The late night television industry has resumed operating after the end of the writer’s strike, but not everyone is pleased. The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) had ceased operations for 148 days in protest of a lack of fair pay and treatment. The governing boards of the union agreed to a new contract on September 26th, conclusively bringing the strike to a close and allowing late night shows to resume.
However, one of the most critical and staunchest opponents of this return is former President Donald Trump. The former president took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to express his disdain for the “talentless, low rated CREEPS of Late Night Television”. Trump’s comments on the return of late-night TV have garnered significant interest online, with many conservatives sharing his sentiments.
The return of the late night television shows has fuelled the never-ending battle between conservatives and liberals, with Trump supporters claiming that they are nothing more than a “major Campaign Contribution to the Radical Left Democrat Party”. The shows are accused of promoting liberal ideas and values. Late-night hosts have been known to embrace and encourage anti-Trump rhetoric, and this has only infuriated conservative viewers further.
Many conservative commentators have noted the low ratings of these shows, criticising them for being unfunny and lacking creativity; they accuse the industry of having a liberal bias, particularly when it comes to politics. One X user, for example, sarcastically remarked “Didn’t realise you had been gone. Just stay gone!” in response to Jimmy Kimmel’s return on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Kimmel’s monologue, like many others, launched an immediate attack on Trump, with conservative commentators branding such monologues as nothing more than “Trump Derangement Syndrome” reminiscent of Democrats’ obsession with everything related to the former president.
Despite the criticism, late night television shows have managed to attract a loyal liberal following which has kept them on air. However, conservatives feel that their voices are not being heard and that late night television shows promote liberal ideologies exclusively. The narrative that the likes of Kimmel and Fallon are out of touch with conservative values continues to gain traction, with many of Trump’s supporters pointing out that he was the most significant conservative president in recent times.
In conclusion, the resumption of late night television shows following the end of the writer’s strike has left conservatives feeling left out in the cold. Republicans repeatedly feel excluded from mainstream entertainment and fare that they believe often skew in favour of progressive or liberal values. Conservatives now seek alternative sources of entertainment where their values are represented, especially on Truth Social, where they can get a better and undoubtedly more conservative take on current events.
