The Late Show with Stephen Colbert really wasted an opportunity

As a huge fan of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (and all things Colbert, really), let me be among many to say: Stephen, WTF?

Let’s back up a bit. The Late Show‘s guests for the July 13, 2021, show could not have been more different from one another: One, Richard Branson was a billionaire space joyride dude. The other was U.S. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, who came to Colbert’s late show to discuss D.C. statehood.

During the devastating year that was 2020, watching Stephen’s late-night interviews with a variety of guests, from the frivolous to the heroic, was nothing short of a godsend. The setting was intimate; it felt like the host and his interviewees were our friends, stopping by for a Zoom party in our living rooms.

But now, ever since June 14, 2021, it’s back to live audiences…And, apparently, it’s much easier to slip into just being a TV “personality,” who caters to the elite.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s latest guest insulted us all

The current trend of billionaires blowing their money on egotistical vacations to the edge of space is particularly hard to swallow, following a year that saw unemployment rates skyrocket and millions succumb to a deadly virus. Richard Branson, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‘s buddy, could save millions of people from dying of hunger with his $7.74 billion—and still have an unfathomable amount of cash left over.

As written in Forbes:

"$6 billion. That’s how much money it would take to save 41 million people set to die of hunger this year worldwide, according to UN World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley."

But no. Branson wanted space tourism…And Colbert, everyone’s favorite geek, celebrated it.

Just as some of us were in the middle of rage-tweeting what a soft and useless interview—what a waste of an opportunity for a real message—the interview was, Colbert finally asked Branson about what he called the “pushback out there.” Even then, what aired on LSSC was colossally weak in the caring department.

First up, Stephen (wrongfully) equated the criticisms of the privileged, elite space tourism with folks also being completely against space exploration. That’s just…a giant no from me. And, considering the general intelligence level of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‘s audience, a giant nope in general.

Do people who are against both exist? Certainly. Is that the where the overwhelming majority lies, much less what the actual point is? No.

Worse yet, he more or less let Branson’s gross staring down his nose at those of us who actually know what it’s like to suffer on this planet stand. Like, honestly, let’s ask this question again: WTF.

You can either watch the answer in the video above or spare yourself the snide tone and rich boy buddying-up by reading it here:

"I can understand it, but maybe they’re not fully educated as to what space does for Earth…"

Branson went on to richsplain how we wouldn’t have TVs and whatnot without space program, and it was really just…horrific. People all over the place, many of whom have very high levels of education, some even in STEM (hi, Mathematics graduate degree here) and are even fans of NASA, have spoken out against this billionaire bro club.

But, you know, we’re just dumb plebeians. We can’t possibly understand what’s so important about spending unfathomable amounts of cash to just go for a spin.

Meanwhile, the second guest for the evening, who actually had something important to say and knew how to speak to an audience without looking down her nose at us? Well. Representative Holmes Norton, of course, was given significantly less time for funsies. Of course.

What an utter and complete disappointment. But go ahead and get your photo, which went to space with your rich dude BFF, autographed, Mr. Colbert.

You certainly earned it during quarantine. It would be really nice if that Stephen would show his face on CBS again and maybe explain to his other good friend, José Andrés of World Central Kitchen, how he’s just “not fully educated” enough to care about broing it up in space over feeding the hungry.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35/10:35c on CBS.