“Late Night with Stephen Colbert” viewers got a laugh at Utah’s expense on Thursday when the letter “a very concerned citizen” wrote to Gov. Spencer Cox made the “Meanwhile” segment.
“Meanwhile,” Colbert said, 2:40 into the segment, “New York isn’t the only state with a big gubernatorial sex scandal, because a Utah resident is demanding Governor Spencer Cox change his obscene last name.”
(The governor himself posted the letter on Twitter, joking that he’s “Really grateful for the criticism and constructive feedback I get from constituents.”)
Colbert quoted directly from the letter: “I do not know if you know this, but when people say your surname, it sounds like the word c***. It’s obscene. Us decent people here in Utah will not stand for it.”
The studio audience, of course, laughed along.
Colbert then mimicked the letter writer, faux typing, “When I hear your name, all I can think about is penises. Also, when I look at tall buildings, cucumbers, ketchup bottles, those clickie pens with four different colors. It’s not like generations of sexual repression have tainted me. Oh no! I just said ‘taint.’ I’ll see myself out. Good day, sir.”
And Colbert went on to mock the anonymous Utahn behind the letter still further.
“Whoever this is clearly doesn’t know their own state’s actual history of actual Utah governors, like Alfred Cumming, Stephen S. Harding, George Lemuel Woods, Norman H. Bangerter and Lance R. Sexpenis.”
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” airs weeknights at 10:35 p.m. on CBS/Ch. 2. Episodes are available to stream the following day on Paramount+.