Stephen Colbert penned a hilarious op-ed, where he jokes were balanced with some sincerely feminist points.
“It has been pointed out to me that I, like other late-night TV hosts, am a man,” the incoming “Late Show” host wrote in a column for “Glamour” published Friday. “And while I’m happy to have a job, I am surprised that the world of late-night TV lacks a female presence, unlike sitcoms, which are packed with smoking-hot wives who teach their doughy husband a valuable lesson when he slips on a pizza and falls headfirst into a porta-potty full of beer.”
“I’m going to do my best to create a ‘Late Show’ that not only appeals to women but also celebrates their voices,” Colbert promised, after calling late-night “a bit of a sausagefest.”
Colbert also wondered on the page why there aren’t more female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, or more jokey: “more lady blacksmiths.”
The former “Colbert Report” host also took shots at the big-screen side of our industry: “Why are all those minions shaped like tiny phalluses? Why did Mad Max get top billing in ‘Fury Road’ when he was essentially just a grunting tripod for Charlize Theron’s rifle?”
Soon, it was back to his new CBS series, with Colbert offering a nod to his 11:35 p.m. competition.
“The other hosts bring the eye candy,” Colbert admitted. “Jimmy Fallon has a boyish charm, and for the ladies who are into ladies, if you squint, Jimmy Kimmel kind of looks like a rugged Mila Kunis.”
“But female viewers need more than a pretty face,” he continued. “They need someone who will represent their voice. And I think this essay has proved that I have an authentic female perspective, because most of it was written by two female writers on my staff.”
“These days TV would have you believe that being a woman means sensually eating yogurt, looking for ways to feel confident on heavy days, and hunting for houses. But I’m going to make a show that truly respects women, because I know that there’s more than one way to be one,” the comic assured his fans.
“Whoever you are, I promise: I’m going to lean in on this,” he concluded. “It really accentuates my muffin top.”
Read the rest of Colbert’s piece here.
Colbert isn’t the only 11:30 p.m. TV icon shooting barbs at the time slot’s lack of diversity this week. On the selection of Colbert as David Letterman’s replacement, former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno quipped Thursday: “A white guy on late night, this is revolutionary.”
The Leno comments occurred during CNBC’s Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, when the car nut was plugging his new series “Jay Leno’s Garage.”
“I would like to see a bit more diversity in late night,” Leno said. “We’re certainly ready for a female host, another African American host. Arsenio [Hall] was terrific … Comedy is really funny when it’s stranger in a strange land, when you bring in different perspectives.”
Still, Leno was sure to point out that he is a fan of Colbert, and believes the former Comedy Central talent will “do really well” on CBS.