To help him navigate this comedic territory, Colbert brought out his writer and certified black person, John Tibido. Together, they explored the different types of cards that both white people and black people might give to their black friends during Black History Month.
Colbert kicked off the segment with a card that read, “Happy Black History Month, together we will make it to the Mountaintop.” While the sentiment was lovely, the first draft of the card simply said, “Happy Black History Month Mountaintop.” As Tibido pointed out, you won’t catch his black ass skiing anytime soon.
The duo then moved on to a card that said, “I’m here to listen, happy Black History Month.” Colbert acknowledged the importance of listening, but couldn’t help but share the first draft of the card, which questioned the symbolic meaning behind Kendrick Lamar‘s halftime show. Did the car symbolize him being sponsored by Buick? The discussion veered off into a mutual agreement that Lamar’s halftime show was, indeed, good.
Next up was a card that said, “I’m always there for you, we got us, happy Black History Month.” Colbert emphasized the importance of solidarity, but couldn’t resist sharing the first draft, which hilariously mentioned calling Stephen A. Smith if the barber messed up your hairline.
Reparation was the theme of the next card, with the final version declaring, “Reparation, an idea whose time has come, happy Black History Month.” The first draft included a $20 gift card to Starbucks, leaving Colbert and Tibido chuckling at the thought.
Tibido then took his turn, presenting a card that highlighted Kendrick Lamar‘s words of inspiration, “When the world’s got you down, just remember, we gonna be alright.” The first draft, however, included a reference to Lamar praying his “dick” gets as big as the Eiffel Tower, which prompted laughter from the audience.
Ending on a positive note, Colbert shared a heartfelt card that said, “To my black friend, I see you, I hear you, I support you, happy Black History Month.” Both Colbert and Tibido agreed that they truly meant that sentiment, with Colbert stating that he has lots of black friends but didn’t want to rank them.
The “First Drafts” segment showcased Colbert’s comedic talent and his ability to bring light-heartedness to a potentially sensitive topic like Black History Month. Together with Tibido, he managed to navigate the world of greeting cards with humor and appreciation for the progress made in celebrating African-American achievements.
Don’t miss out on the hilarity of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and stay tuned for more entertaining segments featuring a variety of guests.
