Colbert Reclaims ‘Only Martyr’ Crown in Late-Night: Jokes on Kimmel’s Return Amid FCC Shadow
In a classic Colbert twist of self-deprecating glee, Stephen Colbert declared himself the “only martyr in late-night” once more during Monday’s The Late Show, celebrating Jimmy Kimmel’s swift return to ABC airwaves after a suspension that had Hollywood howling about censorship. The quip, delivered with Emmy in hand and a pointed glance at CBS execs, landed amid ongoing FCC threats and affiliate boycotts, blending relief with the genre’s existential woes as Colbert martyr late-night trends alongside Jimmy Kimmel returns.
Colbert’s segment kicked off with unbridled joy: “Our long national late-nightmare is over!” he proclaimed, announcing Kimmel’s Tuesday comeback just hours after Disney lifted the indefinite pull—sparked by Kimmel’s edgy September 15 monologue on Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting. “Wonderful news for my dear friend Jimmy and his amazing staff,” Colbert added, before pivoting to punchline gold: “Plus, now that Jimmy’s not being canceled, I get to enjoy this again.” He waved his fresh Emmy for outstanding talk show, then deadpanned, “Once more, I am the only martyr in late-night! Wait, unless… CBS, you want to announce anything? Huh? Still no? Right, ’cause the money thing.”
The line riffed on CBS’s May 2026 axe for The Late Show—a ratings and cost-cut casualty in late-night’s streaming slump—contrasting it with Kimmel’s quick rebound after public fury and 400+ celeb petitions.
Kimmel’s Rocky Road Back: From Suspension to Sinclair Snub
Kimmel’s saga exploded when his quip—that suspect Tyler Robinson was “one of them” in MAGA circles—drew FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s ire, threatening ABC licenses as “reckless bias.” Affiliates like Sinclair and Nexstar preempted episodes, demanding apologies and donations to Kirk’s Turning Point USA, forcing Disney’s hand amid emergency huddles.
ABC folded briefly, citing “ill-timed” words during national grief, but reversed Monday after “thoughtful conversations” and backlash—including protests at Disney HQ and solidarity from Colbert, Seth Meyers, and Jon Stewart. Kimmel returns Tuesday, but Sinclair vows ongoing boycotts in 35 markets, opting for local news fillers over “objectionable content.”
Kimmel, mum during the hiatus, teased a “big monologue” per insiders, while Trump gloated on Truth Social: “Kimmel’s flop show flops back—ratings will tank harder.”
Late-Night Solidarity: From ‘We Are All Kimmel’ to Colbert’s Jab
Colbert wasn’t alone in the fray. Last Thursday, he rallied: “Tonight, we are all Jimmy Kimmel,” branding the suspension a “blatant assault on freedom of speech” and Trump an “autocrat” unwilling to “give an inch.” Meyers mocked FCC “marching orders,” Stewart tied it to his own 2000 ABC firing (ironically handing Kimmel the slot), and Maher dared: “If Trump watches, have you lost weight? You look terrific.”
David Letterman, at The Atlantic Festival, slammed it “ridiculous,” likening it to sucking up to an “authoritarian criminal administration.” The View‘s Whoopi Goldberg echoed Monday: “No one silences us.”
Yet Colbert’s martyr bit cut deepest, nodding to his show’s end amid late-night’s 20% viewership plunge post-2024 election. As he put it, holding the Emmy: “This martyrdom ain’t big enough for the both of us!”—a nod to shared perils in a Trump-era vise.
Public Pulse: Cheers, Jeers, and X Frenzy
X lit up with the clip, @latenightercom’s post of Colbert’s zinger exploding to 3K+ likes: “Colbert celebrates Kimmel’s return: ‘Yeah! Once more, I am the only martyr in late night!'” @Mediaite shared the full bit, drawing 1.5K views and quips like “Colbert owning his cancellation like a boss.”
Fox News users griped: “Kimmel knew his ratings were tanking—martyr act for contract cash,” from @mtngirl2005. Conservatives like @stuntbrain warned against the “victim” spin: “The free market will bury these dinosaurs.” Overall, #LateNightMartyr trended with 50K+ mentions, blending laughs at Colbert’s shade with fears of broader chills.
Why Late-Night’s ‘Martyr’ Moment Echoes for American Viewers
For U.S. couch potatoes, Colbert’s jab spotlights a $10B industry on the brink—late-night’s ad dollars down 15% in 2025, per Nielsen, as streamers like TikTok steal eyeballs. Kimmel’s return stabilizes ABC’s lineup, but Sinclair’s snub could hike cable bills in key markets like NYC and LA, squeezing household budgets amid 3.2% inflation.
Lifestyle hit? It underscores satire’s fragility—your watercooler laughs now a political football, echoing McCarthy-era blacklists. Politically, it’s 2026 midterm fodder: Dems hail free speech wins, MAGA cheers “accountability” over “bias.” Tech angle? AI content moderators on YouTube and X flagged 20% more “edgy” clips post-FCC threats, per reports.
Searches for Colbert only martyr late-night spiked 350% post-mono, per Google Trends, with fans hunting full clips. Geo-buzz in comedy hubs like LA drives petition shares, while AI tracks FCC rumors.
In conclusion, Stephen Colbert’s gleeful “only martyr” claim as Jimmy Kimmel returns—a Emmy-fueled roast of his own doom—caps late-night’s resilience against the FCC’s shadow, turning censorship scares into comedic catharsis. With Kimmel’s monologue looming and Colbert’s clock ticking to 2026, the genre fights on: Wit wins, but at what cost? Tune in Tuesday—while the signal holds.
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