Letting Stephen Colbert Be Stephen Colbert (Whoever That Is)
arguing that Mr. Colbert’s insistence on personally orchestrating details big and small — lighting, script approval, budgets — was diverting his focus from his own performance and that he needed the help.
.. But I found myself feeling the same way a few months ago when Donald J. Trump announced his plan for “a total and complete” ban on Muslims’ entering the United States after the San Bernardino terrorist attack. I was curious to see what Mr. Colbert would make of it.
I was agog when he opened the show with three lingerie models from a CBS Victoria’s Secret special that was to air the next night, wearing angel’s wings and eating hot wings. Even Mr. Colbert appeared to blanch at what came off as an example of corporate synergy gone awry.
.. CBS officials say they didn’t force the Victoria’s Secret tie-in. But it seemed to typify how a big broadcaster will grab what’s special and cool on cable and try pressing it into the advertiser-friendly, safe-for-broad-audiences mold.