Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Jamie Lee Curtis | Deploy Vey
Date: September 4, 2025
Guest: Jamie Lee Curtis
Host: Stephen Colbert

Episode Overview

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show blends Stephen Colbert's signature satirical political monologue with an engaging, revealing conversation with legendary actress Jamie Lee Curtis. The main focus is twofold: Colbert’s comedic dissection of current political events—particularly Donald Trump’s latest actions—and the in-depth, humorous “Colbert Questionnaire” administered to Jamie Lee Curtis, who shares candid insights and stories with warmth and wit.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Political Satire & Current Events (03:52–15:41)

• Trump’s Announcement to Deploy Troops (03:52–05:00)
  Colbert opens with sharp satire regarding Donald Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, lampooning the authoritarian implications and poking fun at Trump’s labeling of Chicago as a “hellhole.”

  “Apparently, the next step in his White House remodel is going to be a skull shaped castle.”
  —Stephen Colbert (03:56)

• Debunking Exaggerations About Chicago’s Crime (05:00–06:55)
  Colbert fact-checks Trump’s claims about Chicago being the “worst and most dangerous city,” highlighting statistical inaccuracies, and shares his love and personal connection to the city.

  “Given how much Chicago has given to this country, from Oprah to Obama, from the Cubs to the Bears, from deep dish pizza to topless Jeremy Allen White... I raise a glass of malort to you.”
  —Stephen Colbert (06:21)

• Trump’s ‘Is He Dead?’ Rumors & Online Memes (07:58–09:15)
  Colbert jokes about social media rumors regarding Trump’s health and the absurdity of Trump sharing AI-generated fan art.

  “The answer is right on the post. A user by the name of—and this is true—Pumpkineater69.”
  —Stephen Colbert (09:10)

• Autocracy Satire: Government Imagery & Dictator Comparisons (09:15–13:00)
  The show mocks recent grandiose government banners and Trump’s expanding control, drawing tongue-in-cheek comparisons to Mussolini and Mao.

  “Hanging giant banners of themselves isn’t something American presidents do. It’s something you see from dictators like Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, and Generalissimo. Mamma mia.”
  —Stephen Colbert (10:19)

• International Dictator “FOMO” (13:00–14:44)
  Colbert jests about Trump’s jealousy seeing world leaders Xi, Putin, and Kim Jong Un together, mockingly lamenting America's lackluster autocrat perks. He spotlights a humorous exchange about biotechnology and immortality between Xi and Putin.

• Trump’s ‘11 Life Changing Lessons’ (14:44–15:41)
  Mocking the motivational video posted by the White House using Trump speech clips.

  “So just to be clear, you must have momentum. Unless you don’t, in which case stop. Reminds me of those motivational posters hang in there. Unless you can’t, then plummet to your death.”
  —Stephen Colbert (15:23)

2. NYC Mayoral Race & Local Political Comedy (16:52–21:39)

• Satire of Mayoral Candidates & Endorsements (16:52–19:00)
  Colbert humorously recounts the NYC mayoral race, spoofing endorsements, candidates’ quirks, and their personal backgrounds—including Curtis Sliwa’s notable 16-cat household.

  “Sliwa, this is true, is an expert on feral cats. Until recently, he actually lived in a 320 square foot studio apartment with 16 rescue cats. It is rare to see a newspaper quote that you can smell.”
  —Stephen Colbert (18:16)

• Quid Pro Cuomo (19:00–20:00)
  Jokes about Eric Adams’ potential “fallback gig” in the Trump administration and the idea of clearing the field for Cuomo.

  “So it’s a bit of a quid pro Cuomo...”
  —Stephen Colbert (19:41)

• Quirky Campaign News & Shrimp Emergency (20:00–21:26)
  Satire peaks with absurdist coverage of a candidate dropping out and a mock “shrimp emergency.”

• Shrimp Recall with Jamie Lee Curtis (21:26–21:39)
  Jamie Lee Curtis (making a news anchor cameo) brings a straight-faced news update about radioactive shrimp recalls, further fueling the show’s mock-serious tone.

  “More shrimp are being recalled because of radioactive contamination.”
  —Jamie Lee Curtis (21:26)

3. The Colbert Questionnaire with Jamie Lee Curtis (24:30–34:19)

Stephen Colbert interviews Jamie Lee Curtis with his iconic, rapid-fire set of personal questions, drawing out playful, honest, and sometimes profound answers:

Highlights & Memorable Quotes

• Best Sandwich (25:12)

  • Jamie: "Peanut butter and jelly... It is the only thing Christopher Guest knows how to make. PB&J. It is our love language. Yep." (25:12)
  • Stephen: “Keep it simple. PB&J.”

• First Concert (25:28)

  • Jamie: "Jethro Tull. At the Forum. I was 17." (25:28, 26:01)
  • Stephen: “Aqualung, my friend.”

• Scariest Animal (26:10)

  • Jamie: "Anacondas. I watched anaconda wrestling in the Amazon. Terrifying. They're ginormous." (26:10–26:39)

• Apples or Oranges (26:39–27:21)

  • Jamie: “Apples—crunchy, sweet, delicious. Maybe a gala. Chris [Guest] likes Fuji.” (26:46)
  • Stephen: “You can put peanut butter on apples. All I’m saying.”

• Autograph Sought (28:07)

  • Jamie: "Urkel. For my child, and I have it in her scrapbook." (28:07–28:33)
  • Stephen: “That’s so sweet. That’s a nice mom.”

• What Happens When We Die (28:50)

  • Jamie: “I think we die.”
    Stephen: “That’s it?” Jamie: “I think that’s it.” (28:50–28:54)
  • Stephen: “Colbert Questionnaire is known for vast tonal shifts.”

• Favorite Action Movie (29:14)

  • Jamie: “Tokyo Drift—Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift.” (29:14)
  • Stephen: “I thought they were about family.”
    Jamie: “They are about family and cars.”

• Window or Aisle? (29:51)

  • Jamie: "Window."
    Stephen: "Aisle. I have a tiny bladder." (29:51–30:15)

• Favorite/Least Favorite Smell (30:34–31:32)

  • Jamie: "Favorite? My children—when they're babies... Least favorite? Vomit."
  • Stephen: "Unless you vomit papaya. And then that would be double." (31:43)

• Earliest Memory (31:51)

  • Jamie: “I am not someone with a lot of memories... I wasn’t paying attention.” (31:51–32:34)

• Cats or Dogs (32:42)

  • Jamie: "You gave me a dog bowl. Duh."
  • Stephen: "Wow, that's super hostile." (32:45–32:47)

• Only Song for the Rest of Your Life? (33:08)

  • Jamie: “Millworker by James Taylor. It slays me. Beautiful song about the life of a millworker, a woman who works her fingers to the bone.” (33:08–33:38)

• What Number Am I Thinking Of? (33:44)

  • Jamie: “22.”
    Stephen: “No.”

• Rest of Your Life in Five Words (33:54)

  • Jamie: “Free. Married. Mommy. Grandmommy. Loved.” (33:54)

  “Congratulations. You are known.”
  —Stephen Colbert to Jamie Lee Curtis (34:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump and Dictators:
  "Hanging giant banners of themselves isn’t something American presidents do. It’s something you see from dictators like Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, and Generalissimo. Mamma mia."
  —Stephen Colbert (10:19)

• Jamie Lee Curtis on Family Snacks:
  "It [PB&J] is the only thing Christopher Guest knows how to make... It is our love language."
  —Jamie Lee Curtis (25:14, 25:20)

• On Favorite Smell:
  "My children. When they're babies."
  —Jamie Lee Curtis (30:34)

• On Afterlife Beliefs:
  "I think we die."
  —Jamie Lee Curtis (28:50)

• On Life in Five Words:
  "Free. Married. Mommy. Grandmommy. Loved."
  —Jamie Lee Curtis (33:54)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:52] – Colbert’s monologue: Trump, Chicago, autocrat satire
• [09:15] – Dictators and US government imagery
• [13:00] – Trump’s 'dictator FOMO'
• [14:44] – Trump’s '11 Life Lessons' motivational video
• [16:52] – NYC mayoral race parody and “shrimp emergency”
• [21:26] – Jamie Lee Curtis guest news cameo: Radioactive shrimp
• [24:30] – Jamie Lee Curtis joins for The Colbert Questionnaire
• [25:12–33:54] – Full questionnaire with insightful personal answers
• [34:19] – Conclusion: “You are known.”

Summary Tone

The episode maintains Colbert’s sharp, quick-witted, and playful tone throughout: politically irreverent, delightfully silly, yet unexpectedly heartwarming in its interview segment. Jamie Lee Curtis brings warmth and candid humor, making the Colbert Questionnaire a blend of laughs, wisdom, and memorable moments.

For more, watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert weeknights, or stream on Paramount+.