Stewart has bitten the hand that feeds him before. That’s why he’s back on Comedy Central, returning home after his show on Apple (The Problem With Jon Stewart) went away following Apple’s concerns over some of the show’s targets (specifically, China and AI – topics interwoven with Apple’s core business model).
To that corporate behemoth, Stewart became more trouble than he was worth, the bad press of his exit causing a slighter impact than what he was about to say on their service. Could that same thing happen again with Paramount, but not just to Stewart but also to CBS’ Late Show host Stephen Colbert? It’s a question Oliver Darcy asked in his Status dispatch following Stewart poking at his present and future bosses.
Worst case scenario thinking is understandably reflexive and rampant right now, but is it a real worry for Stewart, Colbert, their staff, and fans? Would the new Paramount overlords sign up for the fallout of a Stewart or Colbert sacking after so much lost credibility for CBS News following the settlement? As Darcy writes, the Ellisons want to free CBS from its supposed “liberal taint,” but does that mean they want to trade for a conservative taint and/or reinforced reputation as state media, beholden to Trump’s whims and tantrums?
I’m not going to say a walkout from everyone connected to a Paramount project would follow the outrage. But contracts don’t last forever and the rot in the entertainment side of the business, fueled by a slow rolling rebellion from the artistic community and a not small audience that fucking hates Trump, might be set in motion. Or not. FOX has done well to insulate itself from the consequences connected to its corporate kin in Fox News. Maybe CBS can do the same, but it will be more challenging if the blast field expands beyond CBS News to impact entertainment, which is where The Daily Show and The Late Show technically live.
Darcy is right, Trump fucking hates Colbert and Stewart, but while we’re constantly surprised by how petty Trump can and will be in pursuit of wrecking an enemy’s day/week/life, he also likely enjoys having foils that give him a target to point to when he talks about the “radical left” and the press. Donald Trump’s method requires someone to blame so that he might cast himself as the hero underdog fighting for his worshippers. Speculation about bending CEOs to his will and threatening broadcast licenses or holding up deals also contributes to the image of fear and power that props up this bad-faith near octogenarian with bad policies, bad poll numbers, and the good luck to constantly draw bad opponents. It’s all a part of the big show.
I expect Stewart and Colbert to remain in place as useful cogs in the machines for and against Trump, more manageable pissing inside the tent than outside. Not to spark any ideas, but Stewart and Colbert don’t need Comedy Central and CBS to make a living or reach their audience (including the journalists, critics, and politicians that pay attention to what they’re saying). Their voices are their own platforms at this point, and so what would getting rid of them do besides create a swell of damaging press, upheaval amongst advertisers, and even more attention on what Stewart and Colbert have to say, turning them into martyrs?
While the idea feels increasingly plausible following the settlement (especially with the volatility of an increasingly emboldened Trump who just loves presents), Paramount getting rid of Stewart and Colbert really would be more trouble than it’s worth.
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