In a surprising development, Variety — a publication long known for protecting Hollywood’s biggest stars — has published a sharply critical column targeting Stephen Colbert and the final months of The Late Show.
In a column titled “Stephen Colbert’s Long ‘Late Show’ Goodbye Has Gone From Resistance to Ego Trip,” Variety chief TV critic Daniel D’Addario argues that the program’s farewell stretch has gradually turned into a prolonged celebration of the host rather than a compelling late-night show.
For a trade publication that typically treats major celebrities with kid gloves, the critique is notable.
Stephen Colbert interviews Jimmy Kimmel – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
READ: Pixar Developing Musical Film With Turning Red Director Domee Shi
D’Addario claims the program’s closing chapter has increasingly centered on praising Colbert himself rather than delivering strong content for viewers.
“What has ended up making it to air has been an increasingly puffy tribute to the show’s own host,” D’Addario wrote in Variety. “The endless bouquets being tossed Colbert’s way have started to make the studio smell a bit cloying.”
The column argues that the show’s farewell run has become less about entertainment or commentary and more about celebrating Colbert himself.
Celebrity Guests Turn the Show Into a Tribute Tour
D’Addario specifically pointed to recent celebrity appearances that have turned into extended tributes to Colbert.
One example involved actor John Lithgow appearing on the show and performing a poem dedicated to the late-night host. According to the column, Lithgow honored what he called Colbert’s “sublime masterworks” while describing the comedian as a “beloved national treasure.”
Other segments have followed a similar pattern.
Jimmy Kimmel appears on Stephen Colbert’s show – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Singer Bette Midler performed a rewritten version of “Wind Beneath My Wings” in tribute to Colbert, while Drew Barrymore recreated a famous moment from David Letterman’s era of The Late Show — this time revealing a shirt that read “We [Heart] Stephen.”
Even fellow late-night host Jimmy Fallon joined the celebration, performing a parody of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” with lyrics focused on Colbert.
For D’Addario, however, these moments only highlighted what he sees as a problem with the show’s current direction.
“Watching one person beam while receiving laurel after laurel doesn’t make the argument for his show’s relevance,” he wrote.
Variety Still Frames Colbert Through a Political Lens
Despite the criticism, the Variety column still frames Colbert within the political narrative that has surrounded his show since the 2016 election.
D’Addario describes Colbert as a key voice of the anti-Trump “Resistance” during his tenure on CBS and suggests the host’s cancellation may have had political optics tied to corporate leadership changes.
David Letterman sits for an interview with Stephen Colbert – The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
READ: Jeff Kaplan Says He Quit Overwatch After Blizzard Threatened to Blame 1,000 Layoffs On Him
CBS has publicly stated that The Late Show will end for financial reasons, as the economics of traditional late-night television continue to shift in the streaming era. Networks across the industry have scaled back late-night programming in recent years as advertising revenue declines and audiences migrate online.
The critic wrote that the decision had “the appearance of Paramount’s new leadership trying to curry favor with the Trump administration.”
However, even while referencing that narrative, the column ultimately argues that the show’s extended farewell season has become excessive and overly self-focused.
Stephen Colbert dances around with human needles – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
D’Addario suggests the program has spent too much time celebrating Colbert’s career instead of delivering content that resonates with viewers.
He writes that the show’s focus on honoring its host has become “outsized and a bit dramatic,” particularly given broader issues dominating the news cycle.
A Rare Moment of Criticism From Hollywood Media
The critique stands out largely because it comes from Variety, one of Hollywood’s most influential trade publications.
Trade outlets like Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter often maintain close relationships with studios, networks, and prominent figures in the entertainment industry. Their coverage of major celebrities is frequently measured and diplomatic.
That makes D’Addario’s column particularly notable.
Stephen Colbert Delivers a Monologue on The Late Show – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
READ: YouTube Ad Revenue Surpasses Major Studios Including Disney, Warner Bros.
Instead of celebrating Colbert’s legacy or defending his show’s final run, the piece openly questions whether the farewell season is actually weakening the program’s impact.
The critic even raises the possibility that the months-long celebration of Colbert could ultimately diminish the significance of whatever the comedian chooses to do next.
“When that day comes, won’t it feel like an anticlimax, after we’ve already spent the better part of a year celebrating him?” D’Addario wrote.
Even Hollywood’s Media Is Beginning to Turn
For years, Colbert’s Late Show has been framed by much of the entertainment press as a central cultural voice in late-night television despite its plummeting ratings.
But this latest critique suggests the conversation may be shifting — even within Hollywood’s own media ecosystem.
Stephen Colbert at the 2025 Emmys accepts his award – YouTube, Television Academy
When a publication like Variety, which rarely goes after major industry figures this directly, begins describing a late-night farewell as an “ego trip,” it signals that the tone surrounding Colbert’s final season may be changing.
Whether audiences ultimately agree with the criticism or not, the final months of The Late Show are now being debated not just by viewers, but by Hollywood’s own trade press.
How do you feel about Variety turning on Colbert? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
I’d sum this up as, “The left always eats their own.” But that’s not the whole story. Variety is on the same path as Colbert: they’re dying, they know they’re dying, but they’re desperately trying to stay relevant in an environment that has turned on them. They want to appear moderate and appeal to a wider audience, but have no clue how to do it except by doing the exact same things they’ve done before.
It’s just like when Candace Owens claimed to join the right. She didn’t change at all and just used the same playbook against her former side. Both will eventually learn they’ve orphaned themselves, politically and socially, in the near future since normies are sick of politics and turning on those that can’t give them up. Then what? They’ll be come no different from every other nut job with a podcast.
Colbert, Fallon, Myers, and Kimmel have put the final nail in late night’s coffin. It’s a dead institution.
The Left has realised endless TDS is costing it viewers, and, therefore, money. So the Loony Left hypocrites are attacking one another to fill the void. Great to see.
In the end, ratings killed the show. Just ratings, nothing else.
I’m old enough to remember when late night shows were great. Johnny Carson would never have acted the way these petulant whiners have. I also enjoyed Letterman and Conan O’Brien back in their heydays in the mid to late 90’s and early 00’s, and it’s a shame they’ve both destroyed their credibility and legacies as neutral comedians. I was never a fan of Jay Leno but even he knew his job was to entertain, and he gave it to both sides equally. Like he said recently, why pick a side and chase away half your audience? Turns out Jay was the only professional during his generation of late night.