The Libertarian blogger Willis Hart sez he's "going out on a limb" with a guess, although he isn't framing his guess as such. Sounds to me like he's asserting (sans proof, as usual) that his guess is exactly what happened.
| Willis Hart: Larry Wilmore's Explanation as to Why Comedy Central Deep-Sixed His Show? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say, racism (you know, as opposed to the much more plausible reasons; the show sucking big time, him not being particularly humorous, piss-poor ratings, etc.). (8/19/2016 AT 10:11pm). |
Larry Wilmore has absolutely NOT given any such explanation. Or indicated that he believes racism is why The Nightly Show was canceled. How about the fact that Trevor Noah, the man who replaced Jon Stewart, is a Black man, and Comedy Central says they are happy with Noah's ratings? (so I'm going to say no racism from Comedy Central).
Wilmore's show did tackle race related issues, however, so there might be something to what Willis is saying. Frankly I'm surprised the Hartster didn't throw out this suggestion and then AGREE with it. But Willis' take would be that, because Wilmore covered things such as the Black Lives Matter movement (which Willis hates, saying they're "vile, vulgar and slimy"), that it was Wilmore's racism that turned off White viewers.
Because, in the world of racist Whites like Willis Hart, it's Black people who are the racists, not Whites.
| Willis Hart: Yeah, there's racism in America alright; blacks hating whites being the bulk of it. (5/29/2016 AT 8:31pm). |
Yeah, so I don't know why Willis didn't say the Nightly Show was canceled due to racism... the racism of Wilmore. Because, with Willis, if you're African American and not a Conservative, everything bad that happens to you is because of your race. This is how Conservative racists like Willis view Black people who aren't Conservative (the majority of African Americans). Not that I would agree with him (at all). I watched and enjoyed the show and was (and am) quite disappointed that it's canceled. So, no, I do not think it "sucked big time".
The real reason Willis thinks The Nightly Show sucked big time (and I do not believe I'm going out on a limb here) is because Wilmore and his contributors and guests were having that honest discussion on race that Willis does NOT want to occur. He says he does, but his idea of an "honest discussion" is that the discussion starts with Black people admitting they're huge belly-achers (his word) and that racism is not as big a problem as Black people are making it out to be.
As for the real reason cited by Wilmore as to why he thinks his show was canceled?
| [Wilmore] does fault Comedy Central for not taking more time to cultivate both programs, which broke ground by presenting an all-black block of late-night talk shows. (Did Race Play a Role in Larry Wilmore's Downfall? by Adam Howard. NBC News 8/19/2016). |
An assessment I agree with. I think they should have given it more time to find an audience. It took awhile for The Daily Show to evolve and become as popular as it is today. 4+ years according to Wikipedia, which says "the show's 2000 and 2004 election coverage, combined with a new satirical edge, helped to catapult Stewart and The Daily Show to new levels of popularity and critical respect". So, TDS first aired in 1996, but it wasn't until 2000 that it took off.
IMO I think the show should have been expanded to a full hour. That way the round table discussion could have lasted longer. Although, given the fact that this is when some serious discussions took place, the viewership might not have agreed. I read one post mortem that cited a lack of laughs as a reason why the ratings weren't good.
Yes, I thought the Colbert Report was a funnier show, but I doubt Comedy Central will ever replicate the success of Colbert. Whatever comes next, I seriously doubt it's going to be a hit. Yeah, it sucks for them that they lost Colbert, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.
Although in the case of Willis Hart, that would be a racist cookie (because the dude's a racist). And I'm sure he hated the show. But racists like Willis were NOT the target audience. Although they did need some White viewers, and I think the honest discussion on race they were having may have made some Whites a little uncomfortable. Whites not as racist as Willis, but still a little biased when it comes to things like discussing race relations.
Conclusion? Yeah, I think racism was a factor. In that the focus of the show (which was originally going to be titled "The Minority Report") made Whites uncomfortable. Or they just aren't interested. Being White and not having to deal with the problems/issues Black people have to deal with (explaining the "piss-poor ratings").
But, to repeat, Larry Wilmore's did not give this explanation. About this Willis Hart is lying.
Video: Jon Stewart shows up for the last episode of TNS. According to Stewart, Wilmore "started a discussion that was not on television when you began". This would be the honest discussion on race relations that racists like Willis Hart would almost certainly characterize as vile and vulgar. Because they didn't start the discussion by immediately conceding that the majority of Black grievances are invalid (4:34)
Will does his thing, you do yours. i've wondered of late if Will has frightening dreams every night.
ReplyDeletePerhaps your on to something here Dervish. It could very well be Will is a regressionist. You know, one of those folks who think the voting rights act of 1965 wasn't really necessary and the Jim Crow really wasn't all that bad after all.
I may have climbed out on a limb here, but, just sayin...