Stephen Colbert and his Late Show team didn’t hold back when it came to mocking the recent deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. In true Colbert fashion, the cold open went full historical satire with a parody documentary titled The Ice Protests: A Film by Ken Burns. It started with a quiet moment — a quill scratching across paper, a solemn narrator reading aloud to “my dearest Martha.”
The scene paints a very unserious picture of what’s supposedly a high-security military operation. “We’ve been deployed to Los Angeles,” the voice says. “I still have no clue what our mission is.” Viewers are then taken through the absurd day-to-day life of these troops: sleeping on floors, standing around, and sightseeing locations like the set of The Goldbergs. The sketch even wrapped with the soldier stopping mid-letter to announce spotting Rod Stewart.
Desi Lydic follows up with a longer burn
Over on The Daily Show, Desi Lydic kept the parody energy flowing. She introduced their take as Ken Burns Presents: A Soldier’s Experience in Los Angeles. Again, it started with a handwritten letter, this time addressed to “my dearest Susie.” The soldier narrates from a Whole Foods parking lot, directly across from The Grove, as if he’s reporting from a battlefield.
Unlike Colbert’s version, Lydic’s segment runs longer and gets in deeper with the cultural digs. The soldier reflects on his previous war experiences, then compares them to doing a celebrity home tour. References to Hailey Bieber, Erewhon, Nobu, and even Kelsey Grammer pop up. In one of the funniest lines, the narrator laments the loss of a fellow soldier: “Johnny caught the improv bug and signed with UTA.”
Shared DNA and double the laughs
It’s not surprising to see both shows take similar comedic swings. Colbert, after all, is a Daily Show alum, and Jon Stewart has producing hands in both programs. But what makes these segments land isn’t just the timing — it’s the tone. The blend of over-the-top solemnity with ridiculous content perfectly captures the absurdity surrounding the protests and the military’s bizarre role in them.
