NEW YORK CITY — Outrage erupted online this week after CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, citing massive financial losses and abysmal ratings. Critics, however, quickly labeled the move “fascism in action.”
“Stephen Colbert was a voice of truth against power,” claimed blogger Danielle Swanson. “Now, without him on the air, there’s not a single late-night comedian willing to challenge Trump. This is how democracy dies — one canceled TV show at a time.”
CBS defended its decision, stating the show had been bleeding over $40 million annually while failing to attract viewers. Executives pointed to plummeting ratings and an oversized $100-million production budget as justification.
But many Democratic politicians and sympathetic journalists pointed fingers elsewhere — mainly at former President Donald Trump. “Let’s be honest,” one lawmaker posted, “this wasn’t about numbers. This was about silencing truth.”
Colbert weighed in sarcastically: “Losing the company millions of dollars every year is obviously what fascism looks like. Trump must be behind it!”
At press time, CBS offered Colbert the chance to keep yelling into the void — just not on camera or with a paycheck.