Stephen Colbert called out Kid Rock and other Republicans for their backlash against trans people during two hilarious segments on The Late Show on Tuesday, April 11. After a faux news broadcast, speaking about Kid Rock, 52, showing his anger at Bud Light for recruiting trans-TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney by shooting a case of beer, the comic showed a fake ad for a made-up beer where he roasted conservatives who were angered by Bud Light’s new spokesperson.
Pop one open and put it in your mouth. 🍻 #Colbert pic.twitter.com/XDx6hxbSBn
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) April 12, 2023
The commercial mirrored typical beer ads, while also making use of innuendo to clown on Republicans and took another shot at the “Bawitdaba” singer’s manhood. “Are you tired of woke beer that blurs gender lines? Wanna drink the beer that you were assigned at birth? Then reach for Shaft Beer: the only brew that comes in a can shaped like a penis. So you know just who it’s for. Pop one open and put it in your mouth,” the voiceover said. “If you want less beer, try Shaft Light. It’s the same beer, but in a can the size of Kid Rock’s penis.”
During Stephen’s monologue, he also called out Republican Florida State Representative Webster Barnaby for calling trans people “mutants” and comparing them to the X-Men, while speaking about a bill that criminalizes people using bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity rather than biological sex. Stephen poked holes in the legislator’s comparison by reminding viewers just how awesome the characters from X-Men are. “If you’re against trans people, why would you compare them to incredibly cool superheroes with laser eyes, indestructible skeletons, or who control the weather with sexiness?” he asked.
One of the fiercest advocates for the latest anti-trans bill, Republican Rep. Webster Barnaby, offered a confusing metaphor for what it’s like to share the world with trans people. #Colbert pic.twitter.com/dofjweoMN3
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) April 12, 2023
Stephen continued and explained that the whole point of the comic book series was acceptance. “Most importantly, the entire message of all of these movies is that society should accept everyone no matter their differences. Stan Lee himself said he created the X-Men characters as a metaphor for civil rights, and the franchise is explicitly a gay rights parable,” he said before geting one last jab at the state legislator in. “So, Barnaby is purposefully misrepresenting these X-Men movies, unless his mutant power is being a dumba**.”
After his speech, Barnaby did apologize for comments, specifically ones where he compared trans people to “demons,” per Politico. “I would like to apologize to the trans community for referring to you as demons,” he said in a statement.