Stephen Colbert calls his Late Show "the joy machine," he told John Dickerson on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, because "unless you do it with joy, it's just a machine." And if he could interview Pope Francis, he would ask him "where he finds his joy" and how he got "into the shoes of the fisherman without becoming dogmatically so rigid that there's no joy left in him." Joy is especially important in a sad, dark year like 2015, Colbert said, because physiologically "you can't laugh and be afraid at the same time."
The discussion of joy and comedy came at the end of a 13-minute interview focused mostly on politics, a subject Colbert claimed he knows nothing about. On Donald Trump, Colbert said he respects his populist upending of the political parties and his willingness to give certain voters what they want, even though he may "disagree with anything that he's saying and think that his proposals are a little — well, more than a little shocking." He added: "I'm not the first person to say this, but I completely agree that he's my old character with $10 billion. He's completely playing on an emotional level, and so beautifully, I mean, it's one of the reasons why I just can't do that old character anymore, because he's doing it better than I ever could, because he's willing to drink his own Kool-Aid — and manufacture it and distribute it."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The Week contest: Undressed weddingPuzzles and Quizzes
-
'Why would anyone look to the United States as a model?'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Kristi Noem and the politics of puppy killingTalking Point Revelations in Republican's upcoming memoir may have doomed her political career
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughterspeed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopicsSpeed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 GrammysSpeed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
