It may not be on the same scale as Stephen Colbert lashing out against his corporate overlords over Daft Punk, but on Thursday's "Colbert Report," he once again defied Viacom's wishes about the content of his show.
This time, Colbert aired a cartoon called "Laser Klan," taking on one of his favorite subjects, the Ku Klux Klan, and their alleged plan to build a death-ray to take out their enemies.
A few months ago, word leaked that the KKK attempted to sell their laser to Jewish groups to kill Muslims. That gave Colbert an idea: If this racist group could overcome their hatred of Jews to destroy a common enemy, could they ever band together with their most reviled adversaries if the stakes were high enough?
Hence the cartoon "Laser Klan," in which the KKK teams up with President Obama to kill alien invaders. Yes, you read that right. And perhaps rightfully so, Viacom felt that there could be some sensitivity issues here. They sent Colbert a letter that read in part: "We're a little concerned because it is airing during Black History Month."
"That's right, the Man is trying to keep me down!" Colbert fumed sarcastically. "Were they polite about it? Yes! Were they making a reasonable point? Absolutely! Do I have a problem where I overreact at being told what to do? You bet your ass I do!"
Check out the full cartoon, and Colbert's enraged response, above.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.