CBS’s late night comedy game show After Midnight went off rails on Thursday as host Taylor Tomlinson and her fellow comedian guests yucked it up with some cheap anti-Jesus and “Jesus was gay” laughs.
Tomlinson set up the round by introducing a TikTok video, “Life is full of surprises. As M. Night Shamalayan once said, ‘Never let them know your next move.’ This is exemplified in this TikTok from @julianprospers where he asks a stranger about his relationship status.”
The video showed the following discussion:
MAN: We’ve been on and off for, like, 10, 15 years, maybe, but got really serious the past few months.
JULIAN PROSPERS: So, is this a woman that you think that it’s not a—
MAN: It’s not a woman.
PROSPERS: It’s not a woman.
MAN: No.
PROSPERS: It’s a man.
MAN: Yeah.
PROSPERS: So you’re gay.
MAN: No, no, it’s our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, brother.
Tomlinson replied, “I don’t want to be cynical, but I was once in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and it didn’t work out long-term. It’s not Him, it’s me. Let’s save this TikTok guy some heartache. As Jesus, break up with this guy.”
Jay Jurden buzzed in first, “I’m sorry, my dad kind of hates gay people. Have you seen the signs?”
Next was Todd Barry, “I have to break out with you. You’ve never been really good about texting back.”
Finally, there was Bassem Youssef, who, when he’s not on After Midnight, is on CNN and PBS telling allegedly serious journalists that Israel needs “to go F itself.” Now, Youssef feigned political correctness, “I don’t know if I can actually touch this because whatever I would say would be blasphemous. Also, I didn’t know that Jesus was gay. Oh, [bleep].”
Jurden then returned to add, “Man shall not live by [bleep] alone. Was that too far?” and Youssef tacked on, “Oh, can I do one more? Can I do one more?”
While it got lost in Tomlinson’s many guffaws, Prospers appears to be someone who believes in using social media to spread his faith. As evident by his video description, the video was a skit about people refusing to commit to Christ, not a genuine man on the street interview with a stranger as Tomlinson portrayed. People can judge for themselves if it hit the comedic sweet spot or not, but After Midnight definitely didn’t.
Here is a transcript for the May 16-taped show:
CBS After Midnight
5/17/2024
12:41 AM ET
TAYLOR TOMLINSON: Life is full of surprises. As M. Night Shamalayan once said, “Never let them know your next move.” This is exemplified in this TikTok from @julianprospers where he asks a stranger about his relationship status.
MAN: We’ve been on and off for, like, 10, 15 years, maybe, but got really serious the past few months.
JULIAN PROSPERS: So, is this a woman that you think that it’s not a—
MAN: It’s not a woman.
PROSPERS: It’s not a woman.
MAN: No.
PROSPERS: It’s a man.
MAN: Yeah.
PROSPERS: So you’re gay.
MAN: No, no, it’s our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, brother.
TOMLINSON: I don’t want to be cynical, but I was once in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and it didn’t work out long-term. It’s not Him, it’s me. Let’s save this TikTok guy some heartache. As Jesus, break up with this guy. Jay.
JAY JURDEN: I’m sorry, my dad kind of hates gay people. Have you seen the signs?
TOMLINSON: Todd.
TODD BARRY: I have to break out with you. You’ve never been really good about texting back.
TOMLINSON: Big texter, Jesus. Bassem?
BASSEM YOUSSEF: I don’t know if I can actually touch this because whatever I would say would be blasphemous. Also, I didn’t know that Jesus was gay. Oh, [bleep].
JURDEN: Oh, can I do one more? Can I do one more?
TOMLINSON: Sure, yeah, yeah.
JURDEN: Man shall not live by [bleep] alone. Was that too far?
TOMLINSON: Bassem.
YOUSSEF: We have a full trinity, we don’t need a fourth.