Another of many reasons why Carson was probably THE greatest late night host.
— North Node Dan ☊♐ (@NNAstrology) September 18, 2025
In the ever-evolving landscape of late-night television, a recent clip from a Stephen Colbert interview contained a shocking admission. Posted by @TheChiefNerd on X, the 51-second snippet captures Colbert illustratring a seismic shift in the role of late-night hosts: from mere entertainers to curators of news, shaping audience emotions through personal commentary rather than neutral reporting.
🚨 NEW: Stephen Colbert Says the Role of Late Night TV is to Tell You How to Think About the News
“We’re like your friend who … paid attention to the news more than you did … and then we curate that back to you at the end of the day. But it’s really more about how we feel… pic.twitter.com/w2PNiOL7Gz
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) November 7, 2025
It might be shocking to some, but it perfectly articulates how late-night TV has transformed since the 2010s, moving away from the apolitical humor of legends like Johnny Carson, who’s 1980s warnings against politicizing the genre have been ignored. No wonder late night shows are seing a significant decline in viewership, with Colbert’s show suffering a 50% drop since 2015, according to Nielsen data.
In another revealing interview, also courtesy @TheChiefNerd on X, fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel explains his decision to prioritize anti-Trump partisanship over comedy, but the subtext here is that the decision has trapped him in personal misery while it alienated a significant portion of his audience. In a recent episode of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast where his wife, Molly McNearney, expressed the strain of severing ties with her family members who supported President Donald Trump, wishing to “deprogram” herself from the constant anger that has consumed their lives post-2024 election.
🚨 NEW: Jimmy Kimmel’s Wife & Show Producer Molly McNearney Says She is Losing Relationships w/ Her Trump-Voting Family, Wishes She Could ‘Deprogram’ Herself
“To me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family … This is not just Republican… pic.twitter.com/gLPZUJ979K
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) November 8, 2025
The interview is a stunning look at Kimmel’s spouse’s personal turmoil mirroring a broader trend in late-night television, where hosts who once focused on entertainment have increasingly turned to political commentary, at the expense of their viewership. The consequences of this pivot are stark, as data from Nielsen reveals a dramatic decline in Kimmel’s ratings, dropping from 2.5 million viewers in 2017 to under 1 million by 2024.
This decline is due to the growing disconnect between Kimmel and his audience, who tune into late night comedy shows for laughter and escapism rather than political diatribes and anti-Trump screeds. The post-2024 election landslide win for President Trump only amplified these divides, with Kimmel’s relentless focus on Trump leading to a loss of both personal relationships and professional relevance.
Viewers have begun to turn elsewhere for entertainment, as Kimmel finds himself in a self-imposed prison of anger and isolation, and Colbert has become a cautionary tale for those who let politics overshadow their primary purpose.
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English (US) · 