Culture

Stephen Colbert Still On the Air Despite #CancelColbert

Monday was Stephen Colbert's first opportunity to address last week's non-joke that led to the Internet fight over the #CancelColbert hashtag.

By Eric Levenson
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This article is from the archive of our partner .

Monday was Stephen Colbert's first opportunity to address last week's non-joke that led to the Internet fight over the #CancelColbert hashtag.

The #CancelColbert hashtag trended last Thursday due to the efforts of activist Suey Park, who was upset about a tweet referencing "The Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever." In a "Mea Culpa" on last night's episode of The Colbert Report, Colbert explained how the text (which he didn't send) was taken out of context (of a longer running joke) and didn't not mention that actual news story (the Washington Redskins charity for Native Americans) that his show was mocking. 

"Effective immediately, and I cannot believe I am saying this, I am shutting down the worldwide Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever," he said last night in his "Mea Culpa."

But Colbert wasn't all sorrow, and repeatedly mocked some of the criticisms against his segment and offending tweet. "When I saw the tweet with no context, I understood how people were offended. The same way I as an Irish-American was offended after reading only one line of Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal. I mean, Eat Irish babies? #CancelSwift. Trend it." Colbert did come to the defense of Park against people attacking her with vicious words. "If anyone is doing that for me I want you to stop right now," he said. We're all just trying to have a little fun.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.