A California-based nonprofit and leader in marine mammal science and conservation made a very public and unsolicited job offer to Stephen Colbert, the host of 'The Late Show,' whose nearly 11-year run came to an end last week with the controversial cancellation of his show.
The National Marine Mammal Foundation has put up billboards to get the attention of the host of the recently canceled ' The Late Show .
' A California-based nonprofit and leader in marine mammal science and conservation made a very public and unsolicited job offer to Stephen Colbert, whose nearly 11-year run as host of 'The Late Show' came to an end last week with the controversial cancellation of his show. And the job offer got the Emmy-award-winning comedic legend's attention.
On Thursday, as Colbert delivered his final opening monologue of the final show, he told his audience that he was being recruited by the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF). The nonprofit is headquartered in San Diego but has an East Coast hub in Charleston, South Carolina, where Colbert is from.
'Now a lot of people have been asking me what I plan to do after tonight,' he said. He evoked laughter from the studio audience as he delivered the punchline, 'And the answer is drugs.
' Colbert went on by saying, 'But here’s the thing. I just found this out. The National Marine Mammal Foundation in my beloved home state of South Carolina has a slightly different idea… because down there they put up this billboard saying, 'Wanted: Former late show host burdened by whale-related childhood ambition.
' The billboard also included a link to where Colbert could apply, as he noted that the sign was just one of a series that went up as part of the job offer. In another billboard put out by the nonprofit, there is a photo of a closet full of suits with a wetsuit in the middle. The caption reads, 'Hey Stephen, what’s your wetsuit size? Your next gig is waiting.
' That was addressed to him and posted on the nonprofit’s website, asking him to join the team 'to become unusually useful to Charleston dolphins. ' 'I gotta say, it is really flattering to be considered,' Colbert said, as he offered up some backstory. 'Here’s the thing. I don’t know how they knew this, but it is true that as a little boy I grew up wanting to be Jacques Cousteau.
' This tidbit of information about the star was something the National Marine Mammal Foundation had excitedly been sitting on for years. 'A few years ago, we heard Stephen Colbert mention on the Strike Force Five podcast that, as a child, he dreamed of becoming a marine biologist,' the foundation’s president and CEO Dr. Cynthia Smith explained to KTVU. 'We immediately started imagining ways to invite him to join our team as an advocate for marine mammals.
' Smith said when news broke last summer that CBS would be canceling the show, the foundation decided the time had come to try and get his attention. NMMF said it was completely floored when Colbert acknowledged the outreach effort during his final monologue and noted that the spotlight offered an opportunity to bring awareness about the work it does.
'Our team was blown away that in the final minute of his final Late Show monologue, Stephen Colbert chose to shine a light on dolphins and our extraordinary team of scientists at the NMMF,' Smith shared. 'That’s an incredible moment, not just for our team but for everyone that cares about marine mammal conservation. ' The CEO said the attention comes at a time when conservation organizations like NMMF are navigating immense challenges, facing federal funding cuts at drastic levels.
'We need the public’s support now more than ever to continue our important work, to help us protect the animals we hold dear, including the critically endangered dolphins, porpoises, and whales around the world,' Smith said. The scope of the foundation’s work to protect aquatic mammals is expansive and includes studying environmental and climate shifts that affect the animals’ habitat, research on underwater noise pollution that threatens marine mammals, and education.
'When we aren’t on the water, our field team is helping inspire the next generation of marine scientists through hands-on educational opportunities and real-world conservation experiences,' Smith explained. In its letter to Colbert, the group said that while it cannot offer him a network television gig, a studio audience, or complete freedom from whale jokes, what it can offer is other perks, including working with intelligent dolphins, collaborating with world-class marine mammal scientists, and the opportunity to help shine a national spotlight on conservation efforts happening in his hometown.
As part of its heartfelt pitch, the foundation tried to appeal to both Colbert's boyhood aspirations as well as addressing the urgency of the present conditions.
'You once dreamed about this life. Now we are gently, publicly, and likely persistently inviting you back toward it. Because the truth is, the ocean needs good storytellers too.
Stephen Colbert The Late Show National Marine Mammal Foundation Job Offer Billboards Dolphins Marine Mammal Conservation Jacques Cousteau Underwater Noise Pollution Education
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