Last week, news broke that CBS-Paramount was canceling the Late Show hosted by Stephen Colbert, someone who has been a very vocal Donald Trump critic.
It was later revealed that the show was losing tens of millions of dollars every year, a fact which Colbert attempted to downplay.
After the ladies on ABC's The View went nuclear over the comedy show's cancellation, the White House warned that their talk panel could be next.
With everyone raging over the Colbert cancellation and pushing the narrative that Paramount ordered the show axed to pacify Trump, the network announced that the program was losing about $40 million per year, even though it sat atop the ratings for its genre.
The fact of the matter is that viewership for these types of shows has been declining for years, so an overall number one ranking in the category means little.
Colbert mocked the network's stated reasoning, insinuating that it is a recent legal settlement with Trump that caused the worst financial lossses, stating, “$40 million’s a big number. I could see us losing $24 million, but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million?” The host was referencing the original amount of the settlement with Trump (since then, the president has stated Paramount has tossed in an additional $20 million in PSAs).
I honestly believe that podcasts and social media have destroyed this particular television niche, and since people don’t need to stay up so late to watch this type of entertainment, it is dying.
The View co-host Sunny Hostin did not take the cancellation of the show very well, claiming it was a harbinger of doom for America.
Hostin stated, “My concern is, if it is political, then everyone should be concerned. People on the right should be concerned. People on the left should be concerned."
She continued, “Because it’s very clear that, if it is political, this is the dismantling of our democracy. This is the dismantling of our Constitution. Right?”
This was a business decision, period, and since when did Stephen Colbert become so important to the future of this country and our democracy? This sensationalism needs to stop.
The ladies of The View were also upset that the Trump administration is going after Barack Obama for the alleged Russiagate scandal, with Joy Behar stating, "First of all, who tried to overthrow the government on Jan. 6? Who was that again? That was not Obama. The thing about him is he's so jealous of Obama, because Obama is everything that he is not: Trim, smart, handsome, happily married, and can sing Al Green's song 'Let's Stay Together' better than Al Green. And Trump cannot stand it. It's driving him crazy. Green is not a good color."
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers responded, "Joy Behar is an irrelevant loser suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. It’s no surprise that ‘The View’s ratings hit an all-time low last year. She should self-reflect on her own jealousy of President Trump’s historic popularity before her show is the next to be pulled off-air.”
A representative for the show shot back that The View “is ranking No. 1 in households and total viewers among all network daytime talk shows and news programs for the fifth straight season."
As I stated above, rankings mean nothing any longer, and I would point to recent talk of cutting some of the hosts' salaries, something which is usually a sign that trouble is looming. I am not saying that The View will be canceled, but there is precedent for networks and shows that do nothing but bash conservatives and Trump going down in flames, so I would advise them not to brush off the White House’s warnings in such a cavalier fashion.
