Stephen Colbert enjoys the normalcy in Biden’s abnormal inauguration

Stephen Colbert says there was a reason for optimism despite President Joe Biden’s abnormal inauguration

Stephen Colbert spent the past four years talking about everything that the country had never seen before. Wednesday’s inauguration of President Joe Biden was also abnormal but The Late Show had a much different approach in its coverage.

We are out of the President Donald Trump era, a time when Colbert would remind his audience that what we were seeing was not normal. Whether it was White House hirings or firings, phone calls to foreign leaders, or Sharpie marks on a weather map, there was always something unprecedented coming out in the news.

President Biden’s inauguration looked, sounded, and felt unlike any other in memory. COVID-19 precautions mixed with increased safety measures prevented the normal public celebration that goes along with an inauguration.

But last night on a special live edition of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert found reasons to celebrate amidst the abnormal circumstances. His monologue explained why there are reasons for joy and optimism:

Stephen Colbert called President Biden’s inauguration a return to normalcy

Stephen Colbert isn’t trying to be hyperbolic when he tells his audience that they “survived” the past four years. Colbert was always sincere during monologues that suggested American democracy was threatened and there was a chance for irreversible changes.

Colbert also admits that he was emotional while watching President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration. But the Late Show was gloating but instead breathing a sigh of relief after spending four years worrying about America’s fate.

The entire day was a “return to normalcy” says Colbert. This, despite no crowd and everyone wearing masks and socially distancing due to the pandemic. Colbert summed it up like this:

"Even though it was abnormal, at least we understood why it was abnormal. After 12 months of denial and self-delusion about this pandemic, we’re finally accepting reality and taking precautions. So many times during the last four years, we were all like ‘what the hell is happening? Why is this happening?’ And they wouldn’t tell us. They wouldn’t tell us the real reasons because everything was a sales job. And the weirdest feeling in the world is when something is clearly abnormal and someone tries to tell you that it’s not. And what we saw today was the opposite of gaslighting."

By no means were all of the country’s problems fixed yesterday. But Stephen Colbert is convinced it was the first step in a return to normalcy. It’s a step that, even in abnormal times, will move the country in the right direction. And after the last four years, yesterday’s inauguration was just what Colbert needed to see.

What did you think of Stephen Colbert’s monologue? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.