The "Late Show" host also reveals the only acceptable April Fool's Day joke for 2020 and marvels at My Pillow founder Michael J. Lindell's appearance at the coronavirus briefing.
"My wife didn't see me do that," Stephen Colbert said after a quick glance off-camera following his surprising reveal of the results of Monday night's #SuitOrNoSuit social media poll.
The "Late Night" host, who has begun presenting a full show from his home, polled his viewers on whether or not he should bother to continue wearing a suit as he did when hosting in-studio. His fellow late-night hosts, who are also filming shows from self-isolation in their homes, all seem to have gone the casual route, but Stephen thought a suit gave it some normalcy and a sense that he was at work.
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View StoryBut in a nation filled with newly at-home workers, the overwhelming majority of people came back with a decidedly "No Suit" answer. Well, Stephen apparently wasn't ready to dress down quite that much, joking on Monday that he doesn't have the physique to pull off casual wear. So he settled on a compromise.
"I believe in democracy, so tonight I have decided not to wear a suit from the waist down," he shared, and then with a cheeky smile he stood up to show that he meant every word. Not only was he not wearing a suit from the waist down, he'd foregone pants as well. With a cheeky slap to his backside, he settled back down, quickly checking to see if he'd been caught.
Sorry Stephen, your wife has definitely seen it now.
It was a light-hearted open as well as a great reminder to all those people working from home and doing video conferencing via Zoom or some other application. You can look absolutely professional from the waist up and as long as you do not get up unexpectedly, no one will be the wiser.
Monday's guest, John Oliver, did exactly the same thing, dressing up from the waist up but wearing sweatpants. Stay seated and no one knows that you literally half-assed your work ensemble for the day. But stand up, as Stephen did, and the illusion is ruined.
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View StoryTP Fool's Day
Later, Stephen tapped into a cultural conversation that has been dominating both the news and social media cycles. Is it still appropriate to do April Fool's Day jokes during a global pandemic? Some have said that it's fine so long as you absolutely do not make any jokes about being sick.
Google has opted out of their annual April Fool's joke on their page, and many others are following suit simply feeling that the national climate just isn't right during COVID-19 to try and trick people with silly jokes. Colbert, however, feels that there is one joke he'd be more than happy to welcome.
"At this point the only April Fool's joke I want is someone TPing my house, perferraby in two-ply, quilted," he joked. "I have a very sensitive back door."
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View StoryMy Pillow, My Briefing
Stephen couldn't help but laugh at Trump bringing up My Pillow founder Michael J. Lindell during Monday's briefing. While Lindell was an odd choice for many, he was but one of several business leaders talking about how they were shifting their business models to produce much-needed supplies for medical professionals on the front lines of this pandemic.
But then he started talking about God and touting how great it was that Trump got elected in 2016, which was more than a little off topic. It was as strangely awkward as when Trump touted that even though the wind was blowing, it only further proved that his hair was his own. Your honor, we object! Relevancy?
"It's no surprise Trump would introduce the My Pillow guy at a presidential briefing," Stephen said. "It's a tradition going back to Harry Truman announcing victory in the Pacific with Chef Boyardee."
But Lindell was scorched on social media and in the news media after his appearance, to the point he felt a need to respond, telling Lou Dobbs on Fox Business that "this is just evil." He particularly attacked CNN's Jim Acosta, who suggested it was all a PR stunt for his company.
"I put on a message of hope to the country that God had given us grace on November 8, 2016, a nation that turned its back on God, and right now we're part of this big revival," he continued, echoing his "off-script" comments at the press briefing. "I'm appalled by the journalists that I see there. I used to think that, they are not really that evil. Well yes, they are."
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