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+--- Thread: Article Out with Colbert, in with Eric Cartman? + Johnny Carson (South Park community) (/thread-18427.html)
Out with Colbert, in with Eric Cartman? + Johnny Carson (South Park community) - C C - Jul 23, 2025
Paramount Global: Out with Stephen Colbert, in with "South Park"?
https://www.outkick.com/analysis/stephen-colbert-cancellation-south-park-extension-shows-major-vibe-shift-comedy
INTRO: Nothing says vibe shift more than Paramount Global canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and then investing $1.5 billion into "South Park" two days later.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that Paramount has reached an agreement with "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the streaming rights to air the foul-mouthed sitcom on Paramount+. The new five-year deal will pay Parker and Stone an annual fee of $300 million. In addition, the co-creators will produce 10 new episodes a year.
Sure, the likes of Brian Stelter and Jake Tapper will juxtapose the two decisions as proof that Paramount canceled Colbert in an attempt to appease Donald Trump as it awaits federal clearance for a proposed merger with Skydance Media. But that's not actually true. Trump didn't decide Colbert's fate. The market did.
Though Colbert was the top-rated late-night host in the 11:30 pm ET time slot, his program made the least amount of money.
According to various reports, the show lost an average of $40 million a year. Colbert was not as popular among the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic as he needed to be to justify production costs of around $100 million. CBS also struggled to monetize the program on social media, The New York Times reports.
By contrast, "South Park" is one of the world’s most valuable television franchises. Paramount also had to outbid streaming competitors like HBO Max, which has licensed the series since 2019, to bring the show to Paramount+... (MORE - details)
RE: Out with Colbert, in with Eric Cartman? + Johnny Carson (South Park community) - C C - Jul 23, 2025
THE RUBIN REPORT
https://youtu.be/9AaTM7G-0l4
VIDEO EXCERPTS: And the late night talk show used to be something that brought us together. [...] Guys like John Stewart, Steven Colbert, and all of the rest -- Kimmel etc. ... ruined something that was precious in America because [...] we pretty much watched those shows together, and we could put aside all of the bull. It did not matter.
And there used to be a guy who did that night after night after night and his name was Johnny Carson. Take a look [when he appeared on an old segment of "60 Minutes"]...
Roger Mudd: People say he [you] will never take a serious controversy.
Johnny Carson: Well, I have an answer to that. Tell me the last time that Jack Benny, Red Skeleton -- any comedian, used his show to do serious issues. That's not what I'm there for. Can't they see that? Why do they think that just because you have a Tonight Show that you must deal in serious issues?
That's a danger. It's a real danger. Once you start that, you start to get that self-important feeling that what you say has great import. And you know, strangely enough, you could use that show as a forum. You could sway people. And I don't think you should, as an entertainer.
[...] And I would say the proof is in the pudding and the proof is in the numbers. And speaking on the numbers, they just showed me this to end the show. ... Paramount has struck a five-year deal worth $1.5 billion dollar with South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone [...] guys who are edgy, who are doing real comedy, who do things on the fly, who fight the power and all of those things ... And of course, Paramount is the parent company of CBS, which just fired the guy who was losing 40 million a year...
Johnny Carson silences '60 Minutes' host ... https://youtu.be/9AaTM7G-0l4
RE: Out with Colbert, in with Eric Cartman? + Johnny Carson (South Park community) - Magical Realist - Jul 23, 2025
God forbid comedy should be used to speak truth to power. Particularly on a nightly televised venue of tens of millions of watchers. Particularly during an adminstration bent on censorship, budgetary extortion, and the enforcement of fascist policies. Comedy then as just a light-hearted escape from reality, like all those performers of the 50s who thrived on easy mother-in-law jokes. Uhh...Lenny Bruce anyone?
https://www.google.com/search?q=lenny+bruce&rlz=1CAPCKE_enUS1147&oq=lenny+bruce&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTQzMTJqMGoxNagCCLACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ef74eab7,vid:dBA6PLRLpII,st:0