...

How will you punish the Democratic Party and it's MSM minions for trying to overturn the 2016 election?

Because they're counting on you doing nothing.

tim in vermont said...

The problem is that one’s emotions have veto power over rational thought, especially when the subconscious senses that a line of rational inquiry is going to bring on psychic pain or threat some emotional crutch. The subconscious evolved hundreds of millions of years ago and his highly tuned and lightening quick and our rational mind is at best a few million years old and far more complex and slower, so it’s not a fair fight.

Look at Inga. Anybody who has been this emotionally invested in the whole thing is due for a soul killing amount of pain if they actually accept that they have been lied to by their heroes. “Say it ain’t so Rachael!” So constant mockery is the only proper response to them.

Besides, it’s really funny to watch them pathetically come up with more and more baroque conspiracy theories as the walls close in around them. Inga doesn’t even realize that she’s comic relief, and that when we reply to her, it’s just because she made us laugh again, and when we try to explain WHY she makes us laugh, she is deaf to it, which makes the comedy even richer.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Who exactly is the audience for this crap? It must be, like Spinal Tap, appealing to an ever more "selective" audience. There's a calculus term for this, "X approaches zero."

Michael K said...


Blogger BleachBit-and-Hammers said...
The real Russian agents?


That is not just a joke. The "Dossier" was a product of the FSB and GRU. Hillary was the recipient of millions into her
"Foundation."

The business about Russians " hacking' the DNC computers is nonsense,. The download was at too high a rate. That was an inside job, Bernie voter Seth Rich is unavailable for comment but I would like to hear from that GW resident physician who was barred from ICU when Rich, still alive, was brought in.

Bay Area Guy said...

Meh. These jokers aren't funny and aren't worth the time. I'm glad they won't apologize. It'll make election day, November 2020, that much more painful for them.

Quaestor said...

But I guess they're a comfy enough cocoon for some American pupae.

Lovey wordsmithery, Althouse.

Laslo Spatula said...

The people who watch these shows tune in for the same reason Kraft went to a massage parlor.

'going to the massage parlor' = getting jerked off.

'watching the late-night comedian monologue' = getting jerked off.

The difference between the late-night comedian and the massage-parlor worker is that the massage-parlor worker has standards.

I am Laslo.

Dave D said...

"It's never going to be fixed, is it?"

1) If Trump had won a Dem primary and won the presidency, NONE of this would even be going on.
2) EACH and EVERY one of the last 5+ republican presidential candidates were "literally Hitler".

What do you think?

These pupae (I like that!) will react with consistent group-think to whatever the opposition gives them. Mother Theresa would be "literally Hitler". No. It will never end.

tim in vermont said...

“Can’t change the lyrics now, it’s a hit song!”

I think of the “political officer” that the Soviets used to put on their subs to make sure that nobody stepped out of line ideologically. I wonder who serves this role at the late night shows. Each of them is probably very proud of their service to the cause, and ratings is secondary.

I know RH says it’s all about click bait, but it’s not. It’s about the interests of the large corporations that own these shows who stand to benefit hugely from favorable government policies. These people know that Trump isn’t really in control of the government, but he is a serious threat to the system of entrenched interests and left wing fanatics that actually do run the government.

Big Mike said...

Does this mean that we are allowed to wear our red MAGA hats out in public again.

@traditionalguy, heck no! In fact, it’s probably risky just to wear any red cap — plain cap, cap for the Phillies, Reds, or Cardinals, it doesn’t matter. Do you see any evidence in the comment threads of Althouse that the usual lefty trolls are ready to aologize for pushing the Collusion Delusion? Are any of them admitting that they foolishly fell for an obvious lie? See any evidence that they are questioning themselves as to their gullibility?

No, my friend. Last Thursday if they saw you wearing your MAGA cap in public they would have snuck up behind you and clubbed you with a bicycle lock. Have any of them changed in any way since then?

Kevin said...

Isn't it going to be great, when we put the 2020 candidates on the stage 10 at a time, and ask them about the Mueller investigation?

Because to not ask them about it, given the role it's played in his presidency and the critiques they're lobbing at him, would be an even bigger embarrassment.

Dave D said...

From Jimmy Kimmel: "Now, the process of tearing our country even further apart can finally begin."

I keep forgetting. The ONLY solutions are Democratic solutions. Evil, Nazi Republicans cannot possibly come up with good ideas. There is ZERO room for negotiation/compromise with these people.

tim in vermont said...

“Tearing our country apart” means that a Republican won an election. I am so sick of these people.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Democratics and their house-comedians make great Russian dupes.

Achilles said...

Democrats are at this point no longer deluded people.

This is impossible. They are making a conscious choice to be this way. There are at this point only a few truly stupid people who believe in their platform.

They are evil.

And everyone here better see by now if Democrats or a Romney/Bush style Republican ever takes office again they hate you and will use the government accordingly to make sure they never lose power again.

Fernandinande said...

In Trump's America, resultant joking line is on the joker man.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Michael K - I know it's not a joke. I'm not joking at all. The real Russian agents are all on the left.

Curious George said...

Colbert just tweeted "Turns out the real collusion was all the friends we made along the way."

I've seen this on reddit too, so I don't know if Hunter's (I think) comment the other day was original.

I will say the meme is pretty old.

Francisco D said...

From Jimmy Kimmel: "Now, the process of tearing our country even further apart can finally begin."

You have to understand what Kimmel means by "OUR COUNTRY."

In his mind, the country belongs to the liberal elite. The rest of us do not count because we are deplorable hillbillies.

I guess he is right. Trump is tearing the liberal elites apart.

Fernandinande said...

Now, the process of tearing Jim Stark even further apart can finally begin.

rhhardin said...

But I guess they're a comfy enough cocoon for some American pupae.

It's an entertainment choice, not a cocoon. What news would be if news were interesting.

It's like an action movie.

hombre said...

St. Robert and his Democrat button men failed to fulfill the expectations of Democrats and their pet mediaswine. Look for tantrums and demonization from the bedwetters.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

SNL is a 100% democratic election show. Where's the FCC?

Michael K said...

I know it's not a joke. I'm not joking at all.

Oh, I agree. With "Moderation" I post a comment and then go read a book.

Sam L. said...

This is why I don't watch late-night TV. They're all "Johnny One-notes".

Achilles said...

Dave D said...
"It's never going to be fixed, is it?"

1) If Trump had won a Dem primary and won the presidency, NONE of this would even be going on.
2) EACH and EVERY one of the last 5+ republican presidential candidates were "literally Hitler".

What do you think?

These pupae (I like that!) will react with consistent group-think to whatever the opposition gives them. Mother Theresa would be "literally Hitler". No. It will never end.


This isn't about democrats and republicans.

They were just training their democrat people with the Hitler stuff.

They also trained their republican people with teabagger stuff.

They are the globalists. They trained their people to hate citizens. They trained their people to be serfs.

Gunner said...

These dopes are so boring and predictable, their writers are almost telling the exact same jokes (Lost finale sucked, Santa screwed us etc.)

Ken B said...

The pupae bit is bitingly contemptuous. I think this level of contempt is new for Althouse, and it's nice to see. Colbert exemplifies the same thing AOC does: we don’t need to be factually right. They laugh at your concern for accuracy.

Martin said...

Remember back ca. 2006 or 2007 when Patrick Fitzgerald was the special counsel investigating the Valerie Plame leak--how he knew all along that Richard Armitage was the leaker, but he nonetheless persisted for about a year until he could hang Scooter Libby on a false statement rap, though all the despicable people wanted it to be Cheney?

And at Christmas-time in the middle of it all, the despicable people said they were looking forward to a "Merry Fitz-mas?"

Nothing changes for some people. No underlying crime, but haul some target back to answer the same questions a dozen times, until you can catch him with something. Same M.O., same script.

btb, I have decided that if I am "deplorable" and "irredeemable," the people who think of me that way are "despicable." Because, why not? They truly are. And Colbert is the top of that dung-pile, along with the people at CBS who hired him.

David in Cal said...

These comics blame Trump, because the truth didn't agree with their anti-Trump falsehoods. In their world, the onus is on the facts to agree with the narrative, rather than vice versa.

Rory said...

"Serious question: Who watches these shows anymore? Since they're still on the air I assume there must be at least a few million people who still watch them somewhat regularly, but I can't imagine who they are."

It's a weird phenomenon, they have tiny audiences, but then their poo poo gets passed around on social media, so people end up talking about it. Like here.

tim in vermont said...

Actually, if they made a “Lost Finale” joke, that’s pretty funny.

Ken B said...

Maybee said “It’s not going to be fixed, is it.”
No. I have a phrase I use, “two city” people. The phrase refers to the Japanese cabinet at the end of WW2. Losing one city and it’s people was not enough, they only surrendered after also losing Nagasaki too. (And about half not even then.) The left is full of two-, three-, ten- city types. They won’t even notice this.

Drago said...

"It's a weird phenomenon, they have tiny audiences, but then their poo poo gets passed around on social media, so people end up talking about it. Like here."

Actually, "real news" organizations create actual "real news" stories about these comedians "hot takes" in order to amplify the lefty/LLR narratives.

Think of it as the online equivalent of CNN paying airports to carry their joke programming...which is how most people who travel ever catch any CNN "news".

Of course, some unfortunate people have "LLR's" in their own lives and those guys seem VERY VERY VERY "informed" about what the lefty-narrative amplifiers are putting out there....

RobinGoodfellow said...


Blogger traditionalguy said...
Does this mean that we are allowed to wear our red MAGA hats out in public again.”

Let’s not get nuts here!

Gretchen said...

From Jimmy Kimmel: "Now, the process of tearing our country even further apart can finally begin."

Yeah, it will be the Republican's fault for not just forgetting these scum have perpetrated a hoax of the worst proportions on the world. It is amazing how horrible the left really is.

They would rather have Kim set off a nuke than for Trump to negotiate with him, and will prop up further attempts to find something to undermine his election.

tim in vermont said...

The weird thing is people following the center right press were not surprise at all. Just like we were not surprised at what was in the Climategate emails or the Hillary/DNC emails.

Bilwick said...

The Hive's Late Night Agitprop Division performs as expected.

rehajm said...

They took CNN off the airport TV in Savannah. Georgia.

Drago said...

G: "It is amazing how horrible the left really is."

It would be more difficult for the left to do what they do if they didn't have all the LLR's fully onboard with their program.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Everyone should complain about MSNBC and CNN in public spaces. State run TV is a disgrace and the reasons you are forced to watch in public and semi-private locations is because it is the very essence of State Run "News".