'Colbert Report' Asian Joke Sparks Viral #CancelColbert Debate On Twitter
Many are calling for the cancellation of "The Colbert Report" after a tweet mocking Asian stereotypes was posted Thursday from the @ColbertReport account to its over 1 million followers.
The tweet in question - which has since been deleted - is below:
The tweet was in reference to a bit from Colbert's Comedy Central show on Wednesday in which he mocked the Washington Redskins' latest attempt at PR damage control in partnering with a charity for Native Americans.
Since the post, the hashtag #CancelColbert has gone viral.
Some were outraged:
Others argued that people just don't understand Colbert's character or the show's tone:
Late last night, Colbert jokingly tried to ease the online tensions over the tweet he didn't write:
"I do the show in character - and he's an idiot," Colbert once said during an interview. "He's willfully ignorant of everything we're going to talk about. Disabuse me of my ignorance. Don't let me put words in your mouth."