CBS Cancels The Late Show and Wants Us To Think It's Purely Financial
CBS cancels Colbert, amidst political tension and new film reviews in this week's update.
Unless you’ve been living in a cave since yesterday, there’s a good chance that you know about CBS canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I ripped into CBS yesterday.
Their statement suggests it is a “financial decision,” but let’s be honest here. It’s not. They’re doing this because they just capitulated to the convicted felon by settling the 60 Minutes lawsuit and want the non-political-but-very-political FCC to approve the Skydance-Paramount merger under the current fascist authoritarian administration. That’s what this is about—that the convicted felon posted his support of the cancelation says everything.
Is late night TV losing eyeballs? Yeah, maybe—it’s all about watching clips go viral on YouTube. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be uploading those clips to YouTube after shows air. But still, you don’t cancel the #1 show in late night TV! Beyond Colbert, his crew, and the fans, this is going to be another blow for launching new films and TV shows. Twitter is not the same platform that it used to be to launch a film or TV show. Facebook is getting blowback and you’re lucky if you see anything on Instagram if you’re following over 2,000 people.
There are those of us in the media who have been critical of this fascist administration and will remain critical of this administration. The U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights established a free press. There are not enough dollars to go around and support every independent journalist out there—being both Jewish and trans makes it easier said than done when it comes to being heard. You never know who is going to be on social media at the right time. You never know what article is going to go viral and get more eyeballs than you’d ever thought it would. I’m going to keep writing and making sure my voice is heard because this administration will not silence me, no matter how hard they try. I might not be doing this in the form of in-depth reporting that one would expect from a news organization with a larger budget, but I’ll certainly be doing this through my commentary.
I had a number of tabs open with articles I was going to link to, but my internet decided to not restore the tabs after a recent Windows Update. So frustrating. I was able to go through the history and restore some of them.
It’s very concerning that Washington is requesting voter rolls and election data from the states. He lost every single voter fraud case after the 2020 election and isn’t letting it go. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a case of targeting opponents? What we know is that this has never been about election security—it’s about making sure that the 2026 elections are neither free nor fair.
Guns & Moses is now playing in select theaters. In addition to reviewing the film, I spoke with filmmaker Sal Litvak and actors Mark Feuerstein and Dermot Mulroney. Christopher Lloyd delivers an emotionally powerful performance in his role as a Holocaust survivor. I usually frown on non-Jewish actors portraying Jews but he really put in the work here.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes airs on HBO and HBO Max, beginning this weekend. Part 1 airs tonight and Part 2 will air next Friday.
Shari & Lamb Chop is open in NY this weekend. I spoke with filmmaker Lisa D’Apolito about the documentary.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returned for season 3 on Paramount+. I’ve watched the first half of the season.
I was extremely late to watching the show, but I finally got around to writing my review of The Diplomat’s second season.
The complete list of nominations were announced this week for the upcoming 77th Emmy Awards. While most outlets focused on key categories, I also included the nominees for the Creative Arts Emmys.
Last week, I was very critical of DNC chair Ken Martin not condemning “globalize the intifada” when questioned. Following the backlash to his comments, he was more forceful in his remarks, tweeting and then releasing a statement to Jewish Insider. The key quote from his statement:
“Let me be clear, at a time of rising antisemitism, there’s no place for rhetoric that can be seen as a call to violence. There is no room in the Democratic Party for hate speech or incitement to violence and calls to ‘globalize the intifada.’ That is not progressive. That is not justice. And let me be clear: there is no room in the Democratic Party for that rhetoric or any rhetoric that can be seen as a green light to terror.”
This came after a July 14 statement from Democratic Majority for Israel about “a series of deeply troubling developments within the Democratic Party and progressive community that reflect a growing willingness to excuse or embrace rhetoric and policies hostile to the safety of Jewish Americans, to Israel, and to those who support its right to exist in peace and security.” I encourage you to read the statement in full.