Stephen Colbert Says “Stephen Colbert” is Dead

Stephen Colbert, third edition, closed with the announcement that he’d be joining the Late Show team. However, they heard our cries and have returned on The Late Show to save us all from this madness with … additional madness.

If nothing else, last week’s Republican National Convention brought the nation something it sorely needed, that of Stephen Colbert’s return to the “Stephen Colbert” character as only the Colbert Report knew him. “I can not reasonably argue that I own my own face or name”. The new Colbert seems to be a slightly more macho, and definitely more likely to shop at Kohls version of the Comedy Central character. The late night host filmed a new segment of The Word last week, in character, and while it was entertaining, it did not please his former bosses.

But Colbert previously told THR that he saw his old character as a “tool” to be used judiciously, indicating he didn’t want to overdo it with appearances from the popular Colbert Report host.

This is the kind of petty spat that makes politicians look honorable by comparison, especially when you consider both CBS and Viacom’s Comedy Central fall under the same ownership – Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements.

Colbert had said, when it was announced he was leaving Comedy Central for CBS, he would retire that iteration of Stephen Colbert.

He then introduced “Stephen Colbert’s identical cousin”, an interview with himself displaying the same cocked eyebrow expression his old character had. And if that short-sleeved American flag shirt is any indication, this guy likes to party and/or misinterpret the Constitution. And this Stephen Colbert talked about his identical cousin probably being gay, among other DOA jokes.

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But, the important thing here, is that nose was thumbed. You would think that Democrats would trust Stephen Colbert a little more, but no one even cracked a smile like, “Sorry, Stephen, we just can’t do it”.