2015 was a different time. One of the most polarizing discussions online was about whether the color of a striped dress was blue and black or white and gold. The class of 2015 was graduating into an election year. And Stephen Colbert was just gearing up to become the host of The Late Show.
Now, polarization online looks a bit different, the class of 2026 is stepping into a country led by the same president who won in 2016, and global conflict and AI have transformed the economy and job market. And last night, the final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert aired on CBS.
Back in 2015—long before booing commencement speakers for peddling AI was the norm—Colbert gave the graduating class at Wake Forest University a few pointers on how to handle a future filled with what he called a “dark chasm of yawning uncertainty.”
“It is my responsibility, as a commencement speaker, to prepare you for what awaits you in the future,” Colbert told the crowd during his address. “Here it is. No one has any idea what’s going to happen—not even Elon Musk. That’s why he’s building those rockets. He wants a ‘plan B’ on another world.”
At the time, Colbert was just navigating his own version of that uncertainty. After years of playing a caricature on The Colbert Report, he was about to reinvent himself in front of a national audience as the host of The Late Show.
“I just spent many years learning to do one thing really well,” Colbert said. “I got so comfortable with that place, that role, those responsibilities, that it came to define how I saw myself. But now that part of my life is over.
“It’s time to say goodbye to the person we’ve become, we’ve worked so hard to perfect, and to make some crucial decisions. … For me, I’ll have to figure out how to do an hour-long show every night,” Colbert said. “And you, at some point, will have to sleep,” he added jokingly. “I am told the Adderall wears off eventually.”
Colbert gave the class of 2015 tips on how to navigate graduating into an election year—but the advice he shared still rings true today. “You’re gonna have to learn pretty damn quick how to tell the difference between hype and substance,” he said, “to keep folks from selling you things and ideas that aren’t true.”
The comedian went on to tell the grads that they will inevitably face criticism from employers or others throughout their careers. “Having your own standards will help you weather moments like that,” Colbert said. “Having your own standards allows you to perceive success where others may see failure.”
For example, in Colbert’s career, having those standards and self-confidence allowed him to tell “iffy” jokes. “Having my own standards is why I could keep going at times when no one laughed, or when I thought the person I was interviewing might throw a punch at me,” he said.
Colbert’s late-night slot is being filled by Comics Unleashed, created and hosted by comedian-turned-media mogul Byron Allen, who recently added the title of “CEO of Buzzfeed” to his portfolio.
CBS said that the cancellation was driven by finances and not tied to ratings or content. Still, viewers speculated about whether Colbert’s outspoken political voice played any role in the decision to end the franchise.
Through his career, Colbert has interviewed thousands of prominent public figures, from Barack Obama to Paul McCartney. The show averaged 2.7 million viewers during the first quarter of this year, beating out other popular late-night shows.
“I hope you find the courage to decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong,” Colbert said at the end of his 2015 speech. “Please expect as much of the world around you. Try to make the world good according to your standards. It won’t be easy.”