Stephen Colbert's last day hosting The Late Show ended with a costly joke. On air, he played "Linus and Lucy," the iconic Vince Guaraldi jazz composition from the Peanuts catalog, while quipping that he hoped the performance wouldn't hit the network's bottom line. It did.
Lee Mendelson Film Productions, which controls Guaraldi's Peanuts music library, reached a licensing agreement with CBS for an undisclosed sum. The California-based company said it would donate every penny to World Central Kitchen, the disaster-relief food nonprofit founded by chef José Andrés.
The moment carried extra weight given the circumstances of Colbert's departure. Many fans and observers have attributed the show's cancellation to the host's outspoken criticism of the Trump administration, making his final on-air jab at network oversight feel particularly pointed.
Jason Mendelson, chairman of Lee Mendelson Film Productions, framed the agreement as a win all around. "LMFP found the music's use on The Late Show funny and entertaining, and is proud to support World Central Kitchen's mission," he said in a statement. He also emphasized that enforcement actions serve an educational purpose: to remind businesses and government entities that using music commercially requires proper licensing.
That last point reflects the company's aggressive recent track record. Lee Mendelson Film Productions has pursued legal action against an apparel accessories manufacturer, a video game producer, a collectibles auction house, and even the US Department of the Interior over unlicensed uses of Guaraldi's compositions.
The production company traces its roots to the original Peanuts collaboration. Founder Lee Mendelson worked alongside Charles M Schulz, animator Bill Melendez, and Guaraldi to create the beloved animated specials that made the music famous. Schulz himself settled in Santa Rosa, California in 1969, where he remained until his death in 2000.
Colbert's charitable gesture extended beyond the musical moment. He donated $2.5 million to World Central Kitchen during the penultimate episode of his run, signaling where his priorities lay as the show wound down.
Author James Rodriguez: "Colbert found a way to thumb his nose at management on the way out while actually enriching an important cause, and the copyright holders were savvy enough to let it happen and look good doing it."
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