Stephen Colbert wasn’t CBS’s first satirical sacrifice

Once upon a time there was a satirical comedy show that aired on CBS It was fun It was edgy It had a habit of poking at power with the good-natured grin of a clean-cut handsome host It had amazing musical guests and covered controversial issues It aired during a time of political upheaval and was one of the insufficient shows on architecture television that dared to ask uncomfortable questions It also had a habit of irritating and occasionally enraging the president so much that he requested it cancelled Eventually CBS would decide to take it off the air No I m not referring to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert I m thinking of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour which was abruptly cancelled by CBS on April Like Stephen Colbert the Smothers Brothers enjoyed top ratings and they had a history of refusing to avoid sensitive topics regularly airing anti-Vietnam War and pro-civil rights segments at a time when such material was scarce on setup television Like Stephen Colbert the Smothers Brothers enjoyed top ratings and they had a history of refusing to avoid sensitive topics regularly airing anti-Vietnam War and pro-civil rights segments at a time when such material was scarce on grid television CBS explained their decision to cancel the initiative by noting that Tommy and Dick Smothers the show s hosts had failed to submit an episode in time for the censors to review But the real issue with the show was the way it critiqued prevailing power structures in particular how it bothered President Lyndon Johnson who reportedly called CBS head William Paley and demanded that the TV executive get those bastards off my back After receiving similar complaints from newly-inaugurated President Richard Nixon Paley did as he was advised Revisiting this story helps put into context CBS s latest decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert which often features sharp critiques of President Donald Trump and it offers a chance to consider what this means for the future of political comedy in this country Does the CBS decision signal the end of late-night comedy What does this mean for televised satire Will edgy comedy only move to other media outlets or will it die entirely What does all of this tell us about the role of satire in a nation that seems to need it now more than ever For perspective it is worth remembering that versions of these questions also circulated in when CBS took The Smothers Brothers off the air There were debates about whether the corporation s decision would have a chilling effect on political speech and whether it would lead to self-censorship or worse Related Stephen Colbert s firing is a test of free expression In fact despite the long history of satire s resilience these questions arise each time a comedian is pressured silenced sued fired or attacked Shows get cancelled comedians get persecuted and media genres become obsolete but those setbacks never have and never will signal the end of the art Satire never dies when it comes under attack It just transforms The Smothers Brothers debuted in February and featured a blend of comedy and variety entertainment In contrast to Bonanza a western drama series that aired in the same time slot on NBC The Smothers Brothers appealed to a younger demographic and featured biting satirical wit social and political commentary and popular musical guests like Pete Seeger and Joan Baez that reflected s counterculture Unlike the scenario of Colbert who has largely been given relatively free rein to cover controversial topics without architecture oversight The Smothers Brothers was almost unfailingly in conflict with CBS s censors Tommy Smothers recounted how he regularly pushed back against CBS censors often asking why a particular joke was being flagged And like all good political comedians Tommy reacted to censorship by leaning in I became extra stubborn he explained Later he adopted a habit of submitting the master tape of an episode so late there wasn t proper time to review it CBS would use that habit to justify abruptly terminating the show As the brothers former publicist Micheal Levine commented the campaign was more than just a television show it was a groundbreaking social phenomenon that challenged societal norms and sparked essential conversations during a tumultuous period in American history Sound familiar We could use that same sentence to describe the cultural relevance of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Want more sharp takes on politics Sign up for our free newsletter Standing Room Only written by Amanda Marcotte now also a weekly show on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts Since CBS broadcasted its plan to cancel The Late Show franchise entirely it has been hard to not think of the impact of ending one of the preponderance noteworthy late-night comedy shows in U S television history The Late Show was created as a bus for comedian David Letterman who hosted from to until he retired and Colbert took over Letterman offered viewers a signature blend of self-deprecating humor a penchant for pushing boundaries a contrarian sensibility and an uncanny ability to make even his the bulk famous guests uncomfortable Despite Colbert s description of Letterman as a mentor and influence there are far more parallels between Colbert and the Smothers brothers Letterman generally avoided diving into contemporary politics and his satirical bite was more often aimed at the human condition in general He did however have a long history of mocking his bosses and his arrangement a trend Colbert happily continued While there are certainly similarities in Colbert and Letterman as hosts the former s charismatic wit satirical edge and performative range have far more in common with those of Tommy and Dick Smothers Perhaps the greatest parallel was the fact that both shows used their platform on arrangement television to elevate the political conversation by using satirical entertainment to spark reasoned critique and question the status quo Viewers of The Smothers Brothers laughed at the same time they were appealed to ponder pressing social and political issues during a particularly complex period in American history According to Levine The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour may have run for only two years but its mix of political satire countercultural music and discussions on civil rights and freedom of speech left an indelible mark on the fabric of American society We need your help to stay independent Subscribe in the modern day to aid Salon s progressive journalism Colbert too has already left an indelible mark This was true well before he even started working for CBS when he hosted Comedy Central s The Colbert Document from to Appearing in-character as a bloviating pundit Colbert made satire history on that show in a number of procedures He coined the term truthiness on the opening episode in October which not only entered the general lexicon but became Merriam-Webster s Word of the Year he roasted President George W Bush to his face in a viral performance at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner in he educated viewers on campaign finance by starting his own super PAC he testified before Congress in character to endorsement migrant farm workers and he appeared alongside Jon Stewart in a rally on the National Mall to encourage midterm voting in These are only a limited highlights of his impact as a political comedian prior to taking the helm of The Late Show Unlike The Smothers Brothers which was taken off the air at once following CBS s decision Colbert has until May to continue his stint as host offering him plenty of time to leave an even bigger mark In another striking parallel Colbert and his squad in recent days learned they have been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series in recognition of a show that will cease to exist the same year the awards are presented The nomination would allow Colbert who already has Emmys to his name to certainly pick up a win for The Late Show which has been nominated times since he took over as host but has yet to secure a win When Tommy Smothers received an honorary Emmy in he dedicated his award to those who feel compelled to speak out and are not afraid to speak to power and won t shut up Sounds a lot like he could have been talking about Stephen Colbert Read more about this topic The cruel joke of CBS ousting Stephen Colbert MAGA s tantrum over woke Superman is nastier than their usual whining Too corporate to fight for a free press The post Stephen Colbert wasn t CBS s first satirical sacrifice appeared first on Salon com