Stop Treating Stephen Colbert Like a Hero

Stephen Colbert was the first presenter at the 2025 Emmys, and when he walked on to the stage at Peacock Theater, he was met with a standing ovation. It was a hero’s welcome, no doubt. Colbert has been the primary target of President Donald Trump’s ceaseless harassment of late-night hosts and possibly the most public victim of corporate spinelessness. 

Don’t get me wrong, after the week this country has had, it feels more important than ever to keep the fight against totalitarian rule in perspective. Our country is divided and bloodthirsty, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Honestly, it feels like maybe we need to take a big pause. But Hollywood doesn’t stop for anything so the 77th Emmys are underway. And that means we get the Hollywood perspective of right now. 

Mostly, this means a lot of stale jokes about how much streaming sucks, but it also means viewers have to sit through an extended bit from Colbert being out of a job. He pulls out an old headshot, hands it to Harrison Ford and asks if anyone’s hiring. Haha! 

But it’s a little less “hero’s welcome standing ovation worthy,” when you think about it. The job Colber is losing, which actually doesn’t end until June 2026, also pays a multi-million salary. Of the people that Trump has chosen to target, Colbert isn’t the most sympathetic character. Hell, of the late-night hosts that Trump has chosen to target, Colbert isn’t the most sympathetic character. We all know Jimmy Fallon can’t out-bully Trump. 

It’s not that what happened to Colbert — and more importantly the 200 people who work on The Late Show — is okay. Having your show canceled because allegedly, maybe, possibly, the president of the United States got his ego bruised by your comedy and billionaires lack the integrity to deny him is a chilling indicator of just how terrible things are. 

Acknowledging that, Colbert cannot be the face the world thinks of when we think of Trump’s crackdown. His standing ovation, like he was the victor of some valiant fight or a beloved actor in their 80s who is getting a lifetime achievement award after being snubbed by the Academy for the last six decades, just served to illustrate how out of touch Hollywood really is. The Emmys will steer clear of the real world in every other way, trying to divorce itself from politics as much as possible. 

And that’s fine, I don’t want my Emmys with a side of social justice. But if that’s the case, the first moment of the show can’t be dedicated to a man who will certainly continue to flourish after Trump takes his pound of flesh.