MovieChat Forums > The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) Discussion > Batiste is NOT improving

Batiste is NOT improving

posted 9 years ago by westcottjohn
34 replies | jump to latest

Stephen really has to stop cutting to Batiste and interacting with him as much as he does.

On the Dec. 11th episode, Stephen once again tried to pull Batiste into the conversation, asking him if he had any plans for the weekend.

Batiste's answer was almost painful to listen to as he struggled to find words and form a sentence with them. The primary word he uses most times is, "yeah!"

... and then he stumbles and fumbles to say something else. It's like he can't form a coherent sentence. He can't even say what plans he's got for the weekend without stumbling all over himself. Is he tongue tied when the camera is on him? I know I would be. Completely understandable. Or is that what he's really like to talk to? Some musicians let the music do the talking for them because they're NOT good communicators. Either way, Batiste can't talk or engage with an audience at all without playing on an instrument.

He's a brilliant musician. Just let him do that. Because it is absolutely PAINFUL to hear him try and take part in a conversation.

Any momentum the show has comes to a screeching halt the minute Stephen tries to engage him in conversation.

[–] BilboTheDefiler 9 years ago

it seems as if they're purposely trying to make it his "thing", the awkward responses. you know, with nerdy being so hip these days and awkward "humor" being everywhere. only problem is, Batiste sucks

[–] haynese_98 9 years ago

That whole band is stupid and silly. What's up with that guy with the cowboy hat? How can Batiste and Cowboy Hat guy be any more out of place?

Just have a decent, quiet band that makes good music. GOD!!

Shall we play a game?

[–] BilboTheDefiler 9 years ago

lol yea the cowboy looks so douchy. "Look I'm wearing a hat and not giving a single fúck because I'm just so artistic like that. jelly?"

[–] haynese_98 9 years ago

I think they are going after every audience imaginable. The stupid glass ceiling is to pander to women and religous right. The Cowboy Hat douche is trying to appeal to a more southern audience. Hip-NOT Batiste is catering to young blacks.

So, after trying to appeal to everybody the Colbert show is appealing to nobody. Man that band is cringe-worthy tv. It's the NUMBER ONE reason to get up out of the chair and turn the channel!

Shall we play a game?

[–] ColinInLa 9 years ago

You've projected a lot of personal bias on a situation to which it simply doesn't apply.

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Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

[–] eagle-ri 9 years ago

I disagree w/ you on this.

[–] Rm04 9 years ago

You're completely wrong about the ceiling. If you paid attention at all when the show launched, you would have read that the original ceiling in the theater was stained glass. They actually found the original stained glass under the stage in the the theater but it would have been too expensive to refurbish the ceiling with the original glass and instead used the digital projection system (which also has the benefit of letting them change the ceiling image). I've been in the theater twice since Colbert started and the ceiling is actually very beautiful and you wonder why it was covered for so long when Letterman was there.

I agree that the interactions with Batiste are awkward and not very funny. I wholeheartedly disagree when you say is cringe-worthy. The music is fantastic. As I've said, I've been to two tapings and the band is one of the best parts and everyone in the audience seems to enjoy them in person (not just southerners and young blacks).

[–] ColinInLa 9 years ago

and you wonder why it was covered for so long when Letterman was there.

The ceiling was obscured long before the Letterman show took over the theater. The dome was blocked out of necessity, having to do with the cumbersome and much less sophisticated lighting and HVAC technology of the early years of broadcast television.

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Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

[–] koko-10 9 years ago

The Cowboy Hat douche is trying to appeal to a more southern audience.

How do you know that? Maybe he just likes the look, or is going bald and wants to cover it up. In fact, how do you know he's a douche?

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

[–] eagle-ri 9 years ago

You still have to get up to change the channel? :)

[–] Hawkeye-Costanza 9 years ago

Yeah... Yeah!

[–] unDeny 9 years ago

Is it even possible though? Can the show replace them? Has such a thing ever happened (now would be a good time to start though..).

[–] haynese_98 9 years ago

I'm sure some changes are on the horizon, especially since Colbert is now 4th in the ratings behind Fallon, Kimmel, and even Seth Myers whose show is on an hour later than Colberts.

The problems with Colbert's show are several-fold. He's perceived as partisan and one critic notes Colbert often falls back into his old "conservative" character. He does not get as diverse an audience(17% GOP vs 30+% for Fallon/Kimmel) as his competition so whatever they can think of to try and fix that, they will.

Maybe Colbert's biggest problem is he's following David Letterman. Not only that, CBS waited over 3 months after Dave to start airing the show. There isn't any bright side to Colbert's show right now so expect some changes I'm just not sure if they'll address the crummy band issue, which I would have done early Sep.

Shall we play a game?

[–] justwrite3 9 years ago

I'm sure some changes are on the horizon, especially since Colbert is now 4th in the ratings behind Fallon, Kimmel, and even Seth Myers whose show is on an hour later than Colberts.

Where are you getting numbers showing Colbert fourth?

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/12/17/late-night-ratings-dec-7-11-2015-tonight-show-rules-broadcast-daily-show-and-nightly-show-up/

Fallon's silliness is tailored to draw a mass audience, like a summertime popcorn movie. Colbert's show is appropriately targeted for an audience that wants more to mentally chew on, and that will be a smaller draw. But fourth? Numbers go up and down, but when I check, Colbert is firmly in the second spot.

[–] haynese_98 9 years ago

Colbert was in 4th place a few weeks ago I guess he got a little boost since then but still very weak.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/12/04/late-night-ratings-nov-23-27-2015-tonight-show-scores-a-big-win-but-everybodys-happy/

Shall we play a game?

[–] dvd123 9 years ago

With a .4 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and a .5 on Thursday, Colbert will place 4th this week. It's been a while since a .3, so Stephen's managed to keep his head above water in that aspect.

I have a really hard time imagining that Stephen would take such a huge pay cut without negotiating plenty of creative independence. There is no way of knowing what was agreed upon and where Les's mind is currently at, but, if I were in charge of the network, .3 would be the number where I'd be picking up the phone.

[–] justwrite3 9 years ago

So you cherry-picked the one week he came in fourth and used that to jump into a doom-and-gloom outlook for the show.

Instead of focusing on one particular week, look at the season-to-date numbers, where Colbert is solidly second.

If you don't like the show, that's fine, but that's not an excuse to skew what's happening with the ratings. Fallon's first, Colbert is second, and that's where they were expected to land.

[–] dvd123 9 years ago

Here's Colbert's weekly numbers from the start:

9/8-9/11 .94
9/14-9/18 .72
9/21-9/25 .78
9/28-10/2 .73
10/5-10/9 .64
10/12-10/16 .59
10/19-10/23 repeats
10/26-10/30 .61
11/2-11/6 .57
11/9-11/13 .56
11/16-11/20 .56
11/23-11/27 .54
11/30-12/4 repeats
12/7-12/11 .54

Do I need to make a graph? ;) Colbert lost to Kimmel 3 out of the last 4 weeks, AND, Kimmel's numbers haven't been consistently dropping like Stephen's have. There's no way you can look at this and say Stephen is in second place.

If you like the show, that's fine, but that's not an excuse to skew what's happening with the ratings.

[–] justwrite3 9 years ago

A few points.

Of course his "graph" would trend down. No one maintains the viewership from their debut.

The numbers you list are for adults 18-49 only. Colbert is bringing in younger viewers than Letterman did, but inconveniently for your argument, Colbert's (and CBS's) audience skews older.

Fallon and Kimmel's numbers are down compared to a year ago, while Colbert's are significantly up compared to Letterman a year ago. See the chart at the end of this article:

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/late-night-ratings-stephen-colbert-jimmy-fallon-kimmel-1201656805/

So that sounds like Colbert is doing just fine for CBS.

[–] haynese_98 9 years ago

Colbert at best is in third place and he's only trending down in the ratings. Still, I hope CBS sticks with him as he truly has talent.

I just would like to see them tweak the show to fix the obvious problems, like the silly stupid band.

Shall we play a game?

[–] justwrite3 9 years ago

In the most recent ratings, for adults 18-49 season to date and total viewers season to date, he's second to Fallon and well ahead of Kimmel and Meyers. He's also second in both categories for that week.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/12/17/late-night-ratings-dec-7-11-2015-tonight-show-rules-broadcast-daily-show-and-nightly-show-up/

It seems to be an up and down thing, where Fallon is clearly first in the ratings with Colbert and Kimmel next and flip-flopping, depending on the week, but Colbert probably having the edge.

As my first post in this thread noted, no way is he fourth.

[–] monkeyskull 9 years ago

Its funny because this is the reason I actually stopped watching the show. It was really difficult to watch the forced conversation with Colbert and Batiste.

If Colbert really wants someone to talk to during the show, he should hire a good sidekick that is good infront of the camera and can relax everyone and not make them feel uncomfortable. Its almost like watching myself up there because I know I would suck infront of a camera also trying to pretend to talk normally in a forced conversation in a fake friendship.

[–] largeapartments 9 years ago

I love the band and the music on the show its so different and exciting. I don't get why this show get so much hate. Some things could be changed but this is crazy.

[–] dvd123 9 years ago

I love the band and the music on the show its so different and exciting.

From the first post:

He's a brilliant musician. Just let him do that.

For the most part, everyone here loves the music. It's not the music. It's Batiste's piss poor bantering ability, his complete inability to form words quickly, that kills the comedic momentum of the show.

[–] ColinInLa 9 years ago

That poor, oh-so promising momentum, just cut down in its prime. Alas, the comedy is gone, never to return, and we're all left to stare at the cat in awkward silence. Get with it, largeapartments, it's all about stating one's distaste as fact and then repeatedly defending it as if it were a universal truth.

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Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

[–] spanny1 9 years ago

Every criticism you cited about Jon Batiste is still true today, and has been true since September 2015 when Stephen took over The Late Show. Batiste simply makes a terrible sidekick for Stephen.

For an example of fantastic banter between host and band leader, just wait an hour. Watch how James Corden interacts with Reggie Watts throughout the course of The Late Late Show. Reggie and James play off each other like old buddies. Reggie brings a lot of humour and pizzazz to the show, as well as his wacky musical stylings. I hope Reggie is getting paid a lot.

[–] FuTBoL_HooL 9 years ago

I think that's Bateiste's act. After so many sidekicks they are taking 180 degrees turn. He is just there 'yeah dude you tell jokes, I play music'. I never cared for late show band getting on the act or being a sidekick, so I am liking Batiste being cold and off putting.

[–] ColinInLa 9 years ago

It's a non-issue. Batiste is not intended to be a 'sidekick.'

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Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

[–] westcottjohn 9 years ago

Gotta give credit where it's due, though, Batiste was pretty damn funny in the segment about playing the piano.

[–] PrometheusTree64 9 years ago

Batiste is adorable. That's all that matters -- it's not like he's required to carry the show (except musically, which he does).

I don't see the problem with his not being articu-slick.

Even James Spader humped him.

--
LBJ's mistress on JFK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcXeutDmuRA

[–] mnoe 9 years ago

I agree that he's adorable. He's also a fashion plate without being nauseating about it.

I like that he's a bridge between "the youth" or "millennials" or whatever, and people who can appreciate his respect for (and deep knowledge of) "traditional" jazz and funk and other "old" music.

I actually think he's quite funny in the manner of a jazz cat/stoner(?)/young-person-who-doesn't-care-about-being-"witty"-which-Stephen-has-covered-anyway.

He also comes across as sincere, which is rare and enjoyable.

last 2 dvds: Like Someone in Love (2012) & Pretendiendo (2006)

[–] DanTannaFan 9 years ago

Couldn't agree more my friend ..........