Jon Stewart UNLEASHES FURIOUS RANT Against Paramount and CBS After Colbert’s Show Is Axed — Profanity, Accusations, and Threats That Left Executives STUNNED and Speechless
Jon Stewart Rips Paramount and CBS in Profanity-Laden Diatribe After Cancellation of Colbert’s ‘Late Show’
The entertainment world was rocked recently when CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a decision that has sparked considerable controversy. Among those voicing their anger is none other than Jon Stewart, the former Daily Show host, who used his platform to lambast CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, for what he perceives as a capitulation to political pressures—specifically from former President Donald Trump. In an impassioned, profanity-laced diatribe on The Daily Show, Stewart didn’t hold back, criticizing the company for undermining shows that take a stand and represent something more than “flavorless” content.
A Shocking End to Colbert’s Legacy
The cancellation of Colbert’s show was announced by CBS as a purely financial decision, claiming that it was unrelated to the content of the program or any external matters happening at Paramount. However, many industry insiders have speculated that the decision may be linked to broader corporate interests—namely, Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance, a deal that has attracted significant scrutiny. The merger, valued at $8 billion, has been delayed multiple times due to regulatory concerns, especially after accusations from Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential race. Stewart, never one to shy away from controversy, made it clear that he believes the cancellation was not just financial—it was a calculated move influenced by political considerations.
Stewart’s comments came after Colbert himself took to the stage to reflect on the cancellation. He did not mince words, calling the recent settlement between Paramount and Trump over the 60 Minutes lawsuit a “big fat bribe” and warning that for the next ten months, he was going to unleash all his frustrations.
Stewart’s Outrage: A ‘Capitulation’ to Trump
On Monday’s The Daily Show, Stewart launched into a tirade against CBS and Paramount, accusing them of “selling out” to Trump and abandoning the values of truth-telling and taking bold stances on important issues. In his typically blunt fashion, Stewart blasted the media conglomerates, stating that they were making a major mistake by trying to please the political establishment. He argued that by stripping away the riskier, more outspoken content like Colbert’s show, Paramount was caving to the whims of a former president in order to avoid the wrath of conservative interests.
Stewart took aim at the idea that corporations could shield themselves from controversy by being bland and “inoffensive.” He mocked the idea that by watering down their programming, they could avoid stepping on political toes and thereby keep themselves off Trump’s radar. His message was clear: if networks like CBS tried to make their content so innocuous that it would never upset anyone, they risked losing their audience entirely. His remarks were punctuated with a lot of profanity, which Comedy Central, the home of The Daily Show, has the freedom to air uncensored, unlike networks like CBS.
Trump’s Continued Victory Lap
The timing of the cancellation also had Trump’s supporters celebrating. Trump, on his Truth Social platform, expressed satisfaction over Colbert’s departure, claiming victory in his efforts to undermine late-night hosts who have routinely criticized him. Trump’s words were a clear message to the late-night establishment: “You’re next.” He predicted that other hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, would soon face similar cancellations.
For Trump, this isn’t just about Colbert’s departure—it’s about a broader ideological battle. For years, late-night hosts have been vocal critics of his administration, and for Trump and his supporters, Colbert’s show was a symbolic target. By pushing for the cancellation of The Late Show, Trump and his allies are sending a signal that they are winning the fight for control over the narrative in American media.
Stewart, naturally, wasn’t having it. In his Daily Show segment, he reiterated his support for Colbert, his longtime friend and colleague, and described Colbert’s success as an example of the value of taking risks and speaking truth to power. He said that Colbert’s success on The Late Show had exceeded expectations and that watching him take the late-night crown from The Tonight Show was a pleasure, both professionally and personally.
Stewart also remarked that late-night television, as a business model, was struggling. He likened it to a “Blockbuster kiosk inside a Tower Records,” acknowledging that industries need to adapt when things change. The fact that CBS was abandoning Colbert, a show that had consistently ranked as the No. 1 late-night program on network television, demonstrated the dire financial state of traditional TV and the shift in media consumption habits.
The Role of Paramount’s Merger and the Political Backdrop
As Stewart’s diatribe pointed out, the timing of The Late Show’s cancellation and the settlement between Paramount and Trump is no coincidence. The merger between Paramount and Skydance, which has been delayed multiple times, is under the scrutiny of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with Trump playing a pivotal role in the regulatory landscape. The Trump administration had been outspoken in its criticism of CBS, particularly over the 60 Minutes interview with Harris, which Trump claimed was biased against him.
The settlement between Paramount and Trump, amounting to $16 million, is seen by many as an effort to smooth over tensions and pave the way for the merger to go through. But the move has sparked outrage within CBS itself, with high-profile figures like 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley and CBS News chief Wendy McMahon resigning in protest. Their concerns center around the loss of editorial independence and the growing influence of political pressures on network decision-making.
Stewart’s anger at the situation was palpable. He argued that instead of caving to political and corporate pressures, CBS should have stood firm and continued producing content that took risks and challenged the status quo. Instead, he suggested, the company had abandoned its principles in favor of appeasing the political establishment and securing a merger deal that might ultimately serve corporate interests rather than the public good.
Colbert and Stewart: A Shared History of Political Comedy
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s bond runs deep, having both risen to prominence as part of the Daily Show team. Colbert, who joined The Daily Show in 1997, became Stewart’s protégé and close collaborator. In 2005, Colbert was given his own show, The Colbert Report, which aired immediately after The Daily Show and quickly became a critical and commercial success. Their partnership helped redefine the landscape of political satire and paved the way for other late-night shows that blended comedy with social and political commentary.
Now, with Colbert’s show coming to an end, Stewart’s frustration with the state of late-night television and the political pressures on the industry is understandable. The once-vibrant political satire of late-night television now finds itself increasingly at odds with corporate interests and regulatory scrutiny, leaving hosts like Colbert to fight back in the only way they know how: through comedy and direct confrontation.
Conclusion: A Shifting Media Landscape
The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, coupled with the controversy surrounding Paramount’s merger with Skydance and its settlement with Trump, is emblematic of a larger shift in the media landscape. As the corporate world continues to merge and consolidate, the pressures on network television to remain neutral and avoid controversy are only intensifying. But as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have made clear, the cost of this neutrality may be too high. It risks eroding the very values of truth, humor, and dissent that once defined late-night television as a platform for speaking truth to power.
As the media world continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how future late-night hosts adapt to this new environment—one where the stakes have never been higher, and the risks of taking a stand have never seemed so great.
