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Stephen Colbert
Hey, everybody. Stephen Colbert here about to read the copy for our sponsor. This is from our friends at Wonderful Pistachios. And I was the wonderful pistachio spokesman for years. Yeah, I have a real close association with nut meat. Okay. You know what they say when they reach for a snack? Don't hold back. And that's exactly the approach with Wonderful Pistachios. The don't hold back snack. These little wonders are so tasty, it feels like getting away with something. But surprise. Each serving has 6 grams of protein and 0 grams of regret. That's right. No guilt. Just glory, glory in our nuts. Whether it's a satisfying crack of in shell pistachios, and that's capitalized in shell, or the smooth, instant gratification of no shells. No judgment. That's just it. Just eat. No judgment. I take issue with one thing. It's instant gratification. It's super tasty smooth.
Louis C.K.
It's a hard nut smooth.
Stephen Colbert
Exactly. I mean, even out of the shell, it's still a nut.
Louis C.K.
We can't disparage the nuts.
Stephen Colbert
You. I'm not disparaging the nut. I'm describing the nut.
Louis C.K.
Don't disparage any flavors.
Stephen Colbert
I'm not. I am celebrating the pistachio right now. I'm on board. I love pistachios. I love. I love crushed pistachio. Like a pistachio crusted trout. Oh, unbelievable. Instead of a trout amandine, a trout pistachio. Fantastic. Enough butter? Who cares?
Louis C.K.
Very good.
Stephen Colbert
And I love pistachio ice cream.
Louis C.K.
Have you had the sea salt and vinegar? Wonderful pistachio. It's delicious. I get em.
Stephen Colbert
I didn't even know I get them.
Louis C.K.
Before the softball games.
Stephen Colbert
But that's. You see, it's been a while since I've been the spokesman for wonderful pistachios. I didn't realize we'd achieved new pistachio technology. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Wonderful pistachios has every snack style covered. Right now. There's an obsession with jalapeno lime. There is an obsession session. It's almost a disorder. It's spicy, it's zesty. It's basically a flavor roller coaster in a nut. Snacking on the go. Grab a bag of no shells. Feeling contemplative and want to work for it a little. So earning it, they're saying if you want to earn your nut, crack open those in shell beauties. Either way, it's snacking like a champ. So the next time hunger strikes, don't hold back. Unless it's a hunger strike. And then it's important that you do because whatever you're doing that for, I'm sure it's a worthwhile cause. Snack like you mean it with wonderful pistachios. Visit wonderfulpistachios.com to learn more.
Louis C.K.
That was a wonderful.
Stephen Colbert
I wonder what more there is to learn. We just told them so much. We just told them so much about pistachios. But evidently there's a whole other world. There's an unexplored vista.
Louis C.K.
They got a bunch of flavors. They got dill pickle, jalapeno lime, as we learned, smoky barbecue. There's a lot of different flavors.
Stephen Colbert
Wow. And I would not disparage any of them.
Louis C.K.
No, no, no.
Stephen Colbert
Bring it on.
Louis C.K.
Nothing bad to say.
Stephen Colbert
Nut me, nut. Nut me with nut meat.
Louis C.K.
We're nut.
Stephen Colbert
No, we got nothing but nut. Nutty, nutty, nutty, nutty. Talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about nutty.
Matt Rogers
Good.
Louis C.K.
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Stephen Colbert
Welcome one and all to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Folks, if you're wondering, you see that there's a little, you know what, these people got a little bit of pep in their step, Louis, you know? Yeah, really. If you're wondering why you're feeling a little bit better about America today is because Donald Trump is in Scotland. Technically you can do that, right? You can do that. You can take that up. Technically, he's there for trade talks with the European Union, but as always, he focused a wee bit on stuffing his kilt with cash. Like ground up organ meat in a sheep's bladder. It's a delicacy, you see, because he's also there for the opening of a new golf course bearing his name, truly, truly presidential. Like Nixon's historic visit to China for the opening of his all you can eat buffet. Nixon chicken fixin's. I am, I am not a cluck. I am not a kluck. Trump has deep roots in Scotland. His mother was actually born and raised there. So obviously the locals greet him with the same warmth he got from his mom. Gdoot. Nasty little man. Baby bolt ya nugget. G', day, fascist nonce. Hope your next jobby is a hedgehog. And several. Using the old Scottish blessing, Trump is a. Wow. Now listen. Guessing CBS bleeped a couple of those words, if any of them are words. While Trump was in Scotland, he announced a brand new trade agreement with the European Union. It replaces the old trade deal where Europe sent us cheese and wine. In exchange, we sent them our most annoying college students. Ciao, bella. Oh, sorry, guys. I just got so used to. How do you say. Speaking Italiano? How do you say. Trump had been threatening to slap the EU with a 30% tariff, but in this deal, he'll only be raising the amount you pay for European imports by 15%. He made the announcement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in wonder. Press conference. We have good news. We've reached a deal. It's a good deal for everybody, I believe. And it's. I think you were saying this is probably the biggest deal ever reached in any capacity, trade or beyond. Trade. It is. Oh. Oh. She played him like a fiddle. I believe you were saying. I believe you were saying it's the biggest deal that only the smartest, most handsome man would have agreed to this deal. I think you were also saying that anyone who signed this deal would never, ever have been on Jeffrey Epstein's Sex island, sex plane or yet to be revealed Sex Zeppelin. Before all that boring international trade stuff, Trump hit the links where he had a good round with a little help from cheating. Allegedly. See if you can spot the alleged moment. Okay. He's in the cart looking for his ball. Those are his caddies up ahead. And bloop. There it. Wow. I don't know. Bloop. Last time I saw a ball drop that obvious, Anderson and Andy were hammered. Turns out. Like tossing salt over his shoulder for bad luck. It turns out. It turns out golf has rules. And one of them is that if you lose a ball, you take a one stroke penalty and you have to hit again from the previous spot. Plus, a serious player would always drop a ball themselves rather than leave it to a caddy. In his defense, Trump has not seen his own balls in years. Even in Scotland, Trump couldn't escape the Jeffrey Epstein crisis. Right? Scottish reporter, Mr. Trump, can you escape the Jeffrey Epstein crisis? Maybe that's why we heard this. What's that song? I don't know. It's very famous here. No, Mr. President, Memories is exactly what you don't want people to have. Right now he's just cranking the tunes to drown out the questions. I love how the Scottish press were as confused as we were. Jim, can we go back. What's that song? I don't know. It's very famous though. It's from a musical. I could listen to those guys all day long. So what's the musical about? It's about cats. Do the cats do anything? No, they don't do anything. They just each sing a song. Do the cats have buttholes? Excellent question, Callum. You've touched on a fascinating controversy. But this morning, Trump must have. No, no. Controversy, controversy, controversy, controversy, controversy. The great beastie with fangs and such. But this morning, Trump must have left his boombox at home because while appearing with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he was once again asked about Epstein. By the way, I never went to the island. I never had the privilege of going to his island. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What?
Bowen Yang
What?
Stephen Colbert
You never had the privilege of going to Epstein's island? Sadly, I never had the honor of dining with Jeffrey Dahmer. It just. Trump also explained why he parted ways with Epstein for years. I wouldn't talk to Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn't talk because he did something that was inappropriate. Finally, some moral backbone. He did something inappropriate and that was he hired help. And I said, don't ever do that again. He stole people that work for me. Sorry, Jeff. Underage sex trafficking is one thing, but I draw the line at you stealing my omelet, man. Okay? He's the only one who knows I like ham. On Thursday, on Thursday and Friday of last week, something totally normal happened. Trump sent his deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, who also happened to be his personal defense attorney during the Stormy Daniels trial, to interview Epstein's convicted co conspirator and Trump's double date partner, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is now serving a 20 year sentence for assisting, facilitating and participating in Epstein's sexual abuse of minors for over a decade. Now, we don't know what happened during this meeting because as far as we've been told, the only people in there were Maxwell's lawyer, the convicted sex trafficker, and the President's personal sex lawyer. To make it even more normal. To make it even more normal. After the second meeting, Maxwell was seen carrying this box. Nothing suspicious about that. I'm sure they give all convicted sex traffickers with a decades long connection to Donald Trump a box. She got a box. Epstein got a box. Hers was cardboard, his was pine. All perfectly normal now. Oh, hi. Oh, hey. There was some big news from the world of entertainment this weekend because according to this Fox news headline, Trump's FCC approved the Paramount Skydance merger following the $16 million Trump settlement and Colbert's cancellation. I'm cancelled. What? And I'm being told I already knew that, but I spent the weekend huffing airplane glue. Okay, well, I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled for everyone at Paramount that the deal went through and very excited for our newly announced official combined Paramount Skydance stock checker name which will go from Para to Peace Guy soon. Soon Peace Guy will blast hot streaming content right in your face with hits like Yellowstone, Yellowjackets and the full variety of water sports. I predict Peace Guy will become synonymous with number one, Peace Guy, a pitcher of warm entertain. After months of delay, the deal was finally approved by FCC chairman and brilliant handsome man who Paramount officials describe as liquid sex, Brendan Carr. Commissioner Carr knows that our show was losing tens of millions of dollars and Trump did not have anything to do with the cancellation. As he explained on Fox News, did President Trump have anything to do with the cancellation of Stephen Colbert show?
Bowen Yang
Well, here's what's important to keep in.
Stephen Colbert
Mind is a broader dynamic. When President Trump ran for election, he ran right at these legacy broadcast media outfits and the New York and Hollywood elites that are behind it. Look at what's happening. NPR has been defunded. PBS has been defunded. Colbert is getting cancer. Colbert is getting cancer. Was that in the Paramount deal? I gotta call my agent. I have a very strict no cancer clause. The most they can give me is a goiter. We negotiated that. Whatever is wrong with me, Trump doesn't seem satisfied with humiliating just cbs. Cuz over the weekend he posted wow, NBC is down in viewership almost 28% this year. Their programming is terrible, their management even worse. They are an arm of the Democrat party and should be held accountable for that. Likewise, fake news, abc adding in my opinion, their licenses could and should be revoked. Maga. Okay, first it was cbs, now he's going after ABC and NBC. To which I say, come on in, Jimmy. And Jimmy, the water's warm because of all the peace. Guys, we got a great show for you tonight.
Louis C.K.
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Stephen Colbert
Whoa. When did I get here?
Louis C.K.
What do you mean?
Stephen Colbert
I swear it was just moments ago that I accepted a great offer from Carvana online. I must have time traveled to the future.
Louis C.K.
It was just moments ago. We do same day pickup. Here's your check for that great offer.
Stephen Colbert
It is the future.
Bowen Yang
It's.
Louis C.K.
It's the present. And just the convenience of Carvana. Sorry to blow your mind.
Stephen Colbert
It's all good. Happens all the time.
Louis C.K.
Sell your car the convenient way to Carvana. Pick up. Times may vary and fees may apply.
Stephen Colbert
Folks, my first guests tonight are comedians, actors and cultural connoisseurs, you know from their award winning podcast, Las Culturistas. Please welcome and welcome back to the Late show, Matt Rogers and Bowen Y.
Bowen Yang
Not bad. Not bad.
Stephen Colbert
Not bad at all.
Bowen Yang
Get it right on there.
Stephen Colbert
Hey, fellas. Nice to see you.
Bowen Yang
It's so good to see you.
Stephen Colbert
Thanks for being here, Bo. And I've interviewed you before.
Matt Rogers
That's right, we're all chums.
Stephen Colbert
Exactly. But this is the first time having you on here, Matt. When did the two of you first meet, by the way? Cause this is a great partnership. When did you first meet and what was your first impressions of each other?
Matt Rogers
Well, we first met in college at a little real estate firm called New York University. Love their real estate, you guys. Freshman year, and it was a really auspicious meeting.
Bowen Yang
I saw him doing improv and I said, who's that? Which is how you know it's star quality. Because it was improv.
Stephen Colbert
Right. And even great improvisers, it's like 25% of the time.
Bowen Yang
Exactly. But he happened to come out and I was just. We had sort of known each other. What really happened was I was in the sketch group and he was in the improv group at nyu. We were the only gay members of the group. So the older, you know, our friends were kind of like, do it, you know, be best friends. Because they were.
Stephen Colbert
Because you guys are in that club. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Matt Rogers
And so we were like their little gay Ken dolls. And they were like, you know, play it again.
Bowen Yang
Come on. You know, whatever it's gonna be. And then we were like, kind of like, you know, we're not just gonna be friends just cause we're gay. Cut to us being off book on the same Taylor Swift song 15 minutes later. Kind of. We're just friends. Cause we were gay.
Stephen Colbert
Well, it worked out.
Bowen Yang
That's nice. But I also think he's nice and smart and talented and gay.
Stephen Colbert
That's true. Obviously.
Bowen Yang
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
It all works. All of us out. Like any good friends, you support each other in your endeavors. Matt, back in May, you were co hosting Jenna and Friends.
Bowen Yang
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
Which is like hour five of the Today show or something like that. Okay. Five.
Bowen Yang
So many hours.
Stephen Colbert
So many hours. They're all fantastic, though.
Bowen Yang
They're great hours.
Stephen Colbert
I've been on. I think I've been on there. Yeah. Not sure. Yeah.
Bowen Yang
No.
Stephen Colbert
It's hard to know at this point.
Bowen Yang
Right. You throw a rock, you hit an hour.
Stephen Colbert
You and Jenna Hager Bush were FaceTiming with Bowen.
Bowen Yang
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
And you got interrupted in the most interesting way.
Bowen Yang
Yeah. So basically I was just like, cold calling him. The bit was, you know, does your friend pick up the phone? And lo and behold, he did.
Matt Rogers
Yeah.
Bowen Yang
He was actually on set with Anne Hathaway shooting a sketch.
Matt Rogers
We were shooting something for Anne Hathaway's Vogue cover.
Bowen Yang
Yeah.
Matt Rogers
And then I pick up, especially when my best friend facetimes me. That's a different vibe. Right. It's like, oh, this.
Stephen Colbert
Is he in trouble? You're thinking, is he in trouble?
Matt Rogers
Do I have to bail him out? And so I picked up, and then it happened to intersect with something very, very important.
Stephen Colbert
We have the clip right here.
Bowen Yang
This is what happened.
Stephen Colbert
Rain or shine, he's your 10, like 2am phone call, brain or shine.
Matt Rogers
And I don't do that for most of my friends. I look.
Stephen Colbert
Wow.
Bowen Yang
So now we're saying. Yeah. So if you see white smoke, that usually indicates Pope, but also if you see us on tv. So to the Vatican, relax. Let us promote our upcoming awards show. Please, please. We're not getting a lot of time. Please don't cut to a new election of the Pope.
Stephen Colbert
You got Pope blocked. Well, when you were just coming off the 50th anniversary season of SNL.
Matt Rogers
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
Was that fun? Yeah. So fun. But you got. You got the. You get the summers off, which is lovely. What have you been doing with your free time?
Matt Rogers
I have been working on this show, the Culture Awards, which is gonna be on Bravo and Peacock on August 5th. But also, I just got back last night from China.
Bowen Yang
Just last night?
Matt Rogers
Just last night. Where we visited my dad's childhood home in Inner Mongolia. He grew up in a mud and straw hut.
Stephen Colbert
Is that what this is?
Matt Rogers
That's what that is. This is me posting.
Stephen Colbert
That's in front of your dad's husband.
Matt Rogers
That's my dad's hut. Those are the ruins of the hut. That's where they kept the sheep and the livestock. But I posted this picture to Chinese social media, or no, American social media even. And then Chinese social media picked it up. And the comments were hilarious. Cause they were like, wow, look how masculine he looks. Debatable.
Bowen Yang
I was gonna say just generally hot photo opinion.
Stephen Colbert
Super hot. Super hot photo.
Bowen Yang
Look, my hips.
Matt Rogers
I wouldn't say that's heterosexual. But they were saying that.
Bowen Yang
I took.
Matt Rogers
Chinese medicine, which is a euphemism, I guess, an Internet slang in China for when a gay person butches it up a little bit.
Stephen Colbert
Really? They call it Chinese medicine.
Matt Rogers
They go, oh, he really took Chinese medicine. Which is like. He's really code switching. He's a straight guy now that he's in China. And as someone who failed conversion therapy, I want to announce to everybody that I will be doing acupuncture.
Stephen Colbert
Wow.
Bowen Yang
It works.
Stephen Colbert
We hear it works.
Bowen Yang
We hear it works.
Matt Rogers
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
Okay, so you got the superstar podcast, the powerhouse podcast, podcast empire. At this point, Las Culturistas. Okay. Was just named Time magazine's 100 Best Podcast of all time. Okay.
Matt Rogers
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
Congratulations. Thank you. That's Time. That's not Newsweek. That's Time. That's Time. That's Time.
Bowen Yang
Of all times.
Stephen Colbert
Of all times. I'm gonna need a gig soon.
Bowen Yang
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
So sell me on podcasting. Is it fun?
Bowen Yang
I mean, the truth is, like, you have to know we were probably 100 on that list. So you start one and we're getting bumped.
Matt Rogers
Yeah.
Bowen Yang
Like, almost certainly.
Stephen Colbert
All right, good. That's complicated.
Bowen Yang
But just be yourself.
Stephen Colbert
Yeah. Is it hard or is it just like this, but with no pictures?
Bowen Yang
You know what, honestly, is the reason why it's successful? And this is. I think we both agree, we started it in 2016, and the one thing we knew was that no one would listen. That's why it's called Las Culturistas, because we were like, what's dumb? And then it was just we did the lowest common denominator thing, which was just talk to each other. And then years later, you find out, especially through the pandemic when people were feeling very isolated, that that's really what they wanted, was just to connect with, you know, and hear a friendship in action. Hear conversation between people who are over caffeinated.
Stephen Colbert
Sure.
Matt Rogers
Yeah.
Bowen Yang
And so I really think that's. That is the secret sauce is just whether it's just you, whether it's you and a friend. As long as it's real.
Matt Rogers
Yeah. And I think if Stephen Colbert were to start a podcast, I have a pitch for you which is just, I think you and Evvy go on dates. Your wife Evie should just go on dates and then just either like turn the microphones on during the date or just like recap us.
Stephen Colbert
Because I think dates with each other. Right?
Matt Rogers
Dates with each other.
Bowen Yang
Well, I don't know.
Stephen Colbert
That's up to you guys. I don't know. Okay. What feels right to you in your relationship? That's scaring me for a little bit right there.
Matt Rogers
I don't know. That sounds really sweet to me. I don't know how you guys feel about that.
Stephen Colbert
Sure. I would love it. Done. You produce it.
Matt Rogers
I would love to produce it.
Stephen Colbert
Empire. Yes. We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more.
Louis C.K.
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Stephen Colbert
Bone, what do you think are the best and worst parts of culture right now?
Matt Rogers
Oh, interesting question. The worst parts of culture right now. The worst part of culture right now is that there are no more blooper reels in movie credits anymore.
Stephen Colbert
Bring them back.
Matt Rogers
Bring them back. Yes.
Stephen Colbert
Why do you think that is?
Bowen Yang
I don't know.
Stephen Colbert
Because people don't make mistakes.
Matt Rogers
Cause people don't make mistakes. 1. And also because there hasn't been like a good Jackie Chan vehicle in a while. And I think he was really like a proponent of those.
Stephen Colbert
Sure.
Bowen Yang
We need rush hour 5, 6. It's like the Today Show. So many hours.
Matt Rogers
So many hours.
Bowen Yang
Yeah, something like that.
Matt Rogers
And the best. The best part of culture right now, I think Matt and I both agree.
Stephen Colbert
Two words, private equity.
Bowen Yang
Incredible. Doing amazing things.
Matt Rogers
Emerging media companies.
Bowen Yang
Love y'. All.
Matt Rogers
So for everyone, killing it out there.
Bowen Yang
Way to go.
Stephen Colbert
It's amazing. When all about Ops. You have no idea.
Bowen Yang
The podcaster you just created.
Stephen Colbert
Matt, what's your dream guest for Las Culturistes?
Bowen Yang
Honestly. And this is so I've had my two, like, pop idols on the show, which were Kelly Clarkson and Mariah Carey. Truly surreal to have them on. And Bowen's two were Lady Gaga, who we had. Again, surreal. And then his other one is Celine Dion. And if Celine Dion came on Las Colgaristas, I think then we'd have to end it.
Matt Rogers
Yeah, we would have to end it.
Bowen Yang
There would be no. What's your question?
Stephen Colbert
What's your first question?
Bowen Yang
You gotta ask her about. I have a mic. This. I want to know what prompts this.
Matt Rogers
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
Is it maybe her heart has briefly stopped?
Bowen Yang
Honestly, it's in the Rolodex of options. Because it could be. I'm breaking up mucus. That's a singer thing. It could be. I just feel moved to.
Stephen Colbert
Sure.
Bowen Yang
But it is something and I want to get to the bottom of it because you don't just see this.
Matt Rogers
It's investigative.
Stephen Colbert
Yeah.
Bowen Yang
It's unique to her.
Matt Rogers
Yeah, definitely.
Stephen Colbert
Bowen, you already drove. Tune in on this earlier and bravo on that one. But the Las Culturista Culture Awards will be on Bravo August 5th. How does an award show. Either one of you. This is game ball. There's jump ball here. How does a award show come out.
Matt Rogers
Of a podcast through not thinking it's ever gonna happen? I think we like the podcast itself. We were like, no one is going to listen to this. This will never actually have any legs. And then weirdly, this is all a huge fluke, you guys. It's amazing. I think we.
Stephen Colbert
It's the number one award show right now. You know what? No. That's what I'm hearing. It's the award show that my staff is looking for.
Matt Rogers
Okay.
Stephen Colbert
You have a unique nomination series of categories here. I love the Eva Longoria Award for Tiny Huge impact.
Bowen Yang
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
The Filet Mignon Award for best beef.
Matt Rogers
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
Best vibe, hands down. Which my fellow late night host Seth Meyers is in the running for. He won it last year. Right. And I totally agree. There's no question. Best vibe Ever from Seth any better.
Bowen Yang
Off air, but he's actually up against Dochi, so that's gonna be really hard. And last year, this was big.
Stephen Colbert
Have you hung with her?
Bowen Yang
Well, have you hung with her?
Matt Rogers
We've not hung with her, but we can just tell through the screen.
Stephen Colbert
Unbelievable. We had her on. I had the chance to sit back with her and talk about her performance afterwards.
Bowen Yang
Best vibe, hands down.
Stephen Colbert
Best vibe, hands down.
Matt Rogers
That's insane.
Stephen Colbert
She reminded me of a young Seth Meyers. There you go. And I'm not asking you this just because you're here. I'm asking you, obviously. Cause I'm gonna tune in Bravo August.
Bowen Yang
5Th, and streaming next day on Peacock.
Stephen Colbert
Is there any category that I would ever, in the future, ever be qualified for on Las Culturistas?
Matt Rogers
You know, I don't know about the future, Steven, because we are thrilled to announce here tonight.
Bowen Yang
Yeah.
Matt Rogers
That you, Stephen Colbert, are the winner of a Las Culturistas Culture award for best future podcaster.
Stephen Colbert
Oh, my goodness. Holy. This is. Oh, my God.
Bowen Yang
Congratulations.
Stephen Colbert
Oh, my God. I want to thank everybody at Las Costa Ristas. I want to thank my mom and my dad. Oh, kids, go to bed. Daddy's coming home. Las Culturistas culture Awards airs Aug. 5 on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock. Matt Rogers and Bone Yang, thank you for listening to the Late Show POD show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. The grill isn't the only thing sizzling this summer. Pluto TV is bringing the heat with thousands of free movies. It's summer of cinema and it's all for free on Pluto TV Stream. All your favorite blockbuster hits. Gladiator.
Bowen Yang
I am not entertained.
Stephen Colbert
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The Matrix trilogy. Here we go. Boys in the Hood. Good Burger and Jerry Maguire. Show me the money. All for free. Pluto TV Stream now pay. Never. This Friday. May I speak freely?
Matt Rogers
I prefer English.
Stephen Colbert
The Naked Gun is the most fun you can have in theaters. Yeah. Let's go without getting arrested. Is he serious? Is he serious? No. The Naked Gun only in theaters.
Podcast Episode Summary: "Matt Rogers & Bowen Yang | Teed Off"
Release Date: July 29, 2025
The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert | CBS
In the "Teed Off" episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, released on July 29, 2025, host Stephen Colbert welcomes Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, the creative minds behind the acclaimed podcast Las Culturistas. This episode delves into the dynamic partnership of Rogers and Yang, their journey in the world of comedy, and the evolution of their podcast into a cultural phenomenon.
Colbert kicks off the conversation by exploring how Rogers and Yang first met during their college years at New York University. Both were active in different segments of the university's performing arts community—Rogers in the improv group and Yang in the sketch group. This unique intersection laid the foundation for a strong friendship and creative collaboration.
Matt Rogers reminisces, “We first met in college at a little real estate firm called New York University. It was a really auspicious meeting” (17:41).
Bowen Yang adds, “I saw him doing improv and I said, who's that? Which is how you know it's star quality” (17:55).
Their shared experiences as the only gay members in their respective groups fostered a deep bond, allowing them to support each other both personally and professionally.
The discussion transitions to the origins and rise of Las Culturistas. Launched in 2016, the podcast began as a humble project where Rogers and Yang engaged in candid, often over-the-top conversations about culture, media, and their personal lives. Initially doubting its potential, they focused on authentic dialogue, which resonated deeply with listeners, especially during the isolating times of the pandemic.
Bowen Yang explains, “We did the lowest common denominator thing, which was just talk to each other. And then years later, you find out, especially through the pandemic when people were feeling very isolated, that that's really what they wanted” (23:28).
Their genuine chemistry and humorous banter helped propel Las Culturistas to prominence, earning accolades such as being named one of Time Magazine's 100 Best Podcasts of All Time.
Stephen Colbert congratulates them, “Las Culturistas. Okay. Was just named Time magazine's 100 Best Podcast of all time” (22:09).
Rogers and Yang reveal exciting news about their upcoming Las Culturistas Culture Awards slated to air on Bravo and stream on Peacock on August 5th. This event aims to celebrate unique and often overlooked aspects of culture with a humorous twist, featuring unconventional award categories like "The Eva Longoria Award for Tiny Huge Impact" and "The Filet Mignon Award for Best Beef."
Stephen Colbert expresses enthusiasm, “The Filet Mignon Award for best beef” (28:08), highlighting the creative and playful nature of their award categories.
The hosts discuss the potential nominees and the fun dynamics of the award show, emphasizing its role in honoring both mainstream and niche cultural contributions.
When prompted about their dream guests, both hosts mention iconic figures in the entertainment industry. Bowen Yang shares his desire to have Celine Dion on the show, humorously suggesting, “If Celine Dion came on Las Culturistas, I think then we'd have to end it” (26:22).
They also brainstorm ideas for Stephen Colbert’s own podcast, playfully suggesting that Colbert and his wife Evvy could host a podcast documenting their dates. Matt Rogers enthuses, “I would love to produce it” (23:36), showcasing their supportive camaraderie.
The trio engages in light-hearted cultural commentary, discussing trends and the current state of media. They joke about the disappearance of blooper reels in movie credits, attributing it to the absence of mistakes in filmmaking or the lack of recent Jackie Chan-style action comedies.
Matt Rogers humorously laments, “The worst part of culture right now is that there are no more blooper reels in movie credits anymore” (25:26).
Moreover, they touch upon the impact of private equity in emerging media companies, praising its role in fostering innovative content creation.
Bowen Yang exclaims, “Private equity. Incredible. Doing amazing things” (26:06), indicating the positive influence of investment in media ventures.
Rogers shares a personal story about his recent trip to China, visiting his father's childhood home in Inner Mongolia. He humorously discusses the unexpected reception his social media post received, with comments praising his masculinity.
Matt Rogers jokes, “They were saying that” referring to the flattering comments on his photo (21:25), while Bowen Yang adds, “I was gonna say just generally hot photo opinion” (21:27).
The conversation also delves into the nuances of cultural interpretation and internet slang, highlighting the playful misunderstandings that can arise when different cultures intersect online.
As the episode wraps up, Rogers and Yang announce that Las Culturistas has won a Las Culturistas Culture Award for "Best Future Podcaster," a playful acknowledgment of Stephen Colbert's potential for joining the podcasting world.
Matt Rogers proudly states, “That you, Stephen Colbert, are the winner of a Las Culturistas Culture award for best future podcaster” (29:12).
Stephen Colbert humorously reacts to the news, embracing the honor and inviting listeners to tune into the upcoming Culture Awards event.
This episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert offers an insightful and entertaining glimpse into the creative partnership of Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Through anecdotes, humor, and thoughtful discussion, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the artistry behind Las Culturistas and the vibrant landscape of modern podcasting. The anticipation for their upcoming Culture Awards adds an exciting element, promising more engaging content in the future.
Notable Quotes:
Matt Rogers: “We first met in college at a little real estate firm called New York University. It was a really auspicious meeting” (17:41).
Bowen Yang: “I saw him doing improv and I said, who's that? Which is how you know it's star quality” (17:55).
Bowen Yang: “But just be yourself... hear a friendship in action” (23:27).
Matt Rogers: “The worst part of culture right now is that there are no more blooper reels in movie credits anymore” (25:26).
Bowen Yang: “Private equity. Incredible. Doing amazing things” (26:06).
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions and memorable moments. Whether you're a longtime listener or new to The Late Show Pod Show, this episode offers valuable insights into the world of podcasting and the creative processes behind one of its top shows.