Actor Vince Vaughn is casting a critical eye on the state of late-night TV, claiming that prominent hosts have forsaken humor for political agendas.
In a recent episode of This Past Weekend with Theo Von, Vaughn openly addressed his concerns about the transformation of shows featuring the likes of Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.
“It stopped being funny, and it started feeling like I was in a f*cking class I didn’t want to take,” he remarked. “They all became the same show.”
The star of The Wedding Crashers further contended that this change has fundamentally altered the viewing experience for fans who used to tune in for laughs rather than political discourse.
Echoing Vaughn’s views, Von pointed out that late-night programs seem to have limited their comedic range recently, which he believes detracts from their overall appeal.
“A lot of the late shows have struggled,” Von noted, adding that at one point, “the only person they could make fun of… was just like white redneck kind of people. And it f*cking tanked [ratings].”
“Oh, bro,” he added, reinforcing his belief that the genre has dulled by becoming excessively political and monotonous, saying, “They all became the same show.”
“And they all became so about their politics and who’s good and who’s bad,” Vaughn emphasized.
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Actor Vince Vaughn calls out late-night comedians, says people like Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and others have all become the “SAME SHOW.”
“It stopped being funny, and it started feeling like I was in a f*cking class I didn’t want to take.”
THEO VON: “A lot of the late… pic.twitter.com/9gTyBfdWtc
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) March 24, 2026
Having gained prominence in the late ’90s and early 2000s through popular comedies, Vaughn is recognized for his independent and often contrarian perspectives in Hollywood. His latest remarks are likely to resonate with viewers who feel alienated from the current late-night format, while also igniting debates among those who believe political satire is a long-standing part of the genre.
The episode spans over an hour and 40 minutes and touches on a multitude of subjects beyond late-night television, including Vaughn’s Midwestern upbringing, traditional football culture, and his experiences in the entertainment industry.
Late-night shows have steadily moved toward a politically charged and uniform style, a trend supported by both ratings data and viewer feedback. Polls indicate that many viewers believe these programs have lost their general entertainment value, often focusing more on promoting specific viewpoints rather than delivering humor.
Studies reveal a significant imbalance in political guests and their targets, leading to the perception that the comedy is skewed. Concurrently, media analysts have observed that late-night programming has transitioned away from general comedy towards commentary, transforming the shows into platforms for nightly opinion rather than pure entertainment.
With dwindling ratings and the emergence of podcasts and online offerings, this trend has consolidated the audience and established a more repetitive format. Given that hosts frequently address the same political issues in similar manners, it’s no wonder many viewers perceive these shows as having fused into one.
