David Letterman wants a taste of that anti-Trump Resistance. Badly.
The venerable late-night host hung up his microphone in 2015, but he's struggled to stay out of the limelight. He teamed with Netflix for the occasional talk show series, "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction." The six-season show offers traditional chats with celebrities and newsmakers alike, but it hasn't given Letterman what he might have craved all along.
Unrequited love from the Left.
For years, he had to settle for critical huzzahs tied to his late-night theatrics. The talker energized the format, first with NBC and, later via his CBS showcase "The Late Show." His shtick was silly, sublime, and often inspired.
He took the "Tonight Show" model and gave it a makeover, adding recurring characters, goofy sketches, and interviews that veered into some very odd places.
He was an original in an industry that craves conformity. But he wasn't an activist, even though he leaned to the Left. Comedy and entertainment came first. Remember those days, kids?
By the time he left the stage, the late-night landscape began shifting dramatically to the Left. Hosts like Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and Jimmy Kimmel became propagandists for the Democratic Party, ignoring progressives who behaved badly.
Letterman's legacy lacks a political component. Now, at 79, he seems to regret it.
That explains why he teamed up with outgoing host Stephen Colbert to trash their mutual bosses at CBS. The former "Colbert Report" host signs off his "Late Show" gig on May 21. The host, and the show, will be no more.
That led to this bizarre moment when the two climbed atop the Ed Sullivan Theater to smite CBS for cancelling the program Letterman helped create. They took turns watching CBS employees throw items off the roof to hit a CBS eye logo.
Take that, Tiffany Network! (We can't get our hands dirty with the task, alas).
The bit evoked classic Letterman moments, but the anger couldn't be contained. Also sent sailing? A celebratory cake CBS allegedly sent them to honor the show's remarkable run - 1993-2026.
Down you go, too, sweet cake!
Letterman wasn't finished.
“In the words of the great Ed Murrow, good night and good luck, motherf***ers!”
Talk about ingratitude. CBS made Letterman a very wealthy man via "The Late Show." The network gave him a platform after NBC decided that Jay Leno, not Letterman, would be Johnny Carson's successor at "The Tonight Show."
The same is true for Colbert, whose salary has been estimated to be $15 million a year.
What monsters!
Both are outraged that the network is pulling the plug on the program. Left unsaid? Why would any network sit still while losing tens of millions per year? Recent reports say "The Late Show" now loses $40 million a year under Colbert's watch. Late-night TV revenue has been plummeting for some time, and the shows get a fraction of the audience that "The Tonight Show" once generated under Carson's watch.
Should CBS simply lose its shirt for the honor of promoting Colbert's far-Left shtick? Can Letterman explain to CBS brass why they should swallow hard and accept those losses?
Unlikely.
Logic and reason have little relationship to the Colbert love fest happening in Hollywood and the media. It's a shame that Letterman has fallen for the shtick, ignoring the fact that he simply did late-night TV far better - and turned a profit, too.
