Noah, Colbert, Kimmel, and Corden explain GameStop, a funny tale of the stock market and Retail Apocalypse

I haven't written a story about the Retail Apocalypse since Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day and the stock market since September, so I was due. Well, do I have a story about both with a comedic twist, GameStop, which was the subject of four monologues last night, beginning with The Daily Show with Trevor Noah's Reddit’s GameStop Stock Boost & MLB’s Hall of Fame Drought.

Redditors boost the stock price of GameStop to insane numbers, the pandemic possibly creates a baby bust, and the Baseball Hall of Fame inducts no new players this year.

Good use of "The Big Short" to explain the situation. Other comedians will reference that scene later.

Before I move on the rest of the monologues last night, I'm thanking Trevor and his writers for including a perfect callback to yesterday's CNBC asks 'Is The U.S. Running Out Of People?' I like good transitions and I couldn't have imagined a better one between yesterday's post about population and today's about stocks.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert had a less on-topic preview image but a better monologue in How Reddit Traders Used GameStop To Totally Spank The Wall Street Big Boys.

Stephen has the perfect explainer video for anyone trying to figure out what the heck is happening on Wall Street, as giant hedge funds get brutally punished by swarms of Reddit users harnessing their collective power to boost GameStop's stock price.

The opening of this monologue harks back to the failed self-coup and the kind of people who supported it. Consider that a preview of coming attractions on this blog as I make fun of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and other members of the "QAnon Caucus" in the coming months.

Stephen mentioned the Margot Robbie scene from "The Big Short," but created his own version. I like the visual explanation in it better. Beanie Babies, which we'll see again as well, make for a good concrete example. Robbie was too distracting in the original and seeing Trevor's head on her was even more distracting.

Follow over the jump for two more monologues that featured GameStop and its stock.

The title of Jimmy Kimmel's monologue MAGA Buffoons Take Washington & Reddit Takes Wall Street made it look like it took a very similar trajectory to Colbert's, but it had more about life during the COVID-19 pandemic, including stupid human tricks by porch pirates.

Jimmy checks in with Guillermo after his drunken 50th birthday, places like Las Vegas, Phoenix & Palm Springs are seeing snow and North Carolina is seeing UFO's, a video of a porch pirate caught in the act was spread around Reddit, researchers in Japan have discovered that singing in certain languages spreads COVID faster than others, Jimmy explains an ongoing argument that he finally settled with his wife Molly this morning, Lindsey Graham got his hand caught in the boogie jar, the Trump hotel in D.C. is totally empty, Congressman Kevin McCarthy made a visit to Mar-a-Lago to see Trump, Republicans in the house put their screwiest, Q-iest member Marjorie Taylor Green onto the Education and Labor committee, a MAGA supporter has a job as a sign language interpreter with the Biden administration, and Jimmy breaks down the GameStop stock market drama with the help of an expert.

Once again, Kimmel has the most comprehensive video descriptions of all the late night talk show hosts. However, they don't include lines like "If you don't know who [Marjorie Taylor Greene] is, I wish I didn't, too." I second that emotion, as I have muted her on Twitter, but I'm following David Hogg. As for the explanation, it wasn't as informative as either Trevor's or Stephen's, but it was funny. "Don't listen to Lehman Brothers or Mario Brothers," indeed.

I conclude today's entry with James Corden, who says [He] Totally Understands the GameStop Story. James also referenced Beanie Babies in his explanation of the situation, although not as effectively as Stephen.

James Corden kicks off the show trying to wrap his head around the raging battle between Wall Street hedge funds and retail traders organized on Reddit over companies like GameStop and AMC. And James wonders why he's still hosting the show in a suit before he gets an overview of Waffle House.

I haven't watched his show since Meyers, Colbert, Kimmel, Fallon, and Corden take closer looks at Trump facing impeachment — again — and being banned from social media, so I'm glad to see that he and his band are not only back in the studio, but finally feeling at home again.

That's it for today's funny takes on GameStop. I plan on posting serious ones tomorrow. Stay tuned.