Stephen Colbert

John Dickerson has been on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert many times, and published a short piece to mark the end of the show. He wrote:

Colbert does what all performers do– thinks about what connects his work to the humans receiving it. But he goes further. He agonizes about what connects us as humans, what lifts us up, where the lines are between sentimentality and pathos, humor and cynicism, who deserves grace, who deserves a knee to the groin with a smile.

[…]

Over the years, when tragedy hit—a school shooting, an attack on the U.S. Capitol, some fresh injury to their faith in the country—people felt steadied at 11:35. They heard their fears, grief, bewilderment and convictions reflected back to them with clarity, humor and care.

I’ve been watching Colbert for a big chunk of my adult life. Over the last year or so in particular, Tess and I made a ritual of watching the monologues most nights. I could count on him to lighten the mood while also saying something insightful. When so much of daily life in the US feels chaotic and out of control, The Late Show made it a little easier.

I’m going to miss it.