Here's How Many People Wrote to FCC About Colbert

Stephen Colbert's well-covered joke about President Trump, Vladimir Putin, and oral sex has netted more than 5,700 complaints to the FCC since the May 1 episode of The Late Show. Upon request from Politico, the FCC released the first 100 of those complaints, which center on hate speech, indecency, and homophobia and come from both liberals and conservatives. One viewer was thankful their "children, elderly parents, and other loved ones" didn't hear the joke. Another told the FCC: "It is your job to keep these Leftists from dragging this nation further into the gutter." Most of the complaints advocated for a fine against Colbert.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai says they are reviewing the complaints, but that doesn't mean the complaints have merit. A lawyer tells Politico there's "zero chance" the FCC brings an obscenity case against Colbert and a "less than zero chance" such a case would be a success. Colbert is also unlikely to face punishment from CBS. Both the late-night host and network chairman Les Moonves joked about the situation during a CBS upfront presentation Wednesday in New York, the Los Angeles Times reports. "There's only one word to describe this president, and the FCC has asked me not to use it anymore," Colbert said following a song-and-dance number. Moonves added The Late Show is very popular with "FCC investigators 18 to 49." (More Stephen Colbert stories.)