Stephen Colbert panders to China, hard and humorously

(Image credit: Late Show)

published 7 October 2015

China is the world's second-largest movie-watching nation, after the U.S., and Hollywood regularly panders to Beijing so its movies will be allowed into China and win over its audiences, Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday's Late Show, citing The Martian as one example. Well, two can play at that game. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get a piece of that sweet — and sour — renminbi," he said, kicking off "Stephen Colbert's Pander Express," his "long-running first attempt to suck up to the Chinese censors."

And pander he did, mixing praise for the Chinese with loaded barbs, some of them in questionable taste (see Square, Tiananmen). How dedicated is Colbert to the sucking up? He almost died, choking on lamb face stew, just so a special guest could come out and save him... before urging the Chinese to watch The Late Show in Mandarin. Watch, learn, and occasionally cringe below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.