The contradiction of 'monoculture': the word Americans now use to mourn Colbert's finale and describe how AI is damaging creative output

The contradiction of 'monoculture': the word Americans now use to mourn Colbert's finale and describe how AI is damaging creative output

When “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” aired its final episode on May 21, 2026, critics lamented more than the end of a television program. It was a nightly ritual that millions of Americans participated in, with Bloomberg media reporter Lucas Shaw describing its cancellation as one more sign of “the decline of monoculture.” Eulogies for “the monoculture” have appeared elsewhere. In fall 2025, BuzzFeed announced “the death of celebrity monocu…