Study Says Colbert Aimed 87% of Late Show Jokes at Conservatives, Booked 99% Liberal Guests
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 22
Study Says Colbert Aimed 87% of Late Show Jokes at Conservatives, Booked 99% Liberal Guests
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 22
A Media Research Center study of every "Late Show" joke since Jan. 2023 found 87% targeted conservatives, while 99% of guests were classified as liberal.
Trump drew 3,639 jokes through the eve of Colbert’s final episode, dwarfing Biden’s 339 and making the president the show’s dominant punchline by a margin of 3,300.
Other frequent targets included George Santos, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., JD Vance, Pete Hegseth and Elon Musk, while Kamala Harris was joked about 21 times and Hunter Biden only four.
Guest bookings showed a similar tilt, the study said: John Oliver appeared nine times, Anderson Cooper and John Dickerson eight each, and Liz Cheney was the only guest it counted as conservative.
With traditional late-night shows in decline, where will audiences find their next blend of comedy and current events commentary?
Was Colbert's show a casualty of shifting viewer habits or a strategic corporate move in a new political era?