The End of the Colbert Report, and the Beginning of Stephen Colbert as an Icon

In 40 years, the Colbert Report will be a popular trivia question answer, as we remember the late-night comic icon that Stephen Colbert will have been at that point. You see, last night was the end of the Colbert Report's run on Comedy Central, because Colbert himself is leaving. He's leaving to take over the prolific and funny David Letterman, who's run on late night comedy has spanned my entire life. Letterman, leaving in May after long runs on NBC and CBS, joins Johnny Carson and Jay Leno on the retired legends list of late night, having taken his turn as one of the biggest stars in American Culture.

Letterman's run of three decades is foreshadowing of what is likely ahead of Stephen Colbert. The thing about that is, Colbert has already been on TV about ten years with Comedy Central. If he has a similar run to Letterman, he'll have basically re-written the rules of late-night comedy again, and become a cultural icon in his own right.

I've had a love-hate relationship with Colbert and Jon Stewart's style of bringing the news to us in comedic form each night. On the one hand, it drives me nuts that this is how we have to reach people in my age bracket. On the other hand, he's funny, and it does reach them. I'm looking forward to what he'll be like "out of character" replacing Letterman, and to see how he handles a "larger stage" on network television.