In Praise of Late-Night Comedians

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Donald Trump, an elderly politician who absolutely delights in heaping abuse on his perceived "enemies" and critics with no regard whatsoever for their feelings, privacy, or safety, is notoriously thin-skinned when it comes to others criticizing or making fun of him.   Using "free speech" against Trump crosses a line that the Grand Master of the Ballroom cannot tolerate.

Trump has a special enmity toward late night comedians, a class of entertainers who have been jabbing and roasting US Presidents at least since the Kennedy administration, and possibly even back into the Eisenhower years.  The nocturnal comics earn a good portion of their bread and butter through humorous digs at our national leaders.  

Most politicians smile and laugh at jokes about themselves rather than snarl and try to bite back.  The public has this thing about pompous windbags who can't take a joke.  But Trump, the king of pompous windbags, has led a life of bullying others to get his way and cannot sit idly be while being laughed at.  He bites back.  Late-night comedians, in particular, stir his rage.

Last July CBS announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's late-night show effective next May when his current contract expires.  CBS claimed it was a financial decision, but speculation swirled around  a recent CBS settlement with Trump over a lawsuit he filed regarding how the show "60 Minutes" had edited an interview with Kamala Harris, Trump's opponent in 2024.  There was also talk that Colbert's cancellation might be linked to a pending merger between CBS's parent company, Paramount,  and Skydance Media.  CBS denies those political machinations, but the move to cancel Colbert's show still works out well for Trump, and he boasted after it was announced that he heard two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Kimmell and Jimmy Fallon, would be next.  He called both of those individuals "untalented."

Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show on ABC was "suspended indefinitely" in mid-September following a remark he made regarding the shooting of Charlie Kirk.  It looked as though ABC's parent company, Disney, was intent on not bringing the show back, but a sudden drop in Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions forced the company to rethink the matter, and Kimmel was back on the air a week later.  Donald Trump did not appreciate Disney's change of heart.

Now Trump has turned his late-night guns on NBC's late-night host, Seth Meyers.  Meyers had done a killer impersonation of Trump last Friday evening dealing thei the subject of immigration, and it was so good that Trump immediately began thumb-smashing on his own Truth Social platform. He said:

"NBC's Seth Meyers is suffering from an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrom (TDS).  He was viewed last night in an uncontrollable rage, likely due to the fact that his 'show' is a Ratings DISASTER.  Aside from everything else, Meyers has no talent, and NBC should fire him, IMMEDIATELY!"

Trump, a man with no talent himself, is always quick to paint others with that brush.

Then, to put the lean on NBC even harder, Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, retweeted Trump's post  regarding Seth Meyers.  NBC broadcasts under the license and authority of the FCC.  Subtle, huh?

I'm old, so I can remember well a 1962 comedy album that spoofed the Kennedy's called "The First Family."  Comedian Vaughn Meader, who had an uncanny ability to mimic the unique voice of President John F. Kennedy, led the effort in what became a massive recording hit.  Wouldn't it be fun if the current batch of late-night comedians banded together and created an album, or a video, or some such entertainment that poked fun at the Great Orange Primate - and then gave the proceeds to a worthy organization that fights hunger, disease, or economic, social, or racial injustice?  

Trump would have to love that - and I know damned sure would!