Jamie Lee Curtis Blames Politics for Colbert Cancellation: "They're Trying To Silence Us!"

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has joined the chorus of Hollywood figures trying to politicize CBS's decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in another example of how entertainment industry elites reflexively blame politics for their own failures.

Curtis told reporters, "It's bad. He's a great, great guy. They just cut NPR and you know, Public Broadcasting. Yes, they're trying to silence people, but that won't work. It won't work. We will just get louder." Her statement conflates two unrelated issues: a congressional bill to defund public broadcasting and a private network's decision to cancel an underperforming show.

The actress's confusion highlights how Hollywood progressives who view every business decision through a political lens. A recent congressional bill targeting NPR and PBS funding has nothing to do with CBS's corporate decision-making process. Curtis appears unable to distinguish between government actions and private sector choices, suggesting a fundamental misunderstanding of how media companies operate.

According to industry publication Puck, the real story behind Colbert's cancellation involves standard television economics rather than political persecution. The site noted that CBS executives are making tough financial decisions as advertising revenue declines and production costs continue rising. Late-night television has become increasingly expensive to produce while delivering diminishing returns for networks.

Puck's reports that Colbert's show, despite claims of ratings success, wasn't generating sufficient revenue to justify its production costs. Networks can no longer afford to subsidize programming based on ideological alignment rather than profitability.

The Writers Guild of America also issueed a call for a New York Attorney General investigation, as reported by The Guardian, in another attempt to manufacture political controversy where none exists. The union's statement, claiming "potential wrongdoing" and suggesting that the cancellation constitutes a "bribe" to curry favor with the Trump administration, stretches credibility beyond recognition.

The entertainment industry has become so politicized that basic business decisions now trigger conspiracy theories. For years, networks kept politically aligned shows on the air despite poor performance, essentially subsidizing progressive messaging through corporate budgets. The current economic climate no longer allows such luxury.

Curtis's comments about getting "louder" in response to supposed silencing efforts miss the point entirely. The fact that Colbert’s show was left on the air for this long in a failing business environment is the real push toward political propaganda. The marketplace of ideas includes actual market forces that entertainment figures seem determined to ignore.

The late-night television landscape has struggled for years as audiences fragment across streaming platforms and social media. Traditional broadcast networks face mounting pressure to cut costs while competing with digital-native content creators who produce similar programming at fraction of the expense.

CBS's decision to end The Late Show franchise entirely, rather than replacing Colbert is because of problems with the format in a modern environment. The network's statement that this was "purely a financial decision" rings true when examined against industry-wide trends affecting traditional television production.

Hollywood's politicization of business decisions undermines legitimate discussions about media consolidation and corporate influence. When figures like Curtis cry "censorship" over routine cancellations, it’s another instance of their crying wolf.

What do you think of Hollywood's tendency to politicize routine business decisions?

NEXT: Gay Superman Writer Tom Taylor Cries About CBR Labeling His Injustice: Gods Among Us Run As "Mid"