Comedy Central personality and long-time series contributor Jordan Klepper was arrested during a protest. The comedian became known as a segment correspondent on the The Daily Show in 2014, and stayed alongside Trevor Noah when he replaced Jon Stewart until 2017. Comedy Central then launched Klepper’s own late night talk and satirical news show, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, which was co-created by Noah. Despite positive critical reception, the show was cancelled after one season.
Along with other flagship Comedy Central shows, such as Broad City, The President Show, and of course The Daily Show, Klepper is known for being critical of the Donald Trump presidential administration and right-wing policies in general. Episodes of The Opposition commentated on political topics starkly divided by partisan disagreement, such as gun control, climate change, and Russian hacking. As the host, Klepper personified a loud-mouth, conservative, conspiracy theorist, intended to mock personalities on Fox News, and debunk issues. Following the cancellation, it was announced that Comedy Central would be backing his new show with the working title, The Klepper. Part of the new series may have been revealed.
According to Deadline, Klepper was arrested in Atlanta, while taking part in protest on behalf of undocumented students outside of a Georgia State Board of Regents meeting. Klepper was part of a group repeating “Education not segregation” to the board as they were presumably exiting a meeting. Check out the clip below:
Since the footage was reportedly for Klepper’s new series, Dreamers and immigration appear to be focal points of the coming project. No release date has been been planned for the show, which so far looks to be more of a documentary than a talk show. Comedy Central took to Twitter to support Klepper following his arrest.
The portrayal of immigrants on television has become more progressive since rising in outward xenophobic sentiment has become more visible and challenged in various media formats. Stereotypical caricatures such as funny immigrant sidekicks in sitcoms like That 70s Show or terrorists in crime procedurals like 24 are gradually being replaced by sympathetic, three-dimensional narratives, as seen in Fresh Off The Boat, Grey’s Anatomy, or Jane The Virgin - Gina Rodriguez was even reported to be planning a series focusing on Dreamers in late 2017.
Klepper’s examination of issues through a documentary lens may be an ideal way to reach more audiences with his message, since late night talk shows continue to be dominated by veterans like Noah, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel. Similar to The Opposition, I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Who Is America? were cancelled after one season. A change of format may lead to different results.
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Source: Deadline, Kevin Sanchez
